Season 18/19 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Tranmere Rovers
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Grant 22, 68, Walker 65.
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Banks sent off 36
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Attendance: 4885 (451 from Tranmere)
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Date: 26 January 2019
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STAGS THUMP TRANMERE 3-0
Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town cruised to a thoroughly convincing 3-0 win over Tranmere Rovers at the One Call Stadium this afternoon, to move to second place in the table. The Stags took the lead when Jorge Grant scored his first goal for the club with a stunning free kick from 21 yards into the top left corner of the net. Goals direct from free kicks have been few and far between for Mansfield in recent years, with the last two being Lee Angol’s at Yeovil last season and before that Chris Clements at Accrington in September 2016. Tranmere were reduced to ten men on 36 minutes when former Spireite Ollie Banks was late with a challenge on Mal Benning and picked up his second yellow card. Tranmere committed around 20 fouls in the first half with Mansfield knocking the ball around quickly and the visitors too slow in the tackle and not shy of a rumbustious challenge. Indeed it looked like Tranmere would pick up more red cards with slow lumbering centre halves Steve McNulty and Manny Monthe no match for the Stags’ quick forwards and midfield. Grant, in particular, was repeatedly fouled in that first half. The Stags nearly made it 2-0 just before half time with a brilliant move as Jacob Mellis surged forward, and found Tyler Walker on the left, Walker crossed low and Grant flicked wide of the right post. Tranmere had only one good chance in the entire game and that came on 45+2 minutes as League Two leading scorer James Norwood headed over the bar from a corner. The Stags increased the lead on 65 minutes, when Nicky Ajose’s powerful shot was only parried by the keeper and Walker clinically knocked in the rebound for his 19th goal of the season. A near carbon copy goal on 68 minutes made it 3-0 as Walker’s powerful shot was parried by the keeper and Grant calmly slotted in the rebound. Mansfield had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside on 76 minutes when Ryan Sweeney knocked into the net following a low cross from CJ Hamilton from the right. From our pitchside video footage, Sweeney was played onside by Tranmere’s Ben Pringle. In stoppage time, it looked like Mansfield should have had a penalty when Ajose was chopped down on the left of the area, but the referee waved play on (UPDATE: from the video footage, it was a blatant penalty as he was tripped from behind by Adam Buxton). A very good performance from Mansfield who didn’t pick up any injuries or yellow cards on the day ahead of the visit to Forest Green on Tuesday. The Stags team more or less picked itself with CJ Hamilton reverting to right wing back, and Matt Preston returning to the starting XI in central defence. Hayden White was of course missing, having sustained that broken leg in the final minute in the fabulous 3-2 win at Colchester on Saturday. Jordan Graham was also missing from the 18 having picked up an injury in the reserve game at Wigan on Tuesday just one day after he signed a new extended contract. The Stags’ injury list is therefore Olejnik, White, Mirfin, MacDonald, Davies, and Graham. Jason Law came on to the bench with Alistair Smith who also signed a new extended contract on Monday. After the game, David Flitcroft revealed that Neal Bishop has been struggling with a back injury and Tyler Walker has had a neck spasm and Flitcroft put both down to prolonged training on astroturf, and he will have to rethink the strategy of training on the astroturf at the training ground and return to training on grass at the ground until the grass training pitches are ready at the training ground. It was a mild day in Mansfield. In the opening stages, a great crossfield ball from Benning to Grant, Grant crossed into the middle but McNulty got a good header back to his keeper. A chance for Mansfield on 14 minutes. Grant’s free kick from 35 yards was into the area and Preston headed down and wide of the left post. Two minutes later, Benning’s free kick was flicked wide for a corner off a defender. But from the resulting corner, Sweeney conceded a free kick. Hamilton got to the byline on the right on 18 minutes but his low cross was straight to the keeper. On 20 minutes, Bishop sent a left footed shot well wide from 22 yards, after Tranmere had failed to clear. Great defending by Benning on 21 minutes as Norwood did very well on the left to get in a cross and Benning nipped in to clear. The Stags took the lead on 22 minutes. Good played from Walker on the edge of the area and he was brought down by McNulty for a free kick 21 yards from goal. Jorge Grant sent a stunning shot into the top left corner of the net. What quality from Grant. On 25 minutes, a shot from McCullough deflected off Pearce for a corner. Mellis fired a shot from 30 yards straight at the keeper on 32 minutes. That followed a free kick for a terrible challenge by Banks on Grant for which he was booked. Grant had been repeatedly fouled, and it was no surprise when Tranmere were reduced to ten men on 36 minutes. Former Spireite Ollie Banks was late with a challenge on Benning and picked up his second yellow card. There could be no argument over the decision. Alert keeping from Smith as he was out quickly to clear on 39 minutes. The Stags nearly made it 2-0 on 44 minutes with a brilliant move as Mellis surged forward, and found Walker on the left, Walker crossed low and Grant flicked wide of the right post. On 45+1 minutes, McCullough’s low