Season 21/22 Stagsnet Match Report
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Salford City
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Mansfield Town
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Turnbull 2, Lund 52.
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McLaughlin 15, pen 45+3
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Attendance: 3,765 (1,286 from Mansfield)
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Date: 2 May 2022
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STAGS HELD BY SALFORD IN SUPERB END-TO-END GAME
Martin Shaw at the Peninsula Stadium, Moor Lane Mansfield Town drew 2-2 at Salford City at lunchtime today in a pulsating end-to-end game with both sides really going for it. The draw was a result that neither side wanted. Salford needed a win to keep alive their play-off hopes, while Mansfield needed a win to realistically stay in the hunt for automatic promotion. The Stags players and manager Nigel Clough were absolutely gutted at the end of the game. Indeed players from both sides sunk to the floor as the final whistle went. I could barely drag myself back to my car afterwards. The Stags’ chances of automatic promotion are now incredibly slim, needing to beat Forest Green on Saturday and hope that Bristol Rovers somehow fail to beat no-hopers Scunthorpe, one of the worst teams I’ve ever seen in League Two, and Northampton fail to win at Barrow. It is hard to imagine both of those latter two happening, especially Scunthorpe getting something at Bristol Rovers. And the Stags still have work to do to ensure a play-off place. A draw at home to Forest Green would ensure that. If the Stags lose, they would need ONE of the following to happen to still reach the play-offs: Sutton to draw or lose at Harrogate or Swindon to draw or lose at Walsall or Port Vale to lose at Exeter. The game was a fantastic advert for League Two, live on Sky Sports. The Stags started disastrously. Lucas Akins conceded a free kick in the first minute, and after 90 seconds the ball was in the back of the Stags net as Jordan Turnbull was left unmarked by Stephen McLaughlin to head in from the resulting free kick. The Stags should have been level after 8 minutes as James Perch put in a great cross from the right and Matty Longstaff met it unmarked beyond the far post to side-foot a half-volley inches wide of the right post. He should have scored. Nigel Clough told me after the game that Longstaff should have met it a yard closer to the net, he could then have taken it on the volley which would have made it an easier chance rather than relying on the bounce of the ball. A dynamic run from Rhys Oates two minutes later but from 25 yards he fired over the bar. The Stags were level after 15 minutes. Akins headed inside to Jamie Murphy who was brought down by Turnbull 21 yards from goal. Turnbull was booked. UPDATE: From the review of the video in frame by frame, Turnbull actually won the ball, by getting to it first, so it shouldn’t have been a free kick, and Turnbull shouldn’t have been booked. McLaughlin stepped up to take the free kick and sent a great shot past the wall into the bottom left corner of the net, with the keeper getting his fingertips on it but unable to keep it out. Credit to Akins who did well to create the space in the wall for McLaughlin to fire the free kick through. What should have been a key moment off the ball came after 20 minutes when Matty Lund should have been sent off for deliberately stamping on the back of Longstaff’s heel. It was missed by the referee but not by the Sky Sports cameras. One of the officials should have seen it. UPDATE: Lund was later charged by the FA for violent conduct over the incident, leading to a likely 3 game ban. Oates won the ball off Theo Vassell and was through in a 1-on-1 with the keeper after 26 minutes, but he just knocked the ball slightly too far in front of him and the keeper was able to save for a corner, when Oates might have scored or won a penalty. The Stags took the lead after 45+3 minutes. Murphy won a free kick 45 yards from goal. McLaughlin chipped the free kick into the area, Hawkins and Turnbull both rose to meet it and Turnbull stuck up his left arm and handballed it under pressure from Hawkins. A clear penalty. Turnbull escaped a second yellow card, I think the correct decision as it wasn’t a deliberate handball in my opinion, I think he was off balance with the contact from Hawkins. McLaughlin stepped up to take the penalty and sent it down the middle as the keeper dived to his left. After the game McLaughlin explained that he expected the keeper to dive that way as he had only taken one previous penalty this season and sent it that way. A really good half from the Stags after that disastrous opening and the Stags deservedly in front. Turnbull should have received a second yellow after 49 minutes when he deliberately shoved Oates over. The hapless referee didn’t even give a free kick. Salford could have been down to 9 men. Having said that, Turnbull should not have received the first yellow. On 52 minutes, Salford were level. Thomas-Asante put in a great cross from the left, McLaughlin was marking Lund in the middle but allowed Lund to get away and get a free header from 7 yards into the net. McLaughlin admitted after the game "in fairness he ran across in front of me, I should have done