Archived News from September 2010
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EASTBOURNE PREVIEWS +PREECE JOINS EASTWOOD ON LOAN
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24 Sep 2010
Preece joins Eastwood on loan ---> http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2164063,00.html Well-built defender Mark Preece has joined Eastwood Town on a month's loan. The 23 year old, who joined in the summer from Forest Green Rovers, has been sent to the Conference North outfit to gain match fitness. Said manager David Holdsworth: "We have sent Mark to a local club where we can watch his progress with great interest. I hope he benefits from obtaining much-needed match practice." -------------------------------------------- Holdsworth eyes back-to-back Mansfield Town home wins Evening Post, 24 Sep 2010 DAVID Holdsworth is confident Mansfield can record back-to-back home wins inside five days against Eastbourne – so long as they maintain high standards. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/sport/Holdsworth-eyes-Mansfield-Town-home-wins/article-2681750-detail/article.html? The Stags performance in the 5-0 drubbing of York City on Tuesday was much improved from their 1-0 defeat to Tamworth in their previous game at Field Mill. Tomorrow sees a battle of two free-scoring sides, with Eastbourne (24) leading the way ahead of the Stags (19) in that category ahead of last night's game between AFC Wimbledon and Crawley. The Sports travel north having won 4-3 at Forest Green on Tuesday night. "They will be coming into this game full of confidence having scored four goals away from home," said Holdsworth. "They have some dangerous attacking players. Richard Pacquette (ex-Mansfield loanee) may have had many clubs but he is quick and never gives up. We have to manage his threat. "I'm not surprised by how well they have started. They are playing with freedom. "But I was pleased with the way we passed the ball against York and one fan said it was the best he had seen the team play for a long time. "The boys took on board some constructive criticism after Tamworth. If they can reproduce something similar they will be tough to live with." ----------------- Midifelder Nix out to nail down a place in Mansfield Town side Evening Post, 24 Sep 2010 WATCHING how he ran the second half show for Mansfield Town as they demolished York City in midweek, it is remarkable to think that Kyle Nix could not even get in the team at the start of the season. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Midifelder-Nix-nail-place-Mansfield-Town/article-2681515-detail/article.html? The central midfielder was simply sublime, with a creativeness on the ball that left the ten-men visitors chasing shadows. And the former Bradford ace underlined his class to cap a memorable personal display with a brilliant fourth goal, exchanging passes with Luke Medley before curling a shot into the right-hand corner from the edge of the box. Those scenes were a far cry from the start of the campaign, when Nix was not even in the matchday squad of 16 for the club's first three games. Of course, he might not have even been here at all had he impressed enough to win a contract at Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam when invited across the North Sea for a trial. But, for the moment at least, Nix's 2010-2011 is very much on an upward curve – something he hopes will continue against Eastbourne tomorrow. "It is obviously good to get back in the side. I thought I had done well in the games leading up to my first start when I had come off the bench," said Nix. "I don't think going over to try my luck in Holland had any effect on me not getting in the team at the start of the season. "The gaffer assured me that was the case and he was very understanding about me going in the first place – he appreciated it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. "He chose to go with other players at the start and it worked, so it was only fair that I had to wait for my chance. "You can get frustrated, but at the same time you know it is justified. "But we lost to Tamworth and didn't play as well as we could, which has given other lads in the squad a chance, including me. "Now I am in I hope I can stay in – and stay fit." Nix has been an influential figure in Mansfield's last three matches – a 2-1 win at Southport and 1-0 defeat at Newport preceding the York game. But he admits it has been tricky to get straight back into the groove because of a lack of match practice. He said: "I was starting to stiffen up in the last 20 minutes of the Southport game, but I managed to get through it. "It is very difficult when you have no reserve games. I can't remember the last time I had played 90 minutes before that. "It was probably at Buxton in pre-season, so to come in and perform as well as we did I think shows we are going about our training in the right way. "Of course there are still things we can improve. Maybe we can pass it a little bit more at times. "And from a personal view I would like to start scoring a few more goals from the chances I have. "But the main thing is to try to perform at a consistent level." Nix believes there has been a significant step up in the quality of the Mansfield squad compared with last season. "Those lads in the team know they have to play well because you look at the quality of players who have not been in the starting line-up," he said. "People like Tyrone Thompson, Keigan Parker and Louis Briscoe did well at the start of the season and have not been in the starting line-up. "You cannot afford to coast along, which is healthy for us. "The first 10 games we have performed pretty well and got ourselves in a decent position and now is the time to build on that." After tomorrow's game with Borough, Mansfield face a big test on the road at pre-season title favourites Luton, who were 4-1 winners over the Stags at Kenilworth Road last season. Nix said: "Our