As Christmas presents go this was not a bad one for the AFC faithful. 13-0 is a score-line that comes rarely and it equalled the all-time highest score in the NCEL Premier Division. The clues were there about what was to come when The Bulls had three efforts blocked in the opening 5 minutes. Grant Allott, Ryan Williams and Ollie Fearon seeing some desperate defending denying the opening goal.
We didn’t have to wait long when on 14 minutes Jimmy Ghaichemcut in from the left wriggling past 3 defenders before hitting a low drive past the outstretched Adam Valente. Ghaichem was in impressive form and would normally have picked up the man of the match award but that was going to another who made a special debut for the club.
Bradshaw went close a couple of more times before AFC Mansfield doubled their lead on 30 minutes. The move began with Ghaichem who moved it on to Danny Patterson. Patterson found Williams who in turn found Bradshaw in the box. At this point the striker could have gone for goal himself but produced a sublime chip to the far post to give Ollie Fearon the simplest of finishes.
Bradshaw was again threatening, firstly he curled his effort wide after a neat turn in the box and then Adam Valente dived full length to turn his low drive around the post.
Just before the break Ghaichem was upended in the box and it looked as if it would be 3-0 going into the break. Up stepped Jason White for his 5th penalty of the season. Some delaying tactics from Valente saw the ball re-spotted, Valente was sent the wrong way by White but his chipped penalty skimmed the bar and it remained 2-0 at the break. If Valente thought he had gotten one over the home side, he wasn’t prepared for what was to come in the 2nd half.
Within 3 minutes of the re-start The Bulls were 3-0 up. A Ghaichem cross was met on the volley by Matty Plummer and it flew past Valente into the net.
Ollie Fearon got his 2nd on 52 minutes, cutting in from the left past two players before firing past Valente to make it 4. A minute later and Fearon gets a touch on a Bradshaw effort to make it 5 and his hat-trick.
Manager Rudy Funk bought captain Danny Patterson off and introduced new signing James Cullingworth for his debut. Within minutes of him coming on Cullingworth had gotten on the scoresheet with a low drive from the edge of the box.
Another substitute then got in on the act, Lynton Karkach cut in from the left and drilled his effort past Valente to make it 7. Ghaichem provided the cross on 72 minutes that Ryan Williams finished off to make it 8-0.
From the kick-off AFC regained possession and the ball fell to Cullingworth 25 yards out who hit a superb drive that left Valente rooted to the spot as it flew into the top corner for number 9.
Double figures came on 77 minutes, Jason Paling’s initial effort was saved by Valente but the ball came back to him and a little layoff to Karkach saw the striker neatly place the ball into the bottom corner.
Gary Bradshaw finally got the goal he deserved on 80 minutes, finishing from inside the box to ake it 11-0. The Bulls weren’t finished yet, 2 minutes later and Cullingworth made it 12-0 and a hat-trick on his debut.
The icing on the cake for Cullingworth was a 4th goal 2 minutes from time, another low drive inside the box to give him 4 goals in 30 minutes and the Man of the Match award.
It finished 13-0 and in truth could have been a lot more, according to reports the manager and most of the players have left the club. The new manager, Matt ‘Willy’ Wilson will have just over a week to put together a side before facing Armthorpe Welfare on Boxing Day.
AFC Mansfield have Handsworth Parramore to contend with on Boxing Day at their Sandy Lane home in Worksop.
AFC Mansfield: White, Plummer, Dudley, Allott (Paling 65), Cheeseman, D’Laryea, Williams, Patterson (C) (Cullingworth 60), Fearon (Karkach 62), Bradshaw, Ghaichem. Subs not used: Timons & Naylor.
Retford Utd: Valente, Betts, Amendola, Adkins (C), MacNeil, Tully, Walker, Bennett, Johal, Dear, Walters. Subs: Addelsee, Raby, Shannon & Wright.
Referee: Mr Mark Tinsley (Notts)
Assistants: Mr Jordan Bancroft (Notts) & Mr David Constable (Derbys)
Attendance: 98
MoM: James Cullingworth