Excitement builds ahead of Mansfield Town's quarter-final draw

Excitement is building as Mansfield Town go into tomorrow morning's Checkatrade EFL Trophy quarter-final draw just two games from a Wembley final.
Mansfield Town v  Oldham Athletic.
Celebrations after Mansfield's second goal on Tuesday night.Mansfield Town v  Oldham Athletic.
Celebrations after Mansfield's second goal on Tuesday night.
Mansfield Town v Oldham Athletic. Celebrations after Mansfield's second goal on Tuesday night.

The draw will take place live on Sky Sports this morning at 11.30am (Thursday).

The game will take place during the week commencing 23rd January with the one-game semi-finals week commencing 20th February and the final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 2nd April.

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If scores are level after 90 minutes in Rounds Two, Three and Four, the games are determined by the taking of penalties. The EFL will confirm arrangements for the Semi-Finals and Final in due course following further consultation.

The competition is already turning into a good money-spinner for Mansfield.

After losing their home opener against Doncaster, they picked up £10,000 per game for the wins at Port Vale and Derby.

The second round win at Carlisle netted them £20,000 and last night’s home third round win over Oldham won them £40,000 per win.

The Wembley winners will gain £100,000.

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This season’s Trophy competition has been marred by fan boycotts over the decision to include Academy sides from some of the country’s big clubs.

However, many of the major clubs declined to take part and now only Swansea City’s Academy remain in the competition along with Stags, Wycombe Wanderers, Yeovil Town, Cheltenham Town, Coventry City, Luton Town and Oxford United.

But crowds and interest were always going to pick as the competition got nearer its conclusion.

For Mansfield, a place in the final would come exactly 30 years after they beat Bristol City on penalties to win the competition at Wembley when it was sponsored by Freight Rover.