Preview: Stags v Northampton

31 March 2022

The Stags are back at home this Saturday for a Sky Bet League Two clash with promotion rivals Northampton Town at One Call Stadium (3pm kick-off). Here’s all you need to know…

Please read these special notices, which include COVID-19 safety guidelines, before attending the match at One Call Stadium:

Please note that, for purposes of safety and ease of congestion, the gate between the North and Ian Greaves Stand will be closed from 1.30pm on Saturday when we take on Northampton and will reopen 20 minutes after full-time
The Stags’ Supporters Association will be selling programmes at their table in Sandy’s Bar & Kitchen from approximately 1.30pm
Saturday's game is our designated anti-discrimination match. Football has the power to unite and inspire us. But we do not accept racism or any form of discrimination and abuse in our game - Not Today or Any Day. The EFL is coming together – with players, clubs and fans – to tackle racism and discrimination as one.
Proof of a negative test or double vaccination is not required for Tuesday's game
Please do not attend the match if you’re experiencing symptoms of COVID-19
Sanitiser will be available throughout the stadium
All our staff will be wearing masks for their own safety but also the safety of our supporters
We encourage mask wearing whilst not seated
Please respect others by keeping a safe distance especially within toilet areas, queuing and on the concourse
Kiosks will be open, along with Sandy's Bar & Kitchen and the fans' zone bar
Please arrive in plenty of time ahead of kick-off

Kellan Gordon (knee) is unable to feature.

Forward Jamie Murphy is a doubt for the contest due to a hamstring injury he sustained away at Hartlepool in midweek.

Midfielders George Maris (hamstring) and Ollie Clarke (groin) will be assessed prior to the contest.

The Stags have seven points from a possible nine in their previous three Sky Bet League Two matches.

Mansfield sit one place outside the play-offs with one and two games in hand on those in that currently occupy fourth-seventh.

The Cobblers have lost just two of their last six games in the league.

The last time the two sides faced each other was 16 October 2021.

Northampton won 2-0 at Sixfields Stadium.

The referee for the match is Anthony Backhouse. Mr. Backhouse will be assisted by Paul Stonier, Ian Smedley and fourth official, Steven Plane.

The safety of our fans is always our highest priority. We therefore politely remind all supporters that One Call Stadium is an all-seater ground and standing is not permitted inside the stadium.

Listed below are the club's general match ticket admission prices for home league games in 2021/22.

This includes family tickets, which allow one adult and one child to watch the game from Blocks A and B of the Quarry Lane end.

The prices for purchasing tickets in advance of league games (before matchday) at One Call Stadium are as follows.

Category	Ian Greaves Lower	Ian Greaves Upper	Quarry Lane End
Adults	£23.00	£24.00	£23.00
Seniors (65+)	£20.00	£21.00	£20.00
Young Adults (18-21)	£17.00	£18.00	£17.00
Juniors (7-17)	£14.00	£15.00	£14.00
Under-7	FREE	FREE	FREE
Family Ticket	Not Available	Not Available	£25.00 (QLE home only)

The following table lists general admission prices when purchasing tickets on matchday at One Call Stadium.

Category	Ian Greaves Lower	Ian Greaves Upper	Quarry Lane End
Adults	£25.00	£26.00	£25.00
Seniors (65+)	£22.00	£23.00	£22.00
Young Adults (18-21)	£19.00	£20.00	£19.00
Juniors (7-17)	£16.00	£17.00	£16.00
Under-7	FREE	FREE	FREE
Family Ticket	Not Available	Not Available	£25.00 (QLE home only)

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 who have purchased tickets via stagstickets.co.uk and selected the 'print at home' option can now use their mobile ticket received via email to access One Call Stadium. Just download your ticket via email after selecting 'print at home' and scan the barcode on your mobile ticket using the scanners at the turnstiles.

Tickets will be available to collect from the main ticket office from 10am on Friday, but please collect tickets beforehand if possible.

Disabled supporters should view our disabled supporters' section for relevant matchday ticket information.

Sandy’s Bar & Kitchen will open from 12pm on matchday and serving from the matchday menu from 12.30pm.

Our Fanzone bar will also be open.

Supporters will also be able to purchase the latest edition of our matchday programme The Stag for just £2.50.

The Stags’ Supporters Association will be selling programmes at their table in Sandy’s Bar & Kitchen from 1.30pm

The Stag can be purchased from the merchandise stand near Sandy’s Bar & Kitchen, the ticket office, our matchday kiosks & bars, or any mobile programme vendor around One Call Stadium.

Can't make it to the game? This season's programmes are available to purchase online. To browse this season's programmes, click here.

Parking is unfortunately unavailable at One Call Stadium.

All reserved car parking spaces are within the location of the Ian Greaves Stand car park. Please note that the car park shuts 30 minutes prior to kick-off due to safety regulations.

The following sites, owned by Mansfield District Council and with easy access to 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 Sandy’s Bar & Kitchen, 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 Sandy’s Bar & Kitchen 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.

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

Away supporters are housed in the North Stand, which can be accessed via Portland Retail Park. Please note: there is no matchday parking at the retail park.

iFollow Stags subscribers can listen to full match commentary of the clash - courtesy of Martin Shaw & Dean Foulkes - by logging into iFollow Stags 15 minutes before kick-off.

