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That had gone as expected, and Anderson had agreed terms there and then, so both he and Waldron would take their place on the bench for the final game of Pre Season. That game wasn't as difficult a test as the previous one, as Bishop Auckland were the final opponents. Peter wasn't too happy about finishing off with a side in the 7th tier of the pyramid, but he hadn't arranged the games so there was nothing he could do about it, and he made several changes for the game, bringing in Dawe, Bose, Vance Warner, Kevin Pilkington and Karl Owen all starting the match. The side from the North East did have a threat, Michael Dunwell having scored 34 and assisted 23 the previous season, but he was kept fairly quiet by Vance Warner's man marking in the first half, and by the time the half time whistle was blown, the game was effectively over, Peter having watched his side smash four goals past their hapless opponents. Stuart Dawe had headed home the first, using his height to rise and power home a header from a Bose cross, before Bose himself grabbed the second, playing a really nice one two with Moukoko and striking a low shot into the bottom corner. Agustin grabbed the third, a rare goal from the Spaniard, as he curled a ball home from the edge of the area, while his midfield compatriot, Simon Rusk, grabbed the fourth just before the break, poking home after a scramble in the area. The second half saw several changes introduced gradually, and while there was only one more goal, Dawe firing home on the run, the win gave them huge confidence for the season opener, with their fitness and footballing levels almost at the standard Peter wanted -- "Ready for the first game?" Charlotte had cooked dinner on the Friday night, as she was travelling early to Lincoln in the morning "Yeah I think we're in good shape. Lads have worked hard on their fitness and we're almost at the right level" "Good. By the way, I think it's lovely what you're doing for that young lad tomorrow" She smiled across at him "Well the fans are important and it's nice for them to feel like they get something back off the players" "Definitely. So what time are you meeting him?" "11am. He's spending time with me then the lads, before going into the VIP section for kick off" -- "Martin, welcome. And this must be Shaun?" The nervous looking lad nodded his head "Well, I'm delighted you're both here. I'm going to take you on a tour round the ground, before you meet the players, if that's OK?" Martin looked astounded "Really? I thought it was just a tour?" "Well I arranged for you to meet the lads as a little surprise, and then I'll escort you to your seats around 1.30 for food before the game" He flashed a wide smile and gestured for them to follow him

There were only two more games scheduled for the remainder of Pre Season, and the first of these was a visit from Charlton. They had barely survived in the Premiership the previous season so it would be a good test to see how far they'd come in the last 12 months. Greenacre was back in the team, having recovered, while Williamson, Kozluk, Easton, Rusk and Arber all also returned to the team for the game. Rusk had not played too much towards the end of the previous season, mainly because of Agustin's good form, but also because he had a little niggle when he joined, but in this game, he was absolutely imperious, controlling the pace and dictating the tempo of the game from his role in the midfield. The Scotsman was spraying passes all over the place in the early minutes, and it was one of these that led to the opening goal, as he found Liam Lawrence, the winger jinking into the box, cutting the ball back for Greenacre, and the striker slotting home calmly into the net. It had been an impressive start from his side, but as Peter expected, Charlton showed their Premiership quality and took a hold of the game as the first half drew to a close, and they drew level just before the break, Claus Jensen and Jonatan Johansson combining to set up Kevin Lisbie, and the striker finished really well underneath Tony Warner The second half saw mass changes on both sides, but it led to a more open game. Jensen, Johansson and Jason Euell all had good chances, Warner's save from Jensen in particular a world class save, while Greenacre (twice), Renner and Easton all missed good opportunities too, but both sides did manage to score another goal each to finish the game level, a result that was probably fair. Lisbie sent Euell racing through, and while he saw his original shot parried, it fell back to him and he slotted home past the stranded 'keeper. It took until five minutes from the end to grab the equaliser, Renner receiving the ball on the edge or the area, skipping past his man onto his right foot and firing a shot into the top corner. He had staked a claim towards the end of the previous season for a regular place and he looked set to prove once again he wanted a permanent place in the team .. "So John, what can you tell me about your career so far?" "Well I started as youth team scout at Forest. Did six years there, before being promoted to First Team scout" "OK. So you've got experience with both youth and senior teams?" He nodded "Yeah. I'm willing to work with either too. I just want to get back into the game to be honest" "I understand that. Well to be honest, you're by far the best candidate. I want a scout who'll work closely with me, regularly get together and has the same vision as me" Another nod "I can get on board with that. I'd be happy to work closely with a manager, I don't think it happens as much as it should personally" Peter stood up and reached his hand across the table "John, you're hired. Take the weekend to get yourself sorted and start on Monday?" He took his hand "Sounds good to me. Thanks a lot Peter" So with Spencer Field's replacement hired, 39 year old John Waldron, Peter was happy, but he felt he needed an extra coach too, and with interviews lined up for the next day, he was hoping to have both Waldron and a new coach in place by the Monday, meaning they would be on the bench for the start of the season. He had already identified the coach he wanted, Inga Anderson, recently let go from Brentford, and he would ideally want him as his next coach, but that would depend on several factors, including the interview

Despite not having lots of transfer activity, either in or out, Peter felt this was better for team morale, as the players would know he trusted them, but that wasn't far from the truth. He had confidence in the team that had brought them up, and he was more than sure that they could not only survive, but maybe even push for the top six and grab a Play Off place. Although he kept this to himself, knowing survival was all that was required of him from the board. That said, they still had one more game of their Irish tour to play, which was against the big boys, the defending champions, Bohemians They would provide a stern test as they were a good side, with European experience, so again he started his best available team, for the second time in three games. This didn't include Greenacre, who still hadn't fully recovered and would only take a place on the bench, but Dawe had been impressive in the previous game and deserved to keep his place. The Bohemians side included players such as Avery John, Glenn Crowe and (how have they pulled this off?!) Stephen Clemence, and their quality showed early on, as they created a couple of really good openings that needed Tony Warner at his best to keep them out. Crowe was proving a nuisance all game, as you might expect from a man who scored 33 goals the previous campaign, and needless to say, he was the man who scored the opener, outmuscling Jamie Clarke and firing past Warner. Peter couldn't deny that the home side were a better team than his side, but he was proud of the way they came back into it in the second half, showing what they were made of, and it was only ten minutes into the half that they levelled things up, Dawe using all of his 6'4 frame to meet Hartmann's cross and bulleting a header into the far corner. He should have put them ahead not long after, dragging the ball wide after being played in by Geir Olsen, and they would live to regret that miss, as Crowe laid off the ball for Avery John, who saw his shot parried and Trevor Molloy followed it up quicker than everyone else, and his goal would end the tour with a 2-1 defeat -- Peter had kept in touch with the fan he had interacted with last season, Martin Leigh, to keep updated on the condition of his nephew, and he had arranged a special treat for them both, with a special VIP day for their opening home game of the season. He had arranged it all, told Martin, who was thrilled, and it was nice to do something like that for a fan. He had also informed the players that they would be spending time with them before the game, which they seemed receptive to. The flight back, despite being at 6.15 in the morning, was buoyant, the team feeling they had got plenty out of the tour, both fitness and playing wise, so things had started well for them "How was the tour?" Charlotte had booked dinner that night, and after an Italian, they had headed to a little local pub for a drink "It was good. The lads got plenty out of it and I think we're not far off being fully fit" "That's good. Do you think you'll manage OK in Division Two?" He nodded "As it happens I do. I think we have a good squad, the core of the lads did really well last year, and I don't think there's much difference between Division Two and Three" "That's good. I've got to cover most of Division Three so I might be asking for some insider knowledge" They both laughed "I'm sure you'll do just fine on your own love"

