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Frustrated Mansfield face fixture chaos. Mansfield made progress to the last 32 of the Powergen Intermediate Cup at the weekend, but in wholly unsatisfactory circumstances. The outcome was exactly what they looked for but they arrived in this week’s draw without a ball being kicked or passed. A Friday night telephone message informed the club that opponents Old Saltleians felt they had too few fit players of a calibre to face the might of Mansfield and cried off. The action left the Eakring Road club flattered, bemused since Old Salts were going ahead with fixtures at Second and Third team level and fuming since the Saturday had been wasted at a time when fixtures were already piling up. An earlier decision from the West Midlands could have allowed the planned league game with Banbury to be put back on, or if that proved impossible the chance of playing an outstanding cup tie last weekend. Mansfield now has to find room to fit in two fixtures with Nottingham Moderns and a trip to Market Rasen with no clear weekends until mid February and deadline dates at the end of January. The RFU are bound to be asking searching questions. The only silver lining for Mansfield was the opportunity for players with niggling injuries to go through their paces in a full training session for the squad and for extra ‘physio treatment ahead of next weekend’s titanic fixture with South Leicester. South were the odds on favourites to win the league this season and despite the distraction of the Senior Cup, where they have claimed National League scalps, they have moved ominously into second spot, with games in hand. They have suffered just one defeat, a surprise slip up at Luton where Mansfield won on the opening day of the season, and a fortnight ago drew away at table topping Kettering where Mansfield were heavily defeated 32-8 in October. There is no lack of determination in the Mansfield camp, “We are still smarting from two defeats against South last year but the mood is similar to when we met Hinkley last season at home and remember what we did then.” Said Coach John Tasker, adding “They had a tight 10-5 game against Market Bosworth last week who we beat 26-5, so there is not that much in it. The main thing is that we have a good turnout from the club members and they give their usual tremendous support to lift the boys.” The touchlines should be well populated at 2.15 on Saturday for the match everyone looked for when the fixture list came out in August.   To update the changing fixture situation Mansfield’s next two months now read 7-Dec M2E H South Leicester   14-Dec M2E A Wellingborough   21-Dec Int Cup A Derby   28-Dec M2E H Northampton Old Scouts   2003         4-Jan M2E H Ampthill   11-Jan M2E A Market Bosworth   18-Jan M2E H Kettering   25-Jan M2E A Banbury   1-Feb M2E A Ilkeston           To be Rearranged       M2E H Nottingham Moderns       Notts A Nottingham Moderns       NLD A Market Rasen

 

 

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