Tradition

Mansfield Town 3-2 Harrogate Town (FA Cup Round One)

Saturday afternoon, 3pm, the FA Cup. How much more traditionally English can one get? Upon hearing Friday's sorry announcement that the Premier League is playing just one Boxing Day fixture (Manchester United v Newcastle United at the ridiculous KO time of 8pm) this coming Christmas, to have a small bit of traditional value left in our football, is slightly satisfying for one who likes the simplicity, purity and once high values of our old and established famous game.

Speaking of tradition, Field Mill is said to be one of the oldest Football League grounds of all. Officially hosting soccer since 1861, some records have the game being played at the very same spot in Mansfield as far back as 1850. Although Mansfield Town didn't actually move here until 1919.

I was supposed to be in Worksop today, another of England's oldest football clubs, covering the Tigers National League North match against Scarborough Athletic, but priorities had me moved to Mansfield, which is around twenty minutes closer to home than Worksop, the Stags currently in a fine run of form under Nigel Clough, eighth in League One and unbeaten in five whilst Harrogate are struggling of late, nineteenth in League Two having lost their last four, tough times on Simon Weaver's side who like Mansfield, will see the cup as a nice side distraction today.

It's bright but cloudy as I head up the A60 and pull up off Quarry Lane down the back of some industrial units, listening in to Leicester City against Blackburn as I notice Chelmsford are battering Braintree in the Essex derby, last night Luton edged Forest Green 4-3 in a classic. The magic of the cup well under way already.

The Venue

I pass it often but I've not been to Field Mill for years, the One Call Stadium can be seen on top of the hill, grey backed with floodlights high sitting over a number of retail spaces that include Poundstretcher, Dunelm and Smyth's Toy Store.

Walking in from Quarry Lane I avoid all that shopping jazz, a quiet and leafy trek towards the main car park and the two tiered Ian Greaves Stand which is the only home stand in use today.

It's busy outside as people sit drinking at Sandy's Bar, some kids heading up to the fanzone which is next to an adjacent 3g training pitch which now backs on to a Padel Tennis Centre.

As I walk to the turnstiles I'm slowed down by a sniffer dog with luckily nothing on me bar some keys a wallet and phone, as I walk by telling the Police lady "she can probably smell my own dog".

Upstairs I'm straight to the kiosk, a peppered steak pie and tea, I take a walk outside to eat it where I have a small issue, firstly I'm followed by the nations last living wasp who's trying to get at my grub, then I notice the seat I've brought in the 'R' block is actually safe standing, I'm concerned that I might be in the 'mix' which is somewhere I don't really want to be.

Luckily, I have a word with the steward, I tell him I'm a scout and have noticed on the opposite wing of the stand lots of free seats available, he's very friendly and assists my need by walking me through the Directors section to the opposite side where mostly the players families are sat.

The view is great up here. You can see the whole of Mansfield down below. Each end has yellow and blue seated covered terracing behind each goal, around 170 Harrogate fans in the stand to my left, nothing in the right bar a couple of ball boys, opposite a once condemned stand now re open with brand new shiny blue seating, again no one in it today but it's looking much better than it once did when boarded up, for so long Field Mill has been a three sided stadium but the Radford's, who own the club have put some serious investment into the place. You get the sense of a real good feel factor around here. Which is testament to how the club is run, both on, and off the pitch.

The Game

More great tradition provides a lump in the throat moment as veterans of the army, navy & RAF walk out to applause before the teams follow and respect the last post, a good few minutes of silence is then backed by more applause.

There's something about football that does remembrance month/week/day brilliantly, and it seems to be these small town clubs like Mansfield which always do it best. One tradition I hope we have the decency to continue for many more generations to come. Unlike our efforts re Boxing Day.

Underway, Mansfield in yellow look to keep the ball and probe openings, Harrogate in jade green sitting off with intent to defend and break, but a neat move down the left soon undoes the visiting defence, McLaughlin pulling back low to Regan Hendry who makes no mistake following a late run from midfield.

That settles some early nerves but whilst bossing the game, I'm not sure that Mansfield are fully at their best. The pornstar moustached Aaron Lewis impressing me most with his hard work ethic and ball distribution.

One player who looks lively down the right is Nathan Moriah-Welsh. He scuffed a shot which lead to Jordan Bowery scoring in the week against Plymouth, and he's fluffed a couple of attempts today, dragging one wide and blazing one over, the second from inside the six yard box looked harder not to score after Gardner's effort was parried back to him, I worry does he lack the end product, does his pace flatter to deceive?

Those scares allow Harrogate to gain some confidence and by half time they are far from out of the game, they've hardly tested Liam Roberts goal but you wonder if Mansfield have done enough to be leading? Not entirely at their 'A' game despite a few half chances.

