LAWRENCE IS STILL HAUNTED BY HIS STAGS PENALTY MISS

FORMER Stoke City winger Liam Lawrence hopes Mansfield’s players can help to ease the pain of a career low point. Lawrence, who went on to win promotion with the Potters in the 2007/08 season, was part of the Stags team which lost 4-1 on penalties to Huddersfield Town in the 2004 League Two play-off final.

The two sides had played out a 0-0 draw at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium to send the match to a shootout.

Former Port Vale star Wayne Corden saw his penalty saved for Mansfield before their second kick was missed by Lawrence.

That was to be his last act in a Stags shirt as he then joined Sunderland in the summer, bringing an end his association with Mansfield which had started in the youth team in 1996.

“My penalty miss is still talked about to this day and when I see it, it still gives me nightmares. It was definitely my lowest moment with the club,” Lawrence, now 40, told the Mansfield Chad.

“If Mansfield win on Saturday it will help ease that, but I just hope Saturday’s game doesn’t go to penalties as I wouldn’t be able to bear it. “Obviously I will be a Mansfield Town fan on the day – and they are playing against Stoke’s rivals as well so that’s an added bit for me.

“It is a huge occasion for Mansfield and something I think the club needs and the supporters need coming off the back end of a really good season to go on and get promoted. But it won’t be an easy match.” Lawrence, who now coaches at the Stoke Academy, says Mansfield boss Nigel Clough deserves plenty of praise for guiding his side to Wembley.

“I think he and his staff have done a great job,” said Lawrence. “Being joint bottom in October, it is an incredible job he’s done and I don’t think it gets talked about enough.”