Eight changes to the starting eleven from the first game were made for the second game, as Finn Harps provided the opposition this time around. Youngsters such as Dawe, Renner, Bose, Beckham and Karl Owen started, and they all must have got together and decided to stake their claim for a regular place, because they played some scintillating football early on. Dawe was using his powerful frame to hold the ball up, and he was bringing the likes of Renner and Bose into play, and it was Bose who had the best early chance, collecting the ball from Dawe's flick on, and curling a shot that was just tipped over the bar. David Edwards was running the game from the midfield, and his passing was magnificent, and one of those passes set up the opener for Dawe, a threaded, curling ball into the path of the big striker, and he took it on the chest to control it, allowed it to drop into his feet and smashed it into the corner like a bullet. The home side didn't have an answer, and they found themselves two behind at the break, a long pass from Clint Easton finding Michael Beckham, and the youngster let the ball drop before before hitting a beautifully timed volley into the goal, dipping it over the 'keeper Again, mass changes came at half time, and it allowed them to control the game, easily finding space and creating opportunities, but to be fair to Finn Harps, their goalkeeper Damien Bradley kept them in it, making several saves in the second half. Amit Bose impressed, and he was playing passes through the defence, but even though Dawe, Renner and Moukoko all missed, it was the Turkish born youngster that settled it with the third goal, lovely feet from him seeing him wriggling free and able to side foot the ball past Bradley and secure another win -- "Morning gaffer" He looked up from his table to see Russell Beardsmore entering the room "Morning Russ. You're up early?" "Thought you'd want to hear the news. Williamson has agreed terms" He put his cup down on the table "That's brilliant news. What changed his mind?" "Apparently Torquay didn't make enough effort to re sign him. Their loss eh?" "Absolutely. He flying out?" "No, he's coming in on Monday morning" The chasing of Torquay's young defender Mike Williamson had paid off, and he had finally agreed, after much haggling, to move to the club on a three year deal, following a bid of just less than ten thousand. It would bolster the defensive options, and with Clarke, Arber, and Vance Warner also fighting for spots, there was plenty of options

The opening game of the tour was against Dundalk, and he fielded his strongest possible eleven from the start, as he felt it prudent to do so. Their superior fitness showed early on, as they raced into a 3-0 lead. Moukoko opened the scoring, linking up with Greenacre and collecting the ball from the striker before sliding home into the bottom corner. The Belgian turned provider for the second, sliding a through ball for Liam Lawrence, who fired a shot on the run, lashing it into the roof of the net. Mark Arber grabbed a third late on in the half, rising highest to power home a header from Moukoko's corner, and effectively seal the win. The second half saw eight changes at half time, and this slowed the flow of the game, as expected, but despite Ciaran Malone pulling a goal back for the home side, Victor Renner and then Wouter Kos added a goal a piece to seal an emphatic first win of the Pre Season Training between games had been organised but it had been decided that they would only be light sessions so that they could focus on ball work, as he didn't want to give the players too much on their plates, but this didn't stop a couple of injuries happening over the next couple of days. Chris Greenacre picked up a slight strain, so he was wrapped up in cotton wool, while Jamie Clarke also picked up a knock, but there was an intent to start a different side for the next game, so he sat down to work out the strategy .. "Yeah it's going well. Picked up a couple of injuries but the lads were great first game" "..." "We're flying back on Saturday morning" "..." "That's fine. The lads have got Sunday off so we can go out Saturday night if you like?" "..." "Perfect. How's the new job?" "..." "Oh nice. That's gonna mean a lot of travelling then?" Charlotte had started the new job, but she'd been informed she would be spending the first three months travelling and following the Division Three fixtures, which meant their time together would be limited but at the end of the day, her career was important and he was never going to stand in the way of it

The weeks leading up to pre season had been uneventful. While he had been working, checking the free agent list, making training plans and making reports on the teams in Division Two, he had tried to spend time with Charlotte where he could. She had also been helping with appointing a new PA (although she preferred the word secretary), as she had taken the new job that had been discussed previously, so things were well in place by the time the players returned for training "Morning lads. Gather round, come on" The players shuffled round him, obviously lethargic after their summer break "Right, welcome back. Hope you all had a good summer?" Murmurs from the team "First things first, I want you all to welcome our two new lads. Rob, Clint, make yourself known..." Easton and Kozluk nodded and waved to the squad "...and boys, all introduce yourself by the end of the session. Secondly, I want you all to know that I have every faith in you stepping up to this level. I fully expect us to survive comfortably, if not push for a playoff place. So we're not going to change anything, we'll be training in a similar fashion to last year, and we'll be setting up the same way. Coz if it ain't broke, don't fix it right?" -- It was a week of solid fitness training before the balls came out, and the players were starting to improve their levels, so much so that when they left for their tour of Ireland, confidence was high. There was also a new player in the ranks, having agreed terms on a £190k deal for Clyde full back Marek Szmid. He had been on the radar the previous summer but had opted for a move to Scotland instead, but after a turbulent time, he had happily agreed the move to Field Mill. He was in the touring party too, as the 25 man party made the trip and Peter had intentions of giving all of them some game time at some point There was however, some bad news just two days before they left for Ireland. Spencer Field had knocked on his door "You wanted me gaffer?" "Spence. Come in, sit down" His scout headed into the chair opposite him "Look, I'll keep this short and sweet. We've had an approach for you from Derby. They want you as their Assistant Manager" "What? Really?" "Really. Of course, I'd love for you to stay here and you've been a massive part of the success we had last year, but I won't ever stand in the way of someone progressing. If you want to talk to them, you can, and if you choose to leave, there's no hard feelings OK?" Of course, Field had accepted the role, understandably, as it was a huge step up, so they were a head scout light before they left, and a job advert had been placed in the hope of conducting interviews on their return

"Morning Peter" He looked up to see Charlotte walking through the reception area "Morning. I thought you were off today?" "Oh I am, I've come to see you" He raised his eyebrow inquisitvely "Oh?" "Well, since the season has finished, and you can have more time off, I thought we could have dinner tonight?" "That'd be nice. Where do you want to go? I'll get it booked" "My place. I'm cooking" "Oh. OK, sure. I didn't know you could cook?" She smiled a loin tingling smile "There's a lot you don't know about me" And with that she turned and walked back through the door -- "Charlotte, that was delicious" "Really?" "Absolutely. Ever considered being a chef?" She wafted a playful slap towards him "Don't be daft. Room for dessert?" Peter smiled at her "Always. What is it?" "Trifle. I didn't make this though, I won't lie" She laid the bowl on the table, and as he picked up a spoon to dig in, she grabbed his wrist lightly "Before we start, can we talk?" "Sure. What's up?" She sat down opposite him "Well, it's about us. As you probably know, I like you, and I like spending time with you..." "I feel the same. I just worry about the age difference between us?" She nodded "I was at first too but I've realised it doesn't matter to me. And as long as it doesn't matter to you, I think we should further the relationship" He looked at her as softly as he could "I want that. I don't mind the age difference and as long as you're sure that you don't, then I'm happy" She looked him in the eyes, a smile spreading across her face, and leant across to kiss him on the lips

