Season 18/19 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Port Vale
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Hamilton 41.
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Oyeleke sent off 64
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Attendance: 4316 (459 from Port Vale)
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Date: 17 November 2018
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HAMILTON CRACKER AS STAGS BEAT PORT VALE
Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town beat Port Vale 1-0 at the One Call Stadium to register back to back wins in the league for the first time this season, and rise to 5th in the table, just one point behind third place. Mansfield were much the better side but had to rely on a single goal for the victory. The only goal came on 41 minutes as Hayden White, who had a fabulous game, slid the ball inside for CJ Hamilton on the right, Hamilton took one touch before blasting a great shot across the keeper and into the left corner of the net from about 16 yards. It was a goal worthy of winning the game. Hamilton had been unlucky earlier when he fired another fine effort from the right across the keeper and against the left post. Hamilton is in wonderful form at the moment and it was the second game running where he scored one and hit the post with another effort. The Stags had several other good chances with Neal Bishop having a shot blocked after more good play from Hamilton, and Tyler Walker had a close range effort which just hit the keeper on the line after great play on the right by Craig Davies. Then, after Port Vale had been reduced to ten men on 64 minutes with Manny Oyeleke sent off for two blatant fouls, the Stags had more chances to seal the win. Substitute Danny Rose had a glorious chance when he chased down a lost cause as the keeper was about to clear, the keeper slipped and Rose seemed to only have to roll the ball into the empty net, but the keeper somehow recovered to make the save. Rose then burst through and was denied as the keeper made a great save to tip his shot wide. And finally a brilliant run by White into the area set up a great chance for Rose who had the chance of a free shot at goal but surprisingly elected to dummy the ball instead. However the missed chances weren’t costly as Vale created only one real effort of their own, and that came as early as the second minute of the game when Tom Conlon fired wide from 17 yards. Bobby Olejnik didn’t have a save to make, and it seemed that Vale’s only chance of a goal might come from a number of long throws into the box by Leon Legge but the Stags general defended them well. A well-deserved victory for Mansfield. Both White and Hamilton were in great form and I don’t want to separate them for my man of the match. On to the Valley on Tuesday night and that mouth-watering FA Cup replay against Charlton, at a ground where we haven’t played for 40 years. On a statistical note, it was Mansfield’s first win against Port Vale at home since 1987, though there have only been four games since then, up to this game. The Stags are now unbeaten in 14 league and cup games, have lost only two league and cup games this season, and have lost only one league game in the last 23 league games going back to last season. Mansfield were unchanged from the FA Cup draw with Charlton, and continued with the 3-4-3 formation. It was another international weekend but only Omari Sterling-James was called up on this occasion. There was no game for Ryan Sweeney’s Republic of Ireland U21, while Krystian Pearce was not called up by Barbados for their latest qualifier. Port Vale made one change from the side that lost to Sunderland in the FA Cup and there was no place in their squad for Ricky Miller, who was with the Stags last season. Port Vale’s obvious dangerman was striker Tom Pope. It was a lovely sunny day in Mansfield, colder than of late. Port Vale made a bright start. Inside the opening 2 minutes they created the first chance of the game as Tom Conlon sent a left footed shot from 17 yards wide of the right post. That was to be their only real shot of the game. On 11 minutes, a corner for Vale from the left. Pope went down in the middle with Sweeney near him, but from the video (from both our camera angles) there was no evidence of a foul. On 12 minutes, Vale claimed a penalty. Leon Legge crossed from the right following a long throw-in that came back to him, and Tom Pope went down, having been marked by Hayden White. After the game Vale boss Neil Aspin, who overall admitted Mansfield were by far the better side, felt that it should have been a penalty and claimed that Pope’s shirt had been pulled. From the video (from both our camera angles), there is no evidence that Pope’s shirt was pulled. Mansfield’s first chance came on 16 minutes. Mellis tried his luck from 25 yards and drilled a low shot just wide of the near post from the left. Moments later on 16 minutes, the Stags hit the post. Great play from Hamilton surging forward down the right, he cut onto his left foot, then back onto his right foot, and from 8 yards out on the right, fired across the keeper and against the left post. A wonderful effort. On 19 minutes, a high cross from Ben Whitfield from the right was beyond the far post, and from an impossible angle, Pope headed wide. The first booking of the afternoon on 22 minutes, as Conlon saw yellow for fouling White. The resulting free kick from Mellis didn’t beat the first man. On 27 minutes, great play from Pearce to find Benning and fine play from Benning to win a corner. Two short corners followed which didn’t come to anything. Manny Oyeleke was booked for a blatant foul on Walker on 31 minutes. That was to become significant in the second half. On 35 minutes, Walker had a shot blocked. Vale broke straight to the other end where Whitfield’s cross looped up off Pearce and Olejnik caught. The Stags were ahead on 41 minutes. Hayden White won a throw-in after a good run. Following the throw-in, White slid the ball inside for CJ Hamilton on the right, Hamilton took one touch before blasting a great shot across the keeper and into the left corner of the net from about 16 yards. It