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Archived News from January 2017

EVANS, COLLINS AND KEVIN NOLAN REACTION
19th January 2017 21:32


Stags should have won local derby - Evans
mansfieldtown.net, 14th January 2017

Stags’ boss Steve Evans was left to rue his side’s missed chances after they were held 0-0 by local rivals Notts County this afternoon.

The local derby at Meadow Lane ended goalless after a tightly-fought contest in which Stags undoubtedly carved out the best opportunities.

Defender Rhys Bennett saw a number of headers fly wide in the first half before striker Yoann Arquin missed a gilt-edged chance in the second period when he dragged an effort wide from just a few yards out and the manager was frustrated to see his side miss the quality of chances which they created.

“We’ve made probably the only two real chances of the game, one from a corner and one that Yoann Arquin misses which he’ll have sleepless nights tonight and probably tomorrow. I think we were the team trying to win the derby," the Stags' manager said.

“We helped them because we missed a couple of simple chances. You can’t make the quality of chances that we make and not take them.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/2016-17/stags-should-have-won-local-derby-evans-3518997.aspx#IfsPcmrsytsdB3Uh.99

“We’ve done a lot of work on the training ground on freeing people up from set plays and we freed our central defenders up on two occasions and they should end up in the net, but we put them wide.

“In the second half, I think we probably, from an attacking point of view, just lacked in the final third and we’ve said that for a couple of weeks now, hence the two changes late on.”

The gaffer believes that although his side created the better chances in the game, they probably didn’t do enough to deserve to win the contest.

“I just said to the players: did we really do enough today from an attacking point of view to go and win the game?

“I always felt if we got the first goal we’d win comfortably. I think the game played out like that, but you can’t miss the level of the chances we missed today away in League Two and win three points.

“We don’t look at one miss, we look at overall in the final third from one o’clock today, did we do enough? And the answer’s possibly not. We go away disappointed.”

The former Rotherham United manager praised the performance of loanee Hayden White, who put in an assured performance after just one training session with his new team-mates.

“He’s a good player. To only meet the lads yesterday for the first time, to go into a back five and be as controlled as he was [is a credit to him].

“He makes the best chance of the game, the defender for County switches off and Hayden takes advantage of that. He’s probably come from a club where there’s three or four lads up front who would’ve stuck that in without thinking.”

The boss finished by praising the travelling support of 3,485, who out-sung their Notts’ counterparts for much of the match.

“I must say it was a wonderful travelling support. For long periods of the game, you only heard the Mansfield Town fans and to be fair to Notts County's fans, they’ve turned out in big numbers today in backing the new ownership and Kevin.”

Supporters will be able to view manager Steve Evans’ post-Notts County interview on Stags PlayerHD later this evening.

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Watertight Stags disappointed not to win derby
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Saturday 14 January 2017

Mansfield Town boss Steve Evans said he was disappointed to only come away from the big derby at Notts County with a 0-0 draw.

He also said striker Yoann Arquin would have sleepless nights after missing the best chance of the game.

Stags comfortably shut out the struggling Magpies to go 373 minutes without letting in a goal.

But their failure to finish two or three good chances cost them them the opportunity to extend County’s losing streak to 11.

“We come away disappointed, we can’t hide that,” said Evans.

“We have come a bit down the motorway in the last six or seven weeks, but we have got a long way down the motorway to go if we want to get in the top group.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/watertight-stags-disappointed-not-to-win-derby-1-8334878

“We can’t be happy with that result. We’ve made probably the only two real chances, one from a corner and one that Yoann Arquin misses that he will have sleepless nights over tonight and probably tomorrow.

“I think we were the team trying to win the derby, but when they installed the takeover and appointed a new manager, you could see what it meant to their supporters. It’s a great football club and it was always going to be tough.

“Probably such is the measure of it, there are a lot of celebrations in the tunnels from the home side, so that’s what we are starting to achieve at Mansfield Town.”

Evans continued: “We missed a couple of simple chances. You can’t make the quality of chances we make and not take them.

“In the second half from an attacking point of view, we just lacked in the final third, hence the two changes late on.

“Kevin Nolan quite rightfully wanted a clean sheet and a point. But a point is no good to me. You need three points to help you on the way to what we are trying to achieve. “I think if we’d got the first goal we’d have won comfortably. I think the game played out like that.

“We look at the whole game from 1pm and ask if we did enough, and the answer is probably no.”