With the season drawing to it's conclusion, the usual awards were given out for the season. Now you'd think that with the league having been won several games ago, most of the awards would have gone to Peter and his side, but somehow the Football League saw fit to distribute them differently. Chris Greenacre picked up the top goalscorer award, thanks to his 42 goals, but Wouter Kos, after his superb season of 13 goals and 12 assists, only came second in the Player of the Year awards, losing out to Luton's Liam George. David Jervis did claim Young Player of the year honours though, aswell as a spot on the Team of the Season, but he was only joined by Moukoko in that category, while Greenacre, Kos and everyone else in the squad missed out - a baffling decision considering they won the league comfortably - but realistically, it didn't really matter The final game of the campaign was a trip to the North East to face 12th place Darlington, and while it was a party atmosphere across Mansfield, Peter was, as usual, all business, and picked his strongest available side for the game, meaning Moukoko and Kos both started despite being doubts earlier in the week. Unfortunately, it was a slow start, a couple of early defensive errors and sloppy passing allowing the home side in, and eventually they made them pay, Hunt notching home the rebound after Pilkington parried a shot into his path. This woke them up a little, and they tested the home 'keeper a couple of times, Edwards fizzing a shot across goal and Vance Warner heading straight at him, but it was star man Wouter Kos who grabbed the equaliser, his 14th of the season, when he broke free of the defense and dinked the ball brilliantly into the goal. It looked like half time would be level, until just before the break, Hunt skipping into the box and going down under a challenge from Karl Owen. The referee pointed to the spot, and Atkinson smashed it into the bottom corner to send his side in ahead at the interval The second half was a wave of yellow and blue attacks, having been told in no uncertain terms that they needed to do better, and chance after chance was repelled. Kos, Greenacre, Renner, Moukoko and Jervis all had good opportunities to level things up, and they all wasted their chances, but eventually it was Moukoko who did square things up, the Belgian using a brilliant bit of skill to jink past his man and curling the ball into the top corner. He could, and probably should have won the game near the end too, striking the foot of the post with a low drive, but the season finished with a 2-2 draw, and they could start to look ahead to Division Two .. "Well Boss, I think we can safely say it's been a good year" He sat with his coaching team having an end of season drink and lauding in their achievements "It has. I was confident at the start of the year but we've exceeded all my expectations" "Some of the signings were inspired. Wouter and Moukoko were way too good for this level. And 42 goals for Chrissy, can't ask for anymore than that" "I agree. You boys got plans for the summer?" Beardsmore nodded "Aye, I'm away with the wife. Two weeks in Tenerife" "Nice. Spence?" A shake of the head from his head scout "Nothing planned yet. Might book something late but we'll see. What about you?" "Ha. I wish. Nothing doing for me, I've got work to do. We've got a season to prepare for" Both men stared incredulously "What? Don't be silly. You need a break of some sort!" -- May 2002 Results [Division Three unless stated otherwise] Darlington 2-2 Mansfield [Kos 24, Moukoko 76 ; Hunt 8, Atkinson pen 44] Awards Player of the Year [Wouter Kos, 2nd] Young Player of the Year [David Jervis, 1st] Team of the Year [David Jervis, Moukoko] Fans Player of the Year [Chris Greenacre] Manager of the Year [Peter Daish, 1st]

Brilliant stuff this. Really enjoyable read

It had been a pleasant evening with Charlotte, and had achieved the objective of relaxing him. That relaxed mood had carried over for the next few days, even on the teams trip to 2nd placed Luton, a team looking to cement their promotion, which a win in this game would do. Understandably, because of this, they gave a very good account of themselves, making the game difficult and not allowing their visitors to play, and with a quarter of an hour gone, they took a deserved lead, Stuart Douglas rising above Jamie Clarke to nod the ball home. There was nothing they could have done, but Peter was delighted to see his side respond in the way they did, and three minutes later they were level, Liam Lawrence and Wouter Kos combining well to release Victor Renner, and the forward rounded the 'keeper and swept the ball home all in one movement. The game threatened to be an even contest, but this notion was quickly swept aside when the referee deemed Tony Warner's attempt to get the ball from Douglas as a foul, and the stopping of a goalscoring opportunity, sending the 'keeper off and changing the course of the game. Griffiths duly converted the penalty, sending his side back ahead The home side controlled the pace and tempo after that, their man advantage telling, and Peter saw his side struggle to get involved in the play. Griffiths, Douglas and Valois all had good chances, before Liam George missed an absolute sitter. Renner and Dawe were the only Mansfield players to have any semblance of a chance, Dawe striking the foot of the post and Renner sliding wide from a loose ball at the back post, but the game finished 2-1 to the home side, ensuring they would join Mansfield in Division 2 the next season .. It had been a disappointing defeat, but while there was nothing left to play for, Peter could forgive the players. He was also happy with how his squad was shaping up, confident they could survive more than comfortably in Division Two. His off field life was going well too, Charlotte providing good company, and he was really starting to like her more with each passing day. That said, he still had business to attend to, and that was a visit from Leyton Orient to wrap up April's fixtures with their 45th and penultimate game of the season. Moukoko had picked up a knock in training, so he was replaced by Adrian Littlejohn, while Vance Warner, David Edwards and David Jervis all returned to the starting eleven for the game. Warner's red card also meant that Kevin Pilkington was back between the sticks. The visitors were chasing a playoff place but needed wins in both their last two games, and they started well enough that they knew this, with Pilkington forced into three saves in the first half, but Renner, Lawrence and Kos all tested the visitors 'keeper too. The second half was an evenly tight affair, both sides trying to find the breakthrough, and both goalkeepers making a couple of saves, but eventually the winner came, David Edwards collecting a ball from Renner on the edge of the box, skipping past his marker and striking into the bottom corner to seal the game. As it was the last home game of the season, the players gave their customary lap of honour, applauding the fans across all corners of the ground, aswell as spending an hour on the field mixing and signing autographs -- April 2002 Results [Division Three unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 3-1 Bristol Rovers [Owen 37, Kos 75, Hartmann 88 ; Richards 29] Exeter 0-3 Mansfield [Lawrence m/pen 14, Lawrence 19, Edwards 84, Greenacre 90+2] Mansfield 3-3 Carlisle [Lazarus 27,65, Renner 31 ; McCann 6, Halliday 36,45+2] Luton 2-1 Mansfield [Renner 18, T.Warner s/o 26 ; Douglas 15, Griffiths pen 26] Mansfield 1-0 Leyton Orient [Edwards 84]

The season's end was drawing nearer, and this meant it was presentation time. The Football League had sent their invites out, and along with Peter, who had to collect his Manager of the Year gong, Moukoko and Jervis were invited for their team of the year spots, while Wouter Kos was invited due to being in the running for Player of the Year. Although there was some amusement at the fact only two of them had been nominated for Team of the year, and top scorer Chris Greenacre hadn't won a thing. Kos and Greenacre were both injured in training in the build up to the next game, and with nothing to play for, the title secured, it was decided they would not be selected and allowed to recuperate, so they were not in the squad for the visit of Carlisle Neil Lazarus came in to replace the Dutchman, Victor Renner continued his run of games in the side, playing in the strikers role, while Littlejohn and Geir Olsen also started the game. The visitors were stuck in mid table with nothing to play for, but you wouldn't have known it with the way they started, as they raced into an early lead, Steve Soley sending through McCann, who dinked it over Warner with aplomb. It was an explosive start and it took a little bit of time for Peter's side to get the pace of the game, but eventually they did, and it wasn't too long after Moukoko had tested the hands of the visiting 'keeper that they were level, Lazarus bombing forward to meet a Littlejohn cutback and sidefoot the ball into the goal. Lazarus turned provider four minutes later, slipping in Renner who absolutely lashed a bullet shot past the 'keeper to turn things around Credit to the visitors though, they never gave up, and they were soon level, a howler of a backpass from Karl Owen leaving Warner stranded, and Steven Halliday nipped in to round him and slip into the empty goal. Owen nearly made up for it, slamming the bar with a header, but it was a counter attack from another corner that saw the visitors take the lead, Halliday collecting Soley's pass and calmly slotting past Warner. The second half saw a much better showing from the home side, certainly defensively, and despite having several ooportunities, they couldn't find the right pass. That was until the 65th minute, when substitute Liam Lawrence found Neil Lazarus, who cut inside on his right foot and fired into the bottom corner. Carlisle burned themselves out, and Peter really should have seen his side win the game towards the end, wasting some good chances, but the score ended level -- "That's it, that is the final whistle. With that, Everton are relegated for the first time in the Premier League era. Tears will flow here at Goodison Park..." Peter reached over and flicked off the television. He was saddened to see his old side having been relegated from the Premier League. They had struggled all season, and their fate had been compounded with a heavy 3-0 defeat at Fulham. They were a magnificent club and their fans deserved much better than that He was distracted from his thoughts by a knock at the door. He opened it to see Charlotte stood there, a smile on her face and a basket in her hand "Charlotte? What are you doing here?" "Oh, Charming that is!" A slight hint of a smile was on her face as she said it "Sorry love. Come on, come in" She padded through to the lounge. She looked lovely in a pair of blue jeans, a peach sweater and a pair of white pumps "I figured you needed to relax, especially with the end of season coming up, and I know how hectic that gets" "That's true" "So, I have wine, cheese, crackers, and some relaxing music. And if you so much as mention football, you're in trouble!" He chuckled and held his hands up in mock surrender "Yes boss"

