Busy Saturday for Stags ahead of Rams tester

Stags sent three teams out for match action on Saturday with the strongest of those sides winning 5-0 at Retford United, another XI drawing 0-0 at Hednesford Town and a young side losing 2-0 at Gainsborough Trinity.

Boss David Flitcroft was in charge at Retford where, in high temperatures, Mansfield really upped the gears after the break with four second half goals in an excellent work-out with a 3-5-2 formation.

Lee Angol followed up his brace in Thursday’s win at Bradford PA with a first half penalty success just before the break after Will Atkinson had been brought down.

Then Omari Sterling-James took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half with two goals, one from the spot, and set up two others for Krystian Pearce and young sub Nyle Blake.

Calum Butcher sent Sterling-James away for the second on 63 minutes.

Seven minutes later another excellent Sterling-James corner was headed in by Pearce.

On 75 minutes Sterling-James won a penalty, which he converted, and after Jordan Graham, Butcher and Atkinson all missed good chances, Sterling-James set-up Mansfield’s fifth on 87, picking out Blake at the back post to stab home.

STAGS: Olejnik, Pearce, Digby, Gibbens, Atkinson, Anderson, Bishop, Butcher, Sterling-James, Angol, Graham.

The goalless draw at Hednesford Town proved to be a physical and, at times, ill-tempered affair.

Assistant boss Ben Futcher was in charge at this one and Stags also played a 3-5-2 formation here.

Mansfield had plenty of chances to win the game though the Pitmen did force a couple of good stops by keeper Conrad Logan at the other end.

STAGS: Logan, White, Preston, Cameron (Wilder 61), Benning, Hamilton, MacDonald, Mellis, Khan, Walker, Davies. Sub not used: Hakeem.