Archived News from November 2004
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STAGS START BRIGHTLY BUT FADE &LOSE TO WONDER GOAL
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Mansfield Town 0 - 1 Leyton Orient
Scott 51 Att: 3,803 (421 from Orient) Martin Shaw at Field Mill The Stags put in a good first half performance and were unfortunate not to be ahead at the break, but Andy Scott's brilliant goal on 51 minutes changed the course of this game and enabled the visitors to start playing with confidence and in the end Orient easily held on for victory. Man of the match: Adam Murray REPORT NOW in MATCH CENTRE --------------- Football First match report: By John Lomas transcribed by carole Great Scott condemns Stags It is not shaping up to be a merry Christmas at Field Mill right now. The Disciplinary Hearing for suspended manager Keith Curle continues to drag on and caretaker manager Carlton Palmer had now gone four games without a win. It is a baffling and infuriating time for the home supporters who vented their anger at Chairman Keith Haslam as their side tamely surrendered to a ninth game without victory to leave them further away from the leading pack. However, for Orient this was their first win in four games and got their promotion hopes back on track thanks to a goal from Andy Scott. Stags caretaker manager Palmer shrugged off the critics to say: “I could be in my villa in Portugal right now. I am helping out a friend and because I love football – I am not being paid to do this. But we need the fans to get behind the team.” Mansfield, with strikers Richie Barker and Paul Warne both making impressive starts to their debuts, dominated the first half but couldn't crown it with a goal. Orient keeper, Lee Harrison, saved brilliantly from Alex Neil's 16th minute blast and, after denying Tom Curtis with his legs on 33 minutes, was relieved to see an off-side flag up as Adam Murray headed into the empty net. Orients only real chance of the first half saw Kevin Pilkington superbly tip Jabo Ibehre's firm header over the bar. But the Londoners grabbed the match winner on 50 minutes – and what a goal it was. Wayne Carlisle's right wing cross passed behind everyone to find Scott and he beat Pilkington with a stunning drive that flashed just inside the far post. Mansfield never really looked like recovering from that blow and after 65 minutes Orient should have made the point safe but Murray cleared Alan White's near post header off the line and Pilkington got in the way of Michael Simpson's follow-up. Mansfield ……………… Orient 47----------Possession %---- 53 1-----------Corners-------------7 10-----------Offsides-----------7 12----------Fouls--------------13 0-----------Yellow Cards------0 0-----------Red Cards---------0 7-----------Shots on Target---4 5-----------Shots off Target---2 0-----------Hit Woodwork-----0 -------- CHAD website: Stags 0 Leyton Orient 1 THERE was no end to the gloom at Field Mill this afternoon as Andy Scott's 50th minute piledriver left Mansfield Town nine games without a win. As the off-field turmoil continues, so does the on-pitch misery as, despite two new signings and a promising start, Stags eventually surrendered tamely, barely troubling visiting keeper Lee Harrison in a poor second half. Harrison did make two good first half saves. But once the visitors went ahead, Orient looked comfortable winners, their first victory in four games to get their promotion hopes back on track. But Stags, now without a League goal in 404 minutes of football, desperately need to know where they stand managerially before it becomes too late to get back among the frontrunners. Caretaker-manager Carlton Palmer has been ringing the changes but still has no assurances on his future with current boss Keith Curle still suspended from duty. "I've told the players to get their heads up," he said. "The results are not going for us at the moment but we have played against a good, well-organised side today and more than held our own. "I thought we were the better side in the first half and the second half was fairly even. We certainly didn't deserve to lose it. It is not a good situation here at the moment and it is not helping. "But we need the fans to get behind the team. The whole club needed reshaping - the squad that was here was just not good enough. "I brought in two quality players yesterday and tried to bring in a third which meant we had just an hour to train. We also have key players missing and once we have everyone back I have great optimism. "If I am still in charge on Monday we will just get back to work on the training field." Palmer made four changes from the side beaten at Colchester in the FA Cup on Tuesday. New boys Richie Barker and Paul Warne both made debuts