away form last year let us down. Last year we may well have lost the game at Southport with how they played, being direct. "A lot of games we seemed to crumble, but when they got a goal back and threw everything at us, we stayed strong. Hopefully, we have got the balance better now." --------------------- Spotlight on Mansfield Town v Eastbourne Borough Evening Post, 24 Sep 2010 http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/mansfieldtown/Spotlight-Mansfield-Town-v-Eastbourne-Borough/article-2681559-detail/article.html? Line-up: : Marriott, Collett, Silk, C. Smith, Foster, Naylor, Sandwith, Stonehouse, Istead, Briscoe, Mills, Nix, Somner, Williams, Medley, Connor, Duffy, Gregory, A. Smith. Line-up: (from): Banks, Austin, Cook, Mambo, Jenkins, Brinkhurst, Johnson, Weatherstone, M. Crabb, Taylor, Pacquette, Brown, Baker, Smart, Atkin, O'Brien, Strevett, N. Crabb. Team news: Mansfield hope to go into the clash with a clean bill of health. But they are without the suspended Keigan Parker, sent off at Newport County last weekend. Team news: Neil Jenkins returns from a ban for Eastbourne, but Matt Langston (groin), Gary Elphick (hamstring) and Ross Trealeaven (hamstring) are all struggling. One to watch: Richard Pacquette (pictured). The former Mansfield loanee has started the season with a flourish, scoring six goals in seven games. Manager: Garry Wilson. The long-serving boss has guided Eastbourne up the football pyramid and is in his 11th season at Priory Lane. ------------------ Holdsworth happy to see Mansfield Town sharing the goals Evening Post, 25 Sep 2010 DAVID Holdsworth today applauded his Mansfield Town squad's knack of chipping in with goals from all over the pitch. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/sport/Holdsworth-happy-Mansfield-Town-sharing-goals/article-2684164-detail/article.html? The Stags boss has been pleased with his side's tally of 19 goals in ten matches so far this season. Encouragingly, ten different players have already found the net – including all five of the club's recognised strikers. Five different members of the team were on target in Tuesday night's 5-0 home success over York City at Field Mill. "I have to say I'm delighted that we are scoring goals from all departments – that is what you want, and need," said Holdsworth. "It is always in your thinking as a manager to have a compliment of players who can score goals. "The game on Tuesday just showed that. Tactically we have the ability to break forward effectively." Holdsworth is hoping his side can continue to raise a few eyebrows, having acquitted themselves well with almost the first quarter of the season now completed. Victory in this afternoon's home game against Eastbourne Borough would help consolidate their position in the play-offs ahead of Tuesday's trip to pre-season title favourites Luton Town. Holdsworth said: "People outside the club don't expect us to finish in the top six because of where we are financially. "But I'm not looking at that because we have got ability throughout the squad. "We wanted two wins from theses two home games and to get them would be very satisfying." ------------ Mansfield Town captain Foster – defence can still improve Evening Post, 25 Sep 2010 IT had become a running theme during the early weeks of the season. Whenever Mansfield Town lost, captain Steve Foster was the one put up for interview to explain why. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/sport/Mansfield-Town-captain-Foster-8211-defence-improve/article-2684160-detail/article.html? Ever the professional, the defender never shirked the responsibility, speaking from the heart in assessing where things had gone wrong. The 35-year-old joked after the win over Southport that the press wouldn't want to speak to him because Stags had won. So it was no coincidence that after they followed up that win at Haig Avenue with a victory over York City, a point was made to seek out Foster for his thoughts. While clearly delighted with the 5-0 success, the skipper feels there is still more to come. "It was pleasing to get another clean sheet (Mansfield's third of the season), even if most of the plaudits would go to the goals going in at the other end," said Foster. "As a back four and goalkeeper, that is what you pride yourself on." Foster is encouraged by the way his partnership with fellow central defender Chris Smith is taking shape. Smith was captain of Tamworth last season and helped the newly-promoted club establish themselves at Blue Square Bet Premier level. Foster said: "Chris and I were both new to the club at the start of the season and we were finding our feet. "We were put together and gradually got to know each other. "Now we have picked out each others strengths and learned how to use that to our advantage." Mansfield take on Eastbourne Borough this afternoon keen to record back-to-back home wins in the space of five days. "To win 5-0 against York and have five different goalscorers is testament to the quality we have in an attacking sense," he said. "There was a lot of good play from us and the trick is to continue that now. "We know teams will come and sit back and try to stop us from playing. "We have to be brave on the ball. We should be because we have the players who can do it. "But if we can reproduce what we did on Tuesday then we can secure the six points we were targeting." Foster has been delighted with the way a re-jigged Mansfield midfield has performed in the club's last three games. Boss David Holdsworth has opted to go 4-3-3, having previously employed a 4-4-2 system for the club's first seven games of the campaign. Foster said: "You look at two lads in midfield who did not start the season in Kyle Nix and Stevie Istead who have come in and grafted really well alongside Gary Mills. "They have formed a good midfield base and played really well against York." ------------------------ |
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