Preview: Sutton v Stags

25 August 2022

The Stags are in Sky Bet League Two action again this Saturday (27 August) away at Sutton United (3pm kick-off). Here’s all you need to know…

Forward Rhys Oates will be absent after rupturing his pectoral muscle in Mansfield’s 5-2 victory at home to AFC Wimbledon over a week ago. Boss Nigel Clough said the forward will be out for ‘a few months’.

In his news conference on Tuesday morning, the manager said: “Lucas [Akins] should train this week, Hiram Boateng should train this week.

“Stephen Quinn, we hope, was only [out for] sort of a week with his hip.

“Obviously, Rhys Oates is out for a little while and Oli Hawkins came on for five minutes or so [against Stockport County last Saturday].

“As long as he’s [Hawkins] had no reaction, he’ll train this week.”

Should Akins, Boateng, Hawkins and Quinn get through the week’s training without any further injury setbacks they could feature in the matchday squad at VBS Community Stadium on Saturday.

Our hosts have advised us that, due to engineering works there are no trains through West Sutton (the station adjacent to the ground) on Saturday.

Supporters coming by train can come to Sutton from Victoria, or use the Underground to Morden on the Northern Line, and then take either the 80 or 413 bus, which connects the ground to both stations.

The 80 goes past the Collingwood end of the ground where the visiting accommodation is.

Mansfield supporters have their own fanzone behind the away accommodation at the Collingwood end, with a 'hoppy half hour' from 1pm to 1.30pm when all draught beers, lagers and ciders will be £3.50 a pint.

The last time the two sides met was in April 2022.

The Stags lost 3-2 on the day. Matty Longstaff and a Ben Goodliffe own goal provided Mansfield’s goals in the club’s only home league defeat of 2022.

The referee for this Saturday's match away at Sutton United is Lee Swabey. Mr. Swabey will be assisted by Garry Maskell, Scott Williams and fourth official, Leigh Crowhurst.

Tickets remain on sale for the fixture.

The only way for supporters to purchase tickets for the fixture is directly through our hosts’ ticketing website by clicking here.

Because tickets can only be sold via Sutton's online ticketing website, unfortunately the club cannot facilitate priority purchasing for season ticket holders.

Therefore, tickets can be purchased on a first-come-first-served basis.

The club have received an allocation of 252 seated tickets in the main grandstand at VBS Community Stadium.

A further 600 tickets in the terracing area of the stadium are also available for purchase.

Remaining tickets can be purchased on matchday from Sutton with a £2 price increase in each category.

Prices for the encounter are as follows:

Seating

Adult: £25
Concession: £19
Junior (12-18): £11
Under-12*: £5

* Only with adult or concession ticket purchase

Standing

Adult: £20
Concession: £14
Junior (12-18): £6
Under-12*: FREE

* Only with adult or concession ticket purchase

Our official fans’ club – the Stags Supporters’ Association – are providing family friendly coach travel to Sutton United.

Coaches will depart at 9am from One Call Stadium.

Coach prices are as follows:

Amber/ Junior Members: £20
Blue Members: £25
Non-Members: £30

To book, call or text the travel line on 07967 689 579.

Unable to make it to the game this weekend?

Commentary of the contest will be provided by Martin Shaw and Dean Foulkes on iFollow Stags. Coverage starts approximately 10 minutes before kick-off.

Monthly subscribers inside the UK can listen to the match as part of their subscription.

Not a subscriber? Sign up today for £4.49 a month by clicking here.

Alternatively, you can purchase an audio match pass for this game for just £2.50 here.

Supporters who are outside of the UK can watch the match for just £10 by clicking here.

You can follow all the action from the fixture live via our Twitter match updates from here.

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

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

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.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Sutton 2-1 Stags

27 August 2022

Oli Hawkins' first league goal of the season was not enough for Mansfield as they left VBS Community Stadium empty handed for a second successive season.

Sutton proved to be Stags' bogey team last season – the only team to beat them twice – and continued their success against Mansfield with a 2-1 win this afternoon.

The hosts ultimately showed their lethal touch in front of goal in a contest of equal opportunities, reflected in the match stats; both sides having only three shots on target.

