Manchester United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop missed out on the chance to add a promotion to his CV after Mansfield Town lost 3-0 to Port Vale in the League Two play-off final at Wembley on Saturday afternoon.
Fresh from seeing off Northampton Town in their play-off semi-final, the Stags travelled to Wembley with a feeling of confidence flowing through their veins. However, they had no answer for Darrell Clarke's side, as they found themselves 2-0 down with just 24 minutes on the clock.
Youngster Kian Harratt fired Vale into a 20th-minute lead before former United striker James Wilson got in on the act, netting his third goal in as many games just four minutes later. Already facing an uphill struggle, Mansfield's woes were compounded even further 10 minutes before half-time when Oliver Hawkins was sent-off for a second bookable offence.
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Mansfield, who went close to pulling a goal back before the break when Rhys Oates saw an effort cleared off the line, huffed and puffed in the second half in the hope of staging a surprise recovery, but Mal Benning netted Port Vale's third with just five minutes left on the clock to condemn Mansfield to another season in League Two.
United loanee Bishop, who joined the Stags in June last year on a season-long loan deal, will have been devastated to have ended what has been a successful loan spell on such a low, with the former Southend United man racking up 53 appearances in all competitions. He kept 16 clean sheets along the way, earning huge praise from boss Nigel Clough in the process.
On the other side of the result, it was a day to a remember for former United youngster Wilson. He came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford and was tipped to enjoy a lucrative career towards the top of the English football pyramid, only for injuries to disrupt his rhythm.
He left United in 2019 and joined Port Vale in June last year after a spell at Salford City. He has ended his first season at Vale Park with a healthy 15 goals to his name in all competitions.
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