MANSFIELD RESURGENCE IN FORM UNDER TURNER CONTINUES

MANSFIELD HOSIERY MILLS 2 NOTTINGHAM FC 1

CMFL PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH AT THE FIELDINGS

2 APRIL 2022 --- 3PM

MANSFIELD HOSIERY MILLS V NOTTINGHAM FC AT THE FIELDINGS

Mansfield Hosiery Mills have now hauled themselves away from the foot of the Premier Division South of The CMFL with a gap of five points over basement side Teversal Reserves helped again today by this victory over Nottingham FC.  An entertaining first half would see the three goals of the game come within a four minute spell and the spirit under new manager Mark Turner was evident as they came back from going behind almost immediately through a wonderfully taken free kick.

THE FORMER MILL SITE THAT GIVES THE CLUB ITS NAME TODAY

Walk to the match season continues and really its been poorly labelled because its also walk back from the match too today this would be a four and a half hour total trip so would be right up there with the bigger ones.  Indeed the twenty mile trip which was the largest so far was to Rowsley at the start of the season were Nottingham visited on that day. 

Today would take a roughly similar route as to Teversal but forty five minutes away a right turn would take the blog towards Woodend, the delightfully named Strawberry Bank and then their ultimate centre Huthwaite.  A little focus on the latter because it is the area that the ground is approached by although the border to Sutton In Ashfield is crossed about 150 yards short of the The Fieldings and I guess with Sutton Town being original tenants the set up is still linked towards the larger town.  

Back to the walk which was going well pacing over the Silverhill Trail which is a former railway line containing the now long gone Woodend for Hucknall Huthwaite station which I never knew the prefix was ever undertaken.  In time the station was renamed Whiteboro and the area known as Whiteborough City.  An amazing name for an location that is still very much fields and previously had a pit in the area, there are though a couple of properties that still carry the name today.

Passing the eatery pub The Woodend the uphill climb to the vista that is Strawberry Bank is reached and when I say vista its not a countryside view but that of the industrial estates of South Normanton and Huthwaite itself with wind turbine to the fore but a very impressive sight.  A nice downhill run to the Market Square and a collection of shops including Coop and converted pub Tesco sit adjacent one another in some sort of resigned acceptance to one another.

MANSFIELD STORMING FORWARD DOWN THE LEFT

Moving onto the Sutton Road heading towards the ground and there was a recreate the past moment taking a picture of what looks like a former Methodist church, which is now a Greek Orthodox worship building, this was the terminus for the former tram service that linked Sutton and Mansfield, again a new discovery for me.

Still in Huthwaite a visit to the former mill site that gives up its name to the football club and this when I first visited the area was still standing and in its latter days of limited operation.  Sadly now the building has been demolished but the lower outer walls retained to I guess protect the site but from the picture you can imagine the size of this mill.  In its infancy it was owned by CWS the coop and its employment in the area a major benefactor to individuals and fellow businesses.

So we have the club named after a Huthwaite institution of old and now we cross the border into Sutton in Ashfield so you can see my question Huthwaite or Sutton and I guess the answer is both.

MARK TURNER [RIGHT] MANSFIELD HOSIERY MILLS MANAGER

Ever since Sutton Town left their former ground at Priestsic Road after its sale to a large supermarket chain future clubs moved round to neighbouring Kirkby In Ashfield changed their name to encompass the whole area and Ashfield United was born at Lowmoor Road in Kikrby.  There were other clubs too in Oakham United, North Notts, a new born Sutton and now Mansfield Hosiery Mills.  Oh yes and if you want to add Kirkby to the equation they now have fellow CMFL side Ashland Rovers.  But nobody seems to have excited the town or area enough to establish a club and move it forward in what is a fair size in population.  [There is a more in depth meander on the blog from April 2020 should you wish to have a look from the side index]

LUKE MANLOVE AND THE FREE KICK IS GOALBOUND FOR THE EQUALISER

Current day then and arrival is in a snow sleet shower with the sun fighting to get an upper hand on a cold afternoon to the hands.  The Fieldings complex has a smartly enclosed cricket ground for the same named club as the football side and a superb clubhouse too.  The football ground to the right shows signs of Sutton above its turnstiles and today the players entrance and lower turnstile were the ones in use.  This is not a new ground but felt like one as its about four years since my last visit for a game against Pinxton and I also saw a game in Sutton's last season here against Holwell Sports for an evening fixture.

MANSFIELD KEEPER ON FORM IN THE SECOND HALF

A quick descriptor really is 'tight ground'.  There is little more than a five foot space all the way round the pitch but of course providing the crowd is not too large this is not a problem and sadly today only 15 people were in attendance and I guess the paying admissions would struggle to make double figure.  By the entrance a large Atcost stand with the seats in the Sutton's former colours of maroon and blue moving round to the far side two smart dug outs are the only feature and behind the far goal the housing estate is very tight to the ground.  Coming back down the business side its what was the main turnstile block.  We then arrive at the most recent addition of changing rooms and match day club house and snack bar.  The ground needs high mesh fencing on three sides to keep as many balls inside the facility as possible and an overlapping of wooden slats is becoming in need of attention.  Floodlights do add to the facilities assets though and overall its a ground that would make a move up a step if needed.

GROUND OVERVIEW OF THE FIELDINGS DURING PLAY

Pre match had seen the snow and drizzle become prominent but thankfully by kick off time we were back into sunshine on a not to be misled cold afternoon.  Nottingham were just below mid table and from a previous viewing would be a young side but who always want to play 'pure' football.  A selection of the Mansfield side would be from the surrounds of that town they love to hate just down the road and I guess the influence of recent manager Mark Turner who arrived from Glapwell were he was manager of the clubs development-under 21 side were Dave his twin brother is manager who we covered a few weeks ago.

SECOND HALF AWARENESS FROM THE HOME KEEPER DENIES NOTTINGHAM

As ever apologies here for not getting team sheets but thankfully the clubs social media and the Nottingham bench helped out, hopefully the home scorers are in the correct order.  It was an impressive start from Mansfield with the powerful runs of their left back [3] and he was very much the attraction of the the first half always threatening the visitors defence, added to this the constant haranguing of the Nottingham back line by Liam Waller who was proving a handful.

Just as it looked like the game would be going to half time goal less it went goal crazy with three in four minutes.  Firstly after 34 minutes Steve Fox made some space for himself on the edge of the box before firing into the bottom left hand corner of the goal.  Straight from kick off referee Adrian Seward awarded Mills a free kick twenty five yards out and Luke Manlove stepped up to steer home a glorious strike into the top left of the goal.

No point relaxing now for Mansfield and when a cross from the right fell to former Clay Cross player Elliott Nunn he confidently guided the ball home at the back post.

With that the game arrived at half time with the home side in the driving seat and on their way to another three points in their resurgence.

The second half was not the best from a neutral point of view but Nottingham as ever still kept up their efforts to play football the proper way but from a Mansfield Hosiery Mills point of view they bossed the second half defensively and were able to secure those vital three points that sees them move to three from bottom with a five point gap, plus with two games in hand on a few teams a chance to move further away from the basement before the end of the season.

An enjoyable revisit.

A GOOD OLD SLIDING TACKLE STOPS A NOTTINGHAM MOVE