An entertaining friendly between two of last season’s FA Carlsberg Trophy stars saw Mansfield Town battle to a 4-1 win at Chasetown FC.
With both sides in their final friendly match before the league campaign kicks off the two teams were keen to impress, but the powerful Blue Square Premier side proved one hurdle too far for the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League men in a fine display of attacking football from both sides, Mansfield’s Ross Dyer stealing the show with a superb display and two fine goals.
Just five minutes after the whistle Mansfield took the lead when Adam Smith spotted Ryan Price off his line and lobbed the ball in right-footed with Price only able to help the ball into the net.
The Stags doubled their lead on 20 minutes when a cross-cum-shot from Ross Dyer on the right was well-placed into the corner of the net, but five minutes later Chasetown would pull one back when a Gary Hay cross found welcome returnee Carl Edwards who played the ball back to Ramone Stephens. The latter crossed in from the left and found Hay who headed the ball home at the far post.
Richard Teesdale would head wide as the Scholars fought back but on 32 minutes the visitors added a third when Dyer was given too much room in the box but his right-footed drive was cleared for a corner. The Scholars defence failed to clear the resultant kick and Dyer fired the ball into the roof of the net.
Malachi Farquharson then saw a shot saved with Price making a fingertip save from Smith, but a fourth Mansfield goal came from the resulting corner when Matt Flynn headed home.
Chasetown made wholesale changes for the second half but it was Mansfield who enjoyed the first chance when the dangerous Dyer rounded Price only for Chris Peel to clear his shot off the line.
Peel worked hard for the Scholars including clearing a couple of corners and sending a free kick wide, while Dean Perrow also saw a shot cleared on 55 minutes.
Jake Sedgemore fired over the bar from a Lee Parsons pass as the home side enjoyed the better of the play in the middle of the second half, while Lee Stevenson shot wide for the Stags following a free kick.
Andy Westwood saw a shot blocked by a Mansfield hand on 81 minutes with Peel sending the free kick wide, and with two minutes on the clock Sedgemore’s shot went wide with keeper Shane Redmond scrambling back.
Chasetown begin their league campaign with a home game against Whitby Town next Saturday, kicking off at 3pm.
Chasetown: Price, Turner, M Branch, J Branch, Farquharson, Teesdale (c), Stephens, Parsons, Hay, Edwards, Jevons. Subs: Birch (Hay 59), Perrow (Edwards 45), Slater (Turner 45), Sedgemore (Farquharson 45), Westwood (Jevons 45), Cohen (Teesdale 55), T Robinson (Parsons 59), Steadman (Stephens 45), Peel (M Branch 45), Wiggins.
Mansfield: Redmond, O’Neill, Bell, Worthington, Flynn, Wood, Todd, Stevenson, Dyer, Howell, Smith. Subs: Briscoe, Connor, Murray, Green, Kendrick, Naylor (O’Neill 64), Marriott, Koudenba (Worthington 59).
