Boss Happy with Reserves Display
Teamtalk
Scott Sellars and Michael
Bingham both staked a claim for a first team place with excellent
displays in the reserves yesterday.
Both players could feature in the promotion battle with Rushden
and Diamonds at Field Mill in Saturday's with excellent displays
in the reserves' 1-0 success over Carlisle.
Sellars completed his second reserve outing for Stags and the
former Premiership star scored again, his 27th minute goal
proving to be the winner.
More importantly, 29-year-old Bingham kept a clean sheet and now
looks almost certain to be pitched into the white hot atmosphere
of Field Mill for this Saturday's big game.
Stags have seen their lead in the automatic third and final
promotion spot eroded over the past week after taking just one
point from three successive away games.
And, for the first ever visit of Rushden, currently in the
play-off places, Stags' keeper Kevin Pilkington will be serving a
one-match suspension for his dismissal at Swansea.
Stuart Watkiss said: "It is a big ask of Michael with only
an hour of League experience behind
him but, at this moment, it looks like he will get his
chance."
"We do have every confidence in his ability and Kevin is
only suspended for one the one game."
He added: "Obviously Scott will come into our thinking as
well. He showed his Premiership quality again at Carlisle and
could have a vital part to play in our season. It was a good
all-round display by the reserves at Carlisle."
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Carlisle United reserves
were beaten by a first half strike by Mansfield striker
Dominic Elliott.
Mansfield included former Newcastle and Bolton midfielder Scott
Sellars in their line-up as United fielded a relatively young
side which included Scottish trialist Brian Kelly who made a
good impression on the right wing.
The winning goal came on 36 minutes when keeper Johnny Brain
spilled a shot and Elliott nipped in to put the ball into the
back of an unguarded net.
United's best chance came on 63 minutes when defender Kyle May
headed narrowly wide from a Marc Nixon cross.