Disappointing Night at the Forest Town Arena | Match Report: Skegness Town

It was a disappointing night under the lights at the Forest Town Arena as AFC Mansfield fell to defeat against Skegness Town in the league.

The Bulls had chances to make their mark on the game but failed to take them when they came, with a lack of quality going forward ultimately costing The Bulls the points.

The first chance of the game for The Bulls came with just five minutes played, when Ryan Ingram broke away and fired a shot which was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper.

Only a couple of minutes had passed before Ingram was involved in the action again, this time dragging his shot wide and setting an early precedent for what was to come in the game.

Skegness Town’s first chance of the game came next, when Matt Clarke rose well to meet a long throw but couldn’t quite connect cleanly with his header.

Man of the Match Kian Sketchley had an attempt on target shortly after with a half-volley, which was well saved by Skegness keeper Jake Sykes, who, by all accounts, had a decent game for the away side.

The Bulls attempted to make something from a well-worked corner, but frustratingly Ryan Ingram couldn’t get his shot on target.

The first goal of the game came from Skegness Town when Liam Adams played in Lucas Dakin, who slid his shot past Turton to give the visitors the lead.

The Bulls responded well, putting together some great passages of football, capped off when Sketchley struck the ball brilliantly from outside the area, only to see his effort cannon back off the crossbar.

Literally minutes later, Sketchley was involved again, finding space before unleashing another long-range effort and forcing the away keeper into a great save.

The second half started in much the same fashion, with The Bulls applying pressure in search of an equaliser. Sketchley was involved once again, seeing his volley saved by the goalkeeper.

However, it was Skegness Town who struck next, as Dakin doubled his side’s lead with a header from a set piece in the 58th minute.

A third goal came shortly after following a poor piece of defending from The Bulls, allowing Dakin to break free and slot the ball home to complete his hat-trick.

The Bulls’ task was made even more difficult when Ryan Ingram was shown a red card, leaving AFC Mansfield to finish the game with ten men.

The Bulls were awarded a penalty for handball inside the box, which Sketchley converted with a well-struck spot-kick to cap off his Man of the Match performance.