Big match preview: Stags vs Notts County

7 December 2018

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Stags welcome Notts County to One Call Stadium this weekend for the hotly-anticipated Nottinghamshire derby (1pm kick-off). Here's all you need to know ahead of the game...

Stags' boss David Flitcroft provided an injury update ahead of Saturday's derby in a press conference on Thursday morning.

“The Macca [Alex MacDonald] one [injury] is a strange one because it’s bone bruising,” he said. “I genuinely can’t give a timescale because it’s such an unusual injury.

“It’s [about] how the injury settles, as not one bone bruising injury is the same as another. So I just can’t give a timescale on it.

“Mirf [David Mirfin] was always going to have a steady road back. He’s been in training with us for about three weeks.

“He is steadily getting better and improving. It’s not an injury that we’re going to rush. It’s really important that we get everything right with him. He has had a couple of setbacks, and we’ve worked through them with him.

“We got CJ [Hamilton] 45 minutes in [against Bury] and I thought he was outstanding. If he played 90, it could have depleted him, and that’s the advice we got.

“We’re looking forward to him being out there on Saturday because he’ll have that energy.

“It [Krystian Pearce’s groin strain] has settled down slightly, but Pearcey won’t train today [Thursday]. We usually do our shape work today but we’ll put that off until tomorrow.

“He won’t train today but we’ll keep monitoring it and I’ll see how it settles down. We hope so [he will be ready for Saturday]. We’re hoping he can come through it.”

Notts County will be without Lewis Alessandra and Enzio Boldewijn for the match, while Jon Stead and Kane Hemmings are doubts.

Stags go into this weekend's derby 12 games unbeaten in Sky Bet League Two. Our most recent league fixture came in late November away to Lincoln, in which Jacob Mellis scored a dramatic late equaliser with an expertly-struck volley.

Notts' last league fixture came at home to Carlisle, a game that ended 1-1. This weekend's clash between Stags and Notts will be the first league fixture that Neal Ardley will take charge of as Magpies' boss, following his recent appointment.

STAGS' LAST FIVE GAMES: 2W | 1D | 2L

NOTTS' LAST FIVE GAMES: 1W | 2D | 2L

We last faced Notts at Meadow Lane towards the back end of last season, a game that ended 1-1 after a late Mansfield equaliser.

We last welcomed the Magpies to One Call Stadium in September of last year, and emerged as 3-1 victors with Danny Rose scoring twice.

The referee for Saturday's clash will be Jeremy Simpson, assisted by Shaun Hudson and Nigel Lugg. The fourth official will be Peter Wright.

Tickets for the match are available to purchase online via www.stagstickets.co.uk, at the ticket office on Quarry Lane, or by calling the ticket office on 01623 482 482.

Supporters can also purchase tickets on the day of the game. The matchday ticket office will be open for fans to buy tickets from 10am until 1pm.

Our family ticket offer is also available for Saturday's game, which admits one adult and one child for just £18! Supporters that have purchased a family ticket will be seated in our family block, which is located in Block A of the Quarry Lane End. Fans with a family ticket may also be seated in Block B of the Quarry Lane End if demand dictates so.

This week in our family room, we will officially open our new sensory room - built for those prone to experiencing a sensory overload - and have our own snow workshop with our snow machine! Read more about this here.

Full ticket information can be found here.

Please note that, on police advice and for ease of congestion, the gate between the North and Ian Greaves Stand will be closed after every home game this season, re-opening approximately 20 minutes after the final whistle.

The Sandy Pate Sports Bar will open at 9am, serving bacon and sausage cobs from the matchday kiosk until 11am.

From 11am, the matchday kiosk will be serving pies, chips, burgers and hot dogs.

The bar will begin to serve food from its main menu following the full-time whistle.

The sports bar will remain open until 11pm after the match.

Supporters will also be able to purchase our award-winning matchday programme, The Stag, which will be available to buy around the ground for just £3 before the match.

Fans can buy The Stag from the merchandise stand near the Sandy Pate Sports Bar, or any of our mobile programme vendors around the ground.

