Stag Party

Sheffield United 3-4 Mansfield Town (FA Cup Round Three)

It’s been an incredible weekend already. On Friday night Wrexham beat Forest in a thriller on penalties to provide headline writers with their much anticipated ‘Hollywood Ending’… Yesterday sixth tier Macclesfield trumped even that by knocking out holders Crystal Palace to write themselves into David verses Goliath territory, the Silkmen became only the ninth non-league club in 100 years to beat top flight opposition in the FA Cup. And just as you thought the Premier League might not be all that after all… Manchester City put ten past Exeter, eleven different scorers in a quite remarkable game at the Etihad. I need a lie down, exhausted myself from Friday’s trip to Port Vale and yesterday’s humdinger at Doncaster, back on the road today, for more action in round three, surely Sheffield United and Mansfield Town will quietly go under the radar?

I actually saw the Stags play in round one against Harrogate Town in a cracking match which ended 3-2, they beat Accrington Stanley on penalties in round two midst a terrible run of league form, but things have picked up recently for Nigel Clough’s side, having beat Barnsley, Bolton and Bradford in their last three League One matches.

Sheffield United had a miserable start to the season, but under Chis Wilder have started to climb up the Championship table, sixteenth, they have won their last two games having saw off Leicester City most recently at Bramall Lane on New Years Day.

I’m suspecting a bit of a banana skin as I jump in my car and head north up the M1, Mansfield in recent years have twice beat Sunderland and gave Sheffield Wednesday a scare in 2023, they’re bringing almost 5,000 fans today although I don’t expect huge amounts of home supporters in attendance, I’m leaving early so I can ensure I get a spot within reasonable walking distance of Bramall Lane, Sunday around the ground is decent as permit parking only comes into play Mon-Sat, so if I play my cards right, I might just get to park a stones throw away which is good news, as it’s cold and wet outdoors.

The Venue

I’m off the M1 at Chesterfield and pass the SMH Stadium as I head up the A61, remarkably it’s only 9.5 miles from Bramall Lane, but still takes a good twenty minutes in traffic, the snow not yet gone in these parts as I drive through Meadowhead and Woodseats ahead of seeing a sign for the Antiques Quarter, although I fail to spot an antiques shop near here.

Bramall Lane itself is closed as traffic is re-routed down Alderson Road which is busy, but I’ve found a space there outside somebody’s terraced house. There’s cars papping horns as the congestion causes mayhem but I’m out the door, down the road and walking past the Golden Lion Pub, past the Railway Hotel as the stadium nears, I’m through the terraces of the South Stand, the Tony Currie Stand, where I ask for a Bovril and a Twirl, one of only two chocolate selections on offer, along with a Dairy Milk.

There’s a good hour to go before kick off so inside is relatively empty, I take a walk to my seat which is on a wing, high up, hopefully out the way where the view is good, looking down on the pitch, green grassy grey skies above, there’s some fine rain swirling around, the red seated venue enclosed, a proper English football ground, the Kop not in use today on my right, as everywhere else fills slowly around, Mansfield have the end to my left, they fill the bottom tier and have a good proportion in the tier above too.

The Game

There’s a couple of Japanese tourists taking selfies in front of me, as kick off approaches the block I’m in fills, a lot of dads and lads, but families too, some people can’t figure out where they are sitting, by the time the two teams come out it’s like musical chairs, people everywhere, I thought the place would be half full, but having the Kop closed seems to mean every Blade fan in Britain is in here with me. In fairness it’s great to see, I didn’t expect it, but it’s warm with all these bodies huddled in together.

As the Chip Butty song is sung the game kicks off with Mansfield happy to sit off and allow Sheffield United to stroke around the ball. Chris Wilder’s side look strong and I quite like their shape, Ben Mee is centre half, debutant Ki-Jana Hoever is right back, it’s a first live viewing for me of Harrison Burrows who I’ve been impressed with when watching on TV, ditto Ollie Arblaster who starts well in midfield, besides Djibril Soumare, he’s a big powerful looking lad in the centre of the park. Tahith Chong is in there with fuzzy hair, Gus Hamer in that attacking eight role, Tyrese Campbell and Danny Ings up front, it’s a good quality eleven and they stroke it around, but on the few occasions they get the ball, Mansfield have purpose.

I’m not sure if Nigel Clough has set them up to defend and break, or if it’s just natural in their DNA? The Stags have made one change to the side that battered Bradford 3-0 and that’s to rest their 35-year-old left back Stephen McLaughlin, they play a sort of 5-3-2 but possess pace in attack, Moriah-Welsh, Lucas Akins, and especially Rhys Oates, all look dangerous when on the ball.

Mansfield have already tested the palms of Davies in goal before a corner is pumped in and half cleared, Louis Reed is left free on the edge of the area, he takes a touch and volleys the ball back, into the top corner for a stunning opener.

The Score

Anything Reed can do Hamer can do better, the Dutch playmaker is a footballer I’ve always liked, he gets the ball off Soumare and spins around 25 yards out, sets himself and shoots right footed, curling, whipping, into the top corner for a super special leveller. Special footballer indeed.