better." Lund shouldn’t have been on the pitch though. On 55 minutes, both sides were within a whisker of scoring as the game was end-to-end. First, from a corner from the right from Ibou Toure, Lund got away from his marker Lapslie to head against the bar. Lund shouldn’t have been on the pitch. Within seconds, the Stags were so nearly back in front. Oates made a run from just outside his own box to control a Maris ball forward, he ran towards the edge of the area, and from 20 yards thundered a shot goalwards which hit the keeper and deflected just wide. Outstanding stuff from Oates. Moments later, Murphy crossed from the right and O’Toole’s header was held on the line by the keeper. What a game this was. Both sides had more chances as Stephen Kelly fired straight at Bishop and Donald Love’s shot was pushed wide by Bishop. At the other end Murphy had a shot blocked after cutting inside, then after 67 minutes after a great move, Maris curled a low shot just wide of the right post from 20 yards. Into the final few minutes and both sides could have won it. After 88 minutes, the dangerous Thomas-Asante crossed from the left and Matt Smith headed wide. After 90+1 minutes, Oates was away on another great run, but Turnbull got back to put in a brilliant block tackle as Oates shot from the edge of the area. Then on 90+4 minutes, a brilliant run from Oates yet again, past two men, into the area, and his thunderous shot from 17 yards was parried up in the air by the keeper. Three Stags players were more or less unmarked in the box but the ball didn’t fall for any of them. At the end of the game, players from both sides sunk to the floor in disappointment. At any other stage of the season, you would say this was a good point away at a good side. Today a point wasn’t what the Stags wanted. An opportunity missed. On to Saturday. DETAILED REPORT Stags fans arrived early and in good numbers, plenty in fancy dress for the last game away of the regular season. It was a sell-out for Stags fans. Mansfield made one change from the side that beat Stevenage. Hawkins came in, Hewitt dropped to the bench, Perch switched to right back. Hawkins was brought in to deal with the aerial threat of Matt Smith. Nigel Clough had done the same against Northampton. Clough said after the game: "It was a difficult team to pick today leaving Elliott Hewitt out. But we thought with Smith we had to put Oli Hawkins back in at centre half, and he dealt with him generally very well indeed.” Stephen Quinn missed out with a very sore hip after a whack in the Crawley game. Ollie Clarke returned to the bench after injury. Nigel Clough said after the game: "Ollie Clarke has trained a couple of times and I thought we might need his physicality in there, which I thought we lacked at times. We're not a very good team at tackling especially in the midfield area, and that's one thing he excels in, that's why he was on the bench.” Kellan Gordon travelled to the game. He has been out with injury for several months and it was good to see him back. Danny Johnson, Jason Law and Stephen Quinn watched the game with him from just behind the dugout. Salford included Matt Smith a big striker who has scored 59 goals in the Championship in his career and who joined Salford in January. He had scored 7 goals in 19 games since signing in January. The Stags knew before the game that if they won the final two games they would be promoted automatically unless Port Vale won their last two games, at home to Newport and away to Exeter, two difficult games. Salford needed 6 points from their last two games to have a chance of making the play-offs. It was a game both sides needed to win. The Stags were playing in the new sky blue away kit for next season. The Stags have previously played in a sky blue kit in 2011/12 (third kit), 2007/08 (away kit, used for example away at Harrogate Railway in the FA Cup), 2003/04 (away kit), and 1931-1934 (main kit). You can see more about Stags shirts on the Stagsnet Stags shirts page here. By the way, on the subject of Stags shirts, Stags season ticket holders from the 2020/21 season had received a complimentary “third shirt”, predominantly white, with a horizontal amber strip and navy tint across the chest, with the name of every season ticket holder written on the shirt in small type. It had been envisaged that the shirt would be worn for one game this season. Unfortunately EFL rejected the request to play a match in it as the names on the shirt and the number of season ticket holders on the shirt (1537) made it in breach of regulations. The Stags started disastrously. Lucas Akins conceded a free kick in the first minute, and after 90 seconds the ball was in the back of the Stags net as Jordan Turnbull was left unmarked by Stephen McLaughlin to head in from the resulting free kick. Nigel Clough was unhappy with Akins after the game for conceding that free kick. After 4 minutes, Thomas-Asante made a brilliant run to the edge of the Stags area and he was brought down by O’Toole. O’Toole was booked. The free kick, from 22 yards out, by Stephen Kelly, was blocked by the wall. A nervy start from the Stags. The Stags should have been level after 8 minutes as James Perch put in a great cross from the right and Matty Longstaff met it unmarked beyond the far post to side-foot a half-volley inches wide of the right post. He should have scored. Nigel Clough