Big match preview: Notts County vs Stags

15 February 2019

Stags travel to Meadow Lane on Saturday 16 February to face Notts County in a hotly-anticipated Sky Bet League Two fixture (1pm kick-off). Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game…

The Stags have several absentees for this weekend’s game. Mansfield will be without Ryan Sweeney through suspension, after the defender picked up his tenth booking of the season against Newport County in our last fixture.

Forwards Danny Rose, Jordan Graham and Craig Davies will be absent for this weekend’s clash.

The game will come too soon for defender Ben Turner and midfielder Alex MacDonald.

Mansfield’s long-term absentees – goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik and defender Hayden White – will also miss out.

Notts have a clean bill of health heading into Saturday's match.

Stags’ five-match unbeaten run came to an end away to Newport County last weekend, yet the amber and blue still hold a record of four wins from their last six games.

The Magpies recorded their first victory in the last nine outings last weekend, an impressive 2-1 win against play-off hopefuls Forest Green.

STAGS’ LAST FIVE GAMES: 3W | 1D | 1L

NOTTS’ LAST FIVE GAMES: 1W | 2D | 2L

We welcomed Notts to One Call Stadium back in December, and recorded a 2-0 victory. Wide-man CJ Hamilton was the hero on the day, scoring once in either half to wrap up the three points.

The referee for Saturday’s game will be Lee Mason, assisted by Matthew Wilkes and Richard West. The fourth official will be Craig Hicks.

Stags have sold out their initial and further allocations of tickets for the clash.

There will be strictly no tickets available to buy on the day. Please do not travel to the match without one.

Any Stags' supporters found to be in home areas will be ejected from the stadium and will not under any circumstances be relocated to the away end.

In the interests of the safety of all supporters, we are in dialogue with Notts to ensure any Stags' supporters who have purchased tickets in home areas are refunded in advance of matchday.

Queues at the turnstiles will be busy, especially close to kick-off, and supporters are therefore encouraged to enter the stadium as early as possible.

Please be advised that search detection dogs will be stationed outside turnstiles around the ground and anyone attempting to bring any prohibited items into the stadium will be refused entry and could be arrested. No refunds will be given to supporters who are denied access to the stadium on matchday.

Turnstiles open at 11.30am and supporters should check the turnstile number printed on their ticket before joining the queue.

Supporters are asked to retain their ticket after entering the stadium to help them find their allocated seat.

Roads within the immediate vicinity of the stadium are subject to parking prohibitions on matchdays, but limited street parking is available for those who arrive early.

There is a further area for car parking on the north side of the River Trent, alongside the river on Victoria Embankment. This area is owned by Nottingham City Council, who charge a fee for parking there on matchdays.

Away supporters are welcome to enjoy a pre-match drink in either The Company Inn, Trent Bridge Inn or The South Bank. Notts police have advised supporters to be mindful of arriving in large groups and respect the premises' right to refuse entry.

Hot and cold food and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) can be purchased from the outlets in the concourse of the Jimmy Sirrel visitors’ stand.

Going to the game? Read our travel guide!

You can follow the game live via our Twitter updates, which can be found at twitter.com/mansfieldtownfc. The match centre on the website will also contain Opta-populated updates, which can be found here.

iFollow Stags subscribers can listen to full-match commentary of the match courtesy of Martin Shaw and Dean Foulkes by logging into www.mansfieldtown.net/ifollow.

A match report will be available to view on our website shortly after the full-time whistle, and full post-match reaction will be available for iFollow Stags subscribers by logging in through the aforementioned link.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match report: Notts County 1-0 Stags

16 February 2019

Mansfield Town were dealt a narrow 1-0 loss by Notts County as Craig Mackail-Smith’s first-half strike proved to be the difference at Meadow Lane.

In Saturday afternoon’s early kick-off, Mackail-Smith fired the hosts in front on 19 minutes with a pinpoint effort from the edge of the Stags’ area.

