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Archived News from April 2014

COX AND MARK YATES REACTION
24th April 2014 10:51



video interview with Paul Cox
http://www.player.mansfieldtown.net/latest-news/article/3779710/date/20140421194100/page/0/name/video--cox-on-robins-loss

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Cox to mull over defeat to Robins
mansfieldtown.net

Manager Paul Cox has stated he will be doing some serious thinking over the coming days, following a lacklustre display in the 2-0 defeat at home to Cheltenham Town today.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/cox-to-mull-over-defeat-to-robins-1501047.aspx#CIYXAOXIJyzElZqS.99

Veteran forward Jamie Cureton netted a second half brace to secure a comfortable win for the visitors. Despite the defeat, we remain in 12th position in Sky Bet League Two.

“To say I’m disappointed is an understatement,” said Cox. “It just wasn’t good enough today.

“A lot of people say we’ve achieved because we’ve avoided relegation, etcetera, but I want to take the club forward so I’ve got to do some serious thinking - not just about today’s game, but in other times when those type of performances have come about. I’ll plan accordingly from there.

“We’re paid to play football and it’s the best job in the world. Each and every one of the players and the squad has got something to prove.

“We’ve had a half-decent season and you’d think that players would be hungry to improve on what they’ve done this year and learn from their mistakes, but if things like that keep happening again, the book stops with me and I’ve got to do something about it.”

He added: “I might sound harsh and as if as though I’m thinking with my heart and not my head, but before the game I said I wanted a good performance and a good result.

“It makes my mind up about players in terms of taking the club forward.

“If we played badly with the ball or if we’ve not passed the ball, I can stomach it, but we just rolled over and died today. That’s not us and not what we’ve tried to build this club on.

“We get called big and strong, but they were bigger and stronger, had more fight in them, more running in them and a desire to win a football match, and that’s what I can’t stomach.”

Paul Cox’s post-match interview will be available on Stags Player later today. To subscribe, click here.

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Cox slams Stags for lack of hunger as play-off dream dies
chad.co.uk

An angry Paul Cox said his side’s tame surrender in the 2-0 home defeat by Cheltenham Town this afternoon had made up his mind about some of his players’ futures with many out of contract this summer.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/cox-slams-stags-for-lack-of-hunger-as-play-off-dream-dies-1-6572511

The result ended Mansfield’s faint play-off hopes while also making sure Cheltenham are in League Two with them next season.

Veteran Jamie Cureton struck a second half brace to seal the win in a poor game in which the Stags manager was furious over his side’s lack of hunger.

He said: “You can’t blame this on the end of the season as we had performances like this between October and December.

“It may sound hard and like I am talking with my heart and not my head, but I will not stomach a performance like that.

“What is has done is make my mind up about players in terms of being able to take this club forward.

“Some of them are as plain as the nose on your face while a few more are a bit more cloudy and I will have think more before making important decision on players.

“We have turned this into a winning club over three years and I don’t want to stand still.

“There will be a lot of footballers out of work this summer and it is a tough, nasty world out there with people working a lot of hours for not a lot of money.

“That was not what we are about today. People call us big and strong but Cheltenham were bigger and stronger than us today and showed more fight, more running and more desire than us. We showed a lack of hunger. Yet on Friday we still had a chance of the play-offs.”

He added: “Not one of my players can turn round and say they thought they had a decent game today and that’s a sad state of affairs.

“I am jealous of the clubs in the top three and envious of the clubs in the play-offs. Over a season you finish where you deserve and it looks like we are going to finish in a mediocre position.”

Robins boss Mark Yates said: “We have been decent away pretty much all of the season,” he said. “And our supporters were superb today.

“It is a tough place to come - the land of the giants. Mansfield have some big, strong players and have got a way of playing which suits them. They have pace and power.

“But I thought we were great from start to finish. We competed well and had our chances in the first half and were unlucky not to come in ahead.

“After about 10 minutes of the second half we got it together, scored and played some decent football and ran out deserved winners.

“They threw three up front and put us under pressure. But we stood firm and showed we can defend.

“I don’t want to dampen the mood after doing well but it’s come too late.

“Away from home our form has been good but we have found it tough at home all season.

“We have not been able to string two wins together and that’s now the challenge for us next Saturday.”

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Yates: Deserved Winners
by CTFC Media
Mark Yates was delighted with today's victory and wants more in the final two games of the campaign.

Robins manager Mark Yates speaking to the press following this afternoon's 2-0 victory over Mansfield Town:

"We have been pretty much decent away all season. I thought the supporters were superb and it's a tough place to come because they're the land of the giants and they are strong players with a way of playing that suits them. They have pace and power but I thought we were great from start to finish. We had a few chances in the first half and we were disappointed not to have at least one goal at half time but we talked about what we could do to come away with three points in the second half. For ten minutes we weren't quite as good but we got it together and played some decent football and ran out deserved winners.

"Byron Harrison was superb today and a real handful in the air and on the floor. He got better and better as the game went on and Jamie as well - they linked up well.

"It's not euphoric in there (changing room) but it's a job well done just too late. Away from home we have played some decent stuff but hopefully we can address a few things (for next season). The state of the pitch at home is not brilliant and that is something we may have to look at but the bottom line is we haven't been good enough and saying that the goals we have been conceding in a short space of time weren't down to the pitch! We want to see more attractive football but we have found it tough at Whaddon Road unfortunately but on the road we have been pretty good for the majority of the season.

"We have not strung two wins together so that is the next thing for us. Next Saturday can we get a second and take that into the last game of the season for a third one to give everyone a little excitement. We have got a decent group but we have not shown it enough.

"We've always known what Jamie can do but again it hasn't happened for him as much as we would have liked. He has 11 league goals, Byron has 15 and we'll just have to look at the reasons why we haven't done as well this season, try and work it out and be better at it. I thought they were a real handful today and Byron did really well for Jamie's first goal. Jamie chased a lost cause for the second and it was a great finish to make it a lot more comfortable. We had to deal with them throwing bodies up there and pressure but we stood firm and have shown that we can defend. I think we have kept a number of clean sheets this season but we just unfortunately concede another and then another at times. That has been something that has knocked us back constantly.

"Scott Brown hasn't had a save to make and that is down to the players in front of him doing they're jobs and that is all I ask.

"I am the most frustrated man in the world but I can't feel like that because you have to deal in reality. People feel we should be this and we should be that but the bottom line is that we haven't been as a good as we needed to have been this season. We just have to try and be positive now, try and win the last two games and hopefully be a lot better next season."

Read more at http://www.ctfc.com/news/article/yates-post-mansfield-a-1499353.aspx#iCDx2GwbAIMgReLK.99

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twitter

Martin Riley @LifeofRiley6
Nowhere near good enough today! Apologies to the fans. Not acceptable

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