United play the second of three consecutive home games on Tuesday evening when Mansfield Town visit the Trade Recruitment Stadium. David Holdsworth recently moved into the managerial hot-seat at Field Mill, and has guided the Stags through an impressive spell of just one defeat in nine games, duly averting any lingering relegation worries.
Following a play-off final defeat to Huddersfield in 2004, the Stags struggled to finish in the top half of the Football League's basement division and were relegated last May. Thirteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth place finishes in 2005, 2006 and 2007 germinated concern, especially with finances in poor health.
The Stags lost three and drew one of their opening three league games last season and, although the mould was broken with a 4-2 win over Stockport, banana skins returned and seven straight losses were recorded. The form of Michael Boulding was encouraging, although six goals in the early stages of the campaign did not stop Billy Dearden's men being cast adrift. A brief resurgence in league results was matched by their barnstorming 5-0 FA Cup victory over Macclesfield, also boosting the flagging finances, but Town could not maintain progress, and one win in six at the turn of the year saw them return to the relegation zone.
The FA Cup still provided distraction and their eye-catching third round win at Brighton set up a televised home clash with Middlesborough. The Premiership side were 2-0 victors and, although the additional income was welcome, confidence on the pitch dwindled as a league win at Field Mill escaped them in January and February. Perversely, away successes were recorded at Wycombe, Darlington, Chester and Lincoln, but the Stags remained ensconced in the bottom two.
A 4-0 home loss to Rochdale in early March proved too much and Dearden departed, with Assistant Paul Holland taking over. However, results failed to improve and just one win followed in six games. The home hoodoo was broken at the beginning of April thanks to a 1-0 triumph over fellow-strugglers Wrexham but, with the writing on the wall, Rotherham left Field Mill with three points in the penultimate game and Town required a miracle to survive.
They went to Dagenham on the final day needing nothing less than victory, but a 2-0 loss brought the curtain down on their 77-year Football League existence.
Early July then saw lifelong Stags supporters Andy Perry, Andy Saunders and Steve Middleton become the club's new owners, and the trio immediately made their mark by dismissing Paul Holland and recruiting former York boss Billy McEwan (right) as the club's new Manager.
However, just four months into his tenure McEwan also found himself in the job queue, highlighting the standards Town's new regime are setting in their aim to reclaim a Football League place.
The Squad
With the drop into non-league came a wave of departures, as experienced campaigners Jefferson Louis, John Mullins and John McAliskey all picked up P45s. The loss of young talented personnel was more of a blow though, with Town fans seeing Alix Baptiste sold to Blackpool, free-scoring Michael Boulding join Bradford, and wingers Simon Brown and Stephen Dawson leave for Wrexham and Bury respectively.
McEwan moulded the squad accordingly prior to leaving in December, and one of the first through the door was centre-half Adie Moses. The wily campaigner brings experience from Barnsley, Huddersfield and Crewe and has become an integral to Town's defence this season. His regular partner is often Alan O'Hare, who made a summer switch from Chesterfield. The two had been integrating handsomely with right-back Gary Silk, a Notts County capture, and left-sided full back Alex Jeanin. However, the latter has been suffering with injuries of late, so may not play on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the December arrival of Scott Garner from Leicester has put pressure on Silk, who briefly lost his place in during January. Garner also picked up the Blue Square Premier Player of the Month award for January.
Confusingly, former right-sided Farsley Celtic youngster Scott Gardner could also push for a place against United, whilst fellow-teenager James Kay has been rewarded with a handful of starting berths of late. Recent captures Paul Mayo from Notts County and former Stockport man Gianluca Havern continue to stir up competition, meaning nobody is assured of their place.
Donning the goalkeeping gloves will be the vastly experienced Alan Marriott, who joined from Rushden in January following the return to Notts Forest of loanee Paddy Gamble, who was involved in a car accident.
The midfield engine room could be controlled by two former U's players this Saturday.
Matt Somner (pictured), who made 24 appearances for United in 2004/05, is now in his third season at Field Mill, whilst Neil MacKenzie joined the club in January from Notts County. Mackenzie, who played for United on loan from Stoke prior to a £40,000 move to the Abbey, has also played at Kidderminster and Port Vale this season.
