'Pleased to meet you - meat to please you.'
So stated the sign in the butcher's window just around the corner from Mansfield's Field Mill, next door to a sandwich shop called - I kid you not - 'Big Baps.' I think most United fans have had quite enough meat for the time being after another Christmas blowout, and with Boxing Day's disappointment and a freezing cold day trip in prospect, I suspect I was not alone in half-hoping for a Bank Holiday Monday at home in the warm with Jeff Stelling and the boys. But the Stags' ground staff did the business and duty called for almost 400 travelling U's on a cold but clear and sunny winter's day.
Field Mill is one of the best three-sided venues in the Conference, with a huge main stand and two decent-sized seated stands at either end, all dwarfing the forlorn site of the remaining stand, long since condemned as uninhabitable and now sitting, slowly rusting, while awaiting demolition. One rather hoped that bits might start falling off it if a flying ball made a direct hit, but it was not to be.
The hosts' matchday programme was a rattling good read, with a cheery festive cover portraying players in MTFC party hats hugging each other manfully, and a particularly probing Q&A session with player Jake Speight in which he revealed that he believes in God, Heaven and Hell, Karma and ghosts, but not in aliens, with the programme at pains to clarify that they meant extraterrestrial aliens and not the illegal variety(!).
They also made great play, rightly, of Cambridge being "the cradle of modern football," although their claim that the U's inspired Nick Hornby to write 'Fever Pitch' was not entirely accurate, albeit United were his 'bit on the side' during his tenure at the University.
Due to the sheer size of the stands the ground looked and felt less than half-full ("Your ground's too big for you!" sang the amber army at one point), but first surprise of the day for the visiting supporters was the absence of Brian Saah and Paul Carden from the warm-up, both injured. And what was that the players were wearing? Green shorts?
It turned out that United were wearing an entirely new away strip, hitherto unannounced, of white shirts with a green left shoulder and sleeve and, yes, green shorts, matching the Greene King logo on the shirts. Corporate colours? Mansfield's strip of yellow shirts and blue shorts was an obvious clash with the visitors' amber and black, but it was hard to see much potential confusion with their usual Cambridge blue change colours.
With Wayne Hatswell suspended, Rory McAuley and Josh Coulson lined up at centre-back and Jai Reason accompanied Sam Ives in central midfield to give the side a very youthful look; Dan Gleeson took the captain's armband. The hosts sported two ex-U's in Matt Somner and Robert Duffy and had not scored in their previous three games, while they were without a league win at home since beating Forest Green 1-0 on 3rd October, although Altrincham had been defeated 3-0 in the FA Cup later that month.
First shot came from the hosts' Kyle Perry on 2, slipped wide from close range, and two minutes later Robbie Willmott showed that he was in impish mood with a tremendous run inside past three players with the ball seemingly tied to his foot before he slid it sideways to Courtney Pitt, whose low shot was arrowing for the far corner until well tipped around the post by keeper Alan Marriott.
United looked the better side early on, playing a tight, close-passing 4-4-2, Reason filling the Carden role with a steady flow of simple, accurate passes, Ives supporting a lively front two and the youthful centre-back pairing standing up well to the more experienced Perry and Duffy.
Reason set up Crow for a twenty-yard shot into Marriott's gloves on 9, and a couple of minutes later Paul Heckingbottom's foul on Chris Holroyd set up Pitt for a free-kick which he fired over both wall and crossbar. Both sides continued to probe each other in a fairly subdued atmosphere, the air getting colder by the minute, with United pushing the ball around in fairly pleasing manner and Mansfield using the flanks via diminutive skipper Ryan Williams and repeated diagonal crosses designed to beat the far full-back and find a colleague lurking just past the far post.
Following a corner on 18 Pitt regained possession and his neat cross into the box found Holroyd sneaking in to test Marriott with a header that just lacked the power to beat the Stags' keeper. One of those diagonal crosses found Duffy arriving on 20, but Danny Potter was equal to it with a fine diving stop. Gleeson blocked a Somner shot three minutes later, but it was still the visitors who were enjoying the better of the play…so it was something of a shock when Mansfield took an undeserved lead on 27.
Little Williams was the architect, creating room to cross low from the right, and there was Perry in the middle, beating Coulson's lunge to fire home past a helpless Potter from ten yards. Coulson, McAuley and Gleeson launched an inquest: 1-0.
