Saturday, 25th October 2014: York City 1, Mansfield Town 1

The Minstermen, yet to win at home this season, led at the break through a Diego De Girolamo goal, which punished a poor kick out by Sascha Studer on 20 minutes.

But Huddersfield loanee Carr levelled it on 62 minutes with shot-shy Stags’ first goal in 286 minutes of football.

Studer then went on to redeem himself with a couple of crucial saves before the visitors got a second wind and dominated the closing stages, just unable to produce a winner.

Mansfield suffered yet more injury misery before a ball had been kicked when in-form centre half Martin Riley was ruled out with a back spasm.

But there was a debut for on-loan Huddersfield Town striker Vadaine Oliver as Stags went looking to end a spell of only one goal in five games.

With no more central defenders available as manager Paul Cox contended with an injury list that now numbers nine first team players, he decided to go 4-4-2.

Riley, Simon Heslop, Fergus Bell and injured duo Alex Fisher and Keiron Freeman were missing from the side held 0-0 at Tranmere on Tuesday.

Oliver came in up front with skipper Adam Murray back from a three-game suspension in central midfield, Rob Taylor playing to his left.

Carr came in to play wide right of midfield and Liam Marsden returned to the defence at right back.

Ollie Palmer, though not fully fit after an ankle injury, took a place on the six-man bench.

York, with only one win to their name all season, welcomed Russ Wilcox last week as Nigel Worthington’s replacement and, for his first home game as boss, he gave an outing to ex-Stags winger Lindon Meikle as well as former Mansfield defender John McCombe.

Brunt did well to close down Studer in the opening minute after the Stags keeper wanted a touch before clearing and managed to block his clearance for a throw to applause from the home fans.

Within the second minute Stags had that familiar sight of one of their players laying injured, but Sutton was up again soon after and back in the action.

Having failed to carve out a shot on target all night at Tranmere, Stags produced one after only three minutes as Beevers headed a long Murray free kick back across goal where Bingham forced Cisak to clutch his header to his right.

Two minutes later Taylor drove down the left and played a low, square pass to Bingham, who pulled a hurried, low shot wide.

With Sutton off to have blood wiped away, York won a free kick which was squared to Penn, who warmed Studer’s hands from 30 yards.

On seven minutes Coulson curled a free kick well over the angle after a foul by Beevers 20 yards out.

Murray headed away Meikle’s opening corner on nine minutes and, when it was put back across by the ex-Stags man, the ball was met by a head in a crowd of players and Studer collected.

Home fans were unhappy when a York clearance struck the referee and rolled invitingly for McGuire 20 yards out, who pulled a tame, low shot wide to the relief of Mr Salisbury.

Stags were furious on 12 minutes when Sutton seemed to hold Brunt, who then appeared to flick a hand out at Sutton’s head. Both players were spoken to but no cards brought out.

Bingham then felled Montrose with a crunching challenge, who needed treatment before the free kick was taken.

Carr was incensed when he was penalised for a blatant push.

But Stags came close again as McGuire won the ball in the centre circle and played a neat pass out to the right which invited Bingham to run at York.

He eventually blazed a low ball right across the face of goal which Oliver was just unable to reach at the far post.

It had been a promising start by Mansfield, but it was all undone on 20 minutes as a Studer mistake led to York opening the scoring.

He failed to get any distance on clearing a backpass and that saw Penn take control, race forward towards the right by-line and cross to De Girolamo, who controlled, spun and was able to stab a close range finish past the Swiss keeper.

York almost scored again on 28 minutes as Meikle put in a teasing cross from the right which saw De Girolamo and Studer both go for the ball and the York man stay down for treatment.

A neat touch by Meikle allowed Brunt to get the ball into the centre from the right which saw Mansfield struggle to clear before conceding a corner.

Marsden then made a great block on a swing of the boot by Brunt after superb approach work by Meikle.

Soon after Coulson was well wide with a hopeful long range attempt.

Lowe needed treatment after a clash with Oliver as the game suffered another stoppage.