up front after arriving from Rotherham United in midweek, Barker on a permanent deal and Warne on loan. Corden returned from injury and Talbot after avoiding being cup-tied. Out went Colin Larkin (appendicitis), Neil MacKenzie (on loan to Macclesfield), Alex John-Baptiste (suspended) and Callum Lloyd (dropped to bench). Orient gave a debut to Spurs loanee Lee Barnard. Mansfield's new signings were involved in the early action as Harrison had to leave his box to clear ahead of the chasing Warne while a far post cross from Warne was headed tamely wide by Barker. Curtis sent a first time shot just wide from a poor headed clearance as Stags continued to set the early pace. On 16 minutes Neil had a powerful 16 yard first time shot turned over by Harrison after superb work down the left by Warne to set him up. On 27 minutes Pilkington conceded a free kick for handling outside his box. Lockwood floated it across for Ibhere who saw his powerful header tipped over brilliantly by the keeper. Scott sent a first time effort over for Orient. Artell then sent a tame header at Harrison from a Curtis free kick. Stags did have the ball in the net on 33 minutes when Donny Barnard's poor kick set up Curtis. Harrison kept his shot out with his legs and Murray was offside as he headed home the loose ball. In stoppage time Murray blazed over from 20 yards after Harrison had punched Buxton's cross to his feet. Warne was first to try his luck in the second half with a low 25 yard drive that Harrison was well positioned for. But it was the visitors who powered ahead on 50 minutes. Carlisle's right wind cross beat everyone to find Scott just outside the box on the left. And he let fly with an unstoppable shot across Pilkington and up into the top right hand corner of the goal. Corden's free kick then picked out the rising Artell whose header looped just over the far angle. Orient came so close to a second from their 65th minute corner. White's near post header beat Pilkiington but was kicked off the line by Murray. The ball rolled to Simpson who then saw Pilkington in the way of his follow-up. Murray finally tested Harrison again nine minutes from time when Curtis pulled a low ball back into his path, but the keeper was always behind the midfield man's low finish. A neat ball from Donny Barnard put Carlisle in space on the right and Pilkington did well to hold on to his powerful low cross at the near post. Pilkington did well to race out to beat Ibhere to the ball and was then back in time to prevent Donny Barnard finding the empty net from long range. Warne did swing a dangerous cross right across the face of goal on 89 minutes. But no one was there to finish. In the final minute, Ibhere's flick found Lee Barnard who blasted the ball into the side netting as home fans streamed away disappointed once more. 27 November 2004 ------------- report by Footymad Leyton Orient's first win in four games restored their automatic promotion hopes but left crisis-club Mansfield without a win in nine games and without a league goal in 404 minutes. Throughout the game the fans called for the resignation of chairman Keith Haslam as the disappointing home side slumped to 16th position in the table - their lowest place for over four years. At the end of another week of turmoil at Field Mill, the Stags had given debuts to the new signings Richie Barker and Paul Warne, but still had to field four teenagers on the bench. Orient also made four changes, giving a debut to Spurs loan striker Lee Barnard. But it was Mansfield's new boys who almost made an immediate impact, Warne crossing from the byline in the seventh minute for Barker to head wide. Barker's aerial threat created a chance for Tom Curtis four minutes later but his low drive flew past the post. Then Warne also showed his strength to cross from the left to Alex Neil, only for the midfielder's rising shot to be acrobatically tipped over by Lee Harrison. Orient finally posed a threat on the half hour when Brian Saah's fierce header from a Matt Lockwood free-kick was acrobatically clawed away by Kevin Pilkington. Five minutes later Harrison repeated his heroics to keep out a Curtis piledriver with his feet after more good work by Warne. Adam Murray stabbed in the rebound only for it to be ruled out for offside. Harrison's saves proved vital five minutes into the second half when Andy Scott lashed an unstoppable 25-yard drive into the top corner from an acute angle. Dave Artell's looping header from a Wayne Corden free-kick drifted over as Mansfield pressed for an equaliser. The home side were given a double let off nine minutes later when an Alan White header from a Lockwood corner was knocked on to the post by Murray and Michael Simpson's follow up was well held by Pilkington. Orient