25th November 2017 at A+BUFC’s Lancer Scott Stadium.

After Wednesday’s debacle, arriving at the ground to find that Sam Skidmore and Jake Flower had been added to the absentees’ list through illness and with the prospect of facing a Telephones side that had had a full week’s rest following the early abandonment of their midweek contest,plus having ex-Stags Britton, Pitman and Villis in the team, this correspondent’s hopes were pretty low after the struggles of recent weeks.

The Stags started brightly enough, Smart just failing to reach a clever piece of work by Biggins down the right in the fifth minute. Justin did well to take Dhani Golding’s shot from the left of the box after he had broken through the defence on seven minutes, while Coombes stopped an interchange between Golding and Palmer in the home box, Romdhane’s shot from the loose ball fired high and wide.

It was very much end to end stuff, Phones and Stags matching each other in attack and defence. The home side’s first shot on target on 12 minutes was the result of movement from their own half; a Crouch free kick went to Bishop who ushered the ball to Walker, into the box the ball found Allen who switched it to the right into the path of Hardidge whose shot was taken by Osborne. And Phones’ most dangerous move of the half was created by Dhani Golding, making space for himself by pace and control on the left of the box, his powerful shot deflected by the well-placed boot of Coombes onto the cross bar.

Then on 24 minutes the home right back went down injured, Biggins’ left hamstring having torn; substitute Devoy coming on much earlier than anticipated as the Stags’ injury list grew again. But the sad loss of Biggins seemed to only spur the Stags on. There was a confidence about their game we had not seen for many weeks. The defence were working as a unit rather than strangers and the return from injury of skipper Thomas not only massively improved the impact of the midfield but seemingly energized the rest too, Saunders in particular looking much more like the player we know.

The home side’s pace on the flanks was certainly much more evident and the two pieces of play of note in the half were both led by Walker on the left: on 37 minutes he took the ball along the touchline, cut sharp into the box along the goal line, his shot just missing the target and into the side netting, while two minutes later, Allen’s pass found him out wide, his cross just failing to make contact with Smart’s lunge in front of goal. And on the stroke of half-time Smart just missed the target from another Walker cross.

HALF TIME 0-0

One presumes the manager’s half time talk to the Phones had been lively as they came out buzzing, Dhani Golding being deprived of the ball by Coombes in the area just at the right time two minutes in, while Justin saved well from Pitman’s shot, having been supplied by the away No 11 on 52 minutes. However the Blue and Maroons, their new kit looking resplendent in the winter sunshine, didn’t crumble.

A minute later, from a corner won by Hardidge, Thomas headed forward the clearance, controlled the ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful shot that the keeper could only parry, while a minute later Bishop, Allen and Walker took the ball from half way to the edge of the six yard box forcing Phones to concede a corner. The Stags were in the ascendancy; their moves coming from build-up from deep, while the visitors were much more dependent on counter attacking. All that was needed now was to turn pressure into goals.

And so it did. On 67 minutes another pacy move by Walker led to a corner from the right. It was fired into the box, Allen then pumped the ball back from the clearance, it came to Coombes and through a sea of legs he whacked it into the Phones net. 1-0. Then seven minutes later Will Justin’s powerful punch from a Palmer shot led to a Stags’ forward move. Sharp and Allen advanced, chasing the ball close to the Phones’ box, Grist’s back pass was not only weak, but he had completely missed Saunders who dodged between him and Osborne, intercepted, picked his spot and fired for his debut Stags goal. 2-0.

The tiring Sharp was immediately replaced by Hemmings and the ex-Hengrove man’s first touch was to put Walker clear through on a one-on-one with the away custodian, only for him to put it wide. Three minutes later Hemmings should really have made more of another one-on-one chance, firing off target; his feed from Thomas on 87 minutes he powered on target, drawing a good save from Osborne.

So a much improved performance, commitment and purpose allied with far better ball control, a first clean sheet since early September and no cautions. We look forward to next Stags action, a Toolstation Western League Division 1 match vs. Chippenham Park FC Saturday 2nd December at the Lancer Scott Stadium.

Full time 2-0

STAGS MOM: Sam Thomas

A+BUFC
1. Justin; 2. Biggins (sub Devoy, 24m); 3. Bishop; 4. Crouch; 5. Jordan Coombes; 6. Saunders; 7 Hardidge; 8. Thomas (C); 9. Smart (sub Hemmings, 74m); 10. Allen; 11. Walker; 12. Hemmings; 14. Devoy; 17. Lewis Coombes.

A+BUFC
1. Will Justin
2. Calum Biggins (sub 14, 24m)
3. Joe Bishop
4. Ryan Crouch
5. Jordan Coombes [GOAL 68m]
6. Connor Saunders [GOAL 74m]
7. Miles Hardidge
8. Sam Thomas (C)
9. Thomas Smart (sub 12, 74m)
10. Aaron Allen
11. Harry Walker
12. Josh Hemmings
14. Billy Devoy
17. Lewis Coombes

BTFC
1. Will Osborne
2. Billy Downs (sub 14, 70m)
3. Alex Graham
4. Keiron Golding (sub 17, 66m)
5. Mike Grist
6. Hanin Romdhane
7. Luke Palmer (sub 12, 83m)
8. Leon Britton Y 70m
9. Martin Blacker (C)
10. Lee Pitman Y 66m
11. Dhani Golding
12. Zayn Alime
13. Sam Sarr
14. Ben Griffiths
15. Liam Villis
16. Jordan Summers

Ref: Mark Tilleray