Match preview: Stags vs MK Dons

26 October 2018

Stags are back in action this weekend, as we welcome MK Dons to One Call Stadium for a Sky Bet League Two clash (3pm kick-off). Here's all you need to know ahead of the match...

Midfielder Alex MacDonald and defender David Mirfin will miss the game as they continue their recoveries from knee injuries. The game will also come too soon for right-back Hayden White.

Striker Craig Davies could be back in contention by the time Saturday's game comes around, yet Matt Preston, CJ Hamilton and Tyler Walker are doubts, following a recent training session.

Will Atkinson is available for selection after serving his one-match suspension during Tuesday night's win over Morecambe, following his red card against Swindon last Saturday.

For MK Dons, Peter Pawlett is nearing a return, yet manager Paul Tisdale believes that Osman Sow and Ryan Harley will not be ready in time for the match.

Stags ran out 1-0 victors over Morecambe at Globe Arena in their last match, with midfielder Neal Bishop finding the net with a half-volley in the 36th minute. The win stretched Mansfield's away record to ten games unbeaten in Sky Bet League Two, and made it seven games unbeaten in all competitions for the Stags.

Saturday's opponents MK Dons are in fine form heading into the match, winning five of their last six in all competitions. Their most recent victory was a 2-1 win over Notts County on Tuesday evening.

STAGS' LAST FIVE GAMES: 2W | 3D | 0L

MK DONS' LAST FIVE GAMES: 4W | 0D | 1L

The last time we faced MK Dons was in a friendly in 2015, in a game that finished 1-1. The last competitive fixture between the two sides took place in 2008, a 1-0 win for the home side at Stadium MK.

The referee for Saturday's game will be Sebastian Stockbridge, assisted by David Avent and Richard Woodward. The fourth official will be Paul Hobday.

The last Stags' fixture that Mr. Stockbridge took charge of was our emphatic 6-1 Carabao Cup victory over Accrington Stanley earlier this season.

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 also be open for fans to buy tickets from 12pm until 3pm.

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 be hosting our very own Halloween party, with prizes awarded for the best fancy dress! 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 delicious cooked breakfasts until 11am. After this, the bar will not serve food from the main menu, although the matchday kiosk inside the bar will open at 12.30pm, serving pies, chips, burgers and hot dogs.

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are available for both home and away supporters, and the bar is located at the rear of the Ian Greaves Stand.

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.

Ticket holders in Blocks N, P, Q and R of the Ian Greaves Upper tier will also be able to access our Kevin Bird Suite from 1pm.

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.

Car parking is severely restricted at One Call Stadium and works on a first come, first served basis. All reserved car parking spaces are within the location of the Ian Greaves Stand car park.

Matchday parking costs £5.00 per car. Please note that the car park shuts at 30 minutes prior to kick-off due to safety regulations.

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 1.00pm on Saturday.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match report: Stags 1-1 MK Dons

27 October 2018

Mansfield Town shared the points with high-flying MK Dons in an entertaining 1-1 draw at One Call Stadium this afternoon.

The Stags took the lead after a thunderbolt from midfielder Jacob Mellis flew into the top right corner, before being pegged back only seven minutes later through Jordan Houghton’s strike.

A superb second half defensive display from Mansfield saw them see out the game against a strong MK Dons side in Sky Bet League Two.

It was almost a perfect start for the Stags after midfielder Otis Khan released Tyler Walker with an expertly weighted ball, however the MK Dons’ goalkeeper Lee Nicholls was equal to the striker’s effort to keep the scores level.

Only two minutes later, wing-back Mal Benning tried his luck from long range, and saw his effort deflect and loop just over the bar.

Mansfield’s early pressure continued, with Rose winning the ball in the opposition half and delivering a dangerous ball into the box which could not be met by the Stags attack.

On minute 13, defender Ryan Sweeney was booked for a late challenge on Dons’ defender George Williams, with the resulting free-kick headed straight at Olejnik much to the Stags’ relief.

Less than five minutes later and Mansfield took the lead courtesy of a sumptuous strike from Jacob Mellis. The midfielder picked the ball up on the edge of the box and rocketed the ball into the top right corner to make it 1-0.

Three minutes later and the Stags nearly doubled their lead after Walker was released again by Khan, with the forward’s effort flying just wide of the post.

The visitors equalised on minute 24, with midfielder Jordan Houghton picking the ball up on the edge of the box and thumping the ball into the top right corner leaving Olejnik with no chance.

Benning found himself in space on the edge of the box and hit another long-range effort, this time however straight at Nicholls who held the ball.

Just after the half hour mark, right wing-back CJ Hamilton defended excellently to deny imminent danger for the Stags after a low driven cross into the box.

Minutes later and the Dons nearly took the lead, after midfielder Chuks Aneke turned well in the box before hitting the post with his effort.

At the other end, Mansfield were denied a penalty by referee Sebastian Stockbridge after Walker was released by Benning, and was seemingly tripped inside the area.

On minute 38, Hamilton did well to cut in onto his left, however his curling effort flew just wide of the woodwork.

In an evenly contested first half, both teams went in at the break a goal apiece after a thrilling 45 minutes of football.

Mansfield started the second half brightly, and substitute Calum Butcher’s deflected cross nearly ended up in the back of the net but fortunately for the visitors bounced wide.

Dons’ captain Dean Lewington nearly saw his clearance from the halfway line fly in to the goal, however much to the relief of Olejnik, the ball landed on the roof of the net.

Seconds later and winger Rhys Healey had an effort expertly saved by Olejnik to keep the scores level.

On the hour mark, Aneke played through striker Kieran Agard who looked to be clear on goal but was quickly stopped in his tracks by the linesman after being judged offside.

Aneke again played through Agard who was onside, but his effort was excellently stopped by Olejnik who got down low to match the forward’s effort.

Defender Matt Preston made a crucial challenge on minute 69 to deny Aneke after the forward was played through on goal, with the defender managing to block his effort at the last moment.

On the 70^th minute mark, Hamilton cut inside and struck sweetly, which came agonisingly close, finding the side netting.

Mal Benning had a decent opportunity with a free kick from 25 yards out, however his strike was straight into the wall and the rebound from the wing-back was saved well by Nicholls.

MK Dons substitute Callum Brittain had a good opportunity to give the visitors the lead yet he fired over from inside the Stags’ area after he was found well by Aneke.

Two minutes later and Benning delivered a free kick into the area after he was brought down by Brittain, with the ball falling to skipper Pearce who volleyed just wide.

Despite some late pressure from the Stags, the teams shared the points after an entertaining encounter between the two sides.

Mansfield Town’s next Sky Bet League Two fixture is away to Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday evening.

STAGS XI: Olejnik (GK), Preston, Pearce, Sweeney, Hamilton (Atkinson 90’), Mellis, Bishop, Benning, Khan (Butcher 46’), Walker (Davies 82’), Rose

SUBS NOT USED: Logan (GK), Gibbens, Elsnik, Graham

MK DONS XI: Nicholls (GK), Williams, Lewington, Walsh, Gilbey, Aneke (Watson 84’), Agard, Moore-Taylor (Brittain 46’), Houghton, Cargill, Healey

SUBS NOT USED: Moore (GK), Hancox, Simpson, D’Ath, Asonganyi

REFEREE: Sebastian Stockbridge

ASSISTANTS: David Avent & Richard Woodward

FOURTH OFFICIAL: Paul Hobday

ATTENDANCE: 4,329 (394 away)

Match Reports

Standings