Mansfield Town earn impressive draw at home to promotion favourites Birmingham
Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough speaking after their 1-1 draw with Birmingham City. Credit: Mansfield Town FC
By Henry Green
Mansfield Town claimed an impressive draw against a Birmingham side that has looked almost-unstoppable this season.
The Stags had been tipped as one of the favourites to go straight back down this season, but currently sit 4th with opponents Birmingham topping the table.
Birmingham smashed the League One transfer record this summer when they spent £4 million on defender Christoph Klarer from Darmstadt in Germany’s Bundesliga 2.
They then smashed the record again as they signed Jay Stansfield for £17 million from Fulham.
The match was played in front of a sold-out One Call Stadium and the Stags conceded early as another of Birmingham’s summer signings, Willum Willumsson, gave the Blues a deserved lead in the 10th minute.
Manager Nigel Clough made three changes at half-time with the side 1-0 down.
Baily Cargill, George Maris and Elliott Hewitt made way for Aden Flint, Frazer Blake-Tracy and Lucas Akins.
That helped the side to grow back into the game in the second half, with striker Lee Gregory levelling the score with a curled free-kick in the sixty-third minute.
Speaking after the game, Clough explained his decision to make the subs.
He told the club’s YouTube channel: “Baily’s played a lot in the last week, I think Elliot just struggled a little bit but he’s going to have them ups and downs.”
“It was a bit harsh playing George today, he’s not really played but losing Louis Reed through injury we just put George in there and thought give us 45 minutes and he did that,” he added.
Lee Gregory, the league’s joint-top goalscorer, found the net with his free kick and then almost turned provider, as his cross just evaded defender Lucas Akins.
In the latter stages, Birmingham pinned Mansfield back – but the Stags held on for a valuable point.
It means they drop down to fourth in the league, though, after Wycombe’s 3-0 win at home to Leyton Orient lifted them above Mansfield and Wrexham into second.
Speaking after the match, Clough was particularly impressed with his side’s second half.
“When we got in at 1-0 we said let’s just make sure we don’t concede again, when we get the equaliser let’s see where we go from there,” he said.
“We had a scare just after we equalised but after that, I thought the three chances that we had one of those could’ve won us the game.”
Clough also confirmed midfielder Louis Reed should be fit to return in their game away to Wrexham on November 9 – which is their next league game.
They next play at Field Mill on Tuesday when they welcome Newcastle United’s U21 side in the EFL Trophy.
Then they travel to National League North side Curzon Ashton on Sunday (November 3) in the FA Cup first round proper.
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