shot was deflected wide. Tranmere had only one good chance in the entire game and that came on 45+2 minutes as League Two leading scorer James Norwood headed over the bar from a corner. Norwood lost his marker as Ridehalgh’s corner found him at the far post. Straight to the other end, Ajose crossed high from the left and Hamilton with a free header, sent it straight at the keeper. Fine play from Ajose. The Stags good value for the lead at half time. Tranmere had been unable to cope with Mansfield’s quick movement and were down to ten men, with more red cards looking likely. There was a great atmosphere. Half time 1-0 On 47 minutes, Connor Jennings fired well over the bar from 30 yards. A minute later at the other end, Walker’s low shot was deflected straight to the keeper. On 51 minutes a good move from the Stags and Bishop’s shot from the edge of the area was blocked. Good handling by Smith on 54 minutes as he claimed Ridehalgh’s free kick. On 60 minutes Grant was in space in the middle but Ajose couldn’t find him with his cross from the left. Brilliant defending by Ridehalgh against Hamilton on 62 minutes. Ridehalgh had a good game, with Hamilton getting relatively little joy down the right. A great run by Walker on 63 minutes, he found Ajose who couldn’t get in a shot. Mellis intercepted a loose ball a minute later, and fired well wide from 30 yards. The Stags made it 2-0 on 65 minutes. Ajose’s powerful shot was only parried by the keeper and Walker clinically knocked in the rebound for his 19th goal of the season. Walker was quicker to the ball and the Tranmere defence slow to react. Pringle was on as substitute for Tranmere. He had played against us twice recently for Grimsby. A near carbon copy goal on 68 minutes as Mansfield made it 3-0. Walker’s powerful shot was parried by the keeper and Grant calmly slotted in the rebound. With Mansfield having a 3 goal cushion, Bishop was rested on 69 minutes. Bishop has been struggling with a back injury as noted above, and is also one booking away from a two game suspension. On came Atkinson into his place. Great defending by Pearce on 72 minutes taking the ball off Connor Jennings. On 74 minutes, Benning’s shot from 35 yards was deflected for a corner. Khan replaced Walker on 75 minutes, Walker going off to a standing ovation. Walker has been suffering from a neck spasm as noted above, and nearly didn’t start the game according to Flitcroft. Mansfield had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside on 76 minutes when Sweeney knocked into the net following a low cross from Hamilton from the right. From our pitchside video footage, Sweeney was played onside by Tranmere’s sub Pringle. It was now raining. On 82 minutes, Khan’s low shot was straight at the keeper from 22 yards after a good move. Then a great move a minute later as Mellis found Hamilton on the right who cut inside and his shot brought a good save from the keeper for a corner. Grant played a majestic ball out to Benning on the left on 89 minutes, and Benning’s ball into the middle was to the keeper with Ajose in space. Alert keeping from Smith on 90 minutes, as he cleared away with his legs before Norwood could get onto a ball forward. On 90+1 minutes, it looked like Mansfield should have had a penalty when Ajose was chopped down on the left of the area, but the referee waved play on (UPDATE: from the video footage, it was a blatant penalty as Ajose was tripped from behind by Adam Buxton). A thumping win for Mansfield by 3-0, which should have been 4-0 with the wrongly disallowed goal and maybe more with the penalty not given in stoppage time. On to Forest Green on Tuesday. Man of the match: Jorge Grant |
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Report by: Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill
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Line Up:
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(3-4-1-2)
Smith 7 Alert keeping on two occasions as he was out quickly to clear. Good handling. Didn’t have a difficult save to make. Preston 7 Solid performance. One header wide. Pearce 7 Good game. One great piece of defending taking the ball off Connor Jennings. Sweeney 7 Unlucky not to score when his perfectly good goal was disallowed. Solid defensive display. Hamilton 6.5 Kept quiet by the impressive Ridehalgh. Bishop 6.5 Played despite struggling with a back injury. Did well in the circumstances. Rested for the last 20 minutes. Mellis 7 Sound good play going forward. Benning 7.5 Some good creative play, and one superb piece of defending. Grant 9 Two goals, the first of which was a stunning free kick. Creative. Repeatedly fouled in the first half. Walker 8.5 Clinical finish for his goal. Powerful shot which led to the third goal. Fouled for the free kick for the first goal. Nearly didn’t start the game according to Flitcroft due to a neck spasm. Ajose 7.5 Powerful shot which led to the second goal. Good cross for Hamilton’s header. Looked like he should have had a penalty. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Atkinson (for Bishop, 69 mins) - Did well in midfield.
Khan (for Walker, 75 mins) - Some good play. Subs not used: Logan, Law, Alistair Smith, Butcher, Rose. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(5-3-2): Davies; Caprice, Buxton, Monthe, McNulty (Pringle 67), Ridehalgh; Banks, Perkins, McCullough; Jennings, Norwood. Subs not used: Pilling, Mullin, Gilmour, Smith, Ellis, Harris.
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Referee:
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Ben Toner 5 Got the two yellows for Banks spot on. The officials wrongly disallowed Sweeney’s goal, and the referee missed a clear penalty when Ajose was tripped from behind. Two errors that on another day could have been hugely costly.
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