Season 08/09 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Woking
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Sole pen 57
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Attendance: 2563 (109 from Woking)
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Date: 4 October 2008
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The Stags made one enforced change from the side that won at Salisbury, Adie Moses was ruled out through injury and in came on-loan Sheffield United defender Max Chanot to partner O'Hare. Hurrent kept his place in the side, D'Laryea remaining on the bench, where there was also a place for promising youngster Chris Wood.
The opening 45 minutes were largely uneventful, the blustery conditions and for once some solid defending meant goalmouth incident was at a premium. In fact the closest the home side came to taking the lead was within the opening minutes, O'Connors effort blocked for a corner and from the set piece Stallard headed onto the post - the ball rebounded back to Silk but he missed the target from 8 yards. Gamble, not for the first time this season, was caught in no-mans land coming to collect a long ball, fortunately for the young Stags keeper Woking striker Sole took a heavy touch and the ball drifted wide for a goal kick. Chanot received a yellow card for the first foul of the game, a very harsh decision compounded when just a few minutes later the referee failed to book a Woking player for a similar foul on Blackwood. Gamble again showed his edginess when completely missing a cross from the Woking left, luckily he was on hand to block the attempt at goal. The last action of the half saw Silk do well to head off his own line after a corner was headed past Gamble. Half Time: 0-0 Again there was little goalmouth action in the opening stages of the 2nd half, but just before the hour Woking were gifted the lead. O'Hare and Domoroud were grappling with each other inside the area, as the referee's whistle blew most inside the ground believed it was for a foul on O'Hare, but incredibly the official gave the visitors a penalty - the Woking players were as shocked as the Stags defenders. Sole slotted the ball home to the right of Gamble. McEwan made an instant change, bringing on D'Laryea for the ineffective Hurren, but still the midfield failed to create anything for the frustrated Stallard and O'Connor. Bizarrely, with the Stags needing a goal, O'Connor was replaced by Lee - why didn't the manager switch to 3 up front with Woking happy to waste time and the referee happy to leave them to it? In fact, the Stags created just one chance, Blackwood summing his day up perfectly by tamely putting a free header from 8 yards straight at the keeper. All in all this was a miserable performance from the home side and whilst they can rightly point to an appalling decision from the referee, the simple fact is that the home side created virtually nothing and whilst Woking defended well, they were not a great side and a decent Stags performance would have seen them win the points. Too many players had off days, notably Blackwood who was dreadful, but none of the midfielders could take any credit from their display. On the plus side, defensive the side looked much stronger and Chanot was excellent and clearly man of the match. New players are needed desperately, particularly in midfield, otherwise with a points deduction, possibly two, looming, this could turn into a season of struggle for the Stags. Indeed, the early season optimism has almost completely disappeared. Man of the Match: Max Chanot |
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Report by: Rob Wheldon
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Line Up:
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Gamble 5 Had little to do, but what he did was unconvincing
Silk 6 Did OK O'Hare 6 Harshly judged to have conceded a penalty, otherwise OK Chanot 8 Shining light amongst much mediocrity, bet he wonders what he has let himself in for!! Jeannin 7 Improving game by game Arnold 4 Shows so much promise, then blows it - zero end product Somner 4 Working hard is commendable, but passing to a team mate is just as important Hurren 4 Totally ineffective, I can't recall one single pass forwards Blackwood 3 At least the others who played badly put maximum effort in, he didn't - shocking Stallard 5 No service, but even when he got the ball managed to lose it O'Connor 5 Like Stallard, starved of possession, but did nothing when he got the ball |
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Sub Line Up:
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D'Laryea (for Hurren, 59mins) 5 Did OK, but isn't the driving force going forwards we so badly need
Lee (for Jeannin, 72mins) 5 Barely got a touch Robinson (for O'Connor, 90) - Subs Not Used: Herriott, Wood. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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Pidgeley, Conan, Lorraine, Hutchinson, Miles (Bunce 46), Lambu, Quamina, Marum, Sole, Ledgister, Domoraud (Sam-Yorke 87). Subs Not Used: Warner, Williams, Moone.
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Referee:
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Dean Mohareb 2 - We've seen some rubbish, this bloke was the worst
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