McGuire then caught Caulson as he stretched into a tackle, but the referee deemed it fair and played on.

On 40 minutes Stags won their first corner of the contest, taken by Taylor on the right and headed clear.

McCombe appeared to have both arms around Bingham as they challenged for a high ball forward in the box, but the game went on with surprisingly few calls from Stags players for what looked a decent penalty shout.

In three added minutes Studer gathered a Meikle cross at his near post, but the sides went in with York still with their one-goal advantage.

Carr and Bingham swapped positions for the second half.

Within 30 seconds of the restart De Girolamo had Studer scrambling to his left to grab a low shot before it crept inside the post.

Stags then won a free kick in the centre of the penalty area D which saw Taylor drive the ball into the home wall.

Stags continued the pressure and a long Murray free kick, then a long Marsden throw cleared before McGuire hacked a 25 yard effort woefully over.

Beevers did well to jump with Brunt on 56 minutes to make sure he could not direct his header from Coulson’s cross on target.

Another dreadful kick from Studer almost gifted another chance until De Girolamo was stopped by Sutton.

But on 57 minutes Stags came so close as McGuire skipped past two tackles before finding Taylor to his left whose low 18-yard shot came back off the foot of the left post.

Meikle then fired a low shot wide for City to the jeers of the away fans behind that goal.

However, Stags were back on level terms on 62 minutes.

Oliver headed Murray’s ball into the box across goal where Carr crashed home a low finish at the far post on his first start for the Stags.

Mansfield were then indebted to Studer for a fabulous save on 66 minutes. Coulson fed De Girolamo in on goal, but Studer stood up well to the one-on-one test and turned the finish away for a corner.

Cisak was behind a bouncing 20 yard effort from Murray in Mansfield’s next raid.

Then Oliver was too high as he arrived late to meet a Murray corner from the left.

Coulson almost broke back through for York on 70 minutes as he turned and shot goalwards from 18 yards and the ball struck Sendles-White on the back, the deflection taking it wide of Studer but just wide of the post too.

Carr wasn’t far wide of the far post from the second of two long Marsden throws, his bundled finishing passing right across the face of goal.

City threatened to catch Stags on the break on 77 minutes, Sendles-White taking a booking for the team as he hauled down De Girlamo just outside the box as he threatened to get in a shot.

Studer then had to get down to make a smart save from Coulson’s free kick, just inside the left post.

Taylor dragged a low shot wide of goal on 81 minutes with the home crowd incensed when somehow the officials decided to give Stags a corner, which the Minstermen eventually cleared.

De Girolamo’s instant control and pass almost set up sub Straker, Studer quickly off his line to beat him to the ball in the box.

Oliver was warmly applauded for a fine debut as he was replaced by Palmer with seven minutes to go.

Magnificent skills from Bingham on 85 minutes saw him ghost past three opponents on a great run before getting a low shot on target that Cisak had to beat away for a corner.

Stags were now looking the more likely of the two sides to snatch the win and when York failed to clear another long Mardsen throw, Carr was only just wide with a low shot on the turn.

York were hanging on now and Bingham had a shot blocked while Taylor dragged a poor effort wide as we entered the final minute.

In the last of three additional minutes, Stags won a corner which was cleared out to Taylor who cued up a first time shooting chance that the skipper met with venom but no direction as it sailed well wide.

YORK: Cisak, McCoy, Ilesanmi, McCombe, Coulson, Penn, Montrose (Platt 72), Lowe, De Girolamo, Meikle (Straker 75), Brunt. Subs not used: Mooney, Parslow, Summerfield, Hirst, C. Murray.
STAGS: Studer; Marsden, Sutton, Sendles-White, Beevers; Carr, Murray, McGuire, Taylor; Oliver (Palmer 83), Bingham. Subs not used: Bell, Lambe, Thomas, Evtimov, Clements.
REFEREE: Graham Salisbury of Lancashire.

ATTENDANCE: 3,370 (579 away).
CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Rakish Bingham.

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