Match Preview

The Fenmen return to Nottinghamshire on Saturday to take on AFC Mansfield, who have made a poor start to the season.
Mansfield, nicknamed The Bulls, are struggling near the foot of the UCL Premier Division North with four points from seven matches, although their one win was a surprise 2-1 success at Loughborough Students on August 19.
Last Saturday they crashed out of the UCL Cup, losing 6-0 at home to Ashby Ivanhoe, and their last league match was a 3-0 reverse at home to Deeping Rangers.
However, they managed to progress to the next round of the FA Vase, winning a penalty shootout at St Andrews (Leicester) after the match finished all square at 2-2.
Last season the Fenmen achieved the double over The Bulls, winning the first game of the season with a late Leon Mettam strike and achieving a 4-1 success at Mansfield in January with goals from Rob Conyard, Amir Ward, Sisa Tuntulwana and Arun Jones. Mansfield struggled last season and finished third from bottom.
The Bulls are based in Forest Town, a suburb of Mansfield, and play at the Forest Town Arena.

Club History

AFC Mansfield were formed in June 2012 by three former directors of Mansfield Town. The new club competed in the Central Midlands League North Division, finishing runners-up in their first season and winning the division in 2013/14. This resulted in promotion to Division One of the Northern Counties East League finishing seventh in 2014/15 and the following season they finished runners-up, earning promotion to the Premier Division.
The 2017/18 season was perhaps the best in the club’s brief history to date, with The Bulls enjoying a lengthy FA Cup run and clinching promotion to the Northern Premier League East Division. In the cup they beat Hall Road Rangers, Quorn, Dunkirk and Rushall Olympic before being beaten by National League North Boston United in the third qualifying round.
Despite finishing outside the relegation zone, the club were demoted to the Northern Counties East League's Premier Division at the end of the 2018/19 season after their ground failed to meet the necessary standard. After several seasons there followed another move to the United Counties League.

Courtesy of Adrian Lynn