Reggie Lambe and his Mansfield Town teammates regained the Green Energy Challenge Trophy following a comfortable 5-1 victory over Rainworth Miners Welfare in the first pre-season clash of the new campaign at Kirklington Road.
Anthony Dwyer opened the scoring in the first half, but Rainworth drew level through former Mansfield youth teamer Lewis Chambers five minutes later.
A new eleven that included Lambe after the re-start tore into the hosts with Craig Westcarr putting Adam Murray’s team ahead on 56 minutes, before he claimed a hat-trick of assists – feeding Adi Yussuf twice, and also Nicky Hunt.
Despite it being quite a hot afternoon with temperatures well in excess of 20 degrees, energy levels by both teams seemed high and Mansfield soon registered a shot on target when young Tom Marriott broke through and drew a diving save from Nathan Burrows in the hosts’ goal.
Mansfield then registered their first goal of the new campaign on the stroke of the half-hour mark. Dwyer had the simplest of finishes from 10 yards after some great skill by Thomas, who embarked on a run and played a defense-splitting ball during the buildup.
It could have been 2-0 just a few moments later as Marriott had an effort blocked by a Wrens defender, before the ball ricocheted towards Dwyer, whose resulting attempt got cleared at the back-post.
Against the run of play, Rainworth levelled things up on 34 minutes.
Lewis Chambers burst away down the right flank and was just about to unleash a shot when he was bundled over by Louis Danquah – the result of which saw the Wrens awarded a penalty.
The ex-Mansfield youth teamer retained his composure from the subsequent spot-kick and although Shearer guessed the right way, Chambers put the ball right in the right-hand corner – out of the ‘keeper’s reach.
Mansfield fielded a completely different team in the second half with youth team ‘keeper Sam Wilson and new signings Nicky Hunt, Mal Benning, Mitch Rose, Craig Westcarr and Adi Yussuf amongst those introduced.
Lambe and Westcarr combined in the early stages of the second half in a move which resulted in the Bermuda international getting through on goal, but his goal bound shot was kept out by the trailing leg of the Rainworth ‘keeper.
As expected, Mansfield remained on the front foot in terms of possession and pressure and re-took the lead in fortuitous circumstances as Benning played a teasing ball into the box, which diverted off Westcarr and into the back of the net.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before Westcarr made another contribution, this time in a move which saw Mansfield make it 3-1. Hunt was the scorer, slipping the ball past a stranded ‘keeper from 10 yards after he had reached the end of a lovely well-weighted through ball by the ex-Pompey man.
Westcarr claimed his second assist of the afternoon on 70 minutes, as Mansfield made it 4-1 thanks to Yussuf, who slid the ball home from a similar position to the one which Hunt had scored from in the previous venture forward.
Mansfield continued to look dangerous going forward – causing their hosts no end of problems. Westcarr and Yussuf were combing well and they soon linked up again to good effect – with the older of the pair providing a ball through for the ex-Oxford City man, who finished nonchalantly from eight yards to make it 5-1.
|
