Stags’ Great Moments – Hereford United 1-2 Mansfield Town

16th April 2013 – The game that moved Mansfield Town to within touching distance of getting promoted back into the Football League as Conference champions.

A trip to Edgar Street followed after Mansfield were not victorious in their last league outing against Braintree which put Paul Cox’s men under more pressure.

This fixture was rescheduled and subsequently played on Tuesday 16th April which was Mansfield’s second to last league fixture.

The game kicked off with Mansfield Town in their famous amber and blue kit with Hereford United in their black and white kit.

Hereford United drew first blood in this must win for the Stags. Ryan Bowmen slotted home from ten yards out past Alan Marriott as the Mansfield Town defence looked to have switched off completely.

It was the main man Matt Green who scored the crucial equaliser for the amber and blues.

A goal kick from Marriott reached Lincoln Meikle who passed the ball off to Adam Chapman. The midfielder stopped with the ball and looked to pick out a pass. Chapman found Meikle running down the wing. The winger dribbled all the way to the by-line before finding a cross which looped over everyone and found Matt Green at the back post to head home.

That strike being his 25th goal of the season and probably the most crucial goal of his career and Mansfield Town’s push towards promotion.

Hereford resumed the relentless attack on Mansfield’s defence and unlocked it yet again. A scrap in the penalty area saw goalkeeper Marriott punch the ball away, only as far as Josh O’Keefe who fired a low shot at goal with John Dempster heroically clearing the ball off the line on the stroke of half-time.

Half-time – Hereford United 1-1 Mansfield Town

Meikle and Green proved to be a threat in the second half more so than they were in the first. Green was able to thread a pass through to the oncoming Meikle who was able to run past two Hereford defenders, but his shot was saved by the legs of the rushing out James Bittner.

Adam Chapman launched a long ball into the Hereford penalty area from a free-kick. Adam Murray flicked the ball up and over the Hereford defenders with his shot going agonisingly wide of the goal. Matt Green was close to diverting the ball into the goal but missed the ball as Mansfield fans feared it wouldn’t be their day.

Greg Taylor cleared the ball far way from the Mansfield half. Matt Green controlled the ball and passed it off to the substitute Matt Rhead. The striker passed it off to Meikle whose wicked cross found Green who took an acrobatic shot at goal and was denied by a one handed save from Bittner.

With only three minutes left of stoppage time, a big kick forward from Marriott was headed on by Rhead. Green, spinning the defenders and manoeuvring some pace, slotted the ball past Bittner who was left laying on the floor after the goal went in.

The final whistle blew with the 627 Mansfield Town supporters chanting on after the whistle. Paul Cox’s men had done it with the odds all against them. Matt Green’s 92nd minute goal put one hand on the trophy for Mansfield Town.