AFC ease to 5-1 away win

This game started at a frenetic pace with both sides looking for an opening.

The home side had two efforts blocked in the opening five minutes as they piled pressure on the AFC Mansfield goal.

The Bulls’ first effort came from a Nathan Benger knock-down to Jordan Vilums whose 15-yard effort was deflected for a corner. Next Benger went for goal himself, forcing a good save out of Scott Drury in the Louth goal on 11 minutes.

At the other end Jamie Coulson fired over the bar from the edge of the box.

But the Bulls took the lead on 13 minutes, Vilums hitting a sweet low drive into the bottom corner from 20 yards off a Scott Rickards pass.

Ash Grayson thought he had doubled the lead on 20 minutes firing into the back of the net only to be denied by an offside flag.

The White Wolves were back on level terms on 24 minutes when Kyle Ludlow stuck out a leg to trip Rocky Rawlings in the box.

Dan Stevens fired home the spot kick sending Gavin Saxby the wrong way much to the delight of the group of regular youngsters banging a drum and chanting behind the opposition goal to put off the keeper, who had his photograph take with them at the end

AFC were back on the attack two minutes later and Benger tried his luck from 25 yards, the ball always drifting wide of the goal.

Coulson went close on 29 minutes and then saw Saxby get down well to save his downward header a minute later.

The back four of Kitchen, Ludlow, Timons and Dudley are becoming the driving force behind an ever improving side, Kitchen being the best of the bunch on the day, combining great defensive duties with a willingness to get forward to create chances.

The Bulls were beginning to get on top and Joe Naylor rattled the bar from 20 yards on 32 minutes and then Grayson fires over the bar from 12 yards.

AFC Mansfield regained the lead on 40 minutes, and in a game of good goals this one probably stood out.

Rickards controlled the ball in midfield before hitting a 30-yard screamer that flew into the top corner of the net, leaving Drury rooted to the spot.

A Danny Tighe free kick bought the third just before half time, a curling peach of a dead ball which Kitchen headed home from six yards.

Saxby kept his fan club silent on 55 minutes when he superbly tipped Stevens’ goalbound 20-yard free kick around the post.

Another candidate for goal of the game came on 59 minutes, Tighe curling a 30-yard free kick around the wall and into the top corner, leaving Drury grasping at thin air.

Saxby was still needed on 63 minutes with another excellent reaction save to deny Rawlings.

Grayson had an effort blocked in the box and then headed narrowly wide on 79 minutes as the fight had disappeared from the home side.

AFC had to wait until the last minute for their fifth, Carl Haslam making a great run down the right before pulling the ball back into the path of Phil Buxton to drill the ball home from 12 yards.