was a goal worthy of winning the game, a great finish from Hamilton and fine play from White. As an aside, there is a possibility that Hamilton was offside as White played the ball in to him, but we can't see right back Rawlinson from either video angle, who could have been playing him onside. More great play between White and Hamilton on 43 minutes. White played a super ball down the line to Hamilton who cut inside, and laid the ball off to Bishop, whose shot was blocked. A minute after that, Bishop played the ball forward to Davies who was well-tackled as he shot. The Stags deserving of the lead at the break thanks to Hamilton’s super goal, with another shot against the post and other efforts from Mellis and Bishop. Half time 1-0 On 48 minutes, a quick throw-in on the right from White to Davies, great play from Davies who turned and crossed low to Tyler Walker who flicked goalwards from 3 yards with his back leg. It just hit the keeper on the line and rebounded away. So close for Walker. Rose replaced Davies on 54 minutes. Davies appeared to be limping. A clever free kick from Mellis to White on 57 minutes, and White put in a great cross through the corridor of uncertainty but no-one was on the end of it. A minute later, a good ball forward from Walker, and Hamilton was just beaten to it by the on-rushing keeper. More great play by White on the right on 62 minutes, he put in a low ball and Benning knocked it into the side netting. The stepover by White before he put the cross in was sensational and bamboozled the defender Louis Dodds. Port Vale were reduced to ten men on 64 minutes when Manny Oyeleke received a second yellow card for tripping Bishop. No argument with the red card from Vale manager Neil Aspin after the game. From the resulting free kick from 26 yards, Benning lobbed the ball up to himself and volleyed straight to the keeper. Shades of that famous Coventry City goal from years gone by. The Stags had totally been in charge of the game, but lost their way for 10 minutes or so following the Vale red card. A rare goal-scoring chance for Vale on 72 minutes. A free kick 31 yards from goal. Hannant tried his luck and shot straight into the wall, which did its job. Elsnik replaced Sweeney on 77 minutes. The Stags switched to 4 at the back with White and Benning at full back. On 78 minutes, a weak shot from Hannant deflected to Olejnik. Substitute Danny Rose had a glorious chance to double the lead on 82 minutes when he chased down a lost cause as the keeper was about to clear, the keeper slipped and Rose seemed to only have to roll the ball into the empty net, but the keeper somehow recovered to make the save. The ball ran loose to Walker who fired wide from another good position. Credit to the keeper for recovering to save from Rose after initially slipping. On 84 minutes, the Stags broke forward with men over, Walker crossed but it was put behind for a corner as the Stags didn’t make the most of it. Elsnik fired a low shot well wide on 85 minutes. Jordan Graham replaced Walker on 86 minutes. Bishop was booked for an accumulation on fouls on 88 minutes. On 89 minutes, a good clearance from Preston. But Vale recycled the ball and a shot from Louis Dodds hit his own man Montano and went wide. Mellis fired a low shot from a free kick wide of the left post on 90 minutes. 5 minutes were added on. On 90+1 minutes, a long ball down the line on the left from Benning. Rose burst past his defender and with just the keeper to beat from the edge of the area, shot towards the top left of the net, but the keeper made a fabulous save to tip his shot wide. Graham won applause from the home crowd with a great tackle to win a throw-in as the Stags wound the clock down. On 90+4 minutes, a brilliant run by White into the area set up, he pulled the ball back to set up a great chance for Rose who had the chance of a free shot at goal but surprisingly elected to dummy the ball instead. After the game, boss David Flitcroft joked that White ran so far he nearly ended up in Il Rosso restaurant on Nottingham Road. So the Stags ran out winners, and as far as 1-0 wins go, fairly comfortable. Hamilton and White were involved in most good things that the Stags did. With the new 3-4-3 formation, Hamilton was in the game up front more than he was at wing-back, and perhaps as a result we didn’t see so much of Walker as an attacking force. At the back, the defence was solid, with Pearce in immaculate form once again. Bishop had a fine game in midfield, with Mellis impressive too. Man of the match: White/Hamilton |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill
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Line Up:
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(3-4-3)
Olejnik 6 Had nothing to do all game. Preston 7 Solid game, with at least one good clearance. Pearce 8 In immaculate form once again. Sweeney 7 Solid game. White 9 Fabulous game, with an assist for the goal, and several other wonderful runs to set up chances. Mellis 7.5 Another impressive game. Bishop 7.5 Fine game in midfield. Good piece of play earned the Vale red card. Benning 7 Good game. Walker 6.5 Clever back flick somehow stopped on the line by the keeper. Davies 6 Great play to set up Walker’s chance. Otherwise a bit quiet and seemed to limp off after 54 minutes Hamilton 9 Another wonderful goal, and unlucky to hit the post again. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Rose (for Davies, 54 mins) - Missed two good chances and dummied a third.
Elsnik (for Sweeney, 77 mins) - Graham (for Walker, 86 mins) - Fine tackle in stoppage time. Subs not used: Logan, Atkinson, Butcher, Alistair Smith. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-4-2) Brown; Rawlinson, Legge, Smith, Clark; Hannant, Joyce, Oyeleke, Conlon (Dodds 55); Whitfield (Montano 55), Pope. Subs not used: Horby, Kay, Quigley, Vassell, Hardcastle.
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Referee:
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Martin Coy 7 Correctly, in my opinion, ignored half-hearted appeals for a Vale penalty. Correctly sent off Oyeleke and booked five other Vale players.
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