Season 14/15 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Concord Rangers
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Glozier OG 17.
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Chiedozie 18.
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Attendance: 2023 (101 from Concord)
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Date: 18 November 2014
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ANOTHER BAD RESULT AS STAGS HELD BY CONCORD RANGERS
Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town wasted an opportunity to put to an end a very bad run of results as they were held to a draw by Conference South side Concord Rangers in the first round of the FA Cup at Field Mill last night. The two teams will therefore go to a replay in Essex next Tuesday for the right to play Cambridge in the second round. The result heaps further pressure on Stags manager Paul Cox. Mansfield made a positive start to the game with recalled striker Rakish Bingham looking lively, and deservedly went ahead on 17 minutes when Liam Marsden’s long throw was headed up in the air by a defender, Matt Rhead headed forward and Concord left back Danny Glozier could only head it into his own net. But just 17 seconds after the restart a brilliant equaliser for Concord and a moment of magic from Jordan Chiedozie, son of former Notts County winger John Chiedozie, and released from Bournemouth earlier this year. Chiedozie, 28 yards from goal, fired in a shot like a missile that flew just inside the left post giving Sascha Studer no chance. It was an absolute ripsnorter. Moments of quality in the first half were rare after that apart from one good Stags move as Fergus Bell set up Bingham who brought a fine save from Concord’s keeper Josh Vicars, on loan from Arsenal. The Stags made a positive start to the second half, as they had to the first, and created six chances in the first ten minutes of the half. One of them followed more great play from Bell to set up Bingham who controlled the ball and sent in a hard low shot that keeper Vicars saved superbly again, low down. Studer made an equally superb save at the other end on 63 minutes, acrobatically tipping over a flick from Chiedozie. The game drifted aimlessly towards a draw until the last two minutes as Adam Murray fired just over the bar, and then Chris Clements nearly won it with a great free kick from 22 yards which Vicars somehow tipped away for his third brilliant save of the game. Not good enough from the Stags and plenty of booing and calls for Cox to be sacked at the final whistle and indeed throughout the game. Too many players are out of form at the moment and the Stags players are desperately low on confidence, none more so that Rakish Bingham, who had a decent game last night but so desperately, needs a goal. Credit to Concord Rangers for a good performance and in Jordan Chiedozie and Josh Vicars, they had the two outstanding players on the night. Concord Rangers are from Conference South, two leagues below the Stags. They are one league higher than St Albans were last season when the Stags beat them in the FA Cup, and two leagues higher than Slough were two seasons ago when the Stags played them. Known as the Beach Boys, Concord are named after a beach on Canvey Island in Essex. They have had a remarkable rise in non-league football with four promotions in seven seasons, and this was their historic first ever game in the first round of the FA Cup. One player who would have known all about Concord was Ryan Tafazolli played for on loan for them. The Stags came into the game having not won any of the last 8 games. Boss Paul Cox made three changes from the side that lost at Shrewsbury. Marsden came in for Freeman who has not been allowed to play in the FA Cup, Bell came in for the suspended McGuire, and Bingham came in for Carr who has returned to Huddersfield. It was a 3-2-2-1-2 formation with Bell played as an attacking midfielder behind the front two of Bingham and Rhead. Marsden played at right wing back, Beevers continued at left wing back, with Murray and Clements in central midfield. Luke Waterfall made his home debut, alongside Tafazolli and Riley in a three man central defence. Goalkeeper Adam Bishop was named on the bench for the first time. Bishop is 16 years and 5 months old and will be the youngest ever Stags goalkeeper (*) if he plays this season. The current youngest goalkeeper in the Stags history was Terence Statham who was 16 years and 335 days when he made his debut in 1957. (* excluding games in the Nottinghamshire County Cup, where Chris Ogden played one game at the age of 16 years and 89 days in the County Cup as keeper in 1969, but he never played a league game). The crowd of 2023 with 101 from Concord was disappointing, though represented 450 more home fans than the game against Slough two years ago at the same