Peter woke, sweating and panting He looked left and saw the time on his clock, 04:54 Padding to the bathroom, he splashed some water on his face and headed downstairs to make a coffee. Having flicked on the television, just to see if there was any update in the football world, he opened his emails on his laptop and was greeted with a couple of unread messages. The first was a general one, detailing the time and date of the clubs annual end of season AGM, but it was the second one, from scout Spencer Field, that caught his eye -- -- That certainly was good news. Rob Kozluk had been out of favour at Sheffield United and had played just seven times, and he was keen to get regular game time. He looked like a perfect addition for the right full back spot and their bid of £325,000 had been accepted by the club and he was confident that the signing would be a boost for the Division Two campaign. Clint Easton, of Norwich, was more of a squad player, and while he, similarly, was in the same position of Kozluk in terms of playing time, and he would cost just £200,000, and both would give good depth and experience to the relatively young squad Peter was building Both men had agreed terms without any trouble, and while Easton was asked to return to Norwich, Kozluk was given permission to stay and introduce himself to the players, and he left to go back to Sheffield the morning the team travelled to Exeter. The players had taken well to Kozluk, pleased a player of his calibre would be joining up with them next season, and their good mood seemed to carry over onto the field, a thoroughly professional performance, full of composure, saw them pick up a comfortable win Once again, a strong side took to the field, only Moukoko and Kos rested, but Amit Bose and Adrian Littlejohn came in to replace them. It was Littlejohn who caused all sorts of problems, and he won the penalty that gave them the opportunity to forge ahead, skipping past the defender before being clipped and going down, but Liam Lawrence failed to capitalise and blazed his spot kick wide. The midfielder made up for this error five minutes later though, as he did eventually open the scoring. Combining well with Renner, who fed Littlejohn down the left, the speedy Jamaican fizzed a low cross behind the defence for Lawrence to meet it and smack into the bottom corner on the run. They were superb throughout the game, causing all sorts of problems and seeing chance after chance go begging. Lawrence curled a free kick wide, while Bose, Renner and sub Stuart Dawe all missed good chances, and Agustin smashed a rocket off the bar, and it wasn't until six minutes from the end that the second finally came, Edwards making the most of a defensive error and chipping the stranded 'keeper from 30 yards out, before the Welshman slipped in Greenacre in injury time, and the striker did what he had done all season and smashed the ball into the goal

The following few days after the Southend game had been hectic, papers, news channels and media outlets all wanting a piece of Peter and his players, and while he realised it was part of the way things were always going to go after a promotion, he didn't like the distraction it was providing, and he instructed his coaches to keep the players fully focused. In all fairness to them, they had been brilliant and didn't let anything worry them, trained as normal, and they were hungry to finish the season well. Their first chance to show that hunger was a visit from Bristol Rovers, a team languishing in 12th place, unlikely to reach the Play Offs, but this didn't show in their performance, as for the first half an hour they were the better side. Martin Cameron had tested Pilkington twice in the opening ten minutes, before Mark Richards had lashed a shot wide. Stuart Dawe also had an effort, a poor finish really, before Moukoko smacked the bar from thirty yards out, but it was the visitors, and Mark Richards, who opened things up, racing through from a long ball over the defence to nip in and poke it home. This woke them from their slumber, and within four minutes they were level, Hartmann laying off Dawe, who flicked it round the corner for the marauding Karl Owen, who fizzed a shot across the 'keeper and into the bottom corner. From then on, it was one way traffic. Dawe, Renner and Lazarus all had good chances, Lazarus in particular missing a sitter, before Jamie Clarke clipped the post with his header. Vance Warner had a couple of long range drives too, but the game remained deadlocked until the 75th minute, as substitute and perennial game winner Wouter Kos was slipped in by Moukoko and curled a shot into the bottom corner. Hartmann added another late on, lashing into the roof of the net from close range, and they got the win they deserved .. "You wanted me gaffer?" Adam Barrett popped his head around the open door "I did. Come in Adam" The defender sat down across the desk from him "I'll cut to the chase son. We've accepted a bid for you from Rushden. You've been a brilliant lad to have around, but you and I both know you've slipped down the pecking order and won't play much" "I appreciate you being honest with me boss" "You deserve to have a chance to play son. The bids accepted and they will be here later on, so you're free to discuss terms with them" He stood up and held his hand out "Thanks gaffer" Rushden did duly turn up that afternoon, and within an hour, Barrett had agreed terms on a £500,000 move. He had been a model professional even while not playing as much since the arrival of Arber, but when called upon he had never let them down, and he would go with his head held high "...later on" He was distracted from his thoughts by a voice from behind. He spun round to see Charlotte behind him "Sorry love I was miles away. What was that?" "I asked if we were still on for that drink later?" "Yeah course we are. I'll pick you up about half 7?" She smiled softly "Perfect. Better go home and get ready then" "Aye you get yourself off. I won't be here much longer myself anyway"

Despite the success of the season, the defeat hurt, but the performance hurt a lot more. Things were not going to get easier either, as he had pencilled in the next day to tell players who's contracts were running down that they wouldn't be renewed and were free to find a new club. This was always a difficult time, and nobody ever wants to tell a player they were being released, but unfortunately it was part of the managers job Almost two hours later, he emerged from his office having told a dozen players from both the reserve and youth teams that they would be released, and he was out of there just in time to grab lunch. He headed to the pub around the corner - alone, as Charlotte had the day off - and ordered at the bar, and it was while he was sitting at the corner table sipping his orange juice, that he was distracted by a voice "Excuse me? Mr Daish?" "That's me" The gentleman had a Mansfield shirt on, and a pen in his hand "I thought it was you. I'm sorry to interrupt you, I was just wondering if I could get an autograph?" He smiled at the fan "Of course you can. Hang on, I've got a pad here somewhere" He reached into his jacket pocket and found a small notepad "Who am I making it out to?" "Oh, it's for my nephew, Shaun. He's supported the club since he was a kid and loves watching your lads play" "Well I'm glad we entertain. Is he at school?" A look of sadness had crossed his face "Oh, erm no. He's in Mansfield Community Hospital at the moment. He's been very ill over the last few months and hasn't been able to make the games, so he has to watch on telly" "I'm sorry to hear that. Is he going to be able to make any games before the end of the season?" He had spoken to the fan, Martin Leigh, for several more minutes, before he left and Peter ate his lunch -- March finished with a trip to Southend, and he expected the players to respond after the defeat to Hull. They certainly did that, and even with the dominance of the first half, 12 shots on the goal, it was goalless at the interval. Greenacre had hit the bar with a volley, Kos had slipped the ball wide of the post, and Hartmann had flashed a shot wide. Victor Renner had established a run of games thanks to decent performances, and he was very good again, spraying passes out wide and having a couple of good opportunities himself, but Ian Dundavin's goal remained unbreached That only lasted less than two minutes into the second half, Renner winning a free kick on the right hand side, before Lawrence floated it in and Hartmann met the cross at the back post to open the scoring. More chances came, Edwards, Lawrence and Renner all testing Dunbavin, before Bose and Dawe missed a couple of easier chances, but eventually, the second goal came right near the end of the game, Greenacre collecting Bose's pass and firing brilliantly first time into the roof of the net -- March 2002 Results [Division Three unless stated otherwise] Torquay 1-1 Mansfield [Renner 51 ; Graham 34] Mansfield 7-2 Swansea [Greenacre 3,62,81, Agustin 5, Moukoko 37, Hartmann 45+2, Edwards 61 ; Cusack 15, Sidibe 21] Macclesfield 0-4 Mansfield [Greenacre 3,23,27, Moukoko 53] Mansfield 4-0 Rushden [Lawrence pen 20, Littlejohn 37, Robinson 78, Hartmann 87] Hull 2-0 Mansfield [Alexander 30, Greaves pen 80] Southend 0-2 Mansfield [Hartmann 47, Greenacre 89] Mansfield secure promotion and the Division Three title

