Mansfield’s start to this season has not been without its share of last-minute heartbreak, the opening 2 games seeing the team lose in the final few minutes. So it was somewhat poetic that it was their turn this past Saturday to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a last second penalty edging them ahead of a very determined Burton second team. It was a frustrating game with both teams unable to take advantage of some perfect conditions and the home team playing large chunks of the game on the back foot. However, a final 10 minutes that saw things begin to click helped Mansfield claw themselves back in to the game and chip away at the deficit to ultimately claim victory

Head coach Nathan Hill was honest about the performance but knows his team need to take their opportunities: ‘That was tough today, we just need to keep our heads up and everything will fall in to place.’

Burton IIs (hereafter referred to simply as Burton) came in to this game sitting at the foot of the table without a win to their name. That fact isn’t mentioned to diminish them but rather to highlight the disparity between table placing and performance as the visitors took this game by the scruff of the neck and wouldn’t let go. Like a wounded animal with a point to prove, they were making a nuisance of themselves across the park, something the home team struggled to deal with. However, this early dominance was not reflected on the scoreboard. An exchange of penalties, one from Burton and two from the boot of Taran Elms, saw the scoreline read 6-3 in favour of the blue-and-whites after some early exchanges.

Mansfield’s game was evidently based on running the ball. However, there was a roughness to the game that meant the cohesiveness and rhythm of the team seemed out of sync. The scrum was performing well but the lineout struggled to yield quality ball and a combination of handling errors and conceded penalties hampered any forays upfield. A yellow card in the second quarter also saw added pressure piled on the team. An attempt to run the ball from a scrum saw Burton happily intercept a pass and put themselves into the lead. A successful conversion saw them take the lead at 10-6. Another penalty just before half time saw them extend that lead and go into the break 13-6 ahead.

The second half saw much of the same frustrations as the first. Burton were unable to add to their tally despite their dominance of the penalty count and large swathes of time spent in the home 22. Credit must go to the home defence as they were able to halt Burton from putting any additional points on the scoreboard this half. The blue-and-whites were able to put some phases together and make some incursions into the opponent’s half but just couldn’t find that killer final blow.

It was as the game ticked in to the final 10 minutes and Mansfield got a couple of penalties that they were able to turn the tide. A penalty to the corner and a secure lineout catch saw the team control the territory well and complete multiple phases before the ball got out to winger Joe Ducker who was able to evade the defence and score in the corner. A fantastic conversion from out wide saw Elms add the extras and put the two teams on an even keel, 13 apiece with just minutes left.

If the game had ended here it wouldn’t be unfair to say a draw was the deserved result, both teams putting in a hard shift in what had been an uneven game. However, a last second penalty gave Elms the chance to eke his team in front and snatch what had seemed an unlikely victory just 10 minutes prior. With a decisive swipe of the boot from a tricky distance, the kick sailed over, no doubt helping Elms clinch the player of the match award from joint matchday sponsors Honest Heath’s Pension and RPH Surfacing. With the final whistle sounding immediately after, Mansfield had weathered the storm and claimed a 16-13 victory.

This was a result that Mansfield will savour. Burton had not played like a team at the bottom of the table and deserve credit for so nearly claiming their first victory of the season. But Mansfield had to fight an uphill battle, both literally and figuratively, to keep themselves in the game and ultimately drag themselves over the finish line. The final ten minutes showed a cohesiveness and cohesion that will yield more results as it develops over the season.