Season 19/20 Stagsnet Match Report
|
|
|
||
|
Leyton Orient
|
|
Mansfield Town
|
||
|
Dayton 45, Benning OG 74.
|
Watts 60
|
|||
|
Attendance: 3587 (181 from Mansfield)
|
||||
|
Date: 11 February 2020
|
||||
|
STAGS BEATEN AT LEYTON ORIENT
Martin Shaw at Brisbane Road Mansfield Town put in a very disappointing performance to lose 2-1 at Leyton Orient last night. After the game, boss Graham Coughlan said there were no positives at all to take from the game at Brisbane Road, and that’s about right I think. The only good news was that bottom club Stevenage also lost, and so the gap between 21st placed Mansfield and the relegation spot remained at 10 points with 13 games left in the season. Leyton Orient started the game three points ahead of Mansfield and having won only three home games all season, but they were the better side and deserved their win. They had some creativity in midfield and their two strikers, the excellent Connor Wilkinson and former Stag Lee Angol, comfortably out-performed the Stags’ strike-force. At the back, Orient looked jittery and made mistakes, but Mansfield were not able to capitalise. Things might have been different if the Stags had taken the lead early on and they had a goal disallowed for offside after just 4 minutes. Ryan Sweeney chipped a nice ball forward which Nicky Maynard controlled beautifully before turning and firing past the keeper. But the linesman’s flag was up. Neither the main camera view nor our pitchside camera view offer a picture where we can see Maynard when the ball was played so it’s impossible to judge if Maynard was offside or not, but it was certainly very tight indeed. Other than that though, Mansfield cannot count themselves unlucky. The Stags were lucky not to go behind after 13 minutes. Krystian Pearce gave away an unnecessary free kick with a foul on Angol 26 yards from goal. Angol fancied the free kick himself and his shot was parried away by Bobby Olejnik. The ball came back to Angol who crossed in, and Mal Benning’s poor clearance only reached Dan Happe who smashed a shot against the right post from 11 yards before Wilkinson put the rebound over the bar. In a first half of few other chances, the Stags created a good chance after 37 minutes. Maynard sent CJ Hamilton away down the left, Hamilton comfortably outpaced his defender and pulled back a perfect cross from the byline to Maynard just inside the area. Maynard went for placement and he sidefooted a left footed shot towards the bottom right corner of the net. It was accurate but keeper Lawrence Vigouroux was able to get down and tip it wide at full stretch. Maynard needed to put a bit more power into his effort. Good play from Hamilton. Orient took the lead after 45 minutes and it was a dreadful goal to concede. Angol played the ball out to James Dayton on the right, level with the edge of the area. Dayton wasn’t closed down by Mal Benning and created a yard for himself to shoot from a tight angle on the right and beat Olejnik at his near post. A really bad mistake by Olejnik, who should not have been beaten at his near post. The second goal in succession where the keeper should have done better actually following Morecambe’s equaliser late on on Saturday. Benning also could have done better. Olejnik’s mistake, but in truth Mansfield have been making far too mistakes at the back and going all the way back to pre-season. The Stags equalised after 60 minutes. A great break by Hamilton, now playing on the right, to win a corner. Benning sent in the perfect delivery and Kelland Watts attacked it at the near post to head in from 5 yards. Great for the Stags to score from a set piece like that, something Mansfield haven’t done enough times this season. It was Watts’ first goal in senior football. It came after Maynard had headed straight at the keeper after 55 minutes and shot straight at the keeper after 58 minutes. Benning pushed forward and tried his luck with a shot from 20 yards but the sting was taken out of it by a block and it was easily saved by the keeper. Orient regained the lead after 74 minutes. James Brophy slid a clever ball forward on the left for substitute Jordan Maguire-Drew who chipped a magnificent cross over Olejnik onto the goalline where Benning, in trying to clear, could only knock the ball into his net. If Benning hadn’t cleared, Angol would almost certainly have chested it into the empty net. The Stags rarely looked like equalising apart from one chance after 90+2 minutes as Olejnik’s long free kick into the Orient box was headed out to Hamilton who fired wide from 16 yards with a couple of Stags players also close to getting a deflection on it to turn it into the net. A poor performance with no-one playing well. In the last four games, the Stags have played teams who will probably all