Despite having clinched the title, they still had business to attend to, and the next port of call was a visit from Rushden. While he still fielded a fairly strong side, there were starts for Littlejohn, Olsen, Robinson, Dawe and Amit Bose. The youngster impressed in the hole behind the striker, linking up well with Lawrence and Dawe, creating a couple of early chances for Hartmann and Olsen, but it was Littlejohn who had a huge hand in the opener, using his pace to run into the box, before being clipped by Simon Wormull and going to ground. It was a clear penalty, and Liam Lawrence stepped up to rifle it home into the corner. Littlejohn's pace caused all sorts of issues, the Rushden defence simply couldn't keep up with him, and this is what allowed him to score the second goal, as he bombed forward to collect a pass from Hartmann and slide the ball past the 'keeper. The score was 2-0 at half time, and the second half was similar to the first, Peter seeing his side control the pace and tempo, and while they only created a couple more chances in the early stages, Dawe hitting the bar and substitute Victor Renner firing wide, but it was Lee Robinson who was the unlikely scorer of the third, a loose ball finding him on the corner of the box and he smashed a shot towards goal, which slightly deflected and went into the goal, leaving the 'keeper stranded. Hartmann had been superb through the game, controlling the midfield, and he grabbed a deserved goal, the teams fourth, to seal the points, and take them to a century of points for the season -- "So do you have an idea of what they can achieve next season?" Charlotte had accepted his invitation for dinner, and as she sat on his couch with a glass of wine, they discussed the footballing side of things "Well I think we have plenty of talent already, and I think the lads will be absolutely fine next season and we'll survive comfortably" "That's good then. Listen, there's something I wanted to talk to you about" She placed her glass on the table "OK. Fire away" "Well, once I've finished this course, I've been offered a job. It's better pay and..." "Charlotte, let me stop you there. I can't expect you to stay as my PA forever. Of course you should take that job" "Do you mean that?" "Of course I do. And besides, just because you wouldn't be working for me, it doesn't mean we can't still spend time together" He saw the hint of a blush in her cheeks "I'd like that" They were forming a close bond, growing closer all the time, and while there was no label or no distinction put on their relationship, there was a spark there. The only issue was the fact she was eleven years younger than him, but she hadn't actually mentioned it herself so maybe it wasn't an issue .. There were some blows in the build up to the trip to Yorkshire, with Greenacre, Kos, Clarke and Jervis all failing fitness tests, so it was a much changed team that faced Hull at Boothferry Park. They were looking to cement their place as a playoff contender, and to be fair, they were the better side for the entire game. Peter had no doubt it was his side's worst performance of the season, and he was slightly worried they looked leggy and tired. It had been a long campaign but a lot of the players were fringe players and should have been fresh. Michael Beckham was a positive, his effort throughout the game shining through, and it was he who had the best chance of the first half for Mansfield, as he fired a shot straight at the 'keeper. He probably should have done better but he would learn that as his career advanced. They went in behind though, the troublesome Gary Alexander heading home his 28th of the season. A tally that would have seen him top scorer in any other season no doubt The second half was a similar story, Theodore Whitmore controlling the pace of the game, but Kevin Pilkington was kept busy, forced into saves from Dudfield, Alexander, Mann and a brilliant tip onto the bar from a Greaves drive. Dawe and Renner both had a chance aswell, Renner testing the 'keeper while Dawe fired wide thanks to an Ian Ashbee tackle, but when Vitor Pereira brought down Neale Mann in the box, and Greaves stepped up to convert the penalty, the game was gone

The trip to Macclesfield had seen around 500 fans see them off from the ground on the Saturday morning, waving scarves and chanting at the players who had secured them promotion, but they, and the manager, were focused on the next game, one which, if they won, would secure them the Division Three title. With this in mind, the strongest available eleven had been selected for the game, no chances being taken in their pursuit of the title They were sent out with a simple 'go and do your jobs' message, and boy did they take that to heed, as they came out of the traps like a hurricane. Lawrence and Moukoko had tested the 'keeper early doors, forcing him into a double save, but it was Chris Greenacre (who else?!) that opened the scoring, muscling past the defender and lashing a shot into the bottom corner across the 'keeper. The big striker was causing a nuisance for the defenders, and should have had another not long after when he smacked the post with a half volley, and when he flicked the ball down for Lawrence to fire wide, it looked like it might be one of those days. However, Peter needn't have worried, as the striker took it upon himself to clinch things, as he first headed home a cross from Jervis, after fine play down the left, and then sealed his hat trick, with what was also his 40th goal of the campaign, when he found space in the area to clip the ball home from a Wouter Kos pass. This ensured a party mood, and the players, not unexpectedly, eased off in the second half, Greenacre coming off to a standing ovation, while Moukoko also came, although not before having grabbed the fourth goal, and Kos also got chance to rest. Eventually though, Steve Oldman blew for full time, and Mansfield celebrated their promotion as Champions .. "Peter, come in, come in" He had been summoned to the chairman's office on the Monday morning "Morning Keith" "I'll not keep you long. Just wanted to say a huge thankyou, and a massive congratulations on the season. It's more than we ever expected" "It has been a brilliant season. The lads deserve the credit though, they've got the results" "You've played your part Peter. However, myself and the board do have slight concerns?" He raised his eyebrow towards his employer "Oh?" "Well obviously we don't want to spend massive amounts, we need to be financially secure, but do you think we can survive?" "To be honest Keith, we won't need to spend a lot of money. We've got a core group of players who I feel are good enough, and with a couple of additions here and then, we'll more than compete" This seemed to appease him, and he was a happier man after that

Celebrations had been kept to a minimum around the club, as there were still ten games left to play and they had a title to clinch. That said, he had arranged to have a drink with Charlotte. He enjoyed her company and it was nice to have someone he could talk about things outside of football, so when he returned to the table in the pub, he was looking forward to speaking to her "There you go. Gin and Tonic" He placed the glass, along with his pint, onto the table "Oh Thanks. Congratulations by the way" "Eh?" "On promotion. It's all everyone has spoken about today" "Ah. Thankyou. To be fair it felt kind of anti climatic, there's still ten games to play. Anyway, no shop talk" She giggled "OK. So how are you doing? After signing the divorce papers I mean?" He shrugged his shoulders "To be honest, I'm fine. I thought I'd be a lot more affected but when I was signing them, I genuinely didn't feel anything" They spoke for the next couple of hours, enjoying the evening, before it got towards 10.30 that evening "Oh, it's getting late. I better head home, I'm in early tomorrow" He smiled at her "No you're not. Didn't you get the memo? All office staff are off for the day" Her face lit up "Really? Oh thankyou!" "Don't mention it. Come on, let's get you a taxi" Five minutes later the taxi had pulled up outside the pub. She turned round as it did so "Night Peter. Thanks for a lovely evening" She smiled at him, and crept up onto her tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the cheek As she drove away, he raised his hand to his cheek and touched where she had kissed him and muttered to himself "She's a lovely girl really" -- "Morning gents" He walked into the office and greeted his coaches, sensing the mood was jovial after the promotion clinching win "Morning gaffer. Ready to clinch the title on Saturday?" "Bloody hell you're confident Spence!" A shrug from the scout "Can't not be. You got fifteen minutes to go through this list?" "Sure. Let me grab a bacon sarnie and a brew and I'll be with you" True to his word, he was sat with Spencer Field and Russell Beardsmore, a list of players that would help them in Division Two "Right then, let's get cracking" "OK. First of, we'll revisit Lee Collins. Think he'd be ideal to partner Arber in defence" "I agree. Still wanting to wait until the end of the season though?" "Looks like it but his club might be a blocker. They don't want to sell but he's worth pursuing" "OK. Keep on it then. Next?" "Well I think we need cover at right back. Lad called Marek Szmid. He's at Clyde at the minute but he wants to move back to England. He's quick, reads the game well. Shouldn't cost too much either" The meeting went on for almost an hour, several players earmarked for transfer bids over the summer, aswell as deciding any players who would be released at the end of the campaign

