PETERBOROUGH OUTPLAY MANSFIELD
In the slushy conditions at London Road Stadium, Peterborough, Mansfield's skillful passing game never eventuated, and Peterborough played perfect wet-weather football to prevail.
Playing a 5-3-2 system, Peterborough's stacked back line didn't give Mansfield's dangerous frontline much space to work with, and many hopeful long balls were read well by keeper Mark Tyler.
Early on, Mansfield were looking to repeat their attacking showing against MK Dons, but Adam Birchall and Richard Barker were given limited space and only managed to paddle early shots straight to keeper Mark Tyler. At the other end, Simon Yeo had better chances, including one where he was given a clear passage to goal after a cleverly worked midfield move was chipped to him with no defenders around him, but ended up lobbing over the post. Another ball crashed into the post, as Peterborough pressured the Mansfield defence into making errors. Finally, striker Aaron McLean broke the deadlock after latching onto an uncontested cross and driving it past Carl Muggleton. Peterborough came flowing back for a second, but the 1-0 deficit remained at half-time.
In the second half, Mansfield struggled just as much in terms of offense. Simon Brown had one clear-cut chance, but fired wide and a few more long-distance shots whistled by the post. Peterborough had a second in the 60th minute to put the game away with ease, and the shots total for both sides were clear-19 to Peterborough, and 9 to Mansfield.
MANSFIELD THRASH NOTTS COUNTY
Mansfield's attack continues to show its Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sides, this time as they smashed Notts County 4-0 on their home ground, with Richard Barker scoring a hat-trick.
It was clear early in the game that Notts County's defensive strategy was playing loose, and this fitted perfectly for Mansfield's attacking formation. However, the first chance came off a scramble after a mis-kicked corner, and ended up with Matt Hamshaw hitting the post with a powerful left-footed strike off a half-volley. Adam Birchall was next, opened up on the left, before sending a powerful strike which was saved by a diving Kevin Pilkington. However, Barker broke the deadlock on the ensuing corner, receiving the ball while open at the far post, and poking it past Pilkington.
Mansfield continued pressing, and Gareth Jelleyman almost had a contender for Goal of the Season, when his attempted cross almost turned into a vicious lob, which beat Pilkington, only to thump the top post. However, the Stags doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time, when Birchall was brought down on the second attempt from behind by defender Mike Edwards. Simon Brown stepped out, and cleverly drilled the free kick under the wall, and past the keeper for 2-0.
Although Notts attempted to get back in it early in the second half, the game was sealed when Carl Muggleton's long clearance was read perfectly by Barker, who broke away from his markers at halfway, before controlling the ball and pushing it past Pilkington. He added his third goal in the 89th minute, although it looked like the ball struck his hands before he volleyed it past the keeper. It didn't matter though.
