Premier Division

Mansfield Rd  4    Riverside  1

Saturday, 18 January 2014

Mansfield: Jamie Cockfield, Luis McGillycuddy, James Watkins, Dan O'Connor.

Riverside: Liam O'Callaghan

The first game of the new year for Mansfield Road saw them start 2014 like they finished 2013, with a dominating performance from front to back from 0 to 90. The game started well for Manny Road with Luis Mcgillycuddy being brought down in the box in the first 2 minutes, only for him to welly it straight at the goalkeeper making him pull off a good reaction save. However 2 minutes later Jamie Cockfield was again taken out in the box and made no mistake in to the left hand corner while Mcgillycuddy took notes! An interesting first half led to no more chances other than some shots from range that troubled on looking birds and people walking past on the other side of the road.

The second half kick-off was where the game really exploded into life! A penalty shout for Riverside was given by the ref and was well finished by the Riverside Captain only minutes into the half. This sparked Mansfield Road into life and for the next half an hour the battered Riverside with wave after wave of fast moving attack. During which they scored from a free kick that Mcgillycuddy took and although the keeper saved well to his left, O’Connor was on hand to very unselfishly smash it in from 2 yards out! Mansfield Road continued to allow Riverside nothing in the way of space or chances with the Riverside midfield constantly being closed down and forced to play backwards, only to then see their long ball game well defended by the Mansfield Road defence. From a defensive tackle in their own half Mansfield Road moved the ball 60 yards through 4 players in 5 touches, before the ball was crossed low into the 6 yard box for James Watkins to smash into the roof of the net to make it 3-1 and probably ending the match as a contest. With Bloomfield getting a straight red for a nasty tackle with 15 minutes to go and the resulting 30 yard free kick from Jamie Cockfield  almost snapping the crossbar to be volleyed home first time from the edge of the box by Mcgillycuddy, this really did finish the match off! Not one for the footballing purest but Mansfield Road really where on top form!