Report: Stags 1-0 Blackpool
New Mansfield Town boss Steve Evans maintained his 100% reign in charge as a dramatic stoppage time winner from substitute Danny Rose sealed a 1-0 victory at home to Blackpool.In a match of few clear-cut chances Danny Rose applied a last-gasp finish to propel Stags further up the Sky Bet League Two Table.
New Stags' chief Evans followed up Saturday's 3-1 victory at home to Crawley with maximum points against a Blackpool side who had previously gone six unbeaten.
Evans named an unchanged starting line-up but there was a solitary alteration on the subs’ bench as 18-year-old striker Zayn Hakeem replaced the experienced Darius Henderson, who missed out with a virus.
Stags, clearly buoyed from equalling their biggest win of the season three days previously, began in confident fashion.
In the first 70 seconds, Oscar Gobern pelted an audacious attempt goalwards from 35-yards, but it sailed just wide.
Less than two minutes later, Blackpool carved out their first opportunity.
Mark Cullen broke clear on the left, as Stags’ scurried to retreat, before pulling it back to full-back Brad Potts who lost his footing 12 yards out.
Inside the fourth minute, Mansfield striker Pat Hoban swept in the ball from the left and Ashley Hemmings rose to head it wide from seven yards, under pressure from a Blackpool defender.
Then full-back Mal Benning wriggled into the penalty from the left side to send the ball across the face of goal, but Blackpool managed to clear.
Stags’ impressive early pressure continued on nine minutes when Hoban showed neat footwork to cut into the penalty area, and his final effort had to be beaten away by a diving Sam Slocombe.
After a scrappy next ten minutes, Hemmings crossed deeply from the left touchline, but the referee adjudged a foul on ‘keeper Slocombe as he leapt to claim.
As the game approached the half-hour mark, Brad Potts struck from the edge of the area, but home shot-stopper Shearer was well behind it.
Four minutes later, Stags’ midfielder Chris Clements delivered the game’s first corner, but it came to nothing.
In the 40th minute, following a Stags’ free-kick, Krystian Pearce clipped it in from the right of the Blackpool box, but after a Seasiders’ defender tried to clear, it inadvertently flew against Rhys Bennett and out for a goal kick.
As the fourth official indicated one minute of time added on at the end of the first half, Pearce did well to cut out a low cross from Potts on the left flank in the last real move of the first period.
Barring the opening ten minutes, the first half was largely fragmented and the second half followed much the similar pattern for both sides.
A neat passage of play just minutes after the restart saw Matt Green slip it to Mitchell Rose on the right, but his cross was just too deep to find a team-mate.
On 54, Clements conceded a free-kick 20 yards from his own goal, presenting Blackpool with their first chance of the second period.
Danny Pugh teed up Potts to lash forward, but Shearer did well to hold on to it on the deck as it flashed through the wall.
As the game passed the hour mark, Shearer had to be alert again to claw out a close range Clark Robertson header from another Blackpool free kick.
Steve Evans made his first change of the match in the 69th minute when Danny Rose replaced Ashley Hemmings.
A Clements’ sizzler left the crowd applauding moments later as Blackpool only half-cleared.
Striking on the volley from 20 yards, Clements’ left-footed piledriver had to be instantly pushed away by the lively Slocombe to prevent a 70th minute home lead.
Benning then had a similar attempt from 30-yards, but his rasping try flew into the Quarry Lane stand.
Green then flashed a shot wide with less than nine minutes remaining.
On 87, Gobern got in on the shooting act, this one from 20 yards, but it was a routine stop for Slocombe.
Then came the drama in the third minute of time added on.
Clements sent a superb ball to Hoban, just outside the penalty area. And after Blackpool twice failed to head clear, Green got a shot away, which was palmed away by Slocombe, but Rose raced towards the ball to apply the finish. Slocombe tried desperately to keep it out with a trailing leg, but the ball had gone over the line.
One Call Stadium then erupted as Stags' heroes were applauded off at the finish.
STAGS: Shearer, M. Rose, Pearce, Bennett, Benning, Clements, McGuire, Gobern, Hemmings (D. Rose 69), Hoban, Green
UNUSED SUBS: Jensen, Thomas, Baxendale, Hamilton, Law, Hakeem
BLACKPOOL: Slocombe, Mellor, Aldred, Robertson, Taylor, Potts, Pugh, Payne, Daniel, Matt (Gnanduillet 67), Cullen (Philliskirk 75)
UNUSED SUBS: Boney, McAlister, Nolan, Yeates, Osayi-Samuel
REFEREE: Darren Handley
ATTENDANCE: 2,801 (225 away)