STAGS' GOLDEN GOALS: Neil MacKenzie volley sparks Mansfield Town celebrations at Hull City

Each week we are taking a look at some of the best to hit the net for Mansfield Town over the past decades. If you have a goal you would like us to feature, email [email protected] with brief details and your memories of the strike and we will try to include in a future article.

This week we go back to December 20th, 2003, and arguably one of the Stags’ greatest away victories this century.

Hull City are now in the Premier League, albeit fighting for their lives. But back in the 2003-04 season they were Mansfield Town’s promotion rivals in Division Three — and the Stags did the double over Peter Taylor’s side.

The home win was clinched by Lauren D’Jaffo, who headed in a Liam Lawrence corner for his only Stags goal on his debut — another memorable strike in front of a packed Field Mill.

But this week we are looking at Neil MacKenzie’s memorable shot at the KC Stadium in front of 1,500 travelling Stags fans among a 15,000 crowd.

The Stags had more than matched big-spending Hull in a tightly-contested game as Keith Curle’s side showed all his battling qualities.

Then six minutes from time Bobby Hassell’s free kick was cleared only to the edge of the area.

MacKenzie, known for his like of a spectacular goal, smashed the ball back where it had come from. His first-time volley rocketed into the bottom corner of the net in front of the travelling Mansfield supporters.

MacKenzie, ever the showman, went sliding on his knees along the turf towards those fans in delight.

It sparked massive celebrations among the delirious fans — and more importantly sparked a promotion bid that took the Stags all the way to the play-off final.

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