But United don’t learn, a corner on the stroke of half time is again half cleared, headed back out to the edge of the area where Reed is free again, again he shoots, this time first time, a volley deflected into the roof of the net for a second.

That sends the Blades fans down the stairs for their chip butties, and no sooner do they return for a rendition of their famous song, do Mansfield take strides early into the second half, Rhys Oates racing down the right, he pulls back for Lucas Akins who sends 4,800 fans behind the goal in which he scored in, absolutely bloody wild.

The Stags fans have been brilliant, some real noise made as they shout ‘yellows, yellows’ and ‘you’re just a shit Sheffield Wednesday’ the United fans are quiet, shell shocked, it’s not been a good afternoon.

And it gets worse, Ben Mee is tangled in knots by Rhys Oates, who runs through to dink home one on one, delirium behind the goal as the Stags lead 4-1.

Instantly there’s people in the home end walking to the exits as the Mansfield fans sing ‘cheerio’. Chris Wilder has just made three subs, before they could even take position they are taking another restart.

But you feel this game has a few twists yet, United use Patrick Bamford who gives them more in five minutes than Danny Ings gave them all game, he’s unmarked from a corner and reacts quickest to prod home. The fella next to me tells his son, “I’m telling you, we’ll win 5-4”.

That prediction looks even more likely as shortly after, another lively sub, Andre Brooks, teases down the right before crossing a dangerous ball into the box, Oshilaja dives to head clear but misses the ball completely, which might have distracted Moriah-Welsh, because he puts into his own net under no pressure, and suddenly, it’s game on, again.

However, for all the late pressing and probing, Mansfield contain the Blades limited threat, United see no way through, a few corners provide scary moments, but if anything the Stags look more capable of nicking another one on the break. Neither side looks particularly great in defending, but it’s the League One outfit who you feel are more clinical when it comes to attack.

As United fail to take the game to extra time, the whistle blows and with it some huge celebrations over on the far side, the Mansfield lads are all dancing in front of their huge away following, as one bloke behind me, queuing to get out, says “I can’t believe we got beat by a tin pot club”.

The Stars

Nothing tin pot about Rhys Oates who was fantastic as an outlet, on the break, he’s had his injury troubles in recent seasons but back now delivering, this season he looks back to his normal mazy dribbling self, a powerful forward who looks great down the wing, who can run at and past defenders with pace and strength, he links well with Lucas Akins who at 36 looks ageless, another powerful footballer with pace, strength and maximum output and work ethic.

Mansfield didn’t look particularly convincing defensively, they didn’t have a lot of the ball, but they took their chances and no one more clinical than Louis Reed. He worked hard in midfield alongside young Jamie McDonnell as Sheffield United dominated possession 79 to 21%

For United, I was actually impressed with a lot of what they did, perhaps making ten changes from the side that beat Leicester was always going to be too much? But despite being picked off too easily, they had a lot of the football, and in Ollie Arblaster, Djibril Soumare, Gus Hamer, they have three fine midfielders, although they looked a much better side when their substitutions were made, Patrick Bamford giving the attack real focal threat, whilst Femi Seriki and Andre Brooks linked brilliantly down the right, Seriki a physically strong and fast young defender, Brooks a tricky and talented winger, two United players to at least come out of the game with some credit.

The Verdict

Half empty stadiums (although not in my block), big away following, unfashionable team from the league below, ten changes to a side not exactly firing in the first place, this is one of them, if I were a betting man, where I might have had a few quid on the upset, as it had all the signals of the stuff which in the end inevitably happened.

Sheffield United probably won’t lose too much sleep over this one, as league survival is first and foremost, far more important, but it does put pressure on the regime, if they deliver at Charlton on Saturday, I’m sure it’ll all be forgotten.

Not so quickly, will this game leave the memory bank of those 4,800 Stags supporters, who had one hell of a party, celebrating yet another famous cup victory under Nigel Clough. As one United fan said whilst fuming with witnessing their celebrations post match “I hope they get fucking City” and if they do, I’m sure they’ll put up a better fight than Exeter did.

The Teams

Sheffield United: Adam Davies, Ki-Jana Hoever (Femi Seriki 57), Mark McGuinness, Ben Mee, Harrison Burrows, Tahith Chong (Andre Brooks 57), Oliver Arblaster (Jairo Riedewald 84), Djibril Soumare (Tom Davies 70), Gustavo Hamer, Tyrese Campbell, Danny Ings (Patrick Bamford 56).

Mansfield Town: Liam Roberts, Adedeji Oshilaja, Ryan Sweeney, Bailey Cargill, Lucas Akins, Jamie McDonnell (Aaron Lewis 76), Louis Reed, Frazer Blake-Tracey, Nathan Moriah-Welsh (Jon Russell 76), Rhys Oates (Victor Adeboyejo 76), Will Evans (Stephen McLaughlin 84).

2:30pm Kick Off. Sunday 11th January 2026, Bramall Lane, Sheffield (att 17,514).