Rick is ‘Main’ man again as AFC Mansfield end on a high

AFC Mansfield completed their maiden Northern Counties East League season with another win to make it seven Division One games unbeaten with a final day 3-0 victory against Rossington Main.
AFC Mansfield's Dean Rick (right) in action.AFC Mansfield's Dean Rick (right) in action.
AFC Mansfield's Dean Rick (right) in action.

Grant Allott grabbed a brace and Dean Rick netted his 23rd goal of the season to become leading goalscorer for the third year on the trot.

Rossington made it a difficult first 45 minutes for the home side as they competed for every ball. Dan Green saw his low drive easily saved on 11 minutes, two minutes later Rick had his header parried by Jordan Wildey and Joe Lamplough’s follow-up cleared the bar in a busy opening 15 minutes.

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The game became a bit of a midfield battle with neither side claiming an advantage, and it wasn’t until the 36th minute that another chance worthy of a mention came about as Jordan Hatton forced Jason White into a save which saw captain Chris Timons hook away the loose ball for a corner.

White was in action again on 40 minutes with a double save. His first was to parry Hatton’s low drive from just outside the box and then he recovered to deny Green with the follow-up from point blank range.

At the other end Craig Mitchell saw his shot turned around the post for a corner on 41 minutes and, from the resulting kick, Mitchell fired over the bar.

The breakthrough came in the final minute of the half after a Ryan Williams corner was not dealt with by the visitors. When the ball eventually dropped to the feet of Allott, he fired into the roof of the net to put the Bulls in front.

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The second half was completely different to the first with AFC Mansfield dominating from start to finish, Rossington looking to have run out of steam.

The Bulls doubled their lead on the hour mark when an Ashley Kitchen long throw beat the defenders and Rick was on hand to loop the ball over Wildey and into the net.

Three minutes later and the game was effectively over when Allott rose above the pack to plant his header into the net from a Jimmy Ghaichem corner.

Allott missed his hat-trick by inches when he headed over on 78 minutes and Phil Buxton saw his edge of the box effort clear the bar a minute later.

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Other chances went begging at both ends, but there were to be no more goals and after six minutes of added time the referee blew to end the match and the season for both sides.

AFC MANSFIELD: White, Ludlow (Kitchen 45), Lamplough, Allott, Timons, Buxton, Williams, D. Naylor, Rick (Wood 63), Mitchell (Wilson 80), Ghaichem. Sub not used: Brewin.

ROSSINGTON MAIN: Wildey, Farrar, Bathgate (Marquis 77), J. Johnson, Woodhall, Holmes, Green, Hatton, C. Johnson, Townsend, Stokes. Subs not used: Cowe, Brennan.

REFEREE: Mr Wayne Cooper of South Yorkshire.

ATTENDANCE: 75.

BULLS MAN OF THE MATCH: Grant Allott.

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