Saturday's game will be streamed live for overseas subscribers on iFollow Stags. To purchase your match pass for £10, click here.

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.

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.

Follow us across our social media accounts to keep fully updated on all areas of a Stags’ matchday. Click the below links to redirect to the corresponding social media account.

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Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Stags 1-0 Northampton

2 April 2022

Mansfield Town set a new club record of 11 consecutive home league victories by defeating promotion rivals Northampton Town 1-0 at One Call Stadium.

Oli Hawkins fired the Stags ahead in the 21^stminute with a thumping header into the back of the Northampton net from Matty Longstaff’s corner.

Cobblers’ midfielder Paul Lewis was shown a double yellow card in the 75^th minute as Mansfield utilised their man advantage to control their way to a vital victory in the promotion race.

The Stags have now moved into the Sky Bet League Two play-off places, level on points with third place.

Manager Nigel Clough made three changes to the team that faced Hartlepool United on Tuesday.

Defender James Perch missed the fixture through illness and was replaced by left-back Stephen McLaughlin. Forwards Jamie Murphy and Jordan Bowery moved to the bench as striker Rhys Oates and midfielder Matty Longstaff faced the Cobblers from the off.

Northampton were the first to direct an effort on target. Mitch Pinnock’s cross from the right wing on 40 seconds was nudged towards goal by rising defender Fraser Horsfall inside the box, but Nathan Bishop handled it well to end the attack.

Ten minutes later, Northampton striker Chanka Zimba was played in behind the Stags’ defence, but Bishop again reacted well to hold the weak shot from the edge of the box.

Following a period in which both sides looked to test one another, Stags struck on 20 minutes. A floated in-swinging corner courtesy of Matty Longstaff picked out Oli Hawkins, lurking inside the six-yard box, who towered over his marker to convert the delivery into the right side of goal and fire the Stags ahead.

The hosts continued to head forward after taking the lead, but it was Northampton who came close to snatching the second goal of the game. Following Pinnock’s dinked free-kick into the box on the half-hour mark, the ball dropped to Aaron McGowen, who blazed a half-volley comfortably wide from the centre of the box.

Three minutes later, Pinnock was played into the Mansfield box by right-back McGowen but the winger’s left-footed effort cannoned off the Stags’ crossbar.

Moments later it was Mansfield’s turn to attack when Stephen McLaughlin curled an effort narrowly over the bar on 37 minutes.

The hosts looked after possession in the following period as they set up a barrage of chances towards the close of the opening period.

With a minute until the break, Quinn set up Longstaff on the edge of the box. The midfielder received the ball, swivelled 180 degrees and curled a shot which was destined for the top right corner if Northampton ‘keeper Liam Roberts hadn’t incredibly tipped it around the post.

A minute later, Rhys Oates embarked on a battling run from the halfway line into the Northampton box, before seeing his shot at the near post met by another reaction save from Roberts. That was moments before the ‘keeper spilled Longstaff’s corner in the second minute of added time, allowing the ball to settle for Oates around the penalty spot. However, the striker’s powered effort was again tipped wide by the ‘keeper as the visitors hung on to just a one-goal deficit at half-time.

The Stags restarted the match in attacking fashion as Elliott Hewitt’s cutback found its way to Akins on the edge of the box, but the forward’s effort was deflected wide on 49 minutes.

Three minutes later, a short corner from Longstaff to McLaughlin was struck from a tight angle by the Irishman, almost catching Roberts off guard, however the ‘keeper was able to palm it clear.

Following a closely contested period, Mansfield almost doubled the lead on 67 minutes. Good play between Hewitt and Longstaff worked the ball to Quinn on the edge of the box, who struck it first time along the floor, taking a nick off a Northampton boot on its way narrowly beyond the post.

In the 76^th minute, Northampton were reduced to ten men when Paul Lewis was shown a double yellow card. The midfielder received a booking for his late sliding challenge on Lapslie, seconds before he received another caution for pushing the Mansfield man.

The Stags almost made instant use of their man advantage when Akins wriggled into space inside the box on 80 minutes. The forward steered a right-footed effort towards the bottom left corner, but Roberts reacted well to make a fingertip save.

Mansfield looked to use their advantage and control the game to see out their opponents. The Stags set up several late chances to seal the contest. Their best came on 89 minutes when Longstaff held the ball up for Bowery. The Mansfield number 9 set up Stirk on the edge of the box whose first time driven effort was deflected wide.

The Stags showed great experience to manage the contest and set a new club record whilst simultaneously moving Mansfield into the Sky Bet League Two play-off places.

STAGS XI: Bishop, Hewitt, O‘Toole, Hawkins, McLaughlin, Stirk, Quinn (Rawson 90+4’), Longstaff (Wallace 90+2’), Lapslie, Oates (Bowery 72’), Akins

UNUSED SUBS: Stech, Law, Maris, Johnson

NORTHAMPTON XI: Roberts, McGowen, Sowerby, Guthrie, Horsfall, Hoskins, Lewis, Lubala (Eppiah 60’), Pinnock, Zimba (Appere 71’), Mills (Rose 81’)

UNUSED SUBS: Maxted, Harriman, Pollock, Dyche

REFEREE: Anthony Backhouse

ATTENDANCE: 6,678 (935 away supporters)