Mansfield Town v Northampton Town
SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Monday March 28th, 3.00pm
One Call Stadium
MANSFIELD TOWN 2
Matt Green 11, 16
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Ricky Holmes 64 pen
John Marquis 69
Attendance: 4,367 (1,667 Cobblers fans)
Mansfield: Scott Shearer, Mal Benning, Krystian Pearce, Lee Collins, Chris Clements, Matt Green, Ryan Tafazolli (sub Daniel Alfei 22), Mani Dieseruvwe (sub Mitchell Rose 62), Matty Blair (sub Adam Chapman 55), Jack Thomas, Jamie McGuire
Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Chris Beardsley, Colin Daniel, James Baxendale
Cobblers: Adam Smith, Brendan Moloney, Zander Diamond, Rod McDonald, David Buchanan, John-Joe O’Toole, Danny Rose, Jason Taylor (sub Lawson D'Ath 46), Marc Richards (sub Ricky Holmes 46), John Marquis (sub Sam Hoskins 79), James Collins
Subs not used: Ryan Clarke, Luke Prosser, Joel Byrom, Josh Lelan
Referee: Darren Handley
Booked:
Mansfield: Ryan Tafazolli (20), Jamie McGuire (22), Jack Thomas (50)
Cobblers: David Buchanan (41, 3rd of the season), Sam Hoskins (84, 1st), Brendan Moloney (90, 4th)
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Mansfield: Jamie McGuire (45)
Cobblers: none
Sendings off: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.
Chris Wilder made a number of changes for Easter Monday’s trip to Mansfield with Marc Richards, Jason Taylor, Danny Rose and Rod McDonald all coming into the side. Lee Collins, released by the Cobblers in the summer, started at left-back for the Stags.
Mansfield took the lead on 11 minutes, a Chris Clements free-kick headed in by Matt Green.
And it wasn’t long before Matt Green doubled his tally for the afternoon, once again heading home from a free-kick to make it 2-0.
Former Cobblers loanee Daniel Alfie came on for the Stags midway through the first half after Ryan Tafazolli was forced off with an injury, Lee Collins switching to centre-back.
Chris Clements fired a shot just over the bar as Mansfield continued to threaten but in first half stoppage time the home side were reduced to ten men, Jamie McGuire shown a second yellow card for a foul on John Marquis. The half then ended with Scott Shearer pulling off a good save to keep out a Zander Diamond header.
Ricky Holmes and Lawson D’Ath came on for the second half, replacing Marc Richards and Jason Taylor.
Shearer saved from Holmes as the Cobblers started the second half on top before Matt Green, going for his hat-trick, curled an effort just wide.
Holmes went agonisingly close to pulling a goal back when his shot on the turn clattered the crossbar, with some appeals that the ball had crossed the line as it bounced down.
With just over an hour played a foul on James Collins saw referee Darren Handley point to the spot. Ricky Holmes stepped up to score from 12-yards.
John Marquis equalised on 68 minutes, poking home a Danny Rose corner. By now the Cobblers were in full flow and but for a good save from Shearer to deny Holmes would have been in front.
Sam Hoskins, having just come on for Marquis, had a chance to score with his first touch but couldn’t keep his shot down. Four minutes of time was added on at the end of a pulsating half of football but the game was to finish all-square.
MANSFIELD MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 4
CORNERS: (1) 2
FOULS: (8) 12
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 4
CORNERS: (3) 6
FOULS: (10) 16
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta