{ the news }
 
An independent supporters' website dedicated to Mansfield Town FC
Archived News from August 2007

DEARDEN, HAMSHAW AND BAPTISTE REACTION
20th August 2007 15:51


Spot-kick man boulding happy with new role up front
Evening Post
Mickey Boulding hopes a new central striking role and a season back in football will see Mansfield get the best out of him.
The forward has scored two in two league games this season - and he believes he is already feeling the benefits from getting a full season under his belt after coming out of retirement.

The former Aston Villa man is in his second season at Field Mill after giving up the game and is hoping to better his return of six goals last season.

"Last season I'd been out for a year and that makes a big difference," he said. "This season I'm really looking to kick on and have a good season.

"The difficulty last season was getting back up to fitness. I did a fair amount of training, but you can't replicate playing football.

"I've come back this season half a stone lighter and I feel a lot better for it."

Boulding is also thriving in his role as an orthodox striker, having played much of last season on the left.

His penalty against Lincoln on Saturday followed up his equaliser against Brentford on the opening day of the season.

But he insists the onus is not on him to provide all the goals, believing Mansfield have threats all over the pitch.

"I think there are players in the squad good enough to score goals," he said. "It is a young forward line apart from myself so I suppose there is a responsibility on my shoulders, but there are players who can score."

Boulding challenged his team-mates to quickly bounce back from the disappointment of Saturday.


Dearden demand: We must hit back
Evening Post
Billy Dearden today demanded a reaction from his players after Mansfield's horror show against Lincoln.
The Stags lost 3-1 in the derby against the Imps - but it might have been even worse if John Schofield's side had taken a host of chances in the second half.

Dearden gave his players a post-match dressing down and insisted on an improvement against League Two newcomers Morecambe this weekend.

"That will be different. We've had them watched and we will be working all week on what went wrong and put it right as soon as we can.

"There's got to be a reaction. That's what John Schofield got out of his lads - a reaction after conceding four in their first two games.

"So I'm looking for the same reaction at Morecambe this week. We've got to put it right and we'll have to do a lot better."

Dire defending gifted Lincoln two goals in the first half through Louis Dodds and Dany N'Guessan - sandwiching a Mickey Boulding penalty.

Mark Stallard's strike after the break put the visitors out of sight - and they could have doubled the score as they threatened to run riot after the break.

"In the second half they didn't show as much passion as I want to see when we go a goal behind and that's not us at all," said Dearden.

"Too many had a bad day. I've never seen the back four play as bad as a unit, but defending starts from the front.

"Not many came out with any credit."

And Dearden is also hoping to see more of a cutting edge against Morecambe after his side rarely threatened Alan Marriott's goal.

"It's disappointing that we didn't have a lot more efforts on goal," he said.

"You can't go to Brentford and have nine efforts on target, hit the post twice and then come home and not have half as many.

"We will stick together. It's the second game of the season.

"It's a long, long season and hopefully the mistakes we made we will put right and we'll get a win under our belts."
---------------
Audio interview with Alex John-Baptiste from CHAD website here
---------
Audio interview with Billy Dearden from CHAD website here
---------
Audio interviews with Billy Dearden and Matt Hamshaw from Mansfield 103.2 (apologies for quality - recorded on my little tape recorder) here
---------
Audio interview with Billy Dearden from BBC Radio Nottingham (RealPlayer needed) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/football/2008/stags_lincoln_home_manager.ram
------------
Audio interview with Matt Hamshaw from BBC Radio Nottingham (RealPlayer needed) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/football/2008/stags_lincoln_home_player.ram
------------
Audio interview with Alex John-Baptiste from CHAD website here
---------
Audio interview with Billy Dearden from CHAD website here
---------
Harsh words in dressing room after Stags crash
CHAD website, By John Lomas
THERE were harsh words in the dressing room today after Mansfield Town's disappointing 3-1 home defeat by neighbours Lincoln City.
After coming back from giving away an early goal, the Stags were deservedly level after 36 minutes only to concede again within 60 seconds and were then killed off by a third Imps goal nine minutes after the break.

Unhappy manager Billy Dearden said: "That was very disappointing.

"We had a good chat in the dressing room afterwards and what was said stays in there - but the lads know that's not good enough.

"You can't give a goal away so soon after the start as it gives them a lift straight from the off.

"We defended very poorly. I have never seen the back four play as badly and we defended poorly overall as a unit.

"We did deserved to get back in it but you can't afford to score a goal and then just think it will come - you have to work hard and keep going.

"We quickly them away a bad second goal and that gave Lincoln a lift again.

"In the second half they were by far the better team. I don't think it was a case of heads dropping but we didn't play particularly well and they were better than us all round the park.

"To be fair I thought Lincoln played very well, particularly their front two.

"But most of their chances came from our own free kick and corners and them breaking away.

"We will now spend the week working hard on what went wrong before we go to Morecambe next weekend which will be a difficult one."

City, after losing their first two games, conceding four goals in each, were desperate for a win at a ground they had not lost at for six years.

So Lincoln boss and former Stags midfielder John Schofield was a very happy man tonight.

"It's a long week between games when you lose at home, but we've worked hard and we believe in what we are doing," he said.

"We played some fantastic football and looked very resilient as well.

"It was a very good team performance. I don't think we came here looking to prove a point. We came here to do a job and we did it better than we did last week.

"There are ups and downs in every season and we have just keep believing in what we are doing.

"We got off to an ideal start and then reacted very well to the disappointment of conceding the penalty."

"The fans had something to moan about last week, but my job is to take the stick on the chin and keep working hard to get things right."

 

Latest | August 2007