Play-off dream almost over for Mansfield Town after home defeat by bogey side Harrogate Town

Mansfield Town's play-off hopes were dealt another huge blow as they lost 2-1 at home to bogey side Harrogate Town this afternoon.
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The sides have met seven times and Stags have never won and this second home defeat in five days left them three points outside the play-offs with one game to go but with a poorer goal difference to Salford and Bradford with the Yorkshire club having a game in hand too.

Harrogate arrived safe from relegation after their midweek win at Newport and had only lost once in eight outings.

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Mansfield did make the early running, but the visitors were handed the lead through an Alfie Kilgour own goal and, rattled, the home side conceded a second on 39 minutes as sub Matty Daly buried a finish.

Action from Stags v Harrogate this afternoon.Photo by Chris & Jeanette  Holloway / The Bigger Picture.mediaAction from Stags v Harrogate this afternoon.Photo by Chris & Jeanette  Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media
Action from Stags v Harrogate this afternoon.Photo by Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media

It could have been worse as the visitors kept it tight at the back while creating further chances and the flat atmosphere around the ground turned to boos at the break.

Stags then went for it with four interval changes but could only muster a single reply from Will Swan.

Nigel Clough made two changes as midfielder Louis Reed came in for his second home start for the club after returning from injury, replacing Kieran Wallace.

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Defender Riley Harbottle also took over in defence for the injured Elliott Hewitt, who pre-match hobbled to the dug-outs on crutches to be presented with four Player of the Year awards, including Chad Readers' Player of the Year before kick-off.

Chairman John Radford also took to the pitch pre-match to say how proud he was of the club and to rally the crowd to get behind the manager and players for the final hurdles of the promotion push.

Oxley grabbed a teasing Johnson cross at the second attempt in the first minute with yellow shirts all around him trying to capitalise.

Stags then forced a couple of early corners, which were scrambled away, as the home side pressed.

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After a hold-up for an injury to Thomson, which saw him replaced, Oates burst to the right by-line on 14 minutes and squared for Perch, who completely missed his kick and then ballooned the ball over at the second attempt.

The visitors made their first real attack on 16 minutes as Olaigbe ran at Johnson down the left and cut inside him to pull a low shot into the near side netting.

Quinn had a shot blocked as the home side resumed their offensive, then good work by Akins set up Boateng for a shot he fizzed over from 18 yards.

However, the visitors edged in front on 28 minutes through an own goal by Kilgour.

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Daly ran at the defence on the left and sent a low ball into the six yard box. With opponents around him, Kilgour stretched to intercept but saw the ball find its way just inside the post.

Three minutes later it was almost 2-0 as Olaigbe again cut in from the left and saw his finish deflect inches over the far angle.

Mattock saw the day's first yellow card for a late tackle on Johnson on the right touchline.

Stags' day went from bad to worse as the Sulphurites doubled their advantage on 39 minutes.

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Olaigbe provided the assist with a fine pass to put Daly into the left of the box and he picked his spot with a low finish across Pym inside the right post.

On 42 minutes the visitors again went close as Sims sent in a low ball from the right and Armstrong turned it inches wide of the far post as some boos began to ring out from the frustrated home fans.

In the first of seven added minute Oates flicked a header wide from a left wing cross as Stags probed for a way back.

But the interval whistle brought a chorus of boos for a poor first half showing.

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Desperate to kickstart their afternoon Clough made four changes for the second half as Swan, Clarke, Bowery and Maris replaced Perch, Keillor-Dunn, Oates and Boateng.

Within a minute Quinn had headed tamely at Oxley and a minute later Swan burst into the box on the right but was inches wide of the far post with his low finish.

Olaigbe shot tamely at Pym on 57 minutes while Swan was wide at the other end soon after.

On the hour Swan set up Clarke for a shot that deflected over and then Clarke put a great ball across the face of goal that on one was able to turn home.

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Finally Stags were back in the contest on 67 minutes as Johnson put in a low ball from the right and Swan swept it home from inside the six yard box.

A Harrogate break then saw sub Muldoon blaze over from the right before a stoppage for an injury to Maris.

Stags came so close to levelling on 75 minutes as Oxley produced a magnificent save high to his right to keep out an Akins header from a corner.

Akins was too high with his next attempt after Clarke had got to the right by-line as Mansfield pressed hard.

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Oxley again did well to get down and block a low Clarke shot five minutes from time.

In five added minutes Gale was booked for a foul as the afternoon ended in heartbreak.

STAGS: Pym, Harbottle, Kilgour, Perch (Maris HT), C. Johnson, Reed, Boateng (Swan HT), Quinn (Gale 87), Keillor-Dunn (Clarke HT), Akins, Oates (Bowery HT). SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Wallace, Clarke, Maris, Bowery, Swan.

HARROGATE: Oxley, Mattock, Falkingham, Thomson (Daly 13), Olaigbe (Ramsay 85), Folarin (Muldoon 63), Sims, Sutton, Armstrong, Foulds, Eastman. SUBS NOT USED: Jameson, Angus, McArdle, Horbury.REFEREE: David Rock.

ATTENDANCE: 7,086 (191 away).

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