stage of the competition. On that occasion, the teams drew 0-0, the Stags squeezed through the replay on penalties, and ended up giving Liverpool a run for their money in the third round. Concord created the first chance of the night as Chiedozie sent speculative volley wide of the right post on 2 minutes. At the other end a minute later, a poor back pass from centre half Fry and Bingham nearly pounced on it. On 4 minutes, Marsden’s ball forward nearly found Bingham but the keeper Vicars just got there first. On 7 minutes, Bingham had a chance to shoot but instead teed up Murray, whose shot was blocked, it broke back to Bingham, whose shot was also blocked. It was a great position from which the Stags should have done better. At the other end, striker Stokes shot straight at Studer from long distance. On 10 minutes, Murray played a ball to Bingham who managed to get in a shot but couldn’t find that half a yard of space and the shot was half-blocked through to the keeper. On 11 minutes, Beevers crossed from the left to Rhead, who nodded down and managed to get on the end of it himself and flicked the ball over the bar. It was a good chance. On 14 minutes, Studer did well to come out his area quickly to clear. On 14 minutes, Bell rode one challenge and got into the box but fired wide of the left post. At the other end, a good interception by Marsden on 16 minutes. The Stags deservedly went ahead on 17 minutes. Marsden’s long throw was headed up in the air by a defender, Rhead headed forward and Concord left back Danny Glozier could only head it into his own net. A lucky break for Mansfield. But just 17 seconds after the restart a brilliant equaliser for Concord and a moment of magic from Jordan Chiedozie. Chiedozie, 28 yards from goal, fired in a shot like a missile that flew just inside the left post giving Sascha Studer no chance. It was an absolute ripsnorter. On 19 minutes, Marsden crossed, Rhead nodded down, and Murray nearly got on the end of it. On 30 minutes, Chiedozie tried a cheeky chip from 40 yards which Studer saved easily. On 35 minutes, cries of “sacked in the morning” started up from sections of the crowd, aimed at Paul Cox. Clements gave the ball away three times in the space of a few minutes and was loudly booed. They was plenty of booing and shouts of hoof raining down, some of the booing aimed at young Liam Marsden. As I said at the time during commentary on StagsPlayer, I really don’t like the booing of young players. If fans want to boo the manager and even more experienced players, then they are entitled to their opinion. But to boo a local lad just out of the youth team, that is well out of order in my opinion. On 40 minutes, Bingham teed up Murray for a left footed shot from the edge of the area which he fired well wide. Bingham was looking sharp in open play. On 42 minutes, a really good Stags move as Bell made progress down the left and squared for Bingham who brought a fine save from Concord keeper Vicars with a shot towards the left of the net. A minute later at the other end, Chiedozie shot over the bar. On 44 minutes, Studer punched away a loose ball. On 45+2 minutes, Murray shot from 30 yards over the bar, though the referee blew the half time whistle as the ball was in mid-air. There would have been some commotion if it had gone in! Not too many moments of quality in that first half apart from Chiedozie’s wonder-strike and one or two good moves from the Stags, who did at least try to mix play up through Bell, Murray and Clements and not just look for the long ball. Half time 1-1 On 46 minutes, great play from Bingham down the left, he slid the ball across for Bell, who sliced a left-footed shot wide. Fine stuff from Bingham. A minute later, a 25 yards shot from Clements, wide of the right post. On 51 minutes, great play from Bell with a fine run and a great ball in to set up Bingham who controlled the ball and sent in a hard low shot that keeper Vicars saved superbly again, low down. Frustrating for Bingham who desperately needs a goal. On 52 minutes, Bell set up Marsden who shot from the edge of the box and it was blocked for a corner. From the resulting corner, Rhead shot on the turn, it was blocked, and Rhead claimed for a handball, that was waved away by the referee. On 55 minutes, Rhead nodded down to Bell, who fired wide on the half volley from the edge of the box. It was a good start to the half from the Stags but you need to score when you are on top, and the Stags didn’t. Palmer replaced Rhead on 58 minutes in a tactical change. On 60 minutes, a long throw from Marsden, to Murray, who played the ball across the area, to Bingham who swung his boot at it and missed. Studer made a superb save at the other end on 63 minutes, acrobatically tipping over a flick from Chiedozie from 4 yards. Brilliant from Studer, to be alert, for what was his only testing save of the