Away On Saturday: One night in Hereford...

Hereford United 1-2 Mansfield Town

Blue Square Bet Premier

Tuesday 16th April 2013

Players careers are defined by big games and certain incidents and this dramatic night at Edgar Street will be recalled vividly by everyone at Mansfield Town who was there in the 2012/13 season.

It was the defining moment of a whirlwind campaign full of so many memories where a promotion charge grew out of an unlikely FA Cup run which saw Liverpool so very nearly taken to a Third Round replay at Anfield.

Matt Green celebrates the season-defining winner (Photo: Unknown).

Matt Green's dramatic injury-time winner provided pandemonium, euphoria and that once in a lifetime adrenaline rush that everyone dreams of experiencing. It didn't quite seal the title mathematically (that was completed four days later by beating Wrexham), but it did absolutely knock the stuffing out of title rivals Kidderminster Harriers who were waiting and ready to pounce upon any slip up.

After a dreadful, emotionally-draining 2-1 defeat in the rain at Braintree Town the previous Saturday, this was Mansfield's penultimate fixture of the season and, crucially, the lads' game in-hand in the title race. The lads were a point behind Kidderminster in the Blue Square Bet Premier table so it was absolutely imperative they got the win to keep their destiny in their own hands. A defeat would have been utterly disastrous!

It was no secret to anyone that there was no love lost between Martin Foyle (Hereford's manager) and Paul Cox (Mansfield's boss) and it's something which stemmed, in part, from an incident at the reverse fixture quite early on in the season at Field Mill.

At a time when many Stags fans were unhappy with results, Foyle made many disparaging comments about Cox's style of play within ear-shot of those who'd gathered by the tunnel to cry for his departure as the teams left the pitch at the final whistle - claiming later in his post-match interview that he'd win promotion with such a big budget to spend. The Hereford boss knew his comments would fan the flames and with more iffy results for Mansfield for a good few weeks afterwards, it certainly did, until the dramatic upturn in fortunes in the New Year resulted in a title charge.

Foyle was also good mates with Steve Burr who, by coincidence, was Kidderminster's boss in this era - thus meaning he was always going to get his players fired up and ready to throw the kitchen sink at Mansfield in this game to try and get a good result for his friend!

If any extra spice was needed, that could be found in either the free curries which Hereford were offering to every Season Ticket Holder from Kidderminster who made the short trip to Edgar Street. The fact that several Harriers players had gathered in the directors box directly behind the away dugout - in an attempt to add pressure but no doubt ready to rub people's faces in it if the result was favourable to them, just fuelled tensions even further!

The calm before the storm (Photo: Charlie Slater).

From arriving at the stadium some three hours before kick-off to getting the first glimpse of the somewhat shabby Edgar Street pitch not long afterwards, there was a weird stomach-churning sense of anxious trepidation yet pure excitement in the late-afternoon sunshine. There was absolutely no escaping from the fact that the stage was ready for drama which, one way or another, would give a massive indication as to who would be Blue Square Bet Premier champions.

As expected, Hereford named a full-strength team despite the fact it was impossible for them to get into the play-off positions. It's an understatement to say they had a decent side and amongst their starters were Sam Clucas (who'd go on to sign for Mansfield that summer), Marley Watkins (now at Bristol City), Ryan Bowman (a prolific lower-league striker to this day) and James Bittner (a goalkeeper who was about to produce a performance of a life-time).

As kick-off edged nearer and tensions increased tenfold, discussions in the press box centred around the usual topics but especially on Hereford's decision to put on a 'free curry' for Kidderminster fans! Though strapped for cash and trying to grab every penny possible, what that move had inadvertently done was fire up our players massively, to the point where it had seriously p*ssed off a few individuals!

Despite a 1,000-strong following in a packed out away end; albeit quite some distance behind the goal on the curved Blackfriars Terrace, things got off to the worst possible start in every conceivable way as Hereford took the lead after just eight minutes with Bowman left unmarked following a clever cut-back and in the perfect position to fire home. The sound of a beating drum in the away end was replaced by silence and an echoing chorus of celebrations by the home supporters.

After losing at Braintree, three days earlier, followed by this early hammer-blow, the situation was serious, concerning and many might have started to wonder if everything the lads had worked so hard and strived so much for over the previous few months was about to come undone at the seams!

Evidently shell-shocked for the next few minutes, it took everyone a while to regain their composure but another significant blow came when Lee Beevers - an indisputable warrior at full-back who soldiered on so many times over the course of the season, needed to be replaced by Ritchie Sutton because he'd yet again dislocated his shoulder but this time, it wasn't able to just be popped back in.

Living in the moment provided a flurry of emotions because it was a whirlwind experience and as the half-hour mark approached, there was a sense somewhat that the tide was turning. Despite still trailing 1-0, the lads were in the ascendancy, beginning to dictate play, keep hold of the ball to greater effect and really force the issue as they searched for an equaliser.

