AFC Vase hopes sunk in the Huntingdon mud

With a 170-mile round trip and the rain coming down, it was touch and go wether the game would go ahead.

The rain continued to come down throughout the game and made football difficult to play.

Declan Brewin had the Bulls’ first real chance on 15 minutes, firing wide of the left hand post from 18 yards.

At the other end Eason saw his effort crash against the bar two minutes later and Sheppard then did well to deny Seymour-Shove on 20 minutes.

But the home side went in front on 27 minutes with what proved to be the only goal of the game. Sheppard parried a shot and Seymour-Shove was quickest to react to stab the ball home.

AFC suffered a blow on the half-hour mark as captain Chris Timons was forced off the field through injury to be replaced by 17-year-old Brad Wilson.

Danny Naylor’s curling effort was turned around the post on 40 minutes as the visitors looked for an equaliser.

Callum Green should have equalised on 55 minutes, racing onto a Mark Carter pass, but he fired narrowly wide with the keeper beaten.

Another chance for Brewin saw him again failed to find the target on 65 minutes.

Huntingdon were dangerous on the break and both Seymour-Shove and Fulcher missed the target after quick breaks.

Joe Naylor headed over the bar from a Danny Tighe corner on 70 minutes as the Bulls threw everything at Huntingdon.

AFC did have the ball in the back of the net on 77 minutes, a low 12 drive from Phil Buxton, after the home side had failed to clear. But, as so often in the game, the decision went against the Mansfield side and a flag appeared signalling an offside.

Dale Sheppard pulled off the save of the game on 88 minutes, tipping Seymour-Shoves’ point blank drive over the bar with one hand.

There was controversy at the end of the game with Brad Wilson sent off for a high two-footed tackle.

Seymour-Shove appeared to slap the youngster across the face in full view of the referee, another lenient punishment followed with only a yellow card being shown.

Some consolation is that made it five yellows for the season and the influential striker may miss the next round against Congleton Town.

AFC Mansfield now have to pick themselves up and prepare for the visit of Kinsley Boys to The Forest Town Stadium on Saturday in a League fixture.

HUNTINGDON TOWN: Trebes, Medwynter, Moyes, De’ath, Torres, Dear, Rogers, Hyem, Eason, Seymour-Shove, Fulcher. Subs not used: Yeomans, Owens

AFC MANSFIELD: Sheppard, Tighe, Meehan, McGurk, Timons, Naylor D, Brewin, Buxton, Naylor J, Green, Carter. Subs not used: Fletcher, Birch, Cantrell, Wilkinson.

REFEREE: Kevin Seckington.

ATTENDANCE: 72.

AFC MAN OF THE MATCH: Steve McGurk.