NOTTS COUNTY RESERVES 1 - 1 MANSFIELD TOWN RESERVES
WEDS 21st AUGUST  2002

Gordon Cleugh at Meadow Lane

A Stags side with plenty of first team experience took on Notts County at Meadow Lane.  There was a debut in a Stags shirt for Mark Lever who hopefully will have signed in time for Saturday.  Stags took an early lead with a goal from Shayne Bradley but this was cancelled out by Notts with an equaliser 10 minutes before half time.  Lever looked comfortable throughout but there were no trying set pieces for Stags to defend.  

Stags: Bingham, Clarke, Hurst, Buxton, Lever, Holyoak, Sellars, Bacon, Bradley, Christie, Lazarus
Subs: Pawley, Beardsley, Carter, Baptiste, J White  

Notts County: Mildenhall, Ramsden, Riley, Brough, Screaton, Richardson, Holmes, Liburd, Heffernan, Hackworth, Appleby
Subs: Clarke, Deeney, Richardson, Harrod, McFaul  

Notts kicked off and almost scored in the first minute when Bingham was called into action as he parried one shot and then the rebound.  Stags took the lead a few moments later when a free kick on the right about 20 yards in the Notts half was floated over to the far side of the box by Sellars where Lever met the ball and headed it across the box towards Bradley who volleyed it into the net from the penalty spot.  

In the 6th minute, Clarke played a ball through to Lazarus who fed Bradley but his shot was just wide.  Christie made one of his typical runs into the box in the 16th minute but was tackled before he could get his shot in and Stags got a corner.  Stags won a further corner a couple of minutes later that found Bradley but he pushed his shot wide.  

In the 22nd minute, a typical Sellars free kick from 25 yards out was pushed over the bar by the Notts keeper.  Moments later, Notts had their best move of the match so far when Liburd ran through and fed the ball to Hackworth whose curving shot was just over the bar.  Liburd was involved in the equaliser in the 35th minutes when he ran through the middle and played the ball to Appleby who shot from just outside the box.  Bingham could only parry the ball and it fell to Liburd who slotted the ball into the next.  Heffernan had a chance to put Notts in front a minute later but Bingham made a good save.  

Christie caused problems for the Notts defence in the 41st minute when he made another of his trademark runs.  The Notts defender appeared to take the ball cleanly but Christie fell over and Stags were fortunate to be awarded a penalty.  The general consensus among the massed ranks of the Stags supporters was that it was an incorrect decision.  Justice was done when Christie played the ball to the keeper’s left and he was able to push it away.  

In the 54th minute, Appleby got the better of Holyoak outside the box but he recovered to tackle brilliantly in the box.  Moments later, Bradley got the ball in the D and passed to Christie who lost control before he could get his shot in.  Jamie Pawley replaced Scott Sellars in the 67th minute.  Moments late a good move by Clarke and Christie brought out a save from Mildenhall.  Christie had a run down the left into the box in the 70th minutes but his shot from a narrow angle went out for a throw in.  

Mark Carter replaced Neil Lazarus in the 69th minute.  Seconds later Christie again caused trouble when he turned with the ball and his shot was deflected for a corner.  Christie had another chance minutes later when a cross from the left by Bradley was just out of reach.  

Chris Beardsley replaced Shayne Bradley in the 75th minute.  Stags were trying to find a winner and in the 80th minute, Lever sent a long free kick from just in the Stags half to Christie in the box but it bounced just out of his reach.  Moments later, Pawley played a ball forward to Christie who was 15 yards in the Notts half and must have been very close to being offside.  He ran through into the box but put his shot wide.  Bacon put a cross over from the left for Beardsley to shoot and his shot was pushed over the bar for a corner.  From the corner, Pawley crossed from the right and Christie put his header from 6 yards just wide of the post.