The Score

Stags Manager Nigel Clough is obviously not happy. He makes two changes at half time and a further sub just nine minutes into the second half, the drastic tweaks perhaps not doing the team any short term favours, the lively Stephen Duke-McKenna suddenly has time to let fly and does so on the edge of the box, his right footed rocket into the top corner, levels the tie and Mansfield have a game on all of a sudden.

It takes all of ten minutes to put things right though. George Maris, one of the half time subs has a pop from distance, his shot takes a big deflection and loops over the goalkeeper Oxley to regain Mansfield's lead.

The Stags by now look much more solid. They have in parts played some lovely football, they have a good bench and bringing Bowery and Lucas Akins on they now have power and presence in the final third, but Harrogate get a corner with ten minutes to go, Smith crosses to big centre half Anthony O'Connor who heads powerfully home, the travelling fans behind the goal go wild.

I'm thinking of extra time and another half a hour which isn't ideal as I've told the wife I'll pick up a Five Guys on the way back, but another attack is smooth as silk or the skin of a stag at least, Moriah-Welsh finding Maris with a lovely pass who strikes home, low on the angle, his second. For the second time the announcer celebrates the goalscorer name as "Georgio Marisio".

The Stars

What I really like about the Mansfield Town team is an uncomplicated philosophy installed by one of the countries most underrated managers, Nigel Clough, who may have had big shoes to fill in the game, but living and breathing football, he has his own philosophy to that of dad, which works really well, in getting results.

A big goalkeeper, a tall shot stopper, I worked with Liam Roberts on loan at Rainworth Miners Welfare many years back, then Walsall were really keen on him but he had issues with his kicking, he's still not the best with his feet but that doesn't bother Clough, because Roberts job is to simply keep the ball out of the back of the net.

Despite conceding two, I was impressed defensively, two old style centre halves who are told to when under pressure, just get rid, both aerially good and physically strong, are Adedeji Oshilaja and Frazer Blake-Tracy who have tons of experience at the level. As does their left back Stephen McLaughlin who I actually think is a lower league super star. Now 35 he's been a mainstay under Nigel Clough at Mansfield, previously a left winger in his younger days where he started out at Nottingham Forest after moving over from Ireland, a wand of a left foot, he has played over 200 Stags games and is a bit of a free kick specialist.

Right back Kyle Knoyle is another experienced player who does the basics well, then in midfield, Aaron Lewis, dark fluffy hair and moustache, just oozes cult hero, he works hard but has a bit of class, whilst in the first half, young Forest loanee Jamie McDonnell beside him, is a player who shown the odd spark, is one I like, who perhaps didn't have his best game taken off at the break.

Another Forest loanee is the talented left winger Joe Gardner, who loves running at players, as does their striker Rhys Oates, who but for injury might have had an even better career. The jury is out for now on Nathan Moriah-Welsh but he does have talent and promise.

For Harrogate, I think that they perhaps started with a lack of belief, but grew into the game largely because Mansfield thought it was too easy, their best player for me, Stephen Duke-McKenna who was positive in his play, driving at opposition defenders, he linked up down the left really well with young Brighton loanee Jacob Slater at left back, another who grew into the game, he shown good feet and had a long range low effort fizz wide.

Another player I like is young Bobby Faulkner at centre half, on loan from Doncaster, he had a tough afternoon especially later on up against Lucas Akins, whilst Jack Muldoon, a player we once nearly signed from Worksop Town when at Grantham in 2013, he's had a stellar career since and been a regular scorer for Harrogate after joining the club in 2018.

The Verdict

The Stags march on and they'll be hoping for a good draw in round two, before a big lucrative tie in round three, they do have cup pedigree in recent years having twice beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, and earlier this season were one of the first visitors to Everton's new stadium, losing 2-0 in the Carabao Cup.

Bigger focus however will be back in league action, where they'll first aim to stay in League One for a second successive season, then see how high they can go from there, reaching for the stars? Only once in their history have they been in English football's second tier. They couldn't do it again? Could they?

As for Harrogate, well survival is now key. They'll be hoping an uplift in form will have them away from the struggles below, as they look to prolong their league two stay for a sixth successive season.

The Teams

Mansfield Town: Liam Roberts, Kyle Knoyle, Adedeji Oshilaja, Frazer Blake-Tracy, Stephen McLaughlin (Ryan Sweeney 84), Aaron Lewis, Jamie McDonnell (Louis Reed 46), Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Regan Hendry (George Maris 46), Joe Gardner (Jordan Bowery 54), Rhys Oates (Lucas Akins 69).

Harrogate Town: Mark Oxley, Zico Asare, Bobby Faulkner, Anthony O'Connor, Jacob Slater, Jack Evans, Bryn Morris, Stephen Duke-McKenna, Reece Smith, Ellis Taylor, Jack Muldoon (Sean McCoulsky 73).

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 1st November 2025, Field Mill, Mansfield (att 3,301).