Mansfield Town 1-0 Oxford United: Late scrap as Yellows lose

With a few minutes left, United midfielder Will Vaulks clashed with Mansfield sub Hiram Boateng, sparking a 16-man scrum as ref Matthew Donohue tried to restore order.

When the pushing and shoving had died down, Donohue booked Vaulks and Boateng.

That momentarily took the spotlight off skipper Elliott Moore, who blundered to let in Mansfield for the winner 13 minutes after the break.

Centre-back Moore, one of the heroes of last season’s promotion campaign, gave the ball away in the box for Davis Keillor-Dunn to score for League One Mansfield

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The Yellows lost to a late goal. (Image: OUFC)

Oxford, counting down to their first season in the English second tier for 25 years,  fielded four summer signings in their starting line-up – keeper Matt Ingram from Hull, midfielders Vaulks from Sheffield Wednesday and Idris El Mizouni from Ipswich, and right-back Peter Kioso from Rotherham,

Mansfield, newly promoted from League Two, started strongly and Ingram made a crucial stop just after the five-minute mark, racing from his line to clear the ball from the feet of onrushing Stags forward Will Swan.

The home side’s press disrupted United’s efforts to play a passing game, but Tyler Goodrham managed the visitors’ first shot on goal  in the 13th minute, firing a low effort wide from Ruben Rodrigues’ pass.

Then left-back Joe Bennett rescued Oxford with a timely block on a goalbound shot, underlining the fact that in attacking terms, the first 20 minutes definitely belonged to Nigel Clough’s men.

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It was a feisty clash in Mansfield. (Image: OUFC)

Wales international Vaulks, playing in front of the back four, shone during this period of pressure, breaking up attacks and trying to get Oxford moving.

But a slip-up by Kioso almost proved fatal on the half-hour. His botched clearance on Oxford’s right left to Keillor-Dunn being set up with an open goal. But the Mansfield man wildly fired over.

On 36 minutes, Kioso attempted to redeem himself with an overhead kick from Vaulks’ right-wing corner, but the attempt was easily held by home keeper Christy Pym.

Ingram brought off a fine save in first-half added time to keep the scoresheet blank. Mansfield’s Louis Reed latched on to a slack clearance from a corner and blasted in a rocket shot that looked a goal all the way until Ingram dived to his right to bring off a super stop.

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Des Buckingham watched on as the Yellows were defeated. (Image: OUFC)

Oxford boss Des Buckingham made one half-time substitution, with Greg Leigh replacing El Mizouni.

Leigh immediately made an impression, figuring in a move down the left that led to Rodrigues firing a blockbuster shot against Pym’s left-hand post with the keeper beaten.

But Mansfield stayed on top in terms of possession, and took the lead in the 58th minute.  

Former Millwall striker Lee Gregory pounced on Moore’s mistake and passed to Keillor Dunn. This time the Mansfield forward scored from close in to make up for his earlier glaring miss.

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The U's succumbed to anther preseason friendly defeat. (Image: OUFC)

Buckingham’s response was to send on 17-year-old Aidan Elliott-Wheeler, who signed his first pro contract this summer, in place of Gatlin O’Donkor.

With 12 minutes to go, Clough made wholesale changes, sending on EIGHT subs.

Oxford’s reply was a free-kick from Vaulks wide on the right that had Pym scrambling to save at the foot of his near post.

But Mansfield hung on for victory.

Attendance: 2455 (167 away).

OXFORD: Ingram, Kioso, Moore, Brown, Bennett, O’Donkor (Elliott-Wheeler 66), Vaulks, Rodrigues, El Mizouni (Leigh 45), Goodrham, Harris.