Maynard spot on to secure point at Grimsby Town

Grimsby Town 1 Mansfield Town 1
Nicky Maynard. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)Nicky Maynard. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Nicky Maynard. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Substitute Nicky Maynard scored with his first touch to rescue a point for Nigel Clough’s in-form Stags at Blundell Park.

Maynard’s fourth goal of the season came via a 69th minute penalty after Ian Holloway’s struggling Mariners led through another replacement-Ira Jackson-six minutes earlier.

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But Clough will be disappointed Town failed to register a fifth successive away day success against opponents with only one win now in nine games.The consolation is an 11-game run with just a solitary defeat.

However, it could have been worse for Mansfield after four quick substitutions from Mariners’ boss, Ian Holloway threatened to turn the contest on its head.

It needed a fine save from Marek Stech to deny former Field Mill defender Luke Waterfall a second goal while Owuru Edwards was twice only inches wide.

The game certainly burst into life in the closing half hour after a lacklustre previous 60 minutes.

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The opening half was largely forgettable. Both sides earned a sprinkling of corners but keepers Sam Russell and Stech largely remained untested.

George Lapsilie’s header from Mal Benning’s cross and a Ryan Sweeney header via George Maris’s corner only needed marginal intervention by Russell.

George Williams’ flashed an ambitious 30-yard free kick wide of the visitors’ goal while Ferrand Rauson made up for a lapse in concentration by whipping the ball off Williams’ toes as the striker shaped to test Stech.

Mansfield had an early second half penalty appeal for handball rejected while Lapsilie’s shot was blocked at expense of a corner

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Town chief Holloway had seen enough. After swopping Williams for Edwards after 53 minutes, three minutes later he introduced a further hat-trick of substitutes, including debutant Filipe Morais, the ex-Chelsea, Bradford and Bolton winger.

The changers paid dividends as Town took the lead. Stech could only parry ??’s shot and Jackson had the simplest task of tapping in the rebound from six yards for his first league goal.

Clough responded by taking off Jamie Reid and Jordan Bowery, replacing them with Maynard and Andy Cook.

So, when Lapsilie played in Charsley and the winger was felled by Russell, Maynard calmly netted the spot kick equaliser.

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Grimsby went closest to taking all three points as on loan Bristol City youngster Edwards twice curled right foot efforts fractionally wide.

Grimsby: Russell, Clifton, Pollock (76 Tilley), Waterfall, Preston , Hewitt, Taylor (56 Morais), Rose, Bennett (53, Edwards), Windsor (56, Jackson), Williams (56 Gibson); substitutes:McKeown, Starbuck.

Mansfield: Stech, Gordon, Rauson, Sweeney, Benning, Charsley, Clarke, Lapsilie, Maris (60 McLaughlin), Reid (68 Cook), Bowery (68 Maynard); substitutes (not used): O’Keefe, Monayese, Sinclair, Stone.

Referee: Carl Brook

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