Mansfield Town 2-0 Walsall (EFL League Two) 15.01.22

Two second half goals from Harry Charsley gave Nigel Clough’s in form Stags team a seventh successive home win and a sixth straight league win as Mansfield climb into the playoff places after victory over the Saddlers at Field Mill.

Mansfield did most of the early pressing and went close in the opening seven minutes when Jordan Bowery dinked over the goalkeeper only for the ball to be cleared by a defender hurrying back.

Shande shot wide for Walsall on 13 their first attempt of the match before Bowery had another shot this time saved by Rushworth on twenty. A minute later McLaughlin rose highest to head from a corner which was cleared off the line.

As the Stags pressed Clarke shot wide after Quinn pulled back before Maris headed straight at the goalkeeper with Mansfield unable to break the deadlock before half time.

The second 45 however was a different story but ten minutes in it could have been Walsall who took the lead when Maris cleared dramatically off the line after Miller beat three players to get his shot away. Within four minutes Mansfield made their opponents pay for that missed opportunity, Harry Charlsey finishing left footed from inside the box.

Bowery could have made it two but hit the side netting on 63 before Oates struck wide on 73. Walsall were not giving up and Miller curled an effort tipped over by Bishop but as the Saddlers threw bodies forward late on, Mansfield picked off their opponents with a couple of minutes to go and broke with Bowery playing into Charsley who made it two for him, two for Stags and three points again for Nigel Clough’s in form team.

The Manager saying after the match “I said to them at half-time ‘just don’t concede today’ and I thought the turning point in the game wasn’t the first goal, it was a few minutes before that when George Maris kept one out on the line. It typifies the spirit and the teamwork.”

“He’s back in there as a midfielder, it hit him in the face and he’s keeping it out the goal. Two or three minutes later, a long throw and we get the break from it and we’re 1-0 up.”

The Stags next match will be a real test, away at leaders Forest Green on Tuesday night.

Mansfield Town: Bishop, Hewitt, Rawson, Hawkins (Gale 90), McLaughlin, O’Toole, Clarke (Charsley 46), Maris, Quinn, Oates (Johnson 90), Bowery.

Walsall: Rushworth, Menayese, Leak, Ward, White, Kiernan (Wilkinson 73), Earing, Shade (Phillips 69), Labadie (Willock 86), Osadebe, Miller.

Venue: Field Mill (5,728)

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Harry Charsley celebrates at the double.