It was no more that he deserved after posing a threat all afternoon. Earlier Rakish Bingham had put Mansfield ahead at the start of the game before Luke Chadwick levelled.
Cambridge Utd 2-2 Mansfield Town
The FA Cup Second Round Proper
Saturday 6 December
Abbey Stadium
By Andy Lloyd-Williams
It took just five minutes for The Stags to get their noses in front when nobody could clear an accurate Robert Taylor cross from the left, leaving Bingham the simple task of glancing a header into the net.
But Cambridge aren’t eight places above the visitors in the League Two table for no reason and roared on by almost 4,000 at the Abbey Stadium, hauled themselves level less than ten minutes later.
And hometown hero Luke Chadwick was the man with the goal, keeping his head for a cool finish after being slipped in cleverly by Champion. He must have been dreaming of drawing former employer Manchester United in the Third Round when combining with Appiah, but the ball was blocked by keeper Sascha Studer.
Ryan Bird was next to go close for the hosts, just inches away from getting a touch on Appiah’s ball across the face of goal on the stroke of half time.
The hosts continued to push in the second half, Liam Hughes’ corners leading to a couple of goalmouth scrambles where the ball could have ended up anywhere.
But when Chadwick left the field, it looked like their FA Cup dreams departed with him. Champion had been instrumental in much of United’s attacking activity throughout, but he put through his own goal from a Robert Taylor free kick at the death to send Mansfield through into The Third Round.
That looked to have settled it, but Richard Money’s men dug deep, piling on the pressure before Appiah popped up with the equalising goal right at the end. Fans will already be licking their lips at the prospect of a replay.