Within a minute the U's came close to an equaliser, good work down the right by Willmott and Holroyd setting up Gleeson, of all people, to chug into the box and fire narrowly wide of the far post. And United continued to play some good stuff as the pitch gradually cut up, but that killer final ball tended to elude them as the home back line held firm.
On 42, however, the best move of the match yielded a deserved equaliser for the visitors. Anthony Tonkin played a one-two with Pitt, got to the byline and his low cross was met by the alert Holroyd who rammed home at the near post. 1-1.
Last chance of the half went to Mansfield, Duffy's header well clutched by Potter, and there was nasty clash right at the end when Lee Morris had a go at Tonkin when the two came together and the Stags man came off the worse.
So far, so pretty good for the U's, especially in view of the lack of experience throughout the side, and although Mansfield looked a competent, workaday side, this looked like a match that was eminently winnable.
Within a minute of the restart United could and should have been ahead. Crow was brought down by Heckingbottom out deep on the right, Pitt curled the free-kick into the box, and Holroyd lost his marker to latch onto the arriving ball inside the six-yard box; but faced with a rabbit-in-the-headlights keeper and enough time to control and shoot, he did not realise how much time and space he had and slashed first time at it, slipping and skewing badly wide. Great chance missed.
Morris had clearly not recovered from the injury he incurred on himself at the end of part one and he was replaced on 49 by Jake 'Ghostbusters' Speight. Within a couple of minutes he had picked up the first booking of the day for a lunge with the arm at Tonkin. The busy Ives was then brought down by Michael Brough, but in a crowded box all United's players could do was watch as Willmott's free-kick soared through the box and off for a goal-kick.
Perry had the ball in the net on 54, but had long since been flagged offside, and three minutes later Duffy shot straight at Potter from the D. There was controversy on the hour when Willmott held off Heckingbottom to send Holroyd haring for goal, but as attention switched to the United top scorer's foiled run, the Stags defender appeared to stamp on Willmott in the aftermath of their clash, to outrage from the U's bench. Unfortunately neither the ref nor either linesman seemed to have seen the incident, but after consulting with the fourth official, ref West showed Heckingbottom a compromise yellow card. He should be negotiating in the Middle East.
On 62 the ineffective Duffy - plus ca change - was replaced by Louis Briscoe, and his first significant action was to set up Williams for a shot three minutes later, but he fired just wide. Two minutes later Williams lost out to a tackle by Gleeson, but somehow he managed to break the United skipper's nose in the process and was booked for Glees' pains. Gleeson could not continue so the back four was ravaged still further, Darryl Coakley entering the fray at left-back with Tonkin switching to the right.
Speight spooned a scissors kick just wide on 70, but he had more luck three minutes later. It all happened in a few seconds: a quick throw-in from the right, a flick-on by Briscoe, and Speight latched onto it, dragged it past last man Tonkin and slashed past Potter before he could move. 2-1.
The United back line had not looked comfortable since Gleeson's withdrawal, and the lengthy hold-up in play caused by his injury had also interrupted the visitors' flow, and they never really recovered it. Pitt was carded for a foul on Brough on 74, and three minutes Martin Ling went for broke by gambling on a change in formation, withdrawing Coulson in favour of Mark Beesley and going to 3-5-2 with Bees just behind the front two.
It was a bold gamble, but sadly an utter failure. Beesley failed to make any impact, and most of the players simply seemed confused by the changes and the team lost all shape and understanding, Reason now trying too hard to produce killer defence-splitting balls instead of the simple passes of the first half.
Briscoe was next into the book on 79 for bringing down Pitt, Speight fired wide on 81, but United had lost their way. Mansfield, desperate for a home win, started shamelessly and shamefully timewasting in the corner a good five minutes before the ninety was up, while the best opportunity the U's could conjure up was an excellent, teasing cross from Coakley on 87 which Crow headed just wide with Willmott arriving, better placed, behind him.
Six minutes added time was indicated and Williams was withdrawn - perhaps he had a panto date with Snow White that evening - in favour of Andy Burgess, but United's bolt was well and truly shot and what had started as a thoroughly winnable contest had ended in little short of chaos.
It was all very disappointing, but the young United side should take a good degree of pride in its performance in the first two-thirds of the match and over the ninety minutes few could argue that a draw would have been a fair result. But football, as we know, is rarely fair, and the stark facts now are that United have failed to win any away league games since the first two of the season and are lying twelfth in the table with only one win in their last seven in the BSP. And New Year's Day will not be any easier.
Happy New Year, all. The only way is up… unless it is down!