told me after the game that Longstaff should have met it a yard closer to the net, he could then have taken it on the volley which would have made it an easier chance rather than relying on the bounce of the ball. A dynamic run from Rhys Oates two minutes later but from 25 yards he fired over the bar. The Stags were level after 15 minutes. Akins headed inside to Jamie Murphy who was brought down by Turnbull 21 yards from goal. Turnbull was booked. UPDATE: From the review of the video in frame by frame, Turnbull actually won the ball, by getting to it first, so it shouldn’t have been a free kick, and Turnbull shouldn’t have been booked. McLaughlin stepped up to take the free kick and sent a great shot past the wall into the bottom left corner of the net, with the keeper getting his fingertips on it but unable to keep it out. Credit to Akins who did well to create the space in the wall for McLaughlin to fire the free kick through. A good tackle by Akins on Thomas-Asante to put it before for a corner after 18 minutes. What should have been a key moment off the ball came after 20 minutes when Matty Lund should have been sent off for deliberately stamping on the back of Longstaff’s heel. It was missed by the referee but not by the Sky Sports cameras. One of the officials should have seen it. UPDATE: Lund was later charged by the FA for violent conduct over the incident, leading to a likely 3 game ban. Oates won the ball off Theo Vassell and was through in a 1-on-1 with the keeper after 26 minutes, but he just knocked the ball slightly too far in front of him and the keeper was able to save for a corner, when Oates might have scored or won a penalty. After 36 minutes, Thomas-Asante put Matt Smith clean through in the area, but Bishop was out to block his shot. Fine keeping. At the other end a minute later, a brilliant run from Oates from well inside his own half, he cut inside but miscued his low shot wide of the left post. Thomas-Asante’s shot from 18 yards was blocked after 39 minutes. Lapslie won the ball and was brought down after 41 minutes, but the referee waved play on. Hawkins headed away a free kick after 45 minutes. The Stags took the lead after 45+3 minutes. Murphy won a free kick 45 yards from goal. McLaughlin chipped the free kick into the area, Hawkins and Turnbull both rose to meet it and Turnbull stuck up his left arm and handballed it under pressure from Hawkins. A clear penalty. Turnbull escaped a second yellow card, I think the correct decision as it wasn’t a deliberate handball in my opinion, I think he was off balance with the contact from Hawkins. McLaughlin stepped up to take the penalty and sent it down the middle as the keeper dived to his left. After the game McLaughlin explained that he expected the keeper to dive that way as he had only taken one previous penalty this season and sent it that way. A really good half from the Stags after that disastrous opening and the Stags deservedly in front. Half time 1-2 In the opening minute of the second half, Oates was brought down by Vassell. McLaughlin’s free kick from the left was initially headed away, but after some head tennis, Oates’s on-target header was headed away by Smith. Turnbull should have received a second yellow after 49 minutes when he deliberately shoved Oates over. The hapless referee didn’t even give a free kick. Salford could have been down to 9 men. Having said that, Turnbull should not have received the first yellow. On 52 minutes, Salford were level. Thomas-Asante put in a great cross from the left, McLaughlin was marking Lund in the middle but allowed Lund to get away and get a free header from 7 yards into the net. McLaughlin admitted after the game "in fairness he ran across in front of me, I should have done better." Lund shouldn’t have been on the pitch though. On 55 minutes, both sides were within a whisker of scoring as the game was end-to-end. First, from a corner from the right from Ibou Toure, Lund got away from his marker Lapslie to head against the bar. Lund shouldn’t have been on the pitch. Within seconds, the Stags were so nearly back in front. Oates made a run from just outside his own box to control a Maris ball forward, he ran towards the edge of the area, and from 20 yards thundered a shot goalwards which hit the keeper and deflected just wide. Outstanding stuff from Oates. Moments later, Murphy crossed from the right and O’Toole’s header was held on the line by the keeper. What a game this was. After 58 minutes, Lowe’s shot from 30 yards was well wide. Both sides had more chances as Stephen Kelly fired straight at Bishop after 60 minutes, and Donald Love’s shot was pushed wide by Bishop a minute later. At the other end Murphy had a shot blocked after cutting inside after 65 minutes. Then after 67 minutes after a great move, Maris curled a low shot just wide of the right post from 20 yards. McLaughlin got Hawkins out of jail after 68 minutes after a sloppy pass. Bowery replaced Akins after 71 minutes. A low shot from Thomas-Asante gave Bishop an easy save after 74 minutes. Wallace replaced Lapslie after 76 minutes. A great move from the Stags after 82 minutes, and a shot from Maris was deflected wide for a corner. Two minutes later at the other end, a low shot from Kelly trickled wide. Bishop let it go expecting a goal-kick and was stunned when a corner was given. Into the final few minutes and both sides