Shrewsbury Town 2-0 Mansfield Town (FA Cup Round Two) 30.11.19

The ducks the ducks what happened to the ducks? A meadow once gay, but now of Montgomery’s water. Mansfield the visitors to a glistening white roofed blue seated venue on the edge of town. I still remember the boatman and Nigel Jemson knocking Everton out of the FA Cup. Balls in the river are no more, “watch out for trains instead” they say. Mansfield have played here before, but memories of classic FA Cup ties are not here, but across town instead by the River Severn where residents now live in plush modern town houses. No sign of a ball in site.

The Stags came into the game the underdog. Shrewsbury these days a league above, it was set up for Field Millites to ponder over cup shock glory and a pop at round three, a big boy around the corner or a winnable tie at home, in the end… Neither. The Shrews a league above in all departments on the day even with just ten men and there was no shock in Shropshire, the Stags fallen out at the second hurdle of the cup.

In truth John Dempster’s men gave a good account of themselves in a first half evenly matched although Conrad Logan’s fingers were warmer than Max O’Leary’s of the two goalkeepers on show.

The first chance of the second half fell to Shrews forward Fejiri Okenabirhie who again warmed the palms of Logan. The Stags went close when Maynard drilled across the face with Cook’s effort blocked on 55 and five minutes later advantage Mansfield as Norborn was shown red for fouling Mellis on the hour.

That correct decision by Referee Andy Haines was supposed to buoy Mansfield but instead only spurred the home side and their fans on to throw kitchen sinks at Conrad Logan’s goal.

First Josh Laurent headed over before Donald Love fired wide. John Dempster, Stags Manager didn’t like what he saw, on came Benning & Omari Sterling-James but off went the chances of a Stags victory or draw when with just two minutes remaining Udoh tapped home Laurent’s goal bound effort. Roars around of over 3,000 Shrews as 465 Stag & Hens stood firmly still. Some even walked for the exit.

By the time Brad Walker was sent racing through for the homeside there wasn’t a Mansfield player within shirt pulling distance, instead pushed on to grasp an equaliser that never came. Walker finished with ease and sent Mansfield packing back across the A5 and onto the M54 heading East to Nottinghamshire thinking for another year at least, what might have been.

Next up for the Stags another (more realistic) go at Wembley in the EFL Trophy at Port Vale on Tuesday night before back to bread and butter at the Mill this weekend v Cheltenham.

Shrewsbury Town: O’Leary, Williams, Ebanks-Landell, Pierre, Love, Norburn, Laurent, Golbourne, Edwards (Walker 86), Cummings (Goss 62), Okenabirhie (Udoh 86).

Mansfield Town: Logan, Sweeney, Preston, Pearce (Benning 80), Mellis (Khan 89), Hamilton, Smith (Sterling-James 80), Shaughnessy, Gordon, Maynard, Cook.

Venue: New Meadow (3,678)

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Nicky Maynard in action in the FA Cup tie.