The news of the contract had gone down well with the fans, and the mood in the team was much the same for the trip to the coast to play Torquay. Greenacre, Lawrence and Clarke had all not passed fitness tests for the game, so Dawe, Renner and Marques all came into the team. The hosts were chasing a playoff spot, and this was evident as they started like a train, Chris Brandon laying off Graham to fizz a shot wide, Kain Bond forcing Tony Warner into a save from a header, while Brandon himself fired wide. The winger was having a field day on the right hand side, running poor Vitor Pereira a merry dance, and it was his play and jinking run that set up the opening goal, as he used his pace to get into the box, before a deft chip to the back post found Graham, and he headed home easily. They got probably their worst rollocking of the season in the dressing room at half time, after what was without a doubt their most sluggish, methodical, uninspiring performance thus far, and this contributed to how they came out after the break Renner had swapped sides with Moukoko, allowing both men to cut inside, and it was one of these runs that allowed Renner to equalise, as he skipped past Troy Douglin and curled a beauty into the bottom corner. It was fairly one way traffic from then on, as Renner, Dawe, Owen, Moukoko and Edwards all had chances, Renner smacking the post from four yards out. The home side were clinging on by the time the final whistle came, and the draw, while probably flattering for the home side, was what they had to settle for -- "Right lads, let's have you" The final training session before the next game had finished and he had gathered the players together at the end to give them a pep talk "OK boys. You've been brilliant all season, literally I couldn't have asked for any more. But the next game, a win takes us over the line" Murmurs around the group "It's that simple. Win your next game, in front of our fans, and you'll be Division Two players next season. So let's go out there and get the job done" It was a no brainer for the visit of Swansea, and he went as strong as possible. They wanted a measure of revenge too, as the Welsh side had inflicted the first defeat of his tenure earlier in the season. Greenacre and Lawrence were back in the team following knocks, and they, along with the rest of the team, had been given simple instructions to go out there and start well, and they certainly did that, racing into a two goal lead in the opening five minutes, as a header from Greenacre, from a Jervis cross, before a low drive from the edge of the box by Agustin, the unlikliest of goalscorers, doubled their advantage. This stung the visitors into action, and they managed to get back level in a six minute burst, goals from Cusack and Sidibe bringing the game back on level terms He was agitated on the sideline, and he was barking instructions to his players, but it took a moment of genius to get them back ahead. Wouter Kos fed Moukoko, who was thirty yards away from goal. He received the ball, and sensing his marker was on his back, he flicked it up and over his head. Turning at the same time, he met the ball on the other side and volleyed it into the top corner. It was an absolutely sublime goal, one that was worthy of winning a Champions League final, never mind a Divison Three game, and it restored the lead. The Belgian turned provider just before half time, slipping Hartmann in to round Roger Freestone and slide the ball into the open goal The second half was one sided, the visitors managing just one shot on the Mansfield goal, and Peter saw his side add three unanswered goals to emphatically secure their promotion. David Edwards grabbed the fifth goal, collecting the ball from Hartmann and driving a low shot into the bottom corner. Edwards had a part to play in the next goal too, as his pass down the right hand side released Liam Lawrence, who whipped a deep cross to the far post for Greenacre, the striker nodding in past the 'keeper. He completed his hat trick in the final ten minutes with a lovely strikers finish, following up from Victor Renner's shot to poke the ball into the roof of the net

He had signed the papers without any issues, sending them back through the post. It was a huge weight off his shoulders, and now he was ready to focus on the business in hand, that of securing the promotion his players so richly deserved. The lads had trained well, and even with niggles that Lawrence and Greenacre had picked up in training, he was confident in their ability to get the job done. It was an hour after training had finished that he had been approached by the chairman "Peter, a moment?" He gestured to the chair opposite him at his desk "Afternoon Keith. What can I do for you?" "Well, first of all, myself and all of the board are delighted with the way things have gone so far, both on and off the field" "Pretty pleased myself to be honest with you" A smile and a nod "Second of all, you are aware your contract is up in the summer?" "Well yes but I assumed we would be discussing it after the season" "That was the plan, but things have gone so well, that in here..." He waved a brown envelope "...is a three year extension to your deal. Obviously you can read it and go through it but we'd love for you to remain with us..." "Where do I sign?" It was his easiest decision of the season. He had started a project and completely wanted to stay and build his own squad, in his own style. Signing the contract was the first step of that process

Rusk travelled to Halifax so he could integrate and meet his new teammates, but he wasn't in the squad for the game, although youngsters Amit Bose, Michael Beckham and Stuart Dawe were. 365 fans had travelled too, and they were rewarded with a remarkable game of football. The home side were languishing in 17th place, having struggled of late for form, and maybe that contributed to their attitude through the game, as they played with a freedom and style that wasn't befitting how they usually played Moukoko had opened the scoring early on, linking up well with Kos, who fed him with a delicious through ball and the Belgian lifted the ball delicately over the 'keeper. That said, he should have doubled the lead not long after, missing a simple chance from six yards out, and this was punished when Redfearn slipped in Mitchell, who let it run across him and smashed it home. Peter saw his side retake the lead less than two minutes later, Edwards bombing forward to collect Clarke's long pass, and the Welshman was composed enough to slide the ball home. Greenacre and Moukoko both missed chances, while Pilkington saved from Kerrigan and Redfearn, but the midfielder did level things back up soon after, firing low into the bottom corner from the edge of the box The game was being played at a breakneck pace, and while it was level at the interval, it only took ten minutes for the visitors to retake the lead, Edwards marauding into the box, his original shot cannoning back off the post straight back to him, and he just knocked it back into the open goal. Once again, the home side responded quickly, Steven Kerrigan heading from a cross, and the frustration was beginning to boil on Peter, his agitation on the sidelines visible for all to see. He did however, manage to calm down as his side eventually claimed all three points, thanks to a late double from Chris Greenacre. His first came on 82 minutes, turning his man brilliantly and running to the far post to meet Jervis' cross and head home. Moukoko provided the assist for his second, pulling back from the byline and Greenacre smacking it into the roof of the net. While it was a fourth successive win, there was a slight concern that they were conceding goals regularly, and that was an issue he looked to address ... The Arber deal was completed 48 hours after the Halifax game, and both he and Rusk would find themselves in the squad for the final game of February. Peter had expressed concerns to his backroom team about the sudden influx of goals, having scored 22 and conceded 9 in their last four games, but they didn't share the same view, expressing the point that if they keep up that ratio, they'd win the majority of the games, of which he had to agree The mood in the camp was good for the visit of Plymouth, and while both Arber and Rusk came into the team, Liam Lawrence and Pilkington were replaced by Victor Renner and Tony Warner. Once again it was a quick start, but not for them, for the team in green, Martin Phillips laying off McGowan and the youngster striking the ball well, leaving Warner no chance. This only angered the beast, and Mansfield came roaring back, testing the Plymouth 'keeper several times in the course of the first half, and they even managed to beat him twice, as Wouter Kos amd David Edwards showed why they were the best midfield pairing in the Division with a goal a piece The second half started in a similar fashion, as they peppered the visitors goal with efforts, and despite Nicky Banger levelling the scores - a goal seven minutes into the half - they scored three unanswered goals after that to seal the points. Moukoko got the goal to put them back ahead, a brilliant free kick into the top corner, before the Belgian linked up with Greenacre, the striker nodding the ball down into the path of Renner, and the young forward slotted the ball home. Renner had a hand in the fifth too, swinging a ball out to Jervis, who whipped a ball into the box for Greenacre to power home, the full back recording his 15th assist of the season, and the month ending with five successive wins -- February 2002 Results [Division Three unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 1-0 Kidderminster [Bradley 47] FA Cup Round Four Replay Crystal Palace 3-1 Mansfield [Bradley 7 ; Kirovski 4, Meerdink 10,24] Scunthorpe 2-6 Mansfield [Greenacre 20,41,48,82, Robinson 89, Kos 90+2 ; Carruthers 7, Simpson 44] Bristol Rovers 2-6 Mansfield [Kos 15,61,68, Greenacre 19,70,80 ; Astafjevs 54, Cameron 81] Mansfield 5-2 Lincoln [Hartmann 41,72, Beckham 76,83, Olsen 90+3 ; Thorpe 15, Black pen 44] Halifax 3-5 Mansfield [Moukoko 6, Edwards 21,55, Greenacre 82,85 ; Mitchell 19, Redfearn 38, Kerrigan 57] Mansfield 5-2 Plymouth [Kos 12, Edwards 21, Moukoko 55, Renner 74, Greenacre 85 ; McGowan 3, Banger 52]

