“Fantastic performance and an excellent three points”, was Mansfield’s assistant coach Andy Garner’s verdict as they climbed to the top of League Two with a resounding 5-1 win over Salford City, where the visitors also saw Theo Vassell sent off at 3-1.
In truth it could have been more, on a day when Mansfield were more imperious in every aspect and never looked back after they went into the break 2-1 up which Garner examined, “That goal just before half-time [1] that little bit of momentum going into the second half.
The contest started as a free-flowing affair. But that played into the hosts’ hands and sure enough Mansfield took the lead on 18 minutes with a devastating counter and after ten passes of the ball, a cross from the right by George Williams was inch- perfect onto the head of Will Swan, who planted a header past Alex Cairns.
The game was far from over though. And on forty-two minutes, the visitors levelled the game with a goal out of nothing. As Junior Luamba picked up the ball halfway inside the Stags’ half and skipped through a couple challenges into the box, on a Messi-esque run. Going onto show extreme composure to side foot past Christy Pym at his near post. With Garner aware of the visitors’ threat throughout, “Salford looked vulnerable when we’re on the attack, but they looked like they could cause a threat going forward.”
The game looked like it was going to peter out, but in the seventh minute of added time, they had their noses in front once more. When an in-swinging corner from the right by Davis Keillor- Dunn caused all sorts of problems for Cairns. Cairns’ misjudgement allowed Baily Cargill to bundle the ball in from a few yards out, his fourth of the season: “I gambled at the back post. Definitely got something on it, so I’ll be claiming it for sure.”
The second half was where Stags’ dominance prevailed in the 57th minute to secure a two-goal cushion[2] when Aaron Lewis’s defence splitting found Quinn beating the visitors’ offside trap, he duly managed to get there before a racing Cairns and squared for Keillor-Dunn to pass the ball into the empty net, sparking wild celebrations inside Field Mill. Garner described it as “One of the noisiest it’s been”.
The lead could have been even further, but Lucas Akins failed to convert his header from six yards out on 72 minutes and, he caused more problems for the Ammies a minute later. Vassell let Akins get the better of him, forcing him to tug him down as the last man. An advantage that Cargill acknowledge they took full advantage of, “Once the red card came in, it was a matter of how many we could get.”
The Stags’ pressure was relentless, and Akins got his goal on 81 minutes that his performance deserved as, he latched onto a through ball by Lewis Brunt that split the Salford defence. With an exquisite first touch, he could set himself before rolling the ball past Cairns just inside the box into the far corner.
Salford just wanted the final whistle but were to concede again just before, when the rout was completed with the best goal of the day. Following a lovely, flowing move from left to right, heavily centred around Hiram Boateng and Stephen Quinn. With the latter setting up an overlapping Louis Reid who picked out the on running Boateng to volley home on the stretch inside the six-yard box, to the delight of the Stags faithful as they vocally expressed being top of the pile. “That’s how we want to play free, flowing and creating chances”, Garner explained.
The result puts Mansfield top of the league on goal difference and four points ahead of Wrexham in 4th whilst, a deflated Salford sit just 13 points above the relegation zone in 19th place.
Super Mansfield 
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