Fulham held on to a claim a final day point at Mansfield Town this afternoon despite having to play more than an half an hour with ten men after the second half dismissal of midfielder Leo Donellan.
Mansfield, preparing for next week’s trip to Wembley for the final of the Freight Rover Trophy, made the perfect start when Mark Kearney volleyed home a sweet seventh-minute strike. The Stags had the better of the first half against Ray Lewington’s rejigged and youthful Fulham outfit but were punished for failing to make the most of their dominance seven minutes after half time when veteran striker Gordon Davies drove home from close range after Donnellan had nodded down a deep cross from Richard Langley.
Donnellan, who had already been booked than landed a punch into the chest of Kearney after he had been fouled, leaving the referee with little chance but give the Fulham midfielder his marching orders. But the home side proved far too impotent to breach the massed defence mounted by the visitors’ ten men in the final 25 minutes, with Keith Cassells wasting their best chance when he headed over the bar despite being unmarked eight yards out.
MANSFIELD TOWN: Hitchcock; Graham, Garner, Lowery, Kenworthy, Foster, Kent, Danskin, Whatmore, Cassells, Kearney. Subs (not used): Stringfellow.
BOOKED: Cassells, Kearney.
GOAL: Kearney (7).
FULHAM: Batty; Oakes, Hopkins, Carr, Langley, Scott, Donnellan, Skinner, Barnett, Davies, Pike. Subs (not used): Achampong.
BOOKED: Oakes, Hopkins, Donnellan.
SENT OFF: Donnellan.
GOAL: Davies (52).
REFEREE: Robbie Hart (Darlington).
ATTENDANCE: 2,754.
