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Archived News from March 2003

LATE GOAL CRUELLY ROBS STAGS YET AGAIN
1st March 2003 21:29


Mansfield 0 Oldham 1
Hall 88 (pen)
Attendance 5712

PA report:
Oldham defender Fitz Hall struck a crucial late penalty to give his side a 1-0 win at Mansfield.
The Latics appeared to be heading for a draw but Liam Lawrence brought down Wayne Andrews inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty and Hall stepped up and scored.
Oldham had played for most of the game with 10 men following David Eyres' 34th-minute dismissal for violent conduct, but the Stags' discipline was equally lacking and they finished the game with only nine players.
Ryan Day was sent off for a second yellow card in the 56th minute after a crunching tackle on Anthony Carss, and in the final minute Keith Curle was also dismissed for a professional foul.

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Match Statistics (Stags/Latics)
10 Goal Attempts 4
3 On target 2
7 Off target 2
0 Woodwork 0
5 Corners 2
17 Fouls 15
1 Offside 1
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Report from CHAD website:
Three off as Stags suffer late sting
REFEREE Paul Taylor was talk of the town as he booked eight players and sent three off as Oldham stole a late 1-0 victory at Field Mill this afternoon to preserve their unbeaten away record for the season.

With clubs around them winning and central defensive partnership Keith Curle and Rhys Day now facing concurrent three-match bans for automatic red cards, it was a black day for the yellows.
Looking at the card tally it would be easy to assume it was a dirty game. But, although frantic and scrappy with few goal chances, it didn't warrant that many cards and all three reds were highly debateable.
David Eyres was sent off for Oldham on 36 minutes after a tangle of legs with Craig Disley, despite the Stags midfielder backing Eyres' protests to the official.
Rhys Day, already booked, was next to go on 56 minutes after what looked a genuine attempt to head the ball with Antony Carss, a straight red again produced.
Even more confusing was player-manager Curle's dismissal in stoppage time when he chopped down Wayne Andrews on the left touchline well away from goal.
Curle had not been booked and the player was hardly away on goal so it was hard to see how the referee could give a straight red.
But the most controversial decision came in first half stoppage time when Ben Doane brought down Andrews near the halfway line. It certainly looked worth a booking for Doane but Andrews appeared to get up and kick the prostrate Doane on the floor which provoked a confrontation between players from both sides.
Amazingly Andrews did not even get a yellow card let alone red and ended up winning the penalty and being the player brought down to earn Curle his red card when he possibly should not still have been on the field. Doane also escaped a caution but one from each side was booked for the ensuing melee!
Clyde Winjhard was a surprise inclusion for the visitors after a 13-match injury lay-off he scored four times in Mansfield's 6-1 hammering at Boundary Park back in September.
And he almost caught Mansfield cold in the opening minutes when he raced though a square defence looking for offside and stretched out a leg to lob over Keith Welch and the crossbar.
But Stags did have chances with Junior Mendes turning the ball over first time from close range and Iyseden Christie sliding the ball across the face of goal from five yards.
Aussie keeper Leslie Pogliacomi also had to react quickly to stop defender Dave Beharral turning Liam Lawrence's cross into his own net.
Lawrence was involved in two off-the-ball controversies when both Chris Armstong and David Eyres appeared to raise a hand to him in the first half both going unpunished but Lawrence booked for reacting to the first by confronting Armstrong.
Lee Williamson came on for the injured Disley after the sending-off incident left him limping. And he came close early in the second half with a vicious shot that the keeper did well to turn aside.
Welch also saved well from a low Winjhard free kick and, racing out his box for the fourth time, was finally beaten for pace to the ball by Andrews who slotted his finish wide of the unguarded goal from an almost impossible angle.
Lawrence twice came close from long range. But a draw seemed inevitable until Lawrence put out a leg to challenge Andrews in the box and the striker went down.
Up stepped ice cool Fitz Hall to send Welch the wrong way. And when Curle was sent off moments later it just crowned a miserable aftenoon.



 

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