The not-so magnificent 7

By Ben Mason
February 24 2008

That's right, the Stags recorded their 7th, that's SEVENTH, home defeat in a row this afternoon, at the hands of Chester City. A team that haven't won at all since mid December. Despite taking the lead in the tie through a Johnny Mullins header on the stroke of half-time, the Stags came out for the 2nd 45 minutes and duly crumbled.

It was unfamiliar territory for the Stags so to speak, as before the match we were tipped as hot favourites to win the game and condemn Chester City to yet another defeat, we weren't used to this kind of pressure and this was yet another chance for us to put back to back wins together for the first time since March 2007.

 The Stags lined up as:

Muggleton

Briggs
Mullins
Buxton
Jelleyman

Hamshaw
Dawson
D'Laryea
Atkinson

Louis
M.Boulding

I think it's fair to say that Field Mill isn't awash with enthusiasm at the moment, as the ground began to fill with your stereotypical grumpy working man, the chuntering and grumbling was about how 'Stags will probably blow it again' ofcourse, they're just so used to it and over the years have seeminly grown a tough skin to it, it kind of reminds me of a line from England's famous Euro 96 song

'Everyone seems to know the score, they've seen it all before, they just know, they're so sure...'

Despite the usual negative ramblings, i myself was quietly confident of us getting a result. My feelings were enforced in the first minute of play, straight from kick off some neat football from the Stags saw us in Chester's penalty area after Jon D'Laryea unleashed a fierce shot from just outside the box, Chester's keeper did well to parry the ball, but he could only do so into the path of Louis, whose attempt to stab it home was thrwarted by the keeper again, then it was Mickey Bouldings turn, followed by Atkinsons and finally Stephen Dawson fired the ball high into the North Stand. It was a sign of intent from the home side and had already managed to get the bums off of the seats. It really should've seen the opening goal, but despite that it gave us a good foothold in the match already.

The game then really levelled out, it was a whole lot of nothing for the vast majority of the first half. The Chester fans, just over 100 of them were sat in silence, just as the rest of Field Mill was. I personally think it's one of the most awful things in Professional Football when you can actually hear what the players are saying to each other within the stadium. It symbolises a deathly silence that lies in the stands around, but the players just weren't giving us anything to shout about!

Shortly before the interval, the Stags seemed to re-awaken from the sleep and stepped up a notch, Mickey Boulding did well do infiltrate the box from down the left wing, his cross was met by the accrobatics of Matt Hamshaw, who saw his bicycle kick saved by Danby flying across his goal. Moments later, Hamshaw was at the centre of the action again, as his pin-point corner to the free head of Johnny Mullins rippled the back of the net and put the Stags on the road to victory. A bullet header from the makeshift centre back, who deserves his first goal in the League campaign as he's been one of the most consistent players. It was a nice lead to welcome the interval with as the Referee blew for the break. As the Referee was making his way off the pitch, the Chester Manager decided that he'd protest the officials time keeping and showed him his wrist watch in protest, rather amusing for all us fans in the stand to see him crying.

But whatever he had to the Referee as they left for the tunnell and out of sight of the fans, it must've been very persuasive as the Referee turned out an awfully biased performance towards the away side in the 2nd half.

The Stags were the first to threaten, with a swift counter attack lead by Matt Hamshaw, who had the choice off Boulding, Dawson or Atkinson to release towards goal, he chose the latter and as Atkinson descended in on goal his touch let him down and the ball rolled out for a goalkick. The game then again, levelled out and a whole lot more of nothing but on 57 minutes, a complete bolt from the blue as Chester grabbed an equaliser.

A cross in from the North Stand end of the West Stand was met with a glancing header from Kevin Ellison who tucked the ball past Muggleton. It was like a scene from Rocky, when Drago had Rocky on the ropes then from out of nowhere an incredible fight back was on the cards.

Knowing how desperate we were for the points, Mansfield again piled the pressure on Chester, Stephen Dawson unlucky to see his cross come shot cleared off the line. City began to grow in confidence and in a rare encroachment into the yellows penalty area, Jefferson 'thin Iyseden Christie' Louis conceded a harsh penalty and from literally out of nowhere, the Stags found themselves 2-1 down on home soil and staring a 7th home defeat in a row right in the eyes as Tony Dinning converted the penalty sending Muggs' the wrong way.

It was a real sucker punch, Dearden tried to get us back in the game by taking off Gareth Jelleyman and replacing him with forward Simon Brown, moving the Stags into a 3-4-3 formation but the frantic efforts of the players just wasn't enough. Right at the death, Stags were denied an absolute stonewall penalty as Dawson was clean through on goal and had his legs taken from beneath him. The Referee waved away the protests and Chester went up the other end and Kevin Ellison killed off the game with a sweet curling shot into the corner of the net. Game over.

It was heartbreaking, as we had to listen to the knowledgable grumpy old men baying for blood at the final whistle, they weren't quite sure who to blame, be it the players, Dearden or the behind the scenes folks, but one thing certainly is for sure, 'they've seen it all before...'.

Simply Staggering Man of the Match: Will Atkinson.