finish in the bottom third of the table and failed to beat any of them. Late equalisers conceded against Carlisle and Morecambe have dented already fragile confidence. The Stags play mid-table Newport on Saturday before a run of games against teams near the top of the table. Somehow the Stags need to find some good form from somewhere. Mansfield made one change to the side that drew at Morecambe. Harry Charsley took a bang on the nose on Saturday and wasn’t well enough to start but took his place on the bench. In came Hamilton, in a 3-4-3 formation with Rose, Maynard and Hamilton up front. I had expected Neal Bishop to be rested having played on Saturday (he was rested for the last Tuesday night game with the manager suggesting he needed to be rested after the Saturday game) and I expected Jack Evans to start his first game, but Bishop started alongside Tomlinson in central midfield. Joe Riley, who had to go off with injury on Saturday, started again but had to go off again here at half time after “tightening up”. Hayden White played for the reserves on Tuesday afternoon and might come into contention to start on Saturday. DETAILED REPORT: It was a windy night. The wind did not appear to affect the game adversely however. The Stags had a goal disallowed for offside after just 4 minutes. Ryan Sweeney chipped a nice ball forward which Nicky Maynard controlled beautifully before turning and firing past the keeper. But the linesman’s flag was up. Neither the main camera view nor our pitchside camera view offer a picture where we can see Maynard when the ball was played so it’s impossible to judge if Maynard was offside or not, but it was certainly very tight indeed. Other than that though, Mansfield cannot count themselves unlucky. The Stags were lucky not to go behind after 13 minutes. Krystian Pearce gave away an unnecessary free kick with a foul on Angol 26 yards from goal. Angol fancied the free kick himself and his shot was parried away by Bobby Olejnik. The ball came back to Angol who crossed in, and Mal Benning’s poor clearance only reached Dan Happe who smashed a shot against the right post from 11 yards before Wilkinson put the rebound over the bar. After 17 minutes, Angol shot well wide from the left of the area. Five minutes later, a high ball into the middle from the right by Marsh, Olejnik misjudged it but got away with it and appeared to be lucky to be awarded a generous free kick. Perhaps the high cross got caught in the wind. After 25 minutes, a free kick from Benning from 40 yards out. Sweeney got above his defender and headed over the bar. At the other end, a free kick from Dayton from the left was headed down and Olejnik pouched it safely. The Stags created a good chance after 37 minutes. Maynard sent CJ Hamilton away down the left, Hamilton comfortably outpaced his defender and pulled back a perfect cross from the byline to Maynard just inside the area. Maynard went for placement and he sidefooted a left footed shot towards the bottom right corner of the net. It was accurate but keeper Lawrence Vigouroux was able to get down and tip it wide at full stretch. Maynard needed to put a bit more power into his effort. Good play from Hamilton. Orient took the lead after 45 minutes and it was a dreadful goal to concede. Angol played the ball out to James Dayton on the right, level with the edge of the area. Dayton wasn’t closed down by Mal Benning and created a yard for himself to shoot from a tight angle on the right and beat Olejnik at his near post. A really bad mistake by Olejnik, who should not have been beaten at his near post. The second goal in succession where the keeper should have done better actually following Morecambe’s equaliser late on on Saturday. Benning also could have done better. Olejnik’s mistake, but in truth Mansfield have been making far too mistakes at the back and going all the way back to pre-season. The Stags behind at the break then and a bad time to concede. Orient had earlier hit the woodwork, but Maynard had gone close and had a goal disallowed. Half time 1-0 Riley had to go off at half time after “tightening up”. He was replaced by Clarke. The Stags switched to 4-4-2, with Watts at left back, Clarke at right back, Hamilton moved to right midfield, and Benning pushed up to left midfield. After 51 minutes, a good header away by Sweeney from an Orient free kick, it was recycled to Cisse who shot wide. Maynard headed straight at the keeper after 55 minutes, following a free kick from Tomlinson from the halfway line which Sweeney headed across. Two minutes later at the other end, a terrible clearance by Olejnik straight to Wilkinson who tried to lob it back over him from 45 yards but put it wide. Then great play by Wilkinson after 58 minutes as he jinked into the area and went down but