Sheffield United and Mansfield Town have enjoyed only four seasons together in the Football League – surprisingly the pair have met in all three leagues of the league tier system but will go sometime before we meet in the Premier League.
Our first encounter came in the Second Division during the 1977/78 season, drawing 1-1 away from home and winning 2-0 at home. Within two years to pair had fallen from grace and found themselves in the Third tier – United completed the double over their rivals, winning 4-3 at the Mill and 1-0 at the Lane.
Our record breaking Fourth Division saw the Blades beat Town by four goals to one at Bramall Lane on 20 October, but failed to cap the double when they drew 1-1 at Field Mill on 8 March, but this still didn’t prevent United from winning the league at a cantor.
We had to wait a further six years until our horns locked path again and in the Third Division ended up facing one another four times due to FA Cup encounters. It was in the domestic cup where we first started an epic quartet of matches, on 19 November 1988 the pair drew 1-1 at the Mill and three days later United won their first round tie 2-1 in the replay – the Blades saw off Doncaster Rovers (3-1) and Huddersfield Town (1-0) away from home.
They met Colchester United in round four and after a 3-3 draw at Bramall Lane won the replay 2-0 at Layer Road. They were finally eliminated a round later when they lost 3-2 at First Division Norwich City.
In April that same season they finally met in the league, it was to be another memorable season for the Blades as this season formed the first part of their back-to-back promotions when they rose from third tier to the top in two seasons. On 4 April the Blades won 1-0 away from home but 3 weeks later suffered a setback when Town won 2-1 in S2 – the only time they have beaten United at Bramall Lane.
Since our last competitive fixture; United and Town have met three times in friendlies, all at Field Mill
- 06/09/1994 Town 1-2 United (Bill Dearden Testimonial)
- 28/07/2008 Town 1-3 United
- 10/07/2010 Town 1-0 United
Mansfield Town 1-0 Sheffield United
Saturday, 10th July 2010 (Report by BME)
The World Cup is almost complete. Football fans are beginning to turn their attentions closer to home now their domestic clubs are back in action. Blades fans got the chance to see their stars (and the odd triallist and academy player here and there) back on turf this afternoon. New signings Daniel Bogdanovic, Leon Britton, Johnny Ertl, Steve Simonsen and Simon Walton all donned the red and white stripes for the first time in an excusable loss to David Holdsworth's Mansfield Town.
The starting line-up featured a few unfamiliar faces; Murillo, Williams and Berios all on trial. Trying to impress in the second-half were Vandelannoite, Edjenguele and Berios again. Kevin Blackwell made 10 changes at the interval; Berios the only survivor. The game was, I'm sure all 826 Unitedites who made the short trip to Nottinghamshire would agree, drab. Mansfield looked the sharpest and more eager, and they came away with the spoils with a goal from Briscoe in the second-half. Brisoce, from close-range, slotted the ball past Aksalu with ease in the Blades goal.
The Stags found it difficult to break their pre-season duck in the first-half, though. As did the Blades, funnily enough. Steve Simonsen, airing the brand new PURPLE goalkeeper kit, pulled off a few fines saves. Notably, he impressively saved in a one-on-one situation. In the same half, Ched Evans and Daniel Bogdanovic, who did nothing for the rest of the half, combined well on a sweet counter-attack. Evans' volley at Marriot in the Mansfield goal was saved. Simon Walton had to be replaced with half an hour elapsing - he was eventually stretchered off at half-time. It didn't look that too serious.
The Mansfield keeper produced two fine saves in the second-half; both fingertips over the crossbar from Cresswell and then Foster. United probably should have had a penalty when M. Boulding quite blatantly handled in the penalty area. In the dying embers, United struck the Stags goalkeeper's far-post with a hopeful cross. Overall, despite the loss, the fixture was all about getting players fit and match practice, as well as coming through unscathed. Simon Walton, though, was a casualty. The atmosphere generated by the Blades fans, especially those in one corner, was very impressive for a pre-season friendly. It was reassuring to see Gary Speed on the touchlines amid the Swansea managerial hot seat speculation, however, Stephen Quinn and Darius Henderson weren't present. Jamie Ward did travel to Field Mill but played no part, despite having several shots at an empty goal before the game got underway. Richard Cresswell was running on empty, Kyel Reid looked promising and Morgs and Monty were as you'd expect. It was difficult to put names to faces with the triallists, but it's safe to say that there weren't too many outstanding impressions (I know that isn't much help for those who didn't attend, so my apologies).
First half: Simonsen, Murillo, Williams, Berios, Morgan, Chappell, Montgomery, Walton, Yeates, Evans, Bogdanovic.
Second half: Aksalu, Vandelannoite, Edjenguele, Berios, Taylor, Lowton, Ertl, Britton, Reid, Foster, Cresswell. Unused: Roe, Brown.
Football League Results:
|
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
Home |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
4 |
|
Away |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
5 |
|
Total |
8 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
17 |
9 |
Past Results:
|
Season |
Date |
Home |
Score |
Away |
Competition |
|
1988/1989 |
Tue 25 Apr |
Sheff. Utd. |
1 - 2 |
Mansfield Town |
Third Division |
|
Tue 04 Apr |
Mansfield Town |
0 - 1 |
Sheff. Utd. |
Third Division |
|
|
Tue 22 Nov |
Sheff. Utd. |
2 - 1 |
Mansfield Town |
F.A. Cup |
|
|
Sat 19 Nov |
Mansfield Town |
1 - 1 |
Sheff. Utd. |
F.A. Cup |
|
|
1981/1982 |
Mon 08 Mar |
Mansfield Town |
1 - 1 |
Sheff. Utd. |
Fourth Division |
|
Tue 20 Oct |
Sheff. Utd. |
4 - 1 |
Mansfield Town |
Fourth Division |
|
|
1979/1980 |
Sat 09 Feb |
Sheff. Utd. |
1 - 0 |
Mansfield Town |
Third Division |
|
Sat 22 Sep |
Mansfield Town |
3 - 4 |
Sheff. Utd. |
Third Division |
|
|
1977/1978 |
Sat 04 Mar |
Sheff. Utd. |
2 - 0 |
Mansfield Town |
Second Division |
|
Sat 08 Oct |
Mansfield Town |
1 - 1 |
Sheff. Utd. |
Second Division |