Season 20/21 Stagsnet Match Report
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Barrow
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Mansfield Town
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Brough 74, 77
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Sweeney sent off 63
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Attendance: behind closed doors
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Date: 6 March 2021
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GORDON ERRORS GIFT GAME TO BARROW
Martin Shaw at Holker Street Mansfield Town gifted Barrow a 2-0 victory at Holker Street this afternoon in a second half where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. The Stags started the game 11 points above Barrow, who were in the relegation zone and who had a game in hand on Mansfield, so winning the game and bouncing back from defeat at Bradford was important for Mansfield, but avoiding defeat was imperative. The first half was not high on entertainment but the Stags had the better of it with Ollie Clarke heading over the bar from a fine Mal Benning cross, Jamie Reid wasting a great chance when his first touch let him down after a superb pass from Jordon Bowery, while Barrow just had one chance when Scott Quigley knocked over the bar from a Jamie Devitt free kick. A minute into the second half, Ryan Sweeney was booked for tripping Josh Kay. Harry Charsley then went close when his fine 25 yard shot was tipped over the bar by keeper Joel Dixon. But things started unravelling for the Stags after 63 minutes, when Sweeney was given a second yellow card and sent off for fouling Quigley and pulling his shirt. Four minutes later, Aidan Stone limped off after making a clearance and according to Nigel Clough afterwards, he felt something in his knee. On came Marek Stech. Barrow had a great chance to take the lead after 71 minutes. Patrick Brough got in behind Kellan Gordon on the left and pulled across to Jason Taylor who fired a shot wide of the right post. After 73 minutes, Gordon came close to scoring at the other end when he cut inside and his left footed shot curled inches wide of the left post via a deflection. It was a good effort. Seconds later, Gordon picked up a yellow card after he miscontrolled the ball and ended up fouling Kay. It was to get much worse for Gordon after 74 minutes. A long ball forward from Tom Davies into the Stags half was chested down by Gordon who was facing his own goal. But Brough nipped in to take the ball off him and fire under Stech from 10 yards. It was a clanger from Gordon, and an absolute gift for Brough. After 76 minutes, a chance to equalise as Mal Benning’s free kick from the left from 35 yards out was headed goalwards by Bowery and the keeper got down to his right to save on the line. Unbelievably, the Stags gifted Barrow a second goal after 77 minutes. Brad Barry crossed from the right across the edge of the six-yard box, it should have been cleared by Gordon, but he completely missed it, gifting Brough the simplest of chances to knock into the net from six yards giving Stech no chance. Four mistakes by Gordon the space of six minutes, two goals resulted, another good chance for Barrow was missed and he picked up a booking. He’ll surely never have a worse six minutes in his career. After the game Nigel Clough described the goals as “two inexcusable defensive errors”, and said that “Kellan Gordon giving the first goal away changed the game.” Gordon was immediately substituted. Jordan Bowery also limped off but there is no information on his injury. Jake Wright came on for his Stags debut. Keaton Ward also came on for his Stags debut having re-signed for the club yesterday until the end of the season. He was formerly with the Stags youth team, but signed for Barnsley in 2019. It was a difficult circumstance in which to come on, but Ward looked tidy. Barrow had two chances to add further goals when Stech saved well from Quigley after 89 minutes and then again after 90+2 minutes. A dreadful result for Mansfield, completely self-inflicted. In my opinion, Barrow had little to offer and demonstrated why they were in the bottom two, and that made defeat particularly disappointing. The game was gift-wrapped for Barrow. Nigel Clough summarised the game in one sentence afterwards: "We had a player sent off, our goalkeeper went off injured, and our right back gave two goals away." Barrow move out of the relegation zone, and are 8 points behind the Stags with a game in hand. Bottom club Grimsby lost and remain 13 points behind the Stags. Second bottom Southend drew and they are also 8 points behind the Stags but have played a game more than Mansfield. There is work to do for the Stags to avoid the drop. Leaders Cheltenham visit the One Call Stadium on Tuesday (kick-off 7pm). The Stags will be without Sweeney who will be suspended for