Boss Nigel Clough made three changes to the starting lineup following last Saturday's impressive 2-1 win at home to Stockport County.

Lucas Akins and Stephen Quinn returned to right wing-back and midfield, respectively, while Oli Hawkins started in attack for the first time this season.

Jordan Bowery was ill, though expected to return for Tuesday's Papa Johns Trophy group match on Tuesday at home to Manchester City under-21s, while midfielders George Maris and Ollie Clarke were moved to the subs' bench.

Mansfield goalkeeper Christy Pym was called upon as early as the fifth minute when Donovan Wilson peeled away from the defence following a neat throughball, but Pym stood well to deny the frontman with his legs.

Hawkins earned Stags' first corner when he robbed Louis John of the ball on the right hand flank before shooting against a Sutton defender, though Quinn's flag kick came to nothing.

With quarter-of-an-hour gone, Hawkins linked up brilliantly with Swan to feed the Nottingham Forest loanee towards the area. And his run into the box was only halted by a cynical foul from Coby Rowe, who received a yellow card after pulling the forward to the ground.

Stephen McLaughlin then stepped up from 19 yards to whip a left-footed free-kick off target.

Four minutes later, Josh Neufville fired wide from the edge of the box following intricate play inside the Stags' box.

Rob Milsom delivered a dangerous swinging corner in the 26^th minute, which flew to the back post for Harry Beautyman, who, under pressure from George Lapslie, directed a close-range effort against the back post.

John-Joe O'Toole entered the referee's notepad for bringing down Randall on the touchline,

On 36 minutes, Riley Harbottle made a vital last-ditch sliding intervention on the cusp of the Stags' goal area to stop Craig Eastman after the Sutton captained danced his way into the box.

With little separating the two sides, United found the breakthrough a minute before the end of normal time at the end of the first half.

Neufville turned the jets on and powered his way through the middle of the Stags' defence before rifling low into the bottom left hand corner.

Five minutes into the second-half, Swan struck into the back of a defender following a good knock down by Hawkins inside the box.

On 52 minutes, Hawkins was in the thick of the action again and almost gave Stags a leveller.

Hartigan's superb corner flashed across the six-yard box, and almost unknowingly, Hawkins headed on to the roof of the net from close range.

Stags maintained heavy pressure on the home goal and McLaughlin went close with a bended effort following Swan's pull back from the goal-line.

On 58 minutes, Riley Harbottle made way for Elliott Hewitt in Stags' first change.

Eastman turned the ball over his own bar from Lucas Akins' right sided cross as Mansfield's corner count began to mount.

John-Joe O'Toole was replaced by Kieran Wallace before Quinn was shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Beautyman

Stags made a treble change as George Boateng, George Maris and Kellan Gordon replaced Hartigan, Quinn and Akins.

Moments after the substitutions, Stags were level with 75 minutes on the watch.

McLaughlin swept in a pin-point free-kick from the left and Hawkins rose highest inside the box to direct a bullet header beyond Sutton goalkeeper Jack Rose.

Sutton brought on three fresh faces on 80 minutes and, within two minutes, were back in front.

Stags were unable to defend a deep ball into the box and Tope Fadahunsi was allowed to knock the ball home inside a crowded area with his first touch of the game.

Sutton, characteristically on home soil, kept Stags out in the remaining stages as Mansfield continue their search for a first away victory of the season, in stark contrast to their home form.

SUTTON: Rose, Milsom, John, Rowe, Kizzi, Randall (Smith 84), Beautyman, Eastmond, Neufville (Boldewijn 80), Wilson (Fadahunsi 80), Thomas (Kouassi 80)

UNUSED SUBS: House, Gambin, Barden

STAGS: Pym, Akins (Gordon 74), O'Toole (Wallace 65), Perch, Harbottle (Hewitt 56), McLaughlin, Lapslie, Hartigan (Boateng 74), Quinn (Maris 74), Hawkins, Swan

UNUSED SUBS: Flinders, Clarke

ATTENDANCE: 2,664 (372 Stags' fans)

REFEREE: Lee Swabey