Flitcroft proud of Stags’ display despite disputed Charlton equaliser

Posted Monday, November 12, 2018 by PA

League Two Mansfield Town earned a 1-1 home draw and FA Cup replay with visiting League One Charlton Athletic, but boss David Flitcroft was adamant the Addicks’ equaliser was offside.

CJ Hamilton’s burst of pace saw him open the scoring on the stroke of half-time for the Stags, who are now 12 games unbeaten.

However, Toby Stevenson poked a loose ball over the line on 73 minutes to level with replays suggesting he was offside.

“I don’t think the linesman or any of his team have helped him out. But it’s an important decision the referee’s got wrong,” said Flitcroft.

“I have seen it afterwards and the kid was offside. If he’d not touched it, it wouldn’t have mattered, but he did.”

He added: “We have taken a League One team on today, but not in League Two style.

“I am gutted we are not in the next round outright, but we’ve still got a chance. We are still in there fighting and that’s important in the cup.

“I told them (his players) at the end to be proud of themselves as they have stood man for man on a very important, unique day, representing the club and the town.”

Mansfield dominated an open first half and Hamilton clipped a post while Neal Bishop and Krystian Pearce had efforts stopped on the line.

But injury-hit Charlton wasted the best chance as George Lapslie sidefooted wide from six yards in the 14th minute.

Mansfield were deservedly in front at half-time as Hamilton raced away down the left onto Mal Benning’s pass before drilling the ball home off the inside of the far post from 16 yards.

Charlton improved after the break and equalised through Stevenson’s finish from a deflected low cross.

Bobby Olejnik then denied them a winner as he got in the way of Nicky Ajose’s finish when one-on-one.

But Jacob Mellis also shaved the Charlton post and Hamilton had another effort well saved by Dillion Phillips.

Dejected Addicks boss Lee Bowyer said: “Yes we stay in the cup, but it was the worst outcome possible for us – and now we have got to play Tuesday and a lot of them that played today will have to play 48 hours later which is ridiculous.

“It is what it is. We can’t change it and we should have won the game anyway. We’ve missed three clear cut chances first half and Nicky (Ajose) was one-on-one second half. But we weren’t ruthless enough.

“We didn’t play well first half. I thought we were poor. We didn’t pass the ball.

“We were a little bit better second half but overall I was disappointed.

“But they were below par today and they know it. That’s the experienced players you rely on too that have been here a million times.”