Mansfield went in search of, at the very least, an equaliser after the break but it never came to fruition to give the Magpies all three points.

David Flitcroft switched Nicky Ajose and Ryan Sweeney – the latter due to suspension – for Gethin Jones and Ben Turner to both make their full debuts.

Alex MacDonald was also named amongst the Stags’ substitutes after recovering from a five-month lay-off due to a serious knee injury suffered against Cambridge United.

Otherwise, it was business as usual for the 51^st Nottinghamshire Derby.

The afternoon at Meadow Lane began, as expected, on frenetic terms as both sides battled for possession from the outset.

Tyler Walker was able to lash a dangerous-looking effort inside the first minute over Ryan Schofield’s crossbar before County replied.

A threaded pass sought after Mackail-Smith but Turner was on-hand to eliminate any danger – receiving a yellow card for his troubles.

The subsequent free-kick was smashed into a wall of amber and blue jerseys by Michael Doyle, allowing Mansfield to clear with ease.

Mal Benning then had a half-volley blocked moments later before Neal Bishop’s following header fell off-target.

But the hosts continued their pressure and in the 19^th minute it paid dividends.

Mackail-Smith, who had looked lively from the start, latched onto a loose ball on the edge of Jordan Smith’s area, and he needed no second invitation to strike it into the bottom corner.

Following the game’s opener, full-blooded challenges continued to rear their head as Flitcroft’s side eyed-up a response.

Turner rose highest to meet Jorge Grant’s corner but the debutant was only able to direct it wide of Schofield’s upright.

Enzio Boldewijn was then denied by Matt Preston’s brilliant standing challenge as the County winger took aim from close range.

Both sides’ latest outing in Sky Bet League Two showed no signs of easing in pace as the clock ticked over the half-hour mark.

Virgil Gomis flicked a header goalwards but it proved too close to Smith as the Stags’ shot-stopper claimed with ease.

Following the interval, Flitcroft replaced Turner with Nicky Ajose in order to try and turn the tide at Meadow Lane.

And Ajose was involved immediately as he was allowed to direct a header towards goal.

Mansfield were evidently reinvigorated following the half-time break and Hamilton was next in-line to fire an effort clear of Schofield’s bar.

Jacob Mellis was then replaced by MacDonald as the midfielder made his long-awaited return to the pitch.

County came back through Boldewijn but he could only fire over from a relatively tight angle.

The early kick-off had taken a slow turn as the hosts looked to bring the intensity down a few levels.

Krystian Pearce looked to nod Grant’s free-kick goalwards but he was caught amidst a cluster of bodies – rendering him unable to make a clean connection.

In the dying embers, Preston showed his pace to race back and deny substitute Lewis Alessandra a one-on-one with Smith.

Moments later, Mitch Rose’s teasing cross somehow evaded Kane Hemmings who had made a late run into the box.

And this action signalled the end to proceedings as the Magpies exacted revenge on Mansfield from their defeat earlier on in the season.

Flitcroft’s charges have a week to bounce back when they take on Forest Green Rovers at One Call Stadium next Saturday.

STAGS XI: Smith (GK), Benning (Khan 83’), Preston, Pearce ©, Bishop, Mellis (MacDonald 64’), Walker, Jones, Hamilton, Grant, Turner (Ajose 46’).

SUBS NOT USED: Logan (GK), Atkinson, Tomlinson, Smith.

NOTTS COUNTY XI: Schofield (GK), Barclay, Gomis (Alessandra 83’), Boldewijn, Stubbs, O’Brien, Milsom, Rose, Mackail-Smith, Stead © (Hemmings 83’), Doyle.

SUBS NOT USED: Fitzsimons (GK), Tootle, Bird, Hewitt, Vaughan.

REFEREE: Lee Mason.
ASSISTANTS: Matthew Wilkes & Richard West.
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Craig Hicks.

ATTENDANCE: 12,660 (4,283 away).

Match Reports

Standings