were almost punished for wasting those chances nine minutes from time when a Curtis cross found the unmark Murray, but his low 20-yard drive was well held by Harrison. Match stats (Stags / O's) 12 Goal Attempts 6 7 On Target 4 5 Off Target 2 0 Hit Woodwork 0 10 Offsides 7 1 Corners 7 12 Fouls 13 ------------ Leyton Orient Official Site Mansfield Town 0 - 1 Leyton Orient Coca-Cola League Two A MEMORABLE strike from Andy Scott combined with a first league clean sheet for over two months set Orient's promotion challenge back in the right direction as they recorded victory at Mansfield. Martin Ling had told his side they needed to perform after their washout the previous week against Wycombe and they responded in style, looking stronger defensively and remaining almost completely in control once Scott had given them the lead. Orient not only had to cope with the pressure of needing a win to maintain their fourth position in League Two, but they also needed to manage without 12-goal leading scorer Lee Steele, absent for the first time this season with a knee injury. Justin Miller was sidelined with an ankle problem, David Hunt started a suspension and Gabriel Zakuani was rested on the bench as Ling made four changes, recalling Donny Barnard and handing John Mackie his first league start since the opening day of the campaign. Lee Barnard was given his full debut, and gave his all in attack, chasing every ball and holding up play well, whilst Brian Saah got the nod above Stuart Wardley and new signing Daryl McMahon to partner Michael Simpson in central midfield. It would be hard to find any of the Orient eleven who did not put in a performance to be pleased with. At the back, after taking a few minutes to learn about the new look Mansfield strike pairing of Paul Warne and Richie Barker, Mackie and Alan White marshalled the defence effectively, with Donny Barnard and Matt Lockwood also strong on the flanks, both on the back foot and when able to cross half-way. Simpson and Saah bustled their way around a busy midfield area whilst on the wings, Scott and Wayne Carlisle were threats to the Town backline - both players coping well with the extra attacking responsibility placed on them through Steele's absence. Jabo Ibehre, in the unfamiliar role of lead striker, combined well with Barnard, and the two lively youngsters were too quick and clever for Mansfield's lumbering centre-back pairing of Dave Artell and Luke Dimech. However, the Stags were a strong and hard-working outfit and it took Orient half the opening period to earn the right to play their own game. Orient's attacking was initially stifled in midfield and as they were on top themselves around Lee Harrison's penalty area, it wasn't too surprising that the first on-target effort of note came as late as the 26th minute. Kevin Pilkington, Mansfield's goalkeeper, handled outside his area after misjudging a long ball forward but referee Scott Mathieson decided a free-kick was sufficient punishment and Pilkington redeemed himself from Lockwood's delivery by athletically sending Ibehre's header over. Referee Mathieson had a busy afternoon with menial fouls such as pushing and holding, not to mention ten Mansfield offsides, but with no bookings or substitutions, there were few match-changing moments for him to preside over. The first-half had been even, but once Orient took the lead they had the authority to dominate proceedings and passed the ball around convincingly. The goal itself will be deserving of repeat viewings, and Scott and Carlisle, who set him up, now have a combined tally of ten from the flanks this season already - an impressive tally. It was a clever flick from Ibehre which gave Carlisle possession on the right and his cross flew across the edge of the penalty area to Scott, who rampaged in from the left and unleashed a rocket of a volley which flew past Pilkington and almost ripped the net off its hooks. There was a double chance for a second on 65 when a low Lockwood corner was met by a diving header from White at the near post and the clearance off the line fell to Simpson, whose low shot forced a diving save from Pilkington. Settled and relaxed, Orient's domination meant Mansfield soon ran out of ideas and Harrison was rarely called upon to show off his impressive form of late, only having to make one save of note - from Adam Murray's low shot ten minutes from time. In injury time, with home fans voicing their discontent and home players resorting to long fruitless balls forward, Lee Barnard hit the side netting after being sent through on the left, but his miss wasn't costly as Orient ensured a fifth away success of the season to maintain fourth place in League Two. |
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