AFC Mansfield
certainly ended the season on a high as they stunned their hosts
Westella with 4-1 victory.
On the long journey to Hull it was feared it
would be one game too many for the weary Bulls.
Leading striker Dean Rick
had to play centre half because of injuries and with no-one on the
bench it looked an uphill task.
Westella are known to be a very strong
side at home and were still looking to grab third place in the league as
the night started.
The AFC players certainly showed their
class as they went about the job and took the game to their hosts.
They
played some lovely football, letting the ball do the work and soon took the
lead through Gary Armstrong after some good build up play.
Westella did
hit back to make it 1-1 with a free kick that was well struck
but took a deflection off Mark Carter to beat stranded goalkeeper Dale
Shepherd.
The Bulls soon hit back though and Phil Buxton scored to put
therm in a 2-1 lead at half time.
After the break Westella
tried their hardest to get something out of the game but sheer
determination by the AFC side made sure this did not happen.
The game
became more stretched as the night wore on and AFC went into a 3-1 lead
when mercurial striker Carl Haslam did one of the rarest of
things, scored a headed goal which broke the Westella resistance.
Late in
the game full back Danny Mclane wrapped up the victory as he ventured
forward and slammed the ball home to make the final score 4-1.
This
scoreline should not be taken lightly and was one of the best
performances of the season very much against all the odds.
The Bulls can
be very proud of their achievements this season and this
victory personifies their credentials as candidates for
promotion.
THESE BULLS HAVE CLASS !!
