Harworth Colliery 1-2 AFC Mansfield

Harworth Colliery 1-2 AFC Mansfield
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 25th August 2020

This pre-season is all about catching up with old faces - whether it be those I'm familiar with from my time watching different clubs in recent years, or just randomly going to games with mates who I've not seen for a while because of 'lockdown'.

Although I've passed Harworth's ground on the bus probably hundreds of times, I'd never actually seen a game there until this evening when they hosted AFC Mansfield of the Northern Counties Premier Division.

If the game was dissected into four quarters then nobody would disagree that Harworth had the better of the opening 20 minutes or so and were unfortunate not to poke their noses ahead early on when AFC's stand-in 'keeper for the night went walkabout - failing to reaching a downfield through ball ahead of his opponent who, despite an initially difficult angle, eventually carved out a shooting position but saw his shot, under pressure, go wide.

The visitors eventually battled their way back into proceedings and assert some authority in the middle of the park up to half-time, though their finishing left plenty to be desired as three shots went wide when each time, the player should have done better. The home 'keeper was only seriously tested when he made a powerful low save at his near-post around 10 minutes before the break.

After the re-start, Mansfield looked on top until a lack of concentration on the back of a throw-in just after the hour mark resulted in a goal for Harworth. Leigh Warriner got in-behind much too easily and, already inside the six-yard box, he unleashed an emphatic, net-busting thunderbolt strike from a few yards which gave the 'keeper absolutely no chance at his near-post.

However, the Bulls dusted themselves down and having already gone close to an equaliser with a shot which cannoned back off the post following a quick and neat counter-attack down the right flank, they eventually levelled when Matt Sykes let fly with a fabulous left-foot strike from 20 yards. Only minutes later the turnaround was completed with Phil Buxton getting through on goal and firing a shot across the 'keeper which nestled in the bottom corner.

Harworth blooded plenty of youngsters from the bench in the closing minutes, which allowed the visitors to apply some more pressure, though the closest they came to adding a third goal was when Sykes' snap-shot flew just wide of the post.

All in all, it was a decent game played at a good tempo. It was sometimes feisty, it was sometimes niggly, but it was great value for just £2! Harworth should be quite pleased given that Mansfield, two divisions higher than themselves, were forced to work hard in order to achieve victory.

Mansfield have some decent and promising players - certainly Matt Sykes who should be really happy with what he produced in the second period, whilst Josh Wilde did okay either. Morgan James, who was substituted early - somewhat unluckily, still has bucket loads of talent as I know from his time at Doncaster where I saw some of his games. His nifty footwork, movement and technique in possession bodes well for his future and it can help him to achieve plenty this season. He showed it best in a move just before half-time when he turned quickly, took three players out the game, and unleashed a shot.

It was good to see Liam Marsden again - a top lad and the yellow card proves you've not changed a bit since your days at the Stags. Have a good season, pal!


Next up: Armthorpe vs Houghton Main (maybe?), Retford vs Staveley (maybe?) or somewhere else on Saturday. Who knows?