However, defensively Mansfield are looking excellent and Evans said: “We are starting to see the benefits of the work on the training ground.

“We have a good shape and a good organisation and I don’t think our keeper had a save to make today. That is a compliment to the whole team, you defend from the front and attack from the back.”

Part of that back four at Notts, making a sterling debut was on-loan Peterborough right back Hayden White.

“He’s a good player,” said Evans. “To only meet the lads for the first time yesterday and go into the back five and be as controlled as that was superb. He also made the best chance of the game.”

Evans will continue to add more players to the five already signed this month.

“We are trying to strengthen in three or four areas and there should be three or four players in here before the window shuts,” he said.

Stags took almost 3,500 noisy fans to the derby and Evans added: “It was a wonderful travelling support.

“For long periods of the game you only heard the Mansfield Town fans.”

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twitter
Charlie Slater @CharlieSlater15
Steve Evans tells me #stags made THREE offers for players yesterday. He's waiting to here back. I'd expect some attacking players in the mix

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Collins encouraged by fourth clean sheet
mansfieldtown.net, 14th January 2017

Stags’ captain Lee Collins believes the team are starting to build momentum after recording their fourth consecutive clean sheet this afternoon.

The amber and blue played out a goalless draw away to Notts County in the 1pm kick-off and should have won the match after Yoann Arquin missed a glorious chance in the second half from new signing Hayden White’s assist.

Arquin’s miss was the best opportunity in a contest of few clear cut chances.

“I’d have to see it again but I think Yoann will be disappointed [with missing it]. He was in the box again and was a handful and has made a good start [to his Stags’ career],” said Collins.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/2016-17/collins-encouraged-by-fourth-clean-sheet-3519019.aspx#VArBL0KOkkie3O3z.99

At the other end, Stags prevented County from testing goalkeeper Jake Kean throughout the 90, a stat which encouraged the Stags’ skipper.

“They didn’t really threaten us. They’ve not had any clear shots on target. I think it was a solid performance from the back four and the ‘keeper and collectively.

“We’re starting to get a bit of a name for ourselves. We’re on a good run. It’s four clean sheets on the bounce now and we’ve been a bit unfortunate today.

“It was a bit scrappy [overall]. There was plenty of enthusiasm from both teams but a lack of end quality from both of us really.

“They’ve [Notts County] upped their game after a poor run. They’ve had the ‘new manager syndrome’ and that is to be expected.”

Speaking about his newly adopted position ahead of the back four, Collins said: “I’m enjoying it in there. There’s no rocket science to it in there, I just have to do my job.

“I just need to keep it simple and not get carried away thinking I’m Maradona all of a sudden just because I’m higher on the pitch; I just keep it basic.”

But despite his good form, the 28-year-old knows he needs to maintain his high standards.

“You know if you go out there and are shoddy for 45 minutes then you have a good chance of coming off. Everyone knows they’re fighting for their shirts, especially with the competition that has come in and possibly coming in.”

Collins gave a special mention to the 3,485 travelling Stags’ fans at today's match.

“To get that support at League Two is phenomenal. All we can do is thank them and apologise for not winning the game and getting a goal for them to get them excited. All credit to them for coming to watch us. We really appreciate it.”

Lee Collins' interview will be available in full later on Stags PlayerHD.

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Clean sheets are key
nottscountyfc.co.uk, 14th January 2017

Notts County manager Kevin Nolan was 'chuffed' with the efforts of his players in his first game in charge.

The new boss oversaw a 0-0 draw with local rivals Mansfield Town and believes the performance backs up what he said in his press conference earlier this week.

Speaking after the game, Nolan said: "I've been proved right that this squad is capable and good enough to get results and start moving up the table. If you can start keeping clean sheets, you start winning games.

"I thought the keeper [Adam Collin] made some fantastic saves today. We had a few half chances and they missed a glorious one. We needed that luck - we haven’t had it when I’ve looked back.

"So I'm delighted with the clean sheet, delighted with the performance and delighted with how they competed."

Read more at http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/notts-county-kevin-nolan-mansfield-town-3519050.aspx#8ASOAlYKEQx5BH4w.99

Despite being pleased with his players' efforts, Nolan knows much hard work lies ahead.

He said: "Hats off to them, I’m chuffed to bits, but it’s only one game.

"We got a point but we’ve got to build on it now."

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New Notts County boss Kevin Nolan 'delighted' to start with draw against Mansfield Town
By Leigh_Curtis, January 14, 2017, nottinghampost.com

Kevin Nolan was "delighted" with his Notts County side after his first game in charge of the Magpies ended with a solid derby draw against Mansfield Town.