could have won it. After 88 minutes, the dangerous Thomas-Asante crossed from the left and Matt Smith headed wide. Hewitt replaced Perch after 88 minutes. Perch had earlier been on his haunches with a head injury, but physio Tom passed him fit to carry on. Nigel Clough later confirmed that Perch was fine. After 90+1 minutes, Oates was away on another great run, but Turnbull got back to put in a brilliant block tackle as Oates shot from the edge of the area. Then on 90+4 minutes, a brilliant run from Oates yet again, past two men, into the area, and his thunderous shot from 17 yards was parried up in the air by the keeper. Three Stags players were more or less unmarked in the box but the ball didn’t fall for any of them. At the end of the game, players from both sides sunk to the floor in disappointment. After the game, Nigel Clough bemoaned that "we conceded two goals from the middle of our penalty area, the middle of our goal, free headers, and it's cost us the game” and that "the front three misfired and that is the reason we didn't get more goals.” A great game, but not the result either side wanted. Man of the match: Rhys Oates Here’s a running tally of various stats this season: Goals (league and cup): Oates 11, Hawkins 8, Bowery, Johnson, Lapslie, McLaughlin 7, Longstaff 5, O.Clarke 4, Maris, O’Toole 3, Charsley, Stirk 2, Akins, Caine, Forrester, Hewitt, Murphy, Perch, Quinn, Rawson, Sinclair 1. 3 OG Assists (league and cup): McLaughlin 13, Oates 8, Bowery 6, Quinn 5, Charsley, O.Clarke, Hawkins, Johnson, Longstaff, Maris, Sinclair 3, Hewitt, Lapslie, Murphy, Rawson, Stirk 2, Akins, J.Clarke, Gale, Law, Wallace 1 (note: in the case of a penalty, the player who earns the penalty gets an assist. In the case of a solo goal, such as Maris against Newport at home, nobody gets an assist. In the case of the scorer scoring from the rebound after a shot is saved or blocked, the player who had the shot saved gets an assist. In the case of an own goal, the player who caused the own goal gets an assist, for example McLaughlin against Newport away where his shot was deflected in for an own goal.) |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the Peninsula Stadium, Moor Lane
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Line Up:
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(4-3-3)
Bishop 7 Good keeping when Smith was through in the area. No other difficult saves to make. No chance with the goals. Perch 7 Solid at right back. Great cross for Longstaff’s half volley. O’Toole 7 Solid display. Hawkins 7 Mostly solid. One error when McLaughlin got him out of jail. Brought in to deal with the aerial threat of Matt Smith. Clough said after the game: "we thought with Smith we had to put Oli Hawkins back in at centre half, and he dealt with him generally very well indeed.” McLaughlin 7 Difficult to give a rating, perhaps 9 for going forward, 5 for defending. Scored both goals, including a great free kick and a cool penalty. But left Turnbull unmarked for the first goal, and allowed Lund to get away and get a free header for the second goal. For the second goal he admitted after the game "in fairness he ran across in front of me, I should have done better." Maris 6 Did ok. Curled one shot just wide. Lapslie 5.5 Not as involved as he might have been. Allowed Lund to get away from him and head against the bar. Longstaff 5.5 Not at his best. Side-footed a half-volley wide of the post. He should have scored. Clough told me after the game that Longstaff should have met it a yard closer to the net, he could then have taken it on the volley which would have made it an easier chance rather than relying on the bounce of the ball. Akins 6 Conceded a free kick in the first minute, which led to the first goal. Clough was unhappy with him after the game for conceding that free kick. Did well for the first Stags goal, heading inside to Murphy who won the free kick, and then creating the space in the wall for McLaughlin to fire the free kick through. Clough said after the game "The front three misfired and that is the reason we didn't get more goals." Subbed after 71 minutes, very unusual. Oates 8 Made five great runs. Brought two good saves from the keeper, very unlucky with one of them which flew just wide and the other narrowly failed to rebound to a Stags player. Murphy 6 Won the free kicks that ultimately led to both goals. Overall disappointing though. Clough said after the game "The front three misfired and that is the reason we didn't get more goals." |
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Sub Line Up:
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Bowery (for Akins, 71 mins) -
Wallace (for Lapslie, 76 mins) - Hewitt (for Perch, 88 mins) - Subs not used: Stech, Rawson, O.Clarke, Stirk. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-4-2 diamond in midfield) King; Lowe, Vassell, Turnbull, Touray; Kelly; Lund (Hunter 85), Love (Henderson 76); Watson; Thomas-Asante, Smith. Subs not used: Torrance, Ndaba, Willock, N’Mai, Shephard.
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Referee:
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Sebastian Stockbridge 4 Had a stinker for both sides. Should have sent Lund off in the first half. The free kick from which the Stags scored the first goal wasn’t a free kick. Other errors too.
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