"Woohoo! Two away wins this season and both on Friday nights! Finally we got a big win in 2005/2006 and it was fully deserved and we made the most of Mansfield having a bad day at the office.
We probably played better against Notts County and Scunthorpe, games that we lost and drew but finally we took a few of the chances we have been creating and pretty much ended the game within ten minutes.
Interesting to see young Danny Reet starting his first game ahead of the unfit Matthew Tipton but Reet did such a good job as the single striker with Whaley and Adams playing behind him providing him with balls to chance or flick on. Reet looked hard working but had a bit of an attitude problem similar to that of CKR last season. Despite giving away about 8 fouls, playing acting and chatting back to the officials all game, he somehow escaped a booking!
Great header to give us the lead after Adams had twisted and turned past a defender. His cross was powerful and Reet simply had to guide it into the goal from what looked to be about 8 yards out. Bury had kept the ball for the first five minutes so it was a suitable reward but we were stunned to find ourselves 2-0 up three minutes later, with Whaley playing on the left and cutting inside to blast an angled drive from outside the box past Pressman who took all day to get down.
Clever tactics once again here by Casper. Against Chester we repeatedly played the ball to Whaley on the right and in the second half they cancelled him out and got back into the game. Notts County obviously had scouts there and did the same for most of the match the other week and against Scunthorpe he played up front instead of on the wing. Tonight him and Adams constantly swapped flanks with each player seemingly having 5/10 minutes on the left and right sides before switching. This stopped us playing the same ball to the same player
After that Mansfield got back into the game with some long balls around the back of Paul Scott at right back and they had the first of their 20 odd shots which were mostly wildly off target and closer to the corner flag than the goal. The closest they came was when Challinor or Edwards appeared to forget to call for the ball and ran into each other at a cross but their striker only managed to hit the ball against Colin Woodthorpe on the line. Woody was again magnificent and he made a number of crucial interceptions after that.
Mattis should have made it 3 but he fired straight at Pressman but 2-0 up at half time was a superb scoreline and for much of the second half we defended solidly and relied on the counterattack. Edwards pulled off two or three excellent saves and some very easy ones but I never got the impression that Mansfield would score. We were perhaps a little lucky with a penalty decision in the 2nd half when Kennedy appeared to get more of the man than the ball but the referee was stood right next to it and waved play on. Still, fairs fair as the attack that led to the ball into the box started with their player blatantly bringing the ball down with his forearm but the referee patted his chest!
Reet screwed a shot wide from substitute Tom Youngs low pass and Kennedy’s brilliant shot had everybody off their seat and celebrating but the ball flew just an inch or two past the post. Thankfully thought after some more brave defending Youngs found Reet again who took a touch of the ball, knocked it to his right and hit a powerful shot that took a wicked deflection and planted itself into the top corner with Pressman helpless.
Reet was soon after applauded off the pitch to be replaced by Tipton and it was easy to see why he he’d got 14 goals already this season in youth and reserve games.
A great result and we are temporarily up to our highest position this season. The performance was just enough to win the game against a side that perhaps didn’t deserve to be on the end of a 3-0 scoreline but we know how that feels!
Good to meet Stevo finally and Damien appeared to be drunk and singing random songs at the back of the stand! Rob showed some of his Vegas pictures too! Some of the clean ones that is!
Bring on Scunthorpe! As Brian Laws pulled up in his car next to mine in the Field Mill car park, I made sure I let him know that his side will be out of the cup on Tuesday night! Fingers crossed!"
"Mansfield did look very useful in spells. Far better than Notts County who beat us.
Which just goes to show that we are clearly heading for the play-offs at least.*"
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The Bury fans kept on singing as the lads applauded their support. An altogether great game, which should convince a few more to head down to Scunthorpe on Tuesday night for the FA Cup First Round replay. The Shakers' impressive fightback against the Iron last week plus last night's 3-0 tonking of the Stags speaks volumes - the lads can do it. They just need YOU to give them that extra lift.
This is a team who are playing well - there's no denying that. But they can get better, and that's where you come in. Damien plans to take plenty of the Bury blue and white balloons to Scunny, and if you're planning on going, get yourself involved with the balloon fun! If you're not planning on going...if not why not?!?!