Preview: Walsall vs Stags

25 October 2019

Next up for the Stags is a trip to face Walsall at the Banks’s Stadium on Saturday 26 October (3pm kick-off). Here’s all you need to know ahead of the clash…

It was revealed by assistant manager Lee Glover in Thursday morning’s news conference that midfielder Jacob Mellis could be in contention for the match after returning to training this week.

The game will come too soon for strikers Danny Rose, Craig Davies and Jordan Graham.

Wing-back Hayden White, although no longer suspended, will continue to be assessed in the days leading up to the fixture, having felt pain on the injury site of last season’s broken leg.

Walsall’s Mat Sadler will miss the game having been sent off in the 2-0 loss to Oldham on Tuesday night.

Caolan Lavery and Danny Guthrie are doubts for the Saddlers.

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Last time out, the Stags fell to defeat against Salford, despite a dominant display. Frontman Nicky Maynard was on target for the amber and blue at One Call Stadium.

In the three games prior to Tuesday’s loss, Mansfield had won two and drawn one.

Walsall have had a tough time of late, losing four successive matches in Sky Bet League Two. However, the three games that preceded these defeats ended with victories for the Saddlers.

We last faced Walsall in January 2007, a League Two encounter that concluded with a 2-1 victory for the Stags.

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The referee for Saturday’s match will be Andy Haines, assisted by Peter Gooch and Gary Hilton. The fourth official will be David Hunt.

Mr. Haines last took charge of a Mansfield fixture in our 2-1 home defeat to Exeter City last season.

The club has sold out of its 500-ticket allocation ahead of Saturday’s match.

Tickets are, however, available to purchase on the day of the game at the turnstiles (cash only). Tickets will see a £2 price increase on matchday.

Family tickets and disabled & carer tickets are available to purchase from the Walsall ticket on matchday.

For full ticket information, click here.

Car parking is available at the stadium at a cost of £4 per car and £6 per minibus, including disabled supporters. The Green Zone car park is locked two hours after the final whistle; any vehicles left on the car park after this time will be locked in. Parking is also available at the nearby Bescot Stadium Railway Station at a cost of £2 per vehicle.

All supporters are welcome at the King George V (WS2 9BZ) and New Fullbrook (WS1 3HL) pubs - both of which are within walking distance of the ground. There is the usual selection of pies, burgers, etc. are available within the ground.

There will also be a minute's silence before kick-off to commemorate Remembrance Day.

Can't make it to the game? iFollow Stags subscribers can listen to full-match commentary of the clash courtesy of commentators Martin Shaw and Dean Foulkes. Not an iFollow Stags subscriber? Sign up by heading to mansfieldtown.net/ifollow.

You can also follow the action live via our Twitter match updates, which can be found here.

The match centre on mansfieldtown.net will also contain Opta-populated updates, and can be accessed here.

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

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Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Walsall 1-2 Stags

26 October 2019

Andy Cook and Alex MacDonald were on target in either half for Mansfield Town as they secured a 2-1 victory over Walsall at Banks’s Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Cook notched the opener half an hour into the contest when he arrived at the far post to head home against his former club.

And despite substitute Elijah Adebayo finding an equaliser on the stroke of half-time, MacDonald netted his first of the season to mark the Stags’ latest victory in Sky Bet League Two.

John Dempster made no alterations to either his starting line-up or bench with the same 18 setting up in the West Midlands.

It was Walsall who posed the greater threat in the opening moments as both sides made themselves comfortable with the slick surface.

A far-side corner was able to be headed down by Kory Roberts before smashing the rebound into Neal Bishop, who had made a superb last-ditch challenge from close range.

The visitors sought to grow into the afternoon’s affair and were agonisingly close to taking the lead on 12 minutes.

Nicky Maynard darted towards the near post to meet Mal Benning’s expert delivery, but the striker was thwarted by Jack Rose.

The Stags’ frontman took aim soon after only to see his curler deflected behind – the subsequent corner providing little in the way of a goalscoring opportunity.

Dan Scarr’s over-the-top ball then found Rory Gaffney bearing down on goal, yet Conrad Logan was on hand to deny him with a fine, sprawling stop.

The travelling fans could be heard loudly throughout the opening period, however on the half-hour mark, their decibel levels were raised even further.

Otis Khan carried the ball into the hosts’ penalty area before standing it up to the far post for Cook to nod home against his former side.

The Stags number 10 – who was instrumental in the opener – looked to be provider once more with a clever backheel that so nearly reached Maynard.

Cook then turned delightfully on the ball prior to fizzing an effort wide of Rose’s upright.

And for all of Mansfield’s positive endeavours in the first-half, they were pegged back with only one minute remaining.

Ryan Sweeney was adjudged to have felled Adebayo and the substitute brushed himself off to connect with the following delivery, restoring parity in the process.

Into the second half and it was the Saddlers who were the first to be presented with a clear sight of goal.

The ball fell kindly for Adebayo whose attempt to curl home towards the far corner was halted by the fingertips of Logan.

There was an open feel to the second period – highlighted as Maynard flicked a header goalwards just moments before Cameron Norman had volleyed over the bar.

Skipper Krystian Pearce was then unable to continue on the hour mark, replaced in a like-for-like change by Matt Preston.

And a momentary lapse in concentration almost cost Mansfield.

Liam Kinsella stole possession from Kellan Gordon, feeding Gaffney who, yet again, was unable to find a way past Logan.

Instead, they had the Stags’ shot-stopper to thank as they countered with speed to snatch the lead back.

Benning drove towards the by-line and his reverse pass met MacDonald who thundered an effort past Rose with aplomb.

Sending the 877 Stags fans behind the goal in pandemonium, the away side had restored their one-goal advantage with 22 minutes left on the clock.

The Saddlers, intent on finding a second equaliser, watched as Adebayo nodded over in dangerous territory.

However, they were almost undone just minutes later when Cook’s volleyed cross rebounded against Scarr and into the midriff of Rose.

Mansfield thought they had wrapped up all three points in the dying moments when Khan teed up Benning to fire a whipped effort narrowly wide.

It mattered little, though, as Mansfield defended with solidity in the final minutes to earn all three points.

The amber and blue are next in action on Saturday November 02 as they welcome Colchester United to One Call Stadium.

STAGS XI: Logan (GK), Benning, Pearce © (Preston 59’), Bishop, MacDonald, Khan, Maynard (Hamilton 87’), Shaughnessy, Sweeney, Cook (Afolayan 90’), Gordon.

UNUSED SUBS: Olejnik (GK), Tomlinson, Knowles, Smith.

WALSALL XI: Rose (GK), Norman, Scarr, Sinclair ©, Kinsella, Gordon (Adebayo 26’), Roberts, Holden (McDonald 72’), Bates (Guthrie 63’), Cockerill-Mollett, Gaffney.

UNUSED SUBS: Roberts (GK), Hardy, Facey, Liddle.

REFEREE: Andy Haines

ASSISTANTS: Peter Gooch & Gary Hilton

FOURTH OFFICIAL: David Hunt

ATTENDANCE: 4,521 (877 away)

Match Reports

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