Statto Corner
Historically, United and Mansfield have tended to best each other on their own home turf. At the Abbey, the U's have won seven, drawn two and lost two. Those victories include two of the greatest matches ever seen at Newmarket Road: on 28th April 1973 United needed to defeat the Stags to clinch promotion to Division Three, and in front of a full house of 10,542, they twice came back from a goal behind to win 3-2 with a goal from Ronnie Walton. And on 20th March 1999, a devastating U's side crushed the visitors 7-2 with a hat-trick from Martin Butler and further goals from John Taylor, Trevor Benjamin, Neil Mustoe and Richard Walker.
On the other hand, United have only ever won once at Field Mill in thirteen league and cup games, losing eight times. Their only victory came on 31st October 1998, in the same season as that 7-2 beating at the Abbey, by a 3-1 scoreline; Benjamin, Butler and Alex Russell were the scorers.
Robert Duffy started only three games for the U's, with four more appearances as sub, without scoring. Signed from Rushden, he made his debut in United's first ever Conference match on 13th August 2005, a 1-0 defeat at Forest Green; the winning goal was scored by Scott Rendell. His last appearance came less than a month later in a 4-0 defeat at Exeter, then he was on his way to Kettering, also stopping at Oxford, Wrexham (loan) and Newport on his way to Mansfield.
Matt Somner signed for the U's on loan from Brentford in a deal later made permanent, and debuted in a 2-1 defeat at Scunthorpe on 7th December 2004. He went on to make 24 appearances in the black'n'amber, with no goals scored, and was a member of the United team that played its last Football League game (so far) in a goalless draw with Notts County on 7th May 2005. He went on to play for Bristol Rovers, Aldershot and Notts County.
Today's attendance of 3,368 has been recorded twice before at United matches, the first almost exactly 36 years ago on 29th December 1973, when they lost 2-0 at Shrewsbury. The second was at a 2-1 win in Torquay on 3rd November 2007; Lee Boylan gave the U's the lead and Rob Wolleaston thumped an 86th minute winner for a team from which only Dan Gleeson and Courtney Pitt are still at the club.
Player Ratings
Potter 7. Solid game, left exposed for both goals.
Gleeson 7. Adequate display until forced off through injury.
Tonkin 7. Made United's goal and did a good job in a variety of defensive positions.
Coulson 7. Will not be happy at being beaten for the first goal, but otherwise gave a decent account of himself.
McAuley 8. Confident and commanding.
Willmott 7. At times devastating in the first half, not quite as effective later on.
Ives 8. Dynamic and energetic from start to finish.
Reason 7. Excellent first 45, when he kept the passes short and simple, but tried too many Hollywood balls in part two which failed to find their targets.
Pitt 6. Not bad, but capable of much better.
Crow 7. Battled manfully with variable supply.
Holroyd 8. Back to near his darting, quicksilver best and back on the scoresheet.
Coakley 6. Filled in calmly.
Beesley 5. Another no-impact cameo.
Match Summary
An under-strength United side outplayed Mansfield for an hour but never recovered from the loss of Dan Gleeson and the disruption to the flow of the match that his injury caused. This was a game that could have been won and the U's were ultimately unfortunate to lose.
Man of the Match
Rory McAuley. He has made only eight league starts, in three different positions, but his authority on the ball, strength and coolness are those of a veteran. The world is his lobster.
Ref Watch
West 6. The polar opposite of Saturday's card-happy dingbat, Mr West was if anything too lenient on occasion and Heckingbottom should have walked for his stamp on Willmott.
Out of the Mouths of Babes
"We kept cheering. Mr Perry told us to shout a bit louder." (Nicholas Pope)
Soundtrack of the Day Delphic "Doubt"
Parky's Pick of the Pops
Andy Parkinson lends an ear to the Field Mill sounds. "All right, lads and lasses? Music-wise, 2009 will be remembered as the year we lost the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and in his prime he was fantastic, even if he did turn into some plastic-faced weirdo you wouldn't want near your kiddies later in life. So it was nice to hear a couple of his classics today to help us boogie the cold away, ey!
"There wasn't much else to report, though, like. Amy Winehouse's version of 'Valerie' is OK but 'We Will Rock You' has been done to death more than Stan Boardman's 'Germans' routine! 2 Unlimited's 'Get Ready For This' was rubbish when it came out and it's still rubbish now, and I don't know what on Earth the runout music was but it sounded like the national anthem of some Communist country from the 1950s. Not great, know what I mean? PPP verdict: 3/10."
Andrew Bennett