In front of more than 11,000 fans at Meadow Lane, the Magpies ended a sequence of 10 straight league defeats with a goalless draw against the Stags.

The visitors had the better chances to win the game, with Yoann Arquin missing a sitter against his old club in the second half.

But Notts produced a dogged performance, with the clean sheet their first since a goalless draw against Luton Town in October.

And that thrilled Nolan, who paid tribute to his side's resilience, having only been appointed on Thursday.

"I had a chance to work with the players on Friday for an hour and it seems to me they took it all on board," he said.

Read more at http://www.nottinghampost.com/new-notts-county-boss-kevin-nolan-delighted-to-start-with-draw-against-mansfield-town/story-30057955-detail/story.html#Od5z1ORmiCIDjGHz.99

"It proved to me that this squad is good enough to get results and start climbing up the table.

"We kept a clean sheet and if you keep those then you go and start winning games.

"I thought the keeper (Adam Collin) made some fantastic saves. We had some half chances and they missed a glorious one.

"But you need that little bit of luck. We haven't had much of that when I looked back.

"So I am delighted with the performance and I was delighted with how they competed.

"But it's only the start and we go back to work on Monday."

Mansfield boss Steve Evans thought it was a game his side should have won and said his first experience of the East Midlands derby was special.

"I will go home and reflect on a game we should have won," he said.

"I want my players to go home and reflect that the minimum ingredient is hard work and determination and that we win a local derby.

"Maybe there was the new ownership and manager syndrome (for Notts) and I have to be careful what I say, but a referee that seems to not like me personally.

"He came for a selfie with me midway through the first half, but we go away disappointed.

"I have never experienced a Notts v Mansfield derby, but the atmosphere was fantastic.

"I am sure our fans will travel back disappointed they haven't got all three points, but they will know their team is getting better."

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Just what we needed
nottscountyfc.co.uk, 14th January 2017

Notts County defender Richard Duffy says today's draw and clean sheet was just the tonic following the club's disappointing run of form.

The Magpies had lost their last 10 league matches before new manager Kevin Nolan guided them to a 0-0 draw against local rivals Mansfield Town.

And Duffy was happy with the outcome of the game.

He said: "I think that's what we needed - to grind out a result. Being a derby it was a bit hectic but I think, overall, it was a fair result.

"They had a couple of chances, we had a couple of half-chances, but I think if you offered us 0-0 with the run we've been on and how we've been performing, we'd have taken it."

Read more at http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/just-what-we-needed-3518922.aspx#ExrzJrtbZ20Mimc7.99

Nolan highlighted his concern over the side's inability to keep clean sheets on his arrival at the club but Duffy says the manager's focus hasn't entirely been on defence.

The Welshman said: "It isn't only the defence he's been working on, it's the whole team from front to back. He's put something into our game and hopefully that's going to work for the rest of the season.

"He's stamped his authority straight away and told us what he expects. The boys have gone and out and given a performance which he'll be proud of."

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TWITTER

Thierry Audel @TAudel
Very happy about the result today . Great point for Notts county . Happy to the see the fans with the smile

Adam Collin @AdCollin
Love a clean sheet boys were excellent today after all that went on over the last week or so!!

Alan Hardy @Bigalanh5
Thank you to all those who attended today. It's our highest Div 2 attendance since 1997! #20yearRecord #delighted
The lads put a shift in today. That's what we asked for and that's what they gave us. #delighted

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Yellow flares thrown on the pitch at Notts County v Mansfield Town match
By DanRussell, January 14, 2017, nottinghampost.com

Three yellow flares were thrown on the pitch during the Notts County v Mansfield Town match on Saturday.

The local derby kept stewards at Meadow Lane busy when flares were thrown during the afternoon.

The flares landed on the pitch in front of the visiting 3,500 fans.

Two landed during the second half and one at the final whistle. The first held up the game for a few seconds while a steward removed it.

It is unclear who was involved in the incident.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said that officers were aware of the situation.

Read more at http://www.nottinghampost.com/trouble-on-the-pitch-at-notts-county-v-mansfield-town-match/story-30057959-detail/story.html#OSgJJoR9XxvUyKOC.99

He added: "There have been no arrests at the game between Notts County and Mansfield Town.

"We are aware of a number of flare incidents within the ground."

The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

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Latest | January 2017