Mansfield Town 2–2 AFC Wimbledon
Two equalisers. One point. One step closer.
A week on from Bradford, this was less champagne, more grit between the teeth. Mansfield away is not where you go for flowing football and warm feelings. It is where you go to see what you are made of.
We were made of something stubborn.
The Team
Unchanged.
Johnnie Jackson stuck with the same team and the same bench that beat Bradford. No tinkering. No cleverness. Just trust in what worked.
Or if you are so inclined, a deluded lack of tactical knowledge and bravery where he just keeps doing the same thing until it doesn’t work anymore.
The Match
Seven minutes in and we were behind.
Victor Adeboyejo ran into the sort of space that makes defensive coaches stare into the middle distance. Cut back. Jon Russell finished. 1–0.
It could have unravelled. It did not.
Seven minutes later, James Tilley produced one of those moments that changes the temperature of a game. It was all about the assist. A beauty. Febcock robbed a weak goal kick before laying off a beautiful pass to Tilley. All he had to do was surge through three half-challenges and hit one from 20 yards that kissed the post on its way in. And he did. 1–1.
Mansfield were not done. Lucas Akins headed over when he should have scored. Russell did not miss again when Tyler Roberts dropped one over the top. 2–1.
Half time. Behind. Not broken.
Second half, we were sharper. More intent. Hippolyte and Tilley combined down the left. Close.
Then the key moment. Stevens brought down but our ex Captain Deji Oshilaja. The world’s smallest centre back. Thanks Mate. Penalty.
A delay long enough for everyone in the away end to replay every bad penalty we have ever taken. Stevens waited. Sent Liam Roberts the wrong way. 2–2.
From there it was chaos.
Oates missed. Bishop saved. Bauer blocked. Ogundere recovered like his life depended on it. Browne had a late free kick blocked by the wall.
It ended level. Breathless. Hard-earned.
Womble of the Week: Marcus Browne.
He was involved in everything that mattered. Driving us forward. Winning territory. Pulling defenders out of shape. When he plays with this edge, we look like a team with ideas rather than one hoping for accidents.
Which brings us to the obvious point.
Sign him up. Increase his wages by an average of 13 percent. That feels fair. That is, after all, the going rate for increases in this part of South West London.
Closing Thoughts
This is what clawing towards safety looks like.
Not a grand charge. Not a dramatic escape act. Just a sensible well managed team recovering from a bad January to have a good February.
We are not safe yet, but we are getting there slowly.
Oh, and we need to keep Browne fit.
WombleWorld
Robin Bedford has created a new Facebook group dedicated to the merits of washing kits at 40 degrees regardless of levels of mud, provided you add a confident splash of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. It currently has three members. He is delighted.