one game. Lapslie is due back within the next week, whether he will make the Cheltenham remains to be seen, unlikely I would have thought, perhaps Crawley is more likely. Maris is a big miss and is out for a further 2.5 weeks. Hopefully Bowery’s injury is nothing serious after he limped off. Mansfield will need to produce a solid display, cutting out the errors which have dogged recent matches, while being better going forward. A repeat of the Morecambe game would be very welcome. DETAILED REPORT : Mansfield made one enforced change from the side that lost at Bradford. George Maris is out for 3 weeks with a groin injury. Harry Charsley started in his place. Ollie Clarke was able to play after his red card at Bradford was rescinded. The only previous Stags player having a red card rescinded that I can recall was Ryan Sweeney after his red card at Exeter in August 2019. Lapslie, McLaughlin and Sarkic remained unavailable due to injury. Keaton Ward came into the 18 and was to come on for his Stags debut having re-signed for the club yesterday until the end of the season. He was formerly with the Stags youth team, but signed for Barnsley in 2019. It was Mansfield’s first visit to Holker Street since the Conference days and the last visit saw a 4-0 Stags win with Louis Briscoe’s dive earning a penalty and Alan Marriott saving a penalty at 0-0, in a game near the end of the season as the Stags headed to promotion. The pitch was bobbly. It was a pleasant day, slightly chilly. After 5 minutes, Devitt shot wide from 30 yards after he intercepted a crossfield pass from Gordon. At the other end 2 minutes later a good run by Charsley down the right but his cross was missed by Reid swinging a boot at it. Good play from Bowery after 11 minutes, he found Benning who whipped in a great cross across the face of goal which just evaded Charsley at the far post. Fully 15 minutes passed before anything else of note happened. Clarke was booked after 26 minutes. He shaped to shoot from 22 yards but Chris Taylor nipped in to clear the ball and Clarke ended up kicking the Barrow player, the referee deciding that was worthy of a card. Bowery showed great vision to try to pick out Charsley in the area after 29 minutes but Brough was able to put behind for a corner. After 30 minutes, Law crossed from the left, it deflected up in the air and Clarke attempted a volley at goal from 12 yards. Remarkably, again, as he went to shoot, a Barrow player nipped in to clear, this time Ntlhe (pronounced N’Clare), and Clarke ended up kicking the Barrow man. The referee gave a free kick, and could have shown a second yellow card in a very similar incident to the first but thankfully he showed some common sense. Barrow’s best chance of the half came after 32 minutes, when Scott Quigley knocked over the bar from close range from a Devitt free kick, having got goalside of Sweeney. Poor defending from Sweeney. A good move from the Stags after 36 minutes. Bowery again found Benning on the left and Benning put in another fine cross which Clarke headed over the bar. Benning fired tamely wide from 28 yards after 38 minutes. He just can’t find his shooting boots. A minute later at the other end, good defending by Rawson against Quigley on the edge of his own area. After 40 minutes, a great chance for the Stags as Jamie Reid wasted a real chance when his first touch let him down after a superb pass from Bowery. Reid overran the ball which gave the keeper a chance to block. The rebound nearly fell for Bowery but was just cleared. The Stags were the better side with better chances in the first half, in a half which was generally low on entertainment. But it was goalless at the break. Half time 0-0 30 seconds into the second half, Sweeney was booked for tripping Josh Kay. No argument with the yellow card. The resulting free kick from 27 yards from Devitt was blocked by Quinn in the wall. After 54 minutes, Charsley went close when his fine 25 yard shot was tipped over the bar by keeper Joel Dixon. Good effort. After 62 minutes, Devitt’s free kick from 28 yards out on the right was headed away by Sweeney. Things started unravelling for the Stags after 63 minutes, when Sweeney was given a second yellow card and sent off for fouling Quigley and pulling his shirt. Nigel Clough complained afterwards that the booking was very harsh. I don’t agree that it was harsh as Sweeney was pulling his shirt. The Stags immediately brought on Perch to go into central defence, sacrificing Charsley. The resulting free kick, from 28 yards was taken by Beadling and blocked by Quinn in the wall, and then the rebound blocked again by Clarke. After 67 minutes, Aidan Stone limped off after making a clearance and according to Nigel Clough afterwards, he felt something in his knee. On came Marek Stech. Barrow had a great chance to take the lead after 71 minutes. Patrick Brough got in behind Kellan