Season 07/08 Stagsnet Match Report
|
|
|
||
|
Mansfield Town
|
|
Morecambe
|
||
|
Bell 47.
|
Bentley 5, Blinkhorn 23.
|
|||
|
Attendance: 2,287 (94 from Morecambe)
|
||||
|
Date: 12 February 2008
|
||||
|
Martin Shaw at Field Mill
Mansfield Town set an unwanted record last night against Morecambe when they lost their fifth successive home league match, breaking the record of 4 home league defeats on the trot set in 1990, 2002 and 2007. Add in the FA Cup, and the Stags have now lost 6 home games on the trot. And all this after the Stags won their fourth away game on the trot on Saturday at high-flying Wycombe (three in the league). The Stags were appalling in the first half and deserved to be 2-0 down. Lee Bell’s screamer after 47 minutes gave the Stags hope but in the end Mansfield couldn’t pull it round. Highlights from Stagsworld commentary here (nothing from the first half!) Mansfield were unchanged from Wycombe. Morecambe included former Stags defender Dave Artell, who was to have a great game. The Stags were behind on 5 minutes. Dan Martin needlessly conceded a free kick near the corner flag on the right. From the cross, Bentley headed home powerfully, completely unmarked. On 12 minutes it should have been 2-0 when Artell fired over from 12 yards following a corner, with the Stags defence all over the place. The Stags first chance came on 18 when Boulding headed at the keeper. But the ball was straight back at the other end and Muggleton and Jelleyman were in an embarrassing mess-up and as the ball looped up in the air, Muggleton didn’t know where the ball was and the Stags were lucky to clear. But it was 2-0 on 23 minutes. Stanley, son of former Chelsea midfielder Gary Stanley, clipped a ball over the Stags’ static back line after a corner was partially cleared, and Blinkhorn was in 5 yards of open space, to glance a header past Muggleton and inside the far left post. On 29 minutes, Louis’s snap shot was2 yards wide of the left post. On 45, Boulding’s great run forward ended with his shot blocked. But these were single moments in a first half of despair for the Stags that ended with a chorus of boos from the home fans, but only after Mullins’ back header nearly led to another embarrassing moment which nearly played in a Morecambe forward. Half time 0-2 Wood replaced Martin for the second half. Dearden revealed afterwards that illness to his little brother was the reason that Martin was simply not at the races in the first half. Mullins moved to centre half and Jelleyman to left back. The Stags earned a lifeline on 47 minutes as a corner was cleared to Bell just outside the box, who fired a fantastic left footed shot inside the right post. Within a minute it was nearly 2-2 as Boulding made a great run to the edge of the box, cutting inside from the right, but his left footed effort curled inches past the far (left) post. Boulding made another great on 55. The Stags were playing well for around 20 minutes, but gradually Morecambe came back into it, and the chances didn’t come for the Stags. Indeed on 78, Mullins was inches from an own goal as he headed past his own post. Then on 83, Morecambe sub McStay was left unmarked from a free kick, heading wide when it seemed easier to score. Four minutes of stoppage time was signaled, and a full minute after the four had been played, Louis played a great ball forward to Stags sub Ian Holmes, who was clear in the box, but Holmes shot wide of the left post. Stags players and fans alike had their heads in the hands as it was a real chance to rescue something from a nightmare evening, when yet again Keith Haslam grabbed headlines for himself, bringing the club into disrepute with disgraceful antics, refusing to put out his cigar when asked by stewards, and prompting Stephen Booth and James Derry to storm away from Field Mill before the start of the second half. Haslam Out now! Bugger off, no one wants you around. Man of the match: Michael Boulding |
||||
|
Report by: Martin Shaw at Field Mill
|
||||
|
Line Up:
|
Muggleton 5.
Mullins 5. Buxton 5. Jelleyman 5. Martin 4 Dearden revealed that illness to his little brother was the reason that he was simply not at the races in the first half. Hamshaw 5 Poor. Bell 6 Poor overall but a terrific goal. Dawson 5 . Atkinson 5 Too quiet. M.Boulding 6 Unlucky with one great effort just after Bell’s goal. Louis 6 Tried hard, with generally poor service. |
|
Sub Line Up:
|
Wood (for Martin, 46) 6
Brown (for Atkinson, 75) - Holmes (for Buxton, 85) - Missed a good chance to equalise in stoppage time. Subs Not Used: White, D'Laryea. |
|
Opposition Line Up:
|
Jalal, Adams, Bentley, Artell, Yates, Curtis, Drummond (McStay 82), Stanley, Thompson, Baker (Lloyd 75), Blinkhorn (Newby 90). Subs Not Used: Hunter, Scott Davies.
|
|
Referee:
|
Ray Lee (Essex) 7 Handled the game well.
|
|
|