Afternoon Folks. After a break away in the sunny climes of France visiting family, I'm back and ready to restart. Hope you've not missed me too much! -- The players were tired following the previous two games, and having watched training, he had decided to make a few changes. That said, he had a new face in the ranks too, Millwall 'keeper Tony Warner agreeing terms and going straight into the team for the visit of Lincoln. Greenacre was in desperate need of a rest, so he was replaced by Michael Beckham, while Hartmann, Vance Warner, Vitor Pereira and Victor Renner all came into the starting eleven. Maybe the cohesion between the team was off, because they started slowly, so much so that they were 1-0 down within the opening twenty minutes, Tony Thorpe receiving the ball from Mark Camm and firing the ball into the corner. It took a while for them to get back into the game, and they'd only had one chance of note before Hartmann found the equaliser, Beckham testing the 'keeper, but it was the strikers flick on that led to the goal, Hartmann running onto the flick and volleying into the top corner, a beautiful striker They were behind before half time again though, Vance Warner stretching for the ball and bringing down Tony Thorpe, before Kingsley Black stepped up and smacked the penalty past Tony Warner. The second half once again saw four more goals, and they all came for Peter's side. He had sent them out with a simple instruction - take the game to them - and this certainly worked, and while they had to wait a while for the goals to come, it was wave after wave of attacks. Eventually, Hartmann levelled the game, firing a shot from the edge of the area, which deflected and wrong footed the 'keeper. Hartmann was replaced not long after that by Olsen, and he linked well with Vitor Pereira on the left, the full back whipping a cross into the near post that saw Michael Beckham flick the ball in between the post and the 'keeper. Beckham scored again, maybe trying his best to prove he was the man to replace Shayne Bradley, when he outmuscled his marker and side footed past the 'keeper. Olsen sealed the emphatic win in injury time, making himself some space and curling the ball home -- Boston United had finally relented, and agreed to sell Simon Rusk to them, a fee of £180,000 being agreed. The player was due at the ground to discuss terms later on in the day, but he was still looking to add players to the squad in preparation for the promotion that looked certain to happen. The main one of these was Barnet's Mark Arber. The defender was keen on the move but, understandably, his club were less keen to let him go, themselves in a promotion push from the conference, so negotiations had come to a little bit of a standstill. He picked up the phone and dialled John Still's number "..." "Morning John. Peter Daish again" "..." "I'll make it easy. We want Arber, How much do you want for him?" "..." "Fifty grand? Done. More than happy with that" "..." "I appreciate you didn't want to sell him without significant investment, but I'm happy with the fifty grand fee. I'll get the process started" It was good news to hear that Arber's move was progressing, and it was easy to negotiate with Rusk, the Scotsman keen on the move and to test himself at a higher level, so the contract and terms were penned out easily enough

With Shayne Bradley now a Wigan player, and a meeting set up with Millwall for the Wednesday morning, things were advancing on the transfer front. Tony Warner had not played for Millwall much through the season, and the club had made it known he was surplus to requirements, so he was keen to bring him in to bolster the ranks between the sticks. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the drink with Charlotte had gone well. They'd chatted, mainly about things outside of football, and enjoyed each others company His mood was buoyant through the remainder of the week. Warner had shown real interest in joining, and their bid of £140,000 had been agreed quickly, so with the player having a contract offer on the table, they were just awaiting to agree terms. However, as he should have come to expect, things were given a kick in the teeth, as a letter dropped through onto his doormat, He opened it, and read the first few sentences over and over to himself .. .. He had felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. How could someone who had spent so long as a part of his life mean so little to him? He dropped the letter on the kitchen table and headed out the door, a trip to Bristol beckoning for himself and his side. The season was at the business stage now and he had more important things to focus on -- Bristol Rovers were languishing in mid table, their inconsistency being the major factor in this, but he was taking no chances and put out the best side available to him. They started well, Agustin stinging the hands of Scott Howie early on, before Greenacre headed wide, a chance he really should have scored. The deadlock was eventually broken though, just after a quarter of an hour, Kos bombing forward and collecting Agustin's pass, wriggling through and poking the ball past Howie. The little midfielder turned provider for the second just three minutes later, guiding the ball through beautifully for Greenacre, and the striker smashed the ball into the roof of the goal. There was an argument that the game should have been out of sight by half time, with Kos, Edwards and Lawrence all missing good opportunities to seal the points. The price was paid for this, as the home side got a goal back early in the second half, Astafjevs powering home after a little scramble in the box. That just served as a catalyst for the team to go on and win the game, and fourteen minutes later, the game was sealed, as was Kos' hat trick, a free kick from 25 yards and then a lovely little drive into the bottom corner to make it 4-1. That had sealed the game, but the goal scoring wasn't finished, two minutes after Kos scored his third, Greenacre made it five, and in the process scored his 30th league goal of the season, turning his marker and firing low and hard past Howie. The striker completed his hat trick ten minutes later, rising above everybody else and powering a header home. For the second game in a row, they had scored six, incidentally their 100th goal of the league campaign, and even a goal for the home side, from Cameron, after Astafjevs had laid it off for him, couldn't dampen the mood within the camp, thus bringing promotion one step closer -- "So how's the course going?" "Really well actually. I'm flying through it, and should finish it on time. I've got a big essay to write though that's like a dissertation" "Good. I'm sure you'll be fine" She smiled at him. Then caught him off guard "Is something wrong?" He looked at her with raised eyebrows "How do you mean?" "I don't know, something seems like it's bothering you?" He sighed, putting down his knife and fork "You're perceptive Charlotte, I'll give you that. OK, well you deserve to know" "Only if you want to tell me?" "Of course I do. So, you remember I briefly mentioned I had been married?" "Yeah. She left you for someone else?" "That's right. Well her divorce papers were filed the other day" It had been good to get it off his chest, and Charlotte had been supportive, listened hard and understood perfectly. She also revealed she had been in a similar situation, her ex having done a similar thing, so they talked through dinner before heading back to the ground

