It was a sunny but rather cold morning at Field Mill the home of Mansfield Town as Rovers Youth team played their penultimate league game of the season hoping to cement their position at the top of the league.

Mansfield started the game better and were rewarded with the opening goal on seven minutes when Trimmer controlled the ball in the area and shot at goal, the ball took a deflection and despite an attempt to clear it the ball trickled over the line and into the net.

Rovers began to get to grips with the game and in a twenty minute attacking spell had numerous chances to equalize, firstly Griffiths shot just wide, then a quick free kick sent Fairhurst away, he crossed to Henderson in the box but he just failed to get a touch to the ball infront of goal,Fairhurst had a shot saved by the keepers legs then another good save foiled a shot from Hardy, on twenty two minutes Mansfield had a lucky escape when the ball was pumped high into the goalmouth and beat everybody before bouncing on top of the crossbar and out of play.

It was all Rovers now and little had been seen of the Mansfield attack since their goal. On twenty seven minutes Rovers pressure paid off when they were awarded a penalty when Jason Hardy was brought down in the box, FAIRHURST stepped up to slot the ball to the keepers right for the equalizer. Rovers finished the half on top and were unlucky not to go in front. Half time came with the score level at1-1.

Rovers started the second half were they had left off and went 2-1 up on forty eight minutes when good work on the left by Sheilis resulted in him hitting the post, the ball rebounded out to HARDY who made no mistake to put Rovers in the lead. Mansfield came more into the game as the half went on and Rovers had to defend well. On sixty five minutes the referee had to take both teams off the field for ten minutes as a deluge of hailstones accompanied by thunder and lightning resulted in the pitch becoming a blanket of white.

From the restart on seventy seven minutes Trimmer equalized for Mansfield when he got away with only the keeper to beat and coolly lobbed the ball into the net, a minute later Biggs in the Rovers goal had to be at his best to keep out a powerful shot.

Rovers were coming under strong pressure now and on eighty one minutes Mansfield went in front when after two point blank saves by Biggs resulted in Trimmer getting his hat-trick as he put the rebound away to make it 3-2.

Rovers struggled to create anymore chances and a disappointing second half performance resulted in Mansfield finishing the stronger to run out the winners by 3-2.

TEAMS :-
Mansfield :- 1 Gibbons 2 Robinson 3 Turner 4 Bruce
5 McCormack 6 Allsopp 7 McGhie 8 Naylor 9 Ryan 10 Trimmer
11 Goddard
Subs. Logan, West, Langford, Schofield, Burrell

Rovers :- 1 Biggs 2 Hawksworth 3 Bowland 4 Griffiths 5 Boyce
6 Duffy 7 Sheilis 8 Hall 9 Hardy 10 Fairhurst 11 Henderson
Subs Used. Stoddart for Henderson 69 mins
Unused Subs. C.Fisher, Bibby, Conkleton, Fenney

Goals :- Mansfield - Trimmer 7,77,81
Rovers - Fairhurst (pen) 27, Hardy 48