Preview: Northampton v Stags

13 March 2023

The Stags are in Sky Bet League Two action tomorrow night (14 March) away at Northampton Town (7.45pm kick-off). Here’s all you need to know…

Goalkeeper Christy Pym returned to training last week and should be in contention for Stags’ trip to Sixfields Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Defender Elliott Hewitt has a ‘50/50’ chance of featuring in Nigel Clough’s squad tomorrow night.

Full-back Callum Johnson will miss the game after sustaining a calf injury in Mansfield’s 3-1 win at AFC Wimbledon earlier this month.

Forward Rhys Oates is back involved in light training and will be assessed ahead of the game.

Midfielder George Maris will also be assessed prior to the contest, while Louis Reed is making good progress with his knee injury but an imminent return is unlikely.

Full-back Stephen McLaughlin is back out running with a view to possibly being involved in full training this week.

John-Joe O’Toole (foot) and Will Swan (ankle) will be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

Anthony Hartigan is also likely to miss the remainder of the season.

The referee for Tuesday evening’s match is Geoff Eltringham. Mr. Eltringham will be assisted by Kevin Morris, Mark Russell and fourth official, Sam Purkiss.

Tickets for our encounter at Sixfields Stadium are now off sale from the club’s ticket office at One Call Stadium and can also no longer be bought online ahead of Tuesday’s clash.

Supporters are able to purchase tickets on matchday from Sixfields Stadium at a price increase of £2 from the original sale prices.

Matchday ticket prices are therefore as follows:

Adult: £24

Senior (65+): £20

Under-21: £20

Under-18: £12

Under-7: FREE (Must be purchased with an adult)

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

Coaches will depart at 4pm from One Call Stadium.

Coach prices are as follows:

Amber/Junior Members: £15

Blue Members: £20

Non-Members: £25

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

Unable to make it to the game tomorrow night?

iFollow Stags, whether in the UK or abroad, subscribers can watch the game in full for just £10. Click here to purchase your match pass.

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

You can follow all the action from the fixture live via our Twitter match updates 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: Northampton 1-0 Stags

14 March 2023

Ten-man Mansfield slipped to a rare loss on the road, as Sam Hoskins’ first-half penalty proved the difference in a scrappy affair at Sixfields.

Talisman Hoskins drilled home from 12 yards in the 28^th minute and Stags’ task of acquiring points was made harder when midfielder Stephen Quinn saw red for a late challenge on 66 minutes.

Striker Danny Johnson – who has spent most of the season on loan at Walsall – made his first start of the campaign for the Stags.

Goalkeeper Christy Pym recovered from illness to start in goal.

Fellow shot-stopper Scott Flinders and injured full-back Callum Johnson made way as part of two changes from Stags’ last match, a 3-1 win away at AFC Wimbledon.

Mansfield defensive midfielder Kieran Wallace received an early yellow card after upending Will Hondermarck in the fourth minute.

In Stags’ first meaningful attack, Jordan Bowery headed well wide of goal from 12 yards following Lucas Akins’ drifted cross on the right flank.

Pym then saved routinely from Ryan Haynes’ long range pot-shot while at the other end Akins headed off target following a corner.

Stags were almost in trouble in the 12^th minute when Cobblers’ star striker Sam Hoskins broke clear of the rearguard, but after advancing into the penalty area, defender Alfie Kilgour raced back to make a vital block.

After a scrappy ten minute spell, Johnson went close for Mansfield when he lashed narrowly beyond the post from outside the box.

In the 27^th minute, Northampton were awarded a penalty as Louis Appéré timed his run well to race beyond Stags’ defence. And after looking to round Pym, the goalkeeper brought him down, leading to a yellow card and spot kick.

Up stepped Hoskins to power a low effort to Pym’s left-hand side and fire Northampton ahead.

Immediately after the goal, Kieran Wallace was replaced by Hiram Boateng in midfield for Mansfield.

Stags had a good chance to draw level on 35 minutes, as captain Ollie Clarke wriggled through the Cobblers’ defence, but after goalkeeper Lee Burge narrowed the angle, the Mansfield captain struck wide from 10 yards.

With four minutes of the first half remaining, defender Riley Harbottle skied an effort from outside the box.

Stags started to push their foot on the pedal and Johnson may have felt unfortunate not to have scored as his deflected header sailed into the hands of Burge following Quinn’s delightful left wing cross.

Seventy seconds into the second-half, Hoskins smashed a drive against Kilgour as Cobblers’ looked to extend their lead.

In a scrappy opening 15 minutes to the second-half, Stephen Quinn and Riley Harbottle both delivered cross from the left and right flank, respectively, which did little to trouble the hosts.

On 64 minutes, Nigel Clough made a double change as Rhys Oates and Stephen McLaughlin were introduced for Davis Keillor-Dunn and Danny Johnson.

Stags were then reduced to ten men two minutes later as Stephen Quinn was shown a straight red card for an ill-timed challenge on Bowie near the home technical area.

Mansfield didn’t give up the ghost and Oates showed fine skill in the 74^thminute to rob the ball off Northampton before twisting and turning his way into the box and fire a low effort at Burge.

Cobblers could have wrapped it up on the counter punch but Hoskins smashed an effort over the bar after being fed from the right flank.

McLaughlin was forced off with an apparent injury on 83 minutes, being replaced by Jason Law, who entered the referee’s notebook for a foul five minutes later.

Cobblers tried to put the game to bed and Pym was called upon in the 90^th minute to make a smart save by beating away Bowie’s strike.

Northampton wound down the clock in six minutes of added time to secure victory.

NORTHAMPTON: Burge, Sherring, Guthrie, Dyche, Lintott, Leonard, Sowerby (Wright-Phillips 84), Hondermarck, Haynes (YengI 77), Hoskins, Appéré (Bowie 59)

UNUSED SUBS: King, Osew, Abimbola, Wyatt

STAGS: Pym, Akins, Harbottle, Kilgour, Perch, Bowery, Wallace (Boateng 28), Clarke, Quinn, Keillor-Dunn (McLaughlin 64, Law 83), D. Johnson (Oates 64)

UNUSED SUBS: Flinders, Anderson, Gale

REFEREE: Geoff Eltringham

ATTENDANCE: 6,301 (1,039 Stags’ fans)