The Bradley deal looked set to happen pretty swiftly, and with that in mind, he was not in the squad for the next game. Michael Beckham was brought in to replace him, Lee Robinson replaced the injured Karl Owen, while Edwards was replaced by Hartmann. Greenacre was back in the starting eleven too, meaning Dawe dropped out for the time being, but other than that, the visit to Scunthorpe saw a fairly full strength side take to the field It wasn't a great start, the visitors flying out of the traps, and they were rewarded on seven minutes, Carruthers meeting the low cross and turning it into the net. This woke them up from their slumber, and both Greenacre and Kos tested the 'keeper with low drives, while a brilliant save from a Clarke header kept them ahead. It was the resulting corner that saw the equaliser, Greenacre rising highest to direct a deft header inside the far post. The striker was superb in the game, his movement and positioning causing all sorts of problems, and it was a really well worked goal for his second. Jervis played it out to Liam Lawrence, who swung a long cross field ball to Moukoko. The Belgian's jinking run took him past three defenders, before he whipped it low and hard back to Greenacre. The striker turned and hit a low drive into the bottom corner, leaving the 'keeper no chance. Incredibly though, the game was level at the break, Simpson capitalising on a misjudgment in the defence and beating Pilkington They had been the better side but the score didn't reflect that, but the second half was a different story, four unanswered goals giving them the three points. The first was Greenacre completing his hat trick, collecting a ball from Jervis, flicking the ball through his markers legs and curling a delicate little shot into the net. Chances came and were wasted, Greenacre, Disley, Kos, Warner and Lawrence all missing opportunities, and it wasn't until the final ten minutes that the goals flowed. Greenacre tapped into an empty net for his fourth, after Disley had rounded the 'keeper and squared it across to him. Moukoko laid off Robinson for a fifth, the defender grabbing a rare goal with a low fizzing drive, before Wouter Kos capped a fine display when he broke free of the defence and smashed the ball home, to seal the emphatic win and prove their point .. Sat in his office on the Monday evening, training having gone well, he was finishing off a few last minute bits of paperwork, when he heard a knock on his open door "Hello Charlotte love. Thought you'd gone already?" "Oh no not yet, just a couple of bits to finish off. I wanted to let you know, the Bradley deal is finalised. He's completed his medical, and the money is confirmed" "Oh perfect, thankyou. Did you set up the meeting I asked for?" She smiled "Have I ever let you down? Wednesday morning, 9am" "Thankyou love. Now you get off home" She turned to go, and the words were out of his mouth before he realised what he'd said "Actually love, do you fancy a quick drink?" She turned round, a look of amusement and surprise on her face "Oh. That wasn't what I expected..." He held his hand up in way of apology "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you..." "I'd love to" "Sorry?" "That drink? I said I'd love to"

The FA Cup replay was a game that was an extra, and with a tired squad, it was a tougher game than it would have been anyway, even against the Division One outfit. There was also some transfer news before the game against Crystal Palace too, as Barnsley submitted a bid of £500,000 for defender Bobby Hassell. He had fallen out of favour, having only played twice since September, and it was a decent amount of money on offer, which meant the bid was accepted The trip to Palace had seen a makeshift team put together, with injuries and tiredness contributing to that, and this showed as Kirovski opened the scoring in the fourth minute, collecting the ball on the left hand side, cutting in and firing low past Bingham. It wasn't a great start, but three minutes later, the game was level, Bradley collecting a pass from youngster Amit Bose, jinking inside and curling the ball home with the outside of his right foot. Again, there was barely time to breathe, as Palace re-took the lead on the tenth minute, Dutchman Martijn Meerdink playing a lovely one two with Kirovski, then another one with Jamie Pollock, and sliding the ball home into the goal. Bose fired a shot wide, before he slipped in Renner to fire straight at the 'keeper, and they paid for those misses when Meerdink scored again, smashing home a half volley from the edge of the box The game had seen four goals in the opening twenty five minutes, and had petered out after that, although the second half had seen the best chances fall to Mansfield, with Bose, Bradley, Renner and Stuart Dawe all controlling to miss good chances to bring them back into the game. Bingham had nothing to do, Palace not creating a chance really, but the game finished as it was, and their FA Cup journey was over "OK lads, let's have you" The coach was on the way back from the Palace game, and Peter had felt it necessary to say a few words "First of all, well done today. Proud of the efforts, and we've competed against a team two divisions higher than us. Secondly, you'll see a lot of media giving it the one win in five nonsense. Forget all that. We have been magnificent this season, and deserve to be where we are. We can focus on the league now, seal ourselves a spot in Division Two, and make this season one that we remember" -- The mood in the squad had lifted after his speech, but as he got back to his flat just after 1am, he flopped onto the sofa with a beer from the fridge. The players had the day off the next day, to recover from the game and the travelling, but he was going in to work on some transfer dealings, so once his beer was quickly finished, he headed to grab some sleep "I appreciate that Steve, but we're prepared to meet the asking price" "..." "Well of course it's your prerogative to offer him a new contract, and if you do, and he signs it, then we'll call the matter closed" "..." "OK. Take care Steve" Boston United were showing resistance at selling Simon Rusk - understandably, as he was their best player - and their manager Steve Evans had indicated they were about to offer him a new deal. The same was to be said for Barnet defender Mark Arber, a player he really wanted to bring into the squad, so things had stalled so far. He started to feel that Mansfield was not a destination to attract players, but they were quick to leave, Bobby Hassell having travelled to Yorkshire for his medical, with his move to Barnsley imminent, He was suddenly distracted by his internal phone "Hello" "Sorry to disturb you Peter. I've got a Paul Jewell on the phone for you?" "OK Charlotte, put him through" Seconds later, the dulcet Liverpudlian tones of Jewell came through the phone "Morning Peter" "Paul. What can I do for you?" A little chuckle came across the line "I was told you were blunt and straight to the point" "I try my best" "I will be as blunt as I can be aswell then. Shayne Bradley. How much?" He pondered slightly. He didn't really want to lose his second striker, but if the offer was good enough, then he could be tempted "Well he's important to us, and we're fighting for promotion and don't want to upset the apple cart" "Understandable. OK, how about a million?" "Sorry? Did you say a million?" "Yeah. No clauses, straight up, a million quid" "I can't turn that down. Paul, you have a deal. I'll let the player know and you can arrange a meeting with him and his agent?"

February started with a blow, as Greenacre was ruled out for a week with a tight thigh, and there was no need to risk any player, so he was subsequently sent to work with the physio. The previous month had ended with three games without a win, the first time in the season it had happened, so it was imperative to get back into the swing of winning. The training had been good in the build up, Hartmann and Renner in particular impressing, and they were rewarded with starting places in the team for the Kidderminster game. Shayne Bradley took his place ahead of Greenacre, while Kos, Vance Warner and Vitor Pereira also came into the team. The nervousness was evident from the first whistle, maybe the previous results (in particular Exeter) had affected the team more than had been obvious, and it was the visitors who had a couple of decent chances first, as Andrew Ducros tested Kevin Pilkington, before firing wide ten minutes later. It wasn't until just after the half hour mark that the first chance came the way of Peter's side, Kos sliding in Bradley, who smacked the post with his shot, before he turned provider for Renner, who really should have scored, but he fired wide. The game was goalless at the break, and while he didn't give his side the hairdryer treatment, they were told in no uncertain terms that it wasn't good enough This seemed to do the trick, and within two minutes of the restart, they were ahead, Jervis whipping a ball in from the left hand side, which found Bradley on the penalty spot and the striker thumped a header into the top corner, giving the 'keeper no chance. From that point on, it was all Mansfield, and more chances followed. Renner, Hartmann, Olsen and Karl Owen were all guilty of missing, Owen in particular missing a guilt edge opportunity, and it very nearly cost them, and it took a late save from Pilkington to secure all the points, as he thwarted Ducros in the final minute, and they got back to winning ways -- "We needed that gaffer" "We did, especially after the Exeter game. Still not happy though" A raised eyebrow "Really?" "Yeah. Just something I feel. I still think we need another 'keeper, Spence is on the lookout" "You know we're 18 points clear at the top right? He shrugged his shoulders "I know that but we've got to start looking at next season now, we're probably going to get promoted and need to compete"