This
was a game AFC Mansfield were expected to win but the tactics by
Thoresby in the first half were out of order.
They had decided to try and
rough up the AFC forwards on every occasion and some of the challenges
bordered on ABH.
However AFC rose above this and soon took the lead
through Danny Naylor with a superbly took goal.
They soon made it 2-0
with a Matt Draper header that would have probably swung in from a Carl
Haslam corner.Dean Rick seemed to be the centre of attention for the
Thoresby defence but struck to make it 3-0 keeping up his fantastic
goalscoring record.That was the score as the game went into the half
time break.
Thoresby came out in the second half and began to
play football instead of rugby and were rewarded by a great strike to
make the score
3-1.AFC then realised they had to up the game and soon hit back to make
it 4-1 with a Mark Carter header at the far post again from a Carl
Haslam corner.
The mercurial striker then set up Gary Armstrong to slot
home the fifth goal to keep AFC Mansfield at the top of the table.
Chris
Timmons returned form Shirebrook and put in a fine display at the heart
of the Mansfield defence.
Also new signing Robinson put in some good
work on the wing after being brought on midway through the second half
to make his debut after his transfer from Glapwell.
Striker Dean Rick had
to make way and left the field with some shocking injuries after being
stamped on,studded and lunged at form the back.
We all like to see a firm
challenge but on this occasion there were some very callous and
cowardly tactics on display and the striker did very well not to
respond.