Also vying for midfield places will be England C International Jonathon D'Laryea and the all-action Curtis Woodhouse, another January signing. Nathan Arnold, who has patrolled the right wing this season, was surprisingly transfer-listed last month, but should take his place against the U's, especially after bagging an exquisite winner against Lewes last Saturday. The left-wing position will probably be filled by Michael Blackwood, whose trickery always poses a threat, with flank support provided by livewire youngster Louis Briscoe, who played with Holdsworth at Ilkeston. As with the defence, though, nobody is assured of a place, and the regular duo of Somner and Woodhouse were bench-warmers against Lewes last Saturday.
One of the two central striking positions will be taken by another player with United connections.
Rob Duffy (pictured) donned a U's shirt seven times in the 2005/06 campaign, and has recently signed from Newport County, managed of course by Dean Holdsworth, brother of David and himself a former United man.
The evergreen Mark Stallard, top scorer this season with eight goals, should play a part on Tuesday. Nevertheless, his place may not be guaranteed due to the youthful energy of Aaron O'Connor, who has claimed seven goals and several starting berths in recent weeks. Doncaster loanee Tomi Ameobi, brother of Newcastle's Shola, has been a regular bench-warmer of late.
The season so far
Mansfield travelled to Ebbsfleet for their Blue Square Premier debut and, after a rude awakening which saw them 2-0 behind at half-time, managed to rescue a point thanks to goals from Mark Stallard and Michael Blackwood. The opening months of the campaign were also a shock, with Billy McEwan unable to establish any consistency prior to his exit in early December. His uncomfortable tenure was highlighted by a poor away record of eight losses, three draws and just one away win, which came courtesy of a 3-2 success at Salisbury in late September. The home tally was better, although their six victories were tempered by defeats to Oxford, Wrexham and Woking.
The injury of striker Jason Lee, who has since left for Kettering, did not help, so Nottingham Forest striker Emile Sinclair arrived to produce a fruitful spell of five goals in ten games. However goals leaked at the other end were causing a problem, whilst a morale sapping four-point deduction was imposed by Conference officials due to Aaron O'Connor not being correctly registered at campaign commencement. This of course was out of McEwan's hands but, a 2-0 loss at Kidderminster left the Stags one place and a point above the relegation zone after they collected just four points from the previous ten games, meaning the axe swung his way.
Senior players Adie Moses and Mark Stallard guided Town through two wins and a loss in the league, albeit to rampant Burton Albion, whilst Setanta Shield hopes were dashed at Wrexham. Their temporary placing was ended when Ilkeston boss David Holdsworth joined the club, with the revolving players' door at Field Mill immediately swinging into action. A wave of squad additions has duly helped the former Birmingham and Sheffield United defender to reshape the side.
Holdsworth's first game in charge saw debutant Duffy bag the winner a 1-0 home win over Crawley, and this was followed by another single goal victory at Lewes. An excusable 1-0 loss at in-form Oxford has proved the only blot on the new boss' nine-game copybook, with draws against Kettering and Rushden cradled by further wins over Eastbourne, York, and the return games with Diamonds and Lewes. The Stags have risen from eighteenth to twelfth since Holdsworth's arrival, whilst a highly impressive seven clean sheets means Scott Rendell and Chris Holroyd are assured a tough test on Tuesday.
Matchday Connection
Scott Eustace began his career at Leicester City, but after just one appearance he moved to Mansfield in the summer of 1995. Big Scott was a popular figure at Field Mill and went on to wear the yellow & blue shirt 98 times, scoring six goals. He arrived at the Abbey in January 1999 following a miserable four-month spell at Chesterfield, where he played just once, and duly contributed towards United's promotion to Division Two, (now League One) later that season.
A towering presence at the back, Scott made his debut when coming on as a substitute in our 2-0 loss at Leyton Orient later that month, and made a total of 57 appearances for the U's. His only goal came during our 2-0 league win at Bury in February 2000. He moved to Lincoln later that summer but, after an unsuccessful year, he dropped out of the Football League and joined Hinckley, prior to spells with Stevenage and Telford. He retired due to a persistent knee injury in July 2003
Doug Shulman
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