Mark Stevenson reports from Field Mill
Tenacious Mansfield put a halt to Oxford United's unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 win over the league leaders at Field Mill this evening.
Stags were without captain Gary Mills and striker Kyle Perry, while it was announced before the match that defender Luke Jones would be out for up to two months after turning his ankle in training.
Striker Rob Duffy had to get through an hour of the action, having required two painkilling injections in his ankle just moments before heading out the tunnel. Left back Craig Armstrong was also struggling with an ankle problem, but managed to start.
But the hosts rarely looked like a side missing three of their key players - producing a solid performance against the table toppers who had won nine out of their previous 11 games.
The U's, to their credit, showed why they are the early pace setters in the Blue Square Premier and had been previously undefeated on their travels throughout this calendar year of 2009.
The match lived up to its blockbuster billing and was a good advert for non-league's premier division.
The visitors put their early mark on the game when Oxford's Matt Green cut in from the right and drifted past Craig Armstrong, but he made a mess of his shot from inside the area.
Winger Ryan Williams started brightly in the early moments. He whipped his second crossed into the area in the space of two minutes, the second of which was headed wide by Matt Somner who was far forward.
On 13 minutes, Mansfield should have gone ahead through Jake Speight. Gary Silk did well to win the ball on the right wing before laying it off to Louis Briscoe. His cross into the edge of the area flew past the last defender, and Speight, unmarked, was unable to control the ball from six yards and the chance was missed.
Speight was again thwarted two minutes later, this time by the woodwork. Stand-in captain Scott Garner was well forward as Stags continued to apply the early pressure. He laid it to Speight who struck against the base of the post as the league leaders' nerves began to jangle.
A minute later, Speight played in Briscoe and his shot was deflected into the side netting.
Goalkeeper Alan Marriott was called upon on 18 minutes when he somehow managed to save a long range effort from Dannie Bulman through a crowded penalty area.
Oxford showed their class a minute later when Damien Batt put Matt Green clean though on goal, but Marriott raced out of his goal to make himself large.
Stags deservedly broke the deadlock on 20 minutes, as Ryan Williams showed all the composure in the world to plant the ball over a despairing Ryan Clarke.
This came after the lively Jake Speight was onside before shooting straight at Clarke. Then, the backtracking Clarke could do little about the next effort as it came out to Williams who floated it perfectly over the goalkeeper and into the corner of the goal.
Williams had a massive say in Stags' second goal four minutes later. His first touch of the ball let him down, but as the ball fell to Rob Duffy, the Welshman played a neat pass to Williams who in turn sent it back infield to the unmarked Jake Speight and he finished so coolly to place it perfectly beyond Clarke and into the net.
It was nothing less than Stags deserved - as they continued to heap the pressure on the visitor's goal.
Stags, now in full flow, played with confidence in their sails in front of a crowd just below 4000.
Williams then sprayed it from left to right to Briscoe on the opposite flank as the match passed the half-hour mark.
Then Rob Duffy, a surprise name in the line up after recent news of an ankle injury, received it from Briscoe before rifling it well over the bar against the club for which he was so successful.
Ex-Stags midfielder Adam Murray, now captaining the high flying visitors, struck a 25 yard free kick straight at Alan Marriott, who was again well-footed.
Oxford rattled the woodwork on 44 minutes as they came close to getting on the scoresheet. Jamie Cook unleashed a 25 yard blinder which struck the top of the bar.
Stags breathed a sigh of relief on 50 minutes when Alan Marriott got up to his feet after a clash in mid air with Gary Silk after the 'keeper claimed the ball in mid-air. Town had to name five outfield substitutes after Tim Sandercombe picked up a slight knock.
Manager David Holdsworth made a double change in attack within the space of five minutes. Striker Daryl Clare replaced Jake Speight who received treatment earlier in the second half. Then Rob Duffy left the field and Blair Sturrock took his place up the top.
Expectedly, The U's tried to attack Stags at every opportunity in the second period, resulting Mansfield to few chances in front of goal.
But then on 65 minutes, Louis Briscoe had the crowd on their feet when he stormed into the box, jinxing past two players before firing at Ryan Clarke. It would have been a picture goal from Briscoe, who only last week scored a sensational goal in Hungary for England C.
Oxford's giant defender Mark Creighton then had the crowd shouting for very different reasons. He cynically stopped Matt Somner's run just inside the Stags half and was duly issued a yellow card.
United reduced the arrears with 17 minutes left. Adam Murray crossed from the right and hot striker James Constable smashed it goalwards first time to claim his ninth of the season.
On 76 minutes, Ryan Williams cut in from the wing and slid it through to Briscoe who shot at Clarke from 20 yards.
Steven Istead saw the last nine minutes of the action, coming on for wingman Williams.
United continued to press and they tried in vain to salvage a point. In the 90th minute, Cook was denied by the bar once again as his his header hit the woodwork from the right of the area.
By now, the Stags' goal was under siege and the visitors had them camped in their own half in the dying moments. It was 'edge of your seats' stuff but the Stags held on to claim a precious three points and ruin Oxford's unbeaten run in the process.
It was the perfect result for David Holdsworth's men as they head into Saturday's home match against Hayes and Yeading having now returned to winning ways in deserved fashion.