night. Luke Waterfall was booked on 65 minutes for a collision with Chiedozie. On 67 minutes, a great ball from Bell, down the line to Bingham, but Bingham’s ball in was wasted. Then on 71 minutes, a good 1-2 between Murray and Bingham, but his left footed shot was wide of the left post. On 73 minutes, Reggie Lambe replaced Bell. Bell had been clattered several times by some rough challenges. Some of the crowd chanted at Cox: “you don’t know what you’re doing” presumably not having spotted that Bell was struggling. Bell certainly had had a good game. It gave a chance to Lambe, who has not had much game time lately. On 78 minutes, a good block from Waterfall on a shot from Gardner. On 80 minutes, Marsden fed Bingham who totally miscued wide. Bingham was playing well but you could feel his frustration in front of goal from the stand. On 83 minutes, a long throw from Marsden to Beevers, whose shot was blocked. Concord won a free kick 28 yards out on 86 minutes, but Taylor Miles shot well wide. On 88 minutes, good play from sub Reggie Lambe to set up Murray for a shot from 20 yards but he fired just over the bar. A minute later, more good play from Lambe with a run at goal, and he was brought down 22 yards out, on the edge of the D. Chris Clements nearly won the game with the free kick, beautifully placed towards the bottom left corner and keeper Vicars somehow tipped it away for his third brilliant save of the game. No more chances and so the game goes to a replay. Not good enough from the Stags and plenty of booing and calls for manager Cox to be sacked at the final whistle. The result heaps further pressure on Cox though it seems likely to me that chairman John Radford will continue to back his manager while the Stags are still in the FA Cup and seven points above the relegation zone. As for my own opinion as to whether I think there should be a change in the manager at this stage: my opinion is no. But it’s a results business and results need to improve, after what is now 9 games without a win. If we find ourselves in the relegation zone in early January and out of the FA Cup, then I'd be inclined to think we need to make a change in the manager. Too many players are out of form at the moment. This is highlighted (based on my opinion only of course) by my average player ratings that I have given the players this season when compared to last season. These averages show that of the players who have started at least 8 games this season, every player who is still at the club from last season has a lower average this season compared to last season, thus (in my opinion) is down on the form from last season. (Thanks to Pete for calculating those averages). The Stags need to step up, starting with the visit of Plymouth on Saturday. Plymouth are in prime form and the Stags will need to play well to get a much-needed win. Come on Mansfield! Man of the match: Fergus Bell and Rakish Bingham |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill
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Line Up:
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Studer 7 Great save to tip Chiedozie’s flick over the bar. No other real saves to make. Good handling and decent kicking.
Riley 6 Did ok. No mistakes from the back three, albeit not under much pressure. Waterfall 6 No mistakes. Booked on his home debut. Tafazolli 6 Did ok against his former side. Marsden 6.5 Defended quite well including one good interception. Long throws created some danger, including the goal. Beevers 6 Ok. Murray 7 Involved in plenty of the action; set up some chances and had a few shots. Clements 5 Poor game, with several loose balls. Tried to do the right things though, but they just didn’t come off for him. Did his best with a great free kick in the final minute which nearly won the game. Bell 7 Involved in several good moves and set up several good chances. Bingham 7 Very good in open play. Also unlucky not to score as the keeper made two super saves. Cuts a frustrated figure and so desperately needs a goal. Rhead 6 A couple of shots from close range: one just over the bar and one blocked. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Palmer (for Rhead, 58) - Couldn’t get into the action as he did coming on as sub in the previous home game.
Lambe (for Bell, 73) - Looked sharp and created a couple of good moments. Subs not used: Adam Bishop, Sendles-White, Thomas, Taylor. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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Vickers; Walker, Lampe, Fry, Glozier; White, Woodyard, Collins (Ogilvie), Cawley (Miles); Stokes (Gardner), Chiedozie. Subs not used: King, Alexander, Kabashi.
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Referee:
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Kevin Wright 7 Handled the game well.
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