Late spot kick edges Mansfield Town to hard-earned friendly win at Long Eaton United

Stags were worked very hard by a confident home side in dreadful driving rain in what will be seen as a useful work-out by the visitors.

Stags began with a handful of first team stars with Anthony Hartigan, Hiram Boateng, George Maris and Jordan Bowery the experienced players along with younger squad members and U19s.

The visitors were wearing shirts with no numbers on making identification more tricky for the lesser known faces.

Amid the driving rain, United had the first shy on goal as Brandy's 20 yard effort was turned aside for a corner by Turner.

Two minutes later Marshall fired a low shot goalwards that Turner again did well to push away for another corner as the home side started with purpose.

In the next attack Brandy teased the defenders before pulling a low shot wide.

Confusion at the back between Turner and his defence saw a long ball allowed to bounce and Cursons able to nip in and flick it past Turner only to see the ball come back off the post on seven minutes.

Mansfield finally began to see more of the ball and on 13 minutes forced a corner when Krysynski's low ball in skidded in the wet and Durrant put it away for a corner. That was cleared out to Anderson 20 yards out and he wasn't too far off with his fierce shot just over the bar.

On 19 minutes Krysynski fed the overlapping Bonser on the left by-line and Bowery was inches away from turning it home as it skidded across the open goal.

On 24 minutes Maris swapped passes with Krysynski before curling a shot on target that Durrant comfortably caught.

On 28 minutes Keane superbly turned Hartigan and let fly from 35 yards and wasn't too far over.

Abdullah dragged a low effort wide for Mansfield on the turn on 36 minutes while Cox had a shot blocked at the other end as we awaited a breakthrough.

Hartigan curled a fine effort just wide from 20 yards with three minutes to go to the break, then Marshall got a good block on Abdullah's far post finish.

Stags came as close as they had all game on 43 minutes when Durrant saved low at his near post from a powerful Krysynski shot as the sides went in all square.

Bowery, a scorer at Hearts as a sub last night, was withdrawn at the break.

Durrant made a couple of easy early takes after the break while on 50 minutes Parker's curled free kick from the left sailed temptingly in front of goal before being helped away for a corner, from which Stags survived a scramble.

Brandy was well over from a corner routine pulled back to him two minutes later.

Cooper came so close on 58 minutes but nodded a free header just wide from a Maris corner.

Long Eaton made a raft of substitutions as the game lost its flow for a time.

Anderson slid in to make a crucial challenge on the lively Jebbison as he tried to go clear down the centre on 73 minutes.

A minute later Jebbison's pace down the right found him space to get a good shot away which Turner had to parry at the near post.

The breakthrough finally came on 81 minutes as Stags scored from the spot late for the second night in a row.

Maris was tripped in the box by Davies and, after Maris had been given some treatment, Abdullah stepped up to confidently send Durrant the wrong way.

Three minutes later Abdullah almost doubled his and Stags' lead as he raced onto a Hartigan through ball but slipped his ball past the keeper and just wide of the far post.

Clark was too high for the Blues from 25 yards as we entered the 87th minute while Cooper made a great tackle on Davies soon after.

A minute from time some magic from Jebbison saw him cut inside two opponents before forcing Turner into a save at his near post as Stags held on to the win.

STAGS: Louis Turner, Taylor Anderson, George Cooper, Darian Wauchope, Louis Bonser, Anthony Hartigan, Hiram Boateng George Maris, Jakub Krysynski (Ronnie Kokkinos 76), McKeal Abdullah, Jordan Bowery (Alfie King HT).

SUBS: Fin Flanagan, Lewis Bonser, Tyler Whyle, Lewis Warnaby, Harrison Leech.