it was no penalty. The Stags broke straight to the other end down the left, Maynard cut inside and shot straight at the keeper. The Stags equalised after 60 minutes. Yet more good play by Wilkinson around the Stags area. But the Stags cleared and it was a great break by Hamilton, now playing on the right, to win a corner. Benning sent in the perfect delivery and Kelland Watts attacked it at the near post to head in from 5 yards. Great for the Stags to score from a set piece like that, something Mansfield haven’t done enough times this season. It was Watts’ first goal in senior football. Shortly afterwards, Hamilton pushed forward into the area against two defenders, but couldn’t beat the second defender. Sweeney was booked after 65 minutes as Wilkinson went down. The video replay showed it was a clear dive and Sweeney was unlucky. From the resulting free kick from 22 yards, Wilkinson fired over the bar. After 68 minutes, Rose was fouled 27 yards from goal. Benning dinked the free kick towards the far post, Sweeney went down but it was not a penalty. Then Benning pushed forward and tried his luck with a shot from 20 yards but the sting was taken out of it by a block and it was easily saved by the keeper. Orient regained the lead after 74 minutes. James Brophy slid a clever ball forward on the left for substitute Jordan Maguire-Drew who chipped a magnificent cross over Olejnik onto the goalline where Benning, in trying to clear, could only knock the ball into his net. If Benning hadn’t cleared, Angol would almost certainly have chested it into the empty net. After 77 minutes, Olejnik did well to come out quickly and claim as the ball flicked off the top of Sweeney’s head and Angol looked favourite to get to it first. After 81 minutes, Clarke cut inside from the right really well and sent a left foot shot just high and wide. A minute later, Hamilton was fouled on the byline just outside the area on the right. Benning took the free kick, which was like a short corner, but it was over everyone. The ball was recycled back to Benning who sent an acrobatic shot over the bar. After 86 minutes, a shot from Josh Wright from the edge of the area was well blocked by Bishop for a corner. Two minutes later, Bishop gave away an unnecessary free kick. Charsley replaced Benning after 88 minutes. Maguire-Drew sent a free kick from 22 yards over the bar. The Stags had rarely looked like equalising but had a chance after 90+2 minutes as Olejnik’s long free kick into the Orient box was headed out to Hamilton who fired wide from 16 yards with a couple of Stags players also close to getting a deflection on it to turn it into the net. Full time and more frustration for Mansfield. Man of the match: Kelland Watts |
||||
|
Report by: Martin Shaw at Brisbane Road
|
||||
|
Line Up:
|
(3-4-3)
Olejnik 5 Really bad mistake for the first goal when he should not have been beaten at his near post. One poor clearance gave Wilkinson a chance to try to chip him from distance. Pearce 6 Gave away an unnecessary free kick with a foul on Angol 26 yards from goal which led to a triple chance. Otherwise did ok. Sweeney 6.5 One or two good headers away. Good ball forward for Maynard’s disallowed goal. Watts 6.5 Good header for his first goal in senior football. Had a decent game. Riley 6 Had to go off at half time after “tightening up”. Bishop 6 One good block. With Tomlinson alongside him, Mansfield lacked creativity in midfield. Tomlinson 5.5 With Bishop alongside him, Mansfield lacked creativity in midfield. Benning 5 Perfect corner for Watts’ goal. Could have done better for the first Orient goal when he didn’t close Dayton down. His own goal for the second Orient goal, but if he hadn’t attempted to clear, Angol would almost certainly have chested it into the empty net. Poor clearance allowed Happe a shot against the post. Rose 5 Won one free kick, but generally didn’t get into the game, and received almost no service. Maynard 5.5 Possibly unlucky with his disallowed goal when he controlled beautifully before turning and firing past the keeper. Drew a good save at full stretch from the keeper when he placed his shot in the corner, but needed a bit more power. Hamilton 6.5 Great play to set up the chance for Maynard. One other good run. Otherwise wasn’t given enough opportunities to run at the defence. |
|
Sub Line Up:
|
Clarke (for Riley, 46 mins) 6 Did well to create a shot for himself which he put off target.
Charsley (for Benning, 88 mins) - Subs not used: Stone, Preston, Evans, Knowles, Davies. |
|
Opposition Line Up:
|
(4-4-2): Vigouroux; Marsh, Coulson, Happe, Brophy; Dayton (Wright, 66), Cisse, Clay, Johnson (Maguire-Drew, 70); Wilkinson, Angol. Subs not used: Sergeant, Widdowson, Judd, Kyprianou, Jayden Sweeney.
|
|
Referee:
|
Josh Smith 5 Poor game.
|
|
|