Match Report: Notts County once again disappoint as Mansfield Town claim 2-0 win at Field Mill

Sigh...

Pretty much everything that could have gone wrong for Notts County in the first half of this season has gone wrong.

You can add defeat in the Nottinghamshire derby to that as Mansfield Town ran out 2-0 winners against the Magpies at Field Mill in Neal Ardley's League Two debut for his new side.

In all fairness, the stats do favour the Stags (58% possession, 17 shots, 7 on target) but aside from possession (42%), Notts didn't seem to have done too badly themselves on that front (10 shots, 5 on target, 4 corners).

But once again it's that old chestnut of poor defending that saw Mansfield get themselves on the scoresheet and claim three points and bragging rights (once again).

The first half was a fairly exciting affair, with both sides trading blows, but it was the hosts who drew first blood on 37 minutes as Mal Benning lofted the ball to the far post from the left and CJ Hamilton turned home.

The goalscorer then rattled the Notts crossbar early after the restart as the Stags began the second half on the front foot.

Eventually, Hamilton doubled the lead on 63 minutes, making a mockery of the visitors' defence - including a Cruyff turn in their box - to fire home low from 10 yards after Mellis had fed him from the right.

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