Gordon on the left and pulled across to Jason Taylor who fired a shot wide of the right post. Poor defending. After 73 minutes, Gordon came close to scoring at the other end when he cut inside and his left footed shot curled inches wide of the left post via a deflection. It was a good effort. How things might have been different for the Stags and for Gordon if that had gone in. Seconds later, Gordon picked up a yellow card after he miscontrolled the ball and ended up fouling Kay. It was to get much worse for Gordon after 74 minutes. A long ball forward from Tom Davies into the Stags half was chested down by Gordon who was facing his own goal. But Brough nipped in to take the ball off him and fire under Stech from 10 yards. It was a clanger from Gordon, and an absolute gift for Brough. After 76 minutes, a chance to equalise as Benning’s free kick from the left from 35 yards out was headed goalwards by Bowery and the keeper got down to his right to save on the line. Unbelievably, the Stags gifted Barrow a second goal after 77 minutes. Brad Barry crossed from the right across the edge of the six-yard box, it should have been cleared by Gordon, but he completely missed it, gifting Brough the simplest of chances to knock into the net from six yards giving Stech no chance. Four mistakes by Gordon the space of six minutes, two goals resulted, another good chance for Barrow was missed and he picked up a booking. He’ll surely never have a worse six minutes in his career. After the game Nigel Clough described the goals as “two inexcusable defensive errors”, and said that “Kellan Gordon giving the first goal away changed the game.” Gordon was immediately substituted. Bowery also limped off but there is no information on his injury. Quinn was taken off to rest ahead of the next game on Tuesday. Jake Wright came on for his Stags debut. Keaton Ward also came on for his Stags debut having re-signed for the club yesterday until the end of the season. He was formerly with the Stags youth team, but signed for Barnsley in 2019. It was a difficult circumstance in which to come on, but Ward looked tidy over the remaining minutes. Sinclair also came on. Reid was booked for a push on Davies after 81 minutes. Barrow had two chances to add further goals. Stech saved well from Quigley after 89 minutes as Quigley got away from Jake Wright and fired in a low shot from 15 yards, Stech getting down well. Then again after 90+2 minutes, Quigley cut inside Wright and got away from him again to fire in a shot from a tight angle which Stech parried away. Another good save from Stech. Not a great start from Wright who looked off the pace, beaten twice by Quigley. The Stags had been shell-shocked by the two goals coming after the sending-off, and it could have got worse but for those saves from Stech. The Stags need to bounce back against Cheltenham and then Crawley, followed by home games against out-of-form sides Carlisle and Grimsby. Man of the match: Farrend Rawson |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at Holker Street
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Line Up:
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(4-3-3)
Stone 6 Limped off after 67 minutes. Didn’t have a save to make. Gordon 4 At fault for both goals. Also allowed Brough in behind him for Jason Taylor’s chance. Went close at the other end with a good effort. Rawson 8 Very good game. Sweeney 4.5 Sent off for two bookable offences, the second of which saw him pull Quigley’s shirt. Allowed Quigley to get goalside of him for Barrow’s only real chance in the first half. Benning 7 Several good crosses. Quinn 6.5 Some good blocks. O.Clarke 6 One header over the bar. Law 7 Had a good game. Charsley 6.5 One good cross in the second half, one good shot in the second half. Should have done better with Benning’s cross in the first half. Reid 5 Missed a great chance when his first touch let him down. Bowery 7 Superb pass to set up Reid chance. Several other good pieces of play on the left. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Perch (for Charsley, 64 mins) -
Stech (for Stone, 67 mins) - Made two good saves in the closing minutes from Quigley. Sinclair (for Bowery, 78 mins) - Wright (for Gordon, 78 mins) - Looked off the pace, beaten twice by Quigley. Ward (for Quinn, 78 mins) - Looked tidy on his League debut. Subs not used:, O'Keeffe, J.Clarke. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(3-5-2): Dixon; Jones, Davies, Ntlhe (pronounced N’Clare); Barry, Devitt, J Taylor, C Taylor (Beadling, 53), Brough; Kay (James, 84), Quigley. Subs not used: Lillis, Eardley, Thomas, Banks.
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Referee:
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Carl Boyeson 7 In my opinion his sending-off of Sweeney was not unreasonable. Handled the game ok.
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