Calum Butcher marks Mansfield debut with equaliser

Posted Sunday, September 03, 2017 by PA

A debut goal from Calum Butcher earned Mansfield a 1-1 draw against Carlisle.

The former MIllwall midfielder took his chance well after Kane Hemmings had missed a second-half penalty for Stags which would have levelled up Hallam Hope's early goal for Carlisle.

Carlisle had the first clear chance in the 14th minute when Mark Ellis thumped a header against the crossbar.

A minute later Carlisle were in front when Luke Joyce sent Hope racing clear from just inside the Mansfield half. Hope kept his cool to slip the ball past Stags' goalkeeper Conrad Logan.

Jack Bonham preserved Carlisle's lead with a brilliant save to turn away a Jacob Mellis rocket shot and then produced an even better fingertip stop to prevent a Hemmings 20-yard free-kick from finding the corner of the net just before the break.

The Carlisle goalkeeper was his team's hero again five minutes into the second half, beating away Hemmings' penalty after Tom Miller had fouled Stags skipper Paul Anderson.

However, Bonham was finally beaten in the 58th minute when Butcher seized on the goalkeeper's punched clearance to lob the ball back over his head and into the vacant goal from 25 yards. Butcher had only been on two minutes, as substitute for Mellis.

Carlisle sub Shaun Miller hit the post 10 minutes from the end, but neither side could find a winner.