Supporters should be aware that because of extended hospitality this Saturday at home to Notts County, the Kevin Bird Suite will be closed to supporters.

Unfortunately, due to high demand, we can no longer offer parking at One Call Stadium to supporters for Saturday's match.

The following sites, owned by Mansfield District Council and with easy access to the One Call Stadium are Grove Street, Victoria Street, Garden Road and Church Lane.

Charges are as follows:

Grove St 50p/hr.
Victoria St 50p/hr.
Garden Rd 50p/hr.
Church Lane 80p/hr.

All of the above pay and display surface level car parks offer cashless parking via RingGo as an additional way to pay.

Every car park has a unique code so people can either pay over the phone, by text, online or by using a free smartphone app.

Details of how to do this are displayed in each car park. Information about all Mansfield District Council car parks can be found at www.mansfield.gov.uk/carparks.

Where do I go when I get to One Call Stadium?

Hospitality

If you are a hospitality guest, please enter the stadium via the brown double doors to the rear of the Ian Greaves Stand, which is the entrance to our hospitality suites.

The doors are located to the left of the white merchandise stall outside the Sandy Pate Sports Bar, backing onto the main car park and sign-posted 'The Kevin Bird Suite'.

Media

Members of the media are asked to also head to the entrance to our hospitality suites, where our media steward will provide you with the necessary accreditation.

The required entrance is located to the left of the merchandise stall outside the Sandy Pate Sports Bar and signposted 'The Kevin Bird Suite'.

Supporters

If you need to collect tickets, please head to the main ticket office on Quarry Lane. For ticket purchases, please visit the matchday ticket office, adjacent to the Quarry Lane Stand, around the corner from the main ticket office.

Entry to the Quarry Lane End is via the turnstiles situated parallel to the road running alongside One Call Stadium.

The Ian Greaves Stand is the main stand at One Call Stadium, which backs onto the main car park.

Away fans are housed in the North Stand, which is located next to Portland Retail Park. Please note: there is no matchday parking in the retail park.

Can't make it to the game? You can follow the action live via our Twitter updates or via the match centre on mansfieldtown.net, which can be found here.

iFollow Stags subscribers can listen to full-match commentary of the clash, courtesy of commentators Martin Shaw and Dean Foulkes.

A report of the match will be published on the club website after the full-time whistle, and post-match reaction will be available to view on mansfieldtown.net and iFollow Stags.

Supporters who are blind or visually impaired can take advantage of our fantastic free audio descriptive commentary service.

Provided by Alan March Sport, supporters can listen to commentary from trained audio description broadcasters.

To take advantage of this free service, please visit the entrance to the Kevin Bird Suite at One Call Stadium after 11am on Saturday.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match report: Stags 2-0 Notts County

8 December 2018

Mansfield Town emerged as victors in the Nottinghamshire Derby as CJ Hamilton’s brace condemned local rivals Notts County to a 2-0 defeat.

Flying winger Hamilton beat Ross Fitzsimons either side of half time, without reply, to send the Yellows well on their way to another victory in Sky Bet League Two.

The hosts looked ever-comfortable as the clock ticked towards full time, and ultimately secured the bragging rights in the latest instalment of derby day.

The result also meant that Mansfield retained the Matt Salmon Trophy – in memory of former the former Stags' physio who sadly passed away last year.

Stags’ boss David Flitcroft made three changes following his side’s midweek Checkatrade Trophy outing against Bury.

The trio of Conrad Logan, Otis Khan and Danny Rose made way for Bobby Olejnik, Timi Elsnik and Hamilton as they turned their attentions back to proceedings in Sky Bet League Two.

One Call Stadium crackled with noise as the visitors began proceedings in the league’s early kick-off.

Two free-kicks and a corner fell the way of the Stags inside the opening few minutes, however, they were unable to capitalise upon them.

County were then awarded a free-kick of their own when Ryan Sweeney was adjudged to have fouled Jon Stead. Will Patching struck the subsequent effort but could only find the amber and blue wall.

