David Artell’s Mariners were in Central Reserves Cup action this afternoon, playing their third group game of three against a youthful Mansfield side.

Goals from Jude Soonsup-Bell and Elliot Smith secured all three points, despite the host’s grabbing a goal back at the end of the first half and pushing hard for an equaliser at the end of the second half.

FIRST HALF

It was Town who began the game on the front foot controlling possession and they opened the scoring in the 10th minute, thanks to a moment of brilliance from Neo Eccleston.

Eccleston picked up the ball from deep in Town’s half and burst forward, travelling 60 yards, beating numerous players on the way, before calmly squaring the ball to an arriving Elliot Smith, who had a simple task of poking the ball past Lincoln Woolf in the Mansfield goal.

Jude Soonsup-Bell doubled the Mariner’s lead in the 21st minute, thanks to well worked spell of play between Smith and Gilsenan, finding Soonsup-Bell on the edge of the Stag’s area before the Town 10 curled a delicate effort into the top right corner.

Just after the half-hour mark it was Zak Gilenan forcing a strong save from the Stag’s goalkeeper, stepping up to take a direct free kick, beating the ball and seeing the effort palmed away from the bottom right.

Despite the strong Town pressure, Mansfield got themselves a lifeline in the 42nd minute, with a goalmouth scramble from a corner kick being forced beyond Casper, who couldn’t do enough to keep the ball out the back of the net.

SECOND HALF

At the halfway stage it was the returning Doug Tharme who made way for Charlie Elliott at the back, as the Town defender continues his steady road to recovery.

Just before the hour-mark, Justin Amaluzor worked space well at the edge of the Mansfield box before whipping an effort goalwards, but the attempt was held well by Woolf.

Moments later, the hosts came close thanks to a tidy passing spell outside the Town 18-yard-box but the eventual effort from McKeal Aboullah was well saved by Charlie Casper in between the sticks.

Town were back down the Mansfield end moments later, with Fortune Onoh letting fly from distance and forcing a fingertip stop from Woolf.

Another chance fell to the Mariners thanks to a bombarding run from Eccleston, latching onto the end of a lofted through ball from Elliott Smith but firing his powerful effort into the side netting from a narrow angle.

Town made their second change of the afternoon with Eccleston making way for Josh Edwards in the 77th minute.

Casper was forced into action late in the second half, with Jakub Kruszynski working the space for a long-range effort, but Town’s shot-stopper was equal to the effort.

Town: Casper, Jalloh, Onoh, Tharme (45’ C.Smith), Eccleston (77’ Edwards), Hatton, Gilsenan, Oduor, Soonsup-Bell, Amaluzor, E.Smith

Subs not used: Rodgers, Hawley, Petersen

UTM