📝 Match Preview: Mansfield Town (A)

All you need to know ahead of Saturday's match at the One Call Stadium.

24 September 2020

Exeter City will be looking to pick up their first league win of the season as they travel to the One Call Stadium on Saturday to face Mansfield Town in a 3pm kick-off.

Ahead of the match, manager Matt Taylor has urged the team to perform better than last time out against Port Vale.

Mansfield have drawn both of their league games so far this season, so like City will be looking to pick up their first win of the season, and Taylor says it will a challenge to pick up points against the Nottinghamshire side.

“They’ve recruited well and invested heavily in their squad so they have some outstanding players,” he said.

“We go there with the confidence of the Salford away game and we know that as the home team it’s up to Mansfield to make the run-in in the game.

“We have to perform better than last week. We know that it was a below par performance as a collective and there were too many individuals who were off their game, so we’re looking for a response to the home performance against Port Vale."

HOW TO WATCH

We would rather you could be there in person, but you can get the next best thing by supporting at home on iFollow.

You can purchase a match pass for the 3pm kick-off at the cost of just £10 in the UK. The stream includes the live BBC Radio Devon commentary, score overlay and replays.

By purchasing a match pass on the City website, you'll be providing much welcome income whilst games are played behind closed doors with around 80% of the price going directly to the Grecians.

To purchase a match pass please click here.

You can watch the match on your laptop by purchasing a match pass and logging on to the website homepage where the will be a 'Watch Now' button near the top of the page.

This season the EFL have created a new 'iFollow' app where you can watch on your phone or tablet! The old Exeter City app is being phased out, so if you have that please uninstall and download the app:

To purchase a match pass please click here.

For further details on iFollow, please click here
For a first time guide to iFollow, please click here

Season Ticket Holders

Season ticket holders get free access to City's home league matches only, and will be contacted shortly with details of how to stream City's home matches.

Guide to iFollow

Not used the service before? Or getting stuck? Click here to view our first time guide.

MATCH DAY COVERAGE

As usual, we’ll have the match covered across our social media channels and we’ll have a post-match interview with manager Matt Taylor and a player as they reflect on the result.

Exeter City on social media

THE STADIUM

Name: One Call Stadium
Capacity: 9,186
Year opened: 1919
Address: Quarry Lane, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG18 5DA

Known as the One Call Stadium for sponsorship reasons and widely recognised as Field Mill. Mansfield have entered the 100th year anniversary in playing their football at the ground that is the oldest stadium in the Football League and prior to the Stags, has hosted football since 1861.

It holds a maximum capacity of 9,186, though as with any Football League ground, that has easily been surpassed during the days of terraces. In 1953, a total of 24,467 people packed in to watch the side play local rivals Nottingham Forest.

LAST TIME OUT

Exeter City 0 Port Vale 2 | 19/9/20 | EFL Sky Bet League Two

Exeter City's home league campaign started with defeat as they were beaten 2-0 by Port Vale at St James Park.

A stunning free-kick from Tom Conlon and a composed finish from Devante Rodney secured the three points for an impressive Valiants side, with City struggling to make any real chances count in the final third.

MANSFIELD'S LAST MATCH

Leyton Orient 2 Mansfield Town 2 | 19/9/20 | EFL Sky Bet League Two

Mansfield surrendered a 2 goal lead in the last ten minutes against Leyton Orient to pick up a point in their last league match.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER

Exeter City 1 Mansfield Town 0 | 31/8/19 | EFL Sky Bet League Two

Ryan Bowman’s early goal, after quick thinking by Dean Moxey earned Exeter City a 1-0 win at St James Park over Mansfield Town back in August 2019.

Match Reports

📝 Match Report: Mansfield Town 1 City 2

Grecians pick up first league win of the season

26 September 2020

Exeter City picked up their first league win of the season as they beat Mansfield Town 2-1 at the One Call Stadium.

The Grecians came from a goal down to take the points. Rollin Menayese had put the home side in front, before an own goal from Ferrand Rawson in the first half. Josh Key’s first league goal in the second half meant the Grecians headed home to Devon with the three points.

The home side had the first chance inside three minutes. Striker Andy Cook, who found himself through on goal but his strike edged past the post and into the side netting.

Joel Randall had City’s first opportunity of the match just shy of the quarter-hour mark, as he had a shot from the edge of the area, which was blocked.

Almost immediately after, there were huge shouts for a handball by a Mansfield player inside the penalty area, but referee Christopher Pollard was not interested.

Shortly after the penalty shout became even bigger, as Mansfield took the lead just after 20 minutes. Rollin Menayese fired in at the back post after a corner routine.

As the game passed the half-hour mark, the Grecians had a chance to level the scoreline. Randall again involved, as he found Jake Taylor who whipped a ball in which was cleared for a corner.

City responded well after going a goal behind and that proved with an equaliser five minutes before the break from a corner.

The ball was whipped into a group of bodies inside the six-yard box by Matt Jay, which was bundled into his own net by Ferrand Rawson, which took Matt Taylor’s side into the break, deservedly on level terms.

The second 45 began with two chances for the hosts. Jordan Bowery was found at the back stick, but his header went over the bar. Then two minutes later, Lewis Ward stood brave to deny Cook from point-blank range.

With very little chances during the opening stages of the second half, most of the play was in the middle of the park.

City’s first chance of the second half was a big one asRandall hugged the far touchline before he got past his man to square the ball to Randell Williams, but Stech denied him with a fabulous stop.

he chance really perked up Taylor’s boys and soon after started to ask more questions of the Mansfield defence.

There was another chance for the Grecians soon after, as Key stung the hands of Marek Stech in the Mansfield goal before it was cleared at the back stick for a corner.

From the set play, City took the lead! Key was the man of the moment again, this time his effort could not be stopped as he headed into the roof of the net; his second goal in five professional starts in all competitions.

The Grecians could have had a third almost ten minutes later as Ryan Bowman had the ball in the net, but the assistant referee’s flag went up for offside.

Just before added time, Mansfield came close to a leveller, but Ollie Clarke’s effort fired just wide of the post after being set up by Nicky Maynard.

The referee blew for full-time and City’s comeback was complete. City take on Cambridge United next in League Two at St James Park on Saturday, October 3.

Mansfield Town XI: Stech (GK), O’Keeffe, Benning (McLaughlin 77’), Menayese, Sweeney, Rawson, Charsley (Gordon 77’), Clarke, Bowery (Maynard 64’), Maris, Cook.

Subs not used: Stone (GK), O’Driscoll, Reid, Smith.

Exeter City: Ward, Key, McArdle, Parkes, Page, Taylor ©, Collins, Williams (Sparkes 90’), Randall (Caprice 78’), Jay (Law 78’), Bowman

Subs not used: Maxted (GK), Sparkes, Atangana, Seymour, Dean.