Crucially, this improvement was matched by events on the away terrace at pretty much the same time. In what could be best described as a 'mini-protest' from Mansfield fans, some stormed their way past stewards into the 'No Man's Land' zone and eventually right up to the perimeter fence located only a few metres behind the goal. Vast numbers followed in support on the back of a few fans doing so and straight away, noise levels increased (largely from fans now banging on the loose advertising boards as well as a drum), the support seemed more vast and they were pretty much on top of the action.

On the pitch, despite having a penalty appeal turned down and enduring a nervous moment when Luke Jones appeared to handle inside his own box amidst screams, shouts and pleas for a penalty from the home contingent, an equaliser came when Lindon Meikle burst away down the left flank and delivered a cross towards the back-post where Matt Green managed to head the ball into an unguarded net.

At 1-1, things were firmly poised - though Hereford would have gone in ahead at half-time had John Dempster not been in the perfect position on the post to clear the ball off the line during a terrifying 'heart in mouth' goalmouth scramble deep into first half injury-time.

Alan Marriott was a lucky boy on that occasion but the ever-increasing feelings of utter tension meant the half-time whistle couldn't come soon enough. In whichever direction you glanced or whoever you spoke to, emotions were all over the place with everyone fully aware that a storm was about to follow during what would be a blockbuster second period.

The pressure was cranking up in more ways than one and the lads seized the initiative after the re-start, quickly creating a flurry of chances. Meikle was denied by Bittner in one move before Adam Murray (who was work-rate and desire personified in this team), smashed a shot across a packed goalmouth which lacked the accuracy to find the target or the good fortune to catch a deflection that would have took it goalwards; the ball instead flying agonisingly wide of the post by just a matter of inches!

Sunset had long-since turned to darkness by this point in the night and another huge moment came when Bittner pulled off a miraculous one-handed save - clawing the ball off the goal-line in mid-air after a looping attempt by Green seemed for all the world that it would evade the evergreen 'keeper and nestle in the net.

Somehow, quite agonisingly - and despite clear-cut chances, it remained 1-1.

Whilst a winner would, effectively, have gone a huge way to securing the title, a defeat would have been disastrous and another horrible 'heart in mouth' moment was endured when Watkins went down inside the Stags' penalty area appealing for a spot-kick. Minutes later, Clucas whistled a shot just inches wide of the post from a long-range free-kick - proving that things were still very much finely balanced!

However, the heat continued to be cranked up massively on Hereford and as the game entered the final quarter-of-an-hour or so, it was 'gung ho' football with the proverbial kitchen sink very much situated in the hosts' own goalmouth.

Matt Rhead (on as a substitute for Lee Stevenson), Murray, Dempster and Adam Chapman were all thwarted at different points as despite the sense of sheer urgency, attack after attack came to nothing! The tensions and raw emotions were unbearable and with the final whistle drawing ever nearer, it was apparent that the entire season was going to be defined by whatever happened in these very moments.

Winning meant absolutely everything to everyone involved and time was fast-running out to avoid a final day showdown whereby, whoever won by the biggest scoreline, would be champions!

Then came injury-time...

Matt Green shoots... (Photo: Unknown).

Four minutes were added for the lads to get the reward they craved and they did so in a moment which will forever go down in Mansfield Town folklore.

Marriott, in possession in his goalmouth, rolled the ball out for a long downfield punt with Rhead the intended target managing to flick the ball on for Green whose strength and positioning meant he was able to hold off a defender before smashing a shot past Bittner to make it 2-1.

In a single moment, there was an explosive release of the anxiety, tension and everything negative which had built up since the capitulation at Braintree just a few days earlier. In a single moment, those feelings were replaced by pandemonium, euphoria and a pure single rush of adrenaline - there were joyous hugs, screams of delight, pure joy, carnage and ecstasy. It was complete euphoria of the highest degree for a few seconds and probably the single best moment in Mansfield Town history!

The previously smug and gleeful faces of Josh Gowling (with his distinctive hairstyle) and Kidderminster's other players - sat just a few yards away, suddenly looked sorrowful, grim and dejected. The hopes of Martin Foyle and Steve Burr - to collude together to stop 'the enemy' from winning the title had failed and they'd watched it fail with their own eyes.

Surprisingly, the rest of stoppage-time was a blur, though it passed surprisingly quickly before more fist-pumping, adrenaline-type celebrations at the final whistle. Andy Todd, an important figure on the coaching staff, copped for some unsavoury abuse in particular from home fans who weren't too happy at what they'd witnessed but he was only too happy to give a bit of banter back to them.

The job had been partly done and Wrexham were dispatched in straightforward enough fashion the following weekend, albeit only by a 1-0 scoreline, to set-up a wild alcohol-fueled bender of a weekend - the like of which don't come around often enough.

In 18 years of watching football, I doubt I'll ever experience such a moment, such a game and such a period as this ever again!