The game ebbed and flowed with a high tempo, and it showed no sign of easing up when Nathan Thomas curled an effort towards Bobby Olejnik’s goal on 13 minutes; one that the Austrian ‘keeper was equal to.

Moments later, Fitzsimons then rushed off his goal-line to meet a Stags' through-ball. He gifted it to Mal Benning who saw his attempt at County’s empty goal hooked away.

Hamilton cut inside from the far side, as he likes to do, firing a rasping drive that was blocked by the face of Jamie Turley.

Benning then had another opportunity to break the deadlock but after controlling Jacob Mellis’ cross, he dragged the eventual half-volley wide.

And the Stags were in once more. Tyler Walker rolled Shaun Brisley with a slick first touch before, again, firing marginally wide of Fitzsimons’ upright.

Thomas was quickly establishing himself as County’s talisman for the afternoon when he got the better of Sweeney – but not Olejnik with his effort thereafter.

The clock ticked over the half-hour mark as neither side could be split.

Neal Bishop found himself in the clear after a beautiful pass by Mellis. The midfielder ran all of 40 yards but saw his shot saved by the trailing leg of Fitzsimons.

And the growing pressure on the County back-line became too much in the 37th minute as Hamilton gave his side the lead.

Meeting Benning’s pinpoint cross at the back post, he diverted his close-range effort beyond a sprawling Fitzsimons to put his side one up.

Neal Ardley’s side searched for an equaliser before half-time but almost found themselves conceding a second.

Fitzsimons was caught out of his goal after clearing the ball away, but Hamilton was unable to hit the target from around 35 yards.

This signalled the end of an enthralling first half that the Stags finished with a one-goal cushion.

The second 45 began with a similar frenetic pace to the first.

The hosts dominated possession early on and almost made it count when Hamilton raced clear.

From a relatively tight angle, the Stags’ winger rattled the bar with a thunderous effort after being fed the ball by Benning.

Walker then flicked the ball onto Hayden White, who also struck the woodwork after creating a yard of space for himself inside Fitzsimons’ penalty area.

The Stags were edging closer and closer to the all-important second goal – and it duly arrived on 63 minutes.

Hamilton netted his second of the afternoon in some style when he chopped the ball past Elliott Ward before drilling home from 10 yards.

Flitcroft’s side had well-deserved breathing space with little under half an hour remaining in the Nottinghamshire Derby.

Despite boasting a two-goal cushion, the hosts didn’t let up in their onslaught of the County defence.

Hamilton’s square pass found Walker, but the on-loan striker’s effort was blocked expertly by a sliding Dan Jones.

The game’s tempo eased slightly heading into the final 10 minutes with Mansfield in control of the fixture.

Rose and Khan came on in place of Walker and Elsnik as they looked to hold firm and secure all three points.

County crept forward at every opportunity, yet they were unable to find a consolation goal as the Stags took all three points at One Call Stadium.

Bishop was then substituted late on after looking to be in a lot of discomfort – the only blemish in an otherwise perfect day for Mansfield.

Following the victory, David Flitcroft’s side now have a week to prepare for their next fixture against Forest Green Rovers at The New Lawn.

STAGS XI: Olejnik (GK), White, Benning, Preston, Pearce ©, Bishop (Atkinson 90+2’), Mellis, Sweeney, Elsnik (Khan 81’), Walker (Rose 86’), Hamilton.

SUBS NOT USED: Logan (GK), Davies, Law, Graham.

NOTTS' XI: Fitzsimons (GK), Hewitt, Vaughan, Thomas, Brisley (Hemmings 59’), Ward, Patching (Crawford 59’), Jones, Milson, Turley, Stead © (Dennis 80’).

SUBS NOT USED: Pindroch (GK), Duffy, Evina, Campbell.

REFEREE: Jeremy Simpson,
ASSISTANTS: Shaun Hudson and Nigel Lugg.
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Peter Wright.

ATTENDANCE: 6,604 (1,140 away).

Match Reports

Standings