Mansfield Town play-off final win can help exorcise ghosts of vital penalty miss for Stags legend Liam Lawrence

Now coaching youngsters at Stoke City, Lawrence, who will be at Wembley and rooting for his former club on Saturday, said a Stags win would help exorcise his ghosts of that day at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, though he is dreading Saturday's showdown with Port Vale going to spot kicks.

“My penalty miss is still talked about to this day and when I see it still gives me nightmares. It was definitely my lowest moment with the club,” said Lawrence.

“If Mansfield win on Saturday it will help ease that, but I just hope Saturday's game doesn't go to penalties as I wouldn't be able to bear it.

“Obviously I will be a Mansfield Town fan on the day – and they are playing against Stoke's rivals as well so that's an added bit for me.

“It is a huge occasion for Mansfield and something I think the club needs and the supporters need coming off the back end of a really good season to go on and get promoted. But it won't be an easy match.”

Lawrence believes current Stags boss Nigel Clough does not get enough credit for the miracle he has performed this season in getting Stags from second bottom to the play-off final.

“I think he and his staff have done a great job,” said Lawrence.

“Being joint bottom in October, it is an incredible job he's done and I don't think it gets talked about enough.

“To be where they are – and if they do go on and get promoted – the job he's done is amazing really.”

Having been in this situation, Lawrence knows the nerves will now be starting to jangle for Clough's men.

“It will be kicking in now,” he said. “A couple of days before and you are finishing final preparations in training and the media hype behind it is massive at this stage when you get to the final, so the players will be feeling it.

“Hopefully they can stay cool and calm and just focus on 4pm on Saturday and getting the job done.

“But has got some seasoned campaigners in the squad – Stephen Quinn and players like that, and Ollie Clarke, who I played with at Bristol Rovers and is a smashing lad.

“I think they have the right sort of mix with experience and some quality young lads. I am looking forward to the weekend and seeing them in action again.”

After his emergence as a dazzling midfielder at Mansfield Lawrence went on to play for clubs like Sunderland, Stoke, Portsmouth, Cardiff City, Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town and Bristol Rovers as well as a spell out in Greece with PAOK.

He also played 15 internationals for Ireland.

But he remembers his early years with Mansfield fondly.

“The youth set-up back then was very different. It was a YT scheme, we had no academy,” he said.

“So me, Leroy Williamson, Craig Disley and a few others came through and we potentially had a really good young side.

“Billy Dearden and Stuart Watkiss saw that and gave us our chances quite early on at a young age.

“I have so many good memories of my time at Mansfield, I couldn't pick one out in particular.

“There were certain goals I scored, one away at York, a hat-trick at home to Wycombe, and obviously the play-off games.

“Scoring the winner against Chesterfield in the 96th minute will certainly stay with me forever.”

Now retired, Lawrence has embarked on a coaching career and said: “I am in my third year coaching with Stoke's academy where I am cutting my teeth and learning the ropes.

“It's going really well. We have a fantastic set-up and good staff and we have some great kids coming through. There is some great work being done and I am enjoying it at the minute.”

His work has made it hard for him to get back to see Stags games live.

“I went back about four years ago but with playing, then going into coaching and then the pandemic, it's just not been possible,” he said.

“I am still living near Stoke over in Cheshire, so it's not easy when you are coaching on a Saturday to get to go and see your former teams, which is not great, but I will definitely be there this Saturday cheering on Mansfield.”