Wycombe Wanderers 1 Mansfield Town 1

Last updated : 05 December 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Wycombe and Mansfield Town fought out an entertaining 1-1 draw in the second round of the FA Cup at the Causeway Stadium.

The game started brightly for the visitors who were looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven games.

Top scorer Liam Lawrence tested home keeper Frank Talia in the third minute, the Australian being forced into the first of several top-class saves.

Junior Mendes was the next visitor to test the impressive Talia, but once again the scoresheet remained blank as the keeper pulled off a fabulous save, diving to his left.

In the 19th minute the former Leyton Orient striker Iyseden Christie was next to squander a chance to open the scoring, shooting wide of an open goal after Talia had raced out to rescue his under-pressure defence.

Having survived a torrid opening, the Chairboys came into the game and Darren Currie somehow managed to fail to connect with a cross from Gavin Holligan on 21 minutes.

Four minutes later the home side produced their best move of the half. As a Mansfield free-kick was cleared Currie fed the lively Jermaine McSporran and his pinpoint cross was headed over by raiding fullback Danny Senda.

McSporran again was the provider of two more excellent crosses, which were squandered by Holligan and Craig Faulconbridge.

The second half began in sensational style. From Mansfield's first corner of the half, Rhys Day crashed the ball against the bar, Christie smashed the rebound against the post and the ball was cleared by a Talia punch out to home midfielder Danny Bulman.

He streaked down the right and sent in a superb cross which was converted by Holligan in the 53rd minute.

Mansfield deservedly equalised after a spate of corners on the hour. The delivery of the corner from Lawrence caused panic in the jittery home defence and Christie forced the ball home.

The same player had a golden opportunity to enhance his glowing reputation but as the ball broke to him in the 70th minute he flashed his shot just wide of the post with Talia beaten.

Currie almost had the home fans in raptures with ten minutes left but his 20-yard shot flew just wide of the right-hand post. Both sides had opportunities to win the tie in the closing stages, but in the end a draw was a fair result.