At the start of this season, the hope for Mansfield’s senior men’s team was surely just to regroup and take each game as it comes, one foot in front of the other. What that has resulted in is a much improved cohesion between this group of players. While the unbeaten run did unfortunately come to an end with a loss at Syston last week, they bounced back this week and made sure that was but a mere hiccup. Victory this week would have seen them secure promotion, nobody else able to displace them from either of the top two spots in the table. In truth, due to Gainsborough being unable to secure a replacement front row, this game was won and promotion secured before the first whistle was even blown. However, that’s not brought up now to diminish the achievement of the blue-and-whites, more so to highlight the fact Gainsborough, knowing this game had no more league bearing, still turned up and played with full commitment. That said, the home team were in full celebration mode and racked up one of the biggest scores seen at Eakring Road in a long time.

Head coach Anthony Jones was unsurprisingly thrilled: ‘I don’t think I have the words to really show how much this means to everyone. Just very proud of the whole squad!’

The first half saw Mansfield rack up the majority of their points, using every opportunity they had to utilise space out wide, retain good ball through the rucks and mauls and play with both a speed and calmness that allowed them to keep the soreboard ticking over. The scoreline will ultimately take the focus of this game but, again, this afternoon wouldn’t have happened without a spirited Gainsborough side literally turning up. They never stopped tackling, never stopped frustrating the ball in the rucks and competing at the lineout. For their efforts, they did not go away empty handed, scoring a solitary try after a period of sustained pressure that the home team were unable to contain. The conversion was missed but it meant their full efforts didn’t go unrewarded.

Mansfield built up 82 points in the first half and added 42 in the second. The scoring started almost immediately and each try followed a relatively similar pattern: secure good ball, put it through the phases, find or create just a touch space and then exploit it. It worked in the middle of the park and out wide, the home team able to play with a calmness and cohesion that meant every player, a singular cog in a bigger machine, made sure they helped to keep the scoreboard moving.

The scoring was opened up by captain Lewis Cowlishaw, whose distribution was the pivot for the rest of the afternoon’s conveyor belt of attacks. Joining him on the score sheet were a list of forwards and backs, experienced and new, all doing their bit to keep the hydraulics chugging away. Zane Chiappetta, Rio Turner and Josh Housely all grabbed one for their season’s tally. Sam Blackwell, Kyan Johnson, Alfie Russell and Phil Pogmore grabbed a brace each and Reece Flowers-Lane grabbed a full quartet, even adding a dropped goal conversion to really sum up a brilliant afternoon. However, while Flowers-Lane’s bounty should really take the headlines, he perhaps won’t mind losing out on this one occasion to debutant Liam Spencer, a colts graduate who not only managed to bag a brace of his own on his senior debut but played like a man who belonged. No doubt this is not the last we’ll see of him in the first team. Taran Elms was as reliable with the boots as usual, adding 16 conversions

This performance saw Spencer grab the player of the match award from matchday sponsors Woodforde’s Brewery. Spencer shared his debut match with two others, Eden O’Hagen and Harrison Longden, the three of them showing great grit and determination throughout. Quite the debut.

This victory, and promotion, are a credit to the work Mansfield have put in after the darkness of last season. While promotion is secured, the league is still up for grabs and with four games left, the head of the table is not guaranteed to anyone. Of Mansfield’s last 4 games, only one is at home, making this a difficult final stretch. Mansfield’s aim now must be to take the rest of the season by the scruff of the neck and, to paraphrase the great Ted Lasso: win the whole freaking thing!