Archived News from March 2021
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CLOUGH AND DUFF REACTION
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Stags showed character to fight back - manager
mansfieldtown.net, Tuesday 9th March 2021 Boss Nigel Clough says his side’s emphatic response to going behind against league leaders Cheltenham Town was the most pleasing aspect of Tuesday night’s impressive 3-1 victory. Sam Smith headed the high-flying Robins into the lead in the second-half, but three goals in ten minutes - two from Jordan Bowery and one from Jamie Reid - saw the Stags secure a well-deserved win. The manager was delighted with the way his charges restricted the side at the summit of the Sky Bet League Two table. “We’ve had some good performances of late, despite not getting the results, but it was all there tonight,” he told iFollow Stags. “We should’ve been ahead at half-time, we hit the post and should’ve scored. We restricted them to very little. “But the most pleasing thing was, having gone behind in the second-half, to respond in the way that we did was unbelievably pleasing and promising, and showed character. “When they [Cheltenham] go 1-0 up ten minutes in the second-half, to hit back with the quality of goals we scored tonight was superb. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2021/march/stags-showed-character-to-fight-back---manager/ “We made no mistakes in either box. Their goal was a good cross and a good header. In both boxes we were much better than we were of late. “We restricted them well from their set plays, which we spoke about a lot yesterday. “[They are a] very good [side], but we restricted them and Marek [Stech] has not had too much to do. They had to work for every single opportunity tonight.” Nigel Clough spoke of his strikers, who both found the net this evening, with Bowery’s efforts taking him to ten goals for the campaign. “That [double figures] is brilliant for him [Bowery],” he added. “They’re like London buses, his goals. You don’t get one for a while, then all of a sudden a couple come along. “But two good finishes and his interplay with Reidy was great play. When you haven’t scored for a while, in the six-yard box he [Reid] pokes it in, they’re the sort of scrappy goals that we haven’t been getting.” There was also a comment on young midfielder Jason Law, who continued to impress in amber and blue. “The weight and the timing of his [Law’s] pass to Jordan [Bowery] was absolutely spot on. “The only disappointing thing for Jason is that he should’ve scored tonight. He had a good chance, but he should’ve taken a touch and side-footed it in. “But he’s looking more assured as each game goes by. He’ll have felt it physically tonight against the league leaders, as it was a hard running game tonight.” Nigel Clough also offered a word on his captain, Ollie Clarke, who was substituted in the second-half. “He [Clarke] was on his knees! He really was. I think he’s struggled in the last few games, because physically, he’s charging around and everything. “He hasn’t been able to do that, as he’s a little bit tired. We’ll look at him for Saturday.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the manager’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later this evening. ----------------- "It was all there tonight!" Nigel Clough reacts to Mansfield Town's 3-1 victory against Cheltenham chad.co.uk, By Duncan Browne, Tuesday 9th March 2021 "It was all there tonight!" That was Nigel Clough's assessment as Mansfield Town beat League Two leaders Cheltenham Town 3-1 at One Call Stadium. After a frustrating run where sometimes not having the rub of the green and individualerrors have proven costly, the Stags looked dominant against the top team in the division. Sam Smith put the Robins ahead, only for a Jordan Bowery brace and Jamie Reid finish to turn the game on its head. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/it-was-all-there-tonight-nigel-clough-reacts-to-mansfield-towns-3-1-victory-against-cheltenham-3160259 "I think we've had some good performances of late, despite not getting the results," Clough said. "It was all there tonight. I think we should have been ahead at half time, we had chances, hit the post (via Bowery) and restricted them to very little. "But the pleasing thing is, having gone behind early in the second half, we responded in the way we did, especially on the back of the run we're on at the moment. "It was promising the players showed that character." Clough was also impressed by the style in which his side claimed three points and moved up to 16th. "The quality for the goals we scored tonight as well were superb," he added. "No mistakes in either box; their goal was a good goal. "But in both boxes we were better than we have been of late, and not played much differently." --------------------- Clough praises attackers for roles in Mansfield Town's victory over Cheltenham chad.co.uk, By Duncan Browne, Tuesday 9th March 2021 Nigel Clough gave his attackers the thumbs up after watching his Mansfield Town side topple League Two leaders Cheltenham Town. While the Stags boss praised an impressive all-round team performance - which he described as ‘all there’ - there was a special mention for his two goalscorers. Jordan Bowery netted twice to take his tally to 10 for the campaign, while Jamie Reid poked home his fifth of the season from close range. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/clough-praises-attackers-for-roles-in-mansfield-towns-victory-over-cheltenham-3160489 "That’s brilliant for him," Clough said of Bowery. "They're a bit like London buses his goals, you don't get one for a while then all all of a sudden a couple come along. "Two good finishes. I thought the interplay was great play." Reid, who played a neat one-two with Bowery for number three, had put the Stags 2-1 up minutes earlier following a goalmouth scramble. They're the sort of scrappy goals we talked about that we haven't been getting," Clough said, adding how important it was for Reid to end his five-game barren run. Jason Law has caught the eye in recent weeks and, supporting the front two, claimed two assists, teeing up Bowery's first with a clever flick through and drilling in the cross which led to Reid's finish. "The only disappointing thing for Jason is he should have scored," Clough added. "I think Reidy played him in, he should have taken a touch and sidefooted it in. "But he's looking more assured as each game goes by. He'd have felt it physically against the league leaders as it was a hard running game, hopefully he'll recover for Saturday." The Stags also welcomed back midfielder George Lapslie from injury. The former Charlton Athletic man replaces Ollie Clarke late on. "It was good to get him back on the pitch. I'm not sure about the way he played," Clough said. "It's tough coming on as a sub. He said he couldn't get his breath straight away and he's been out three or four weeks. "Those things combined, he wasn't brilliant at times, but he'll get better." --------------------------- "There's no teapot throwing because we've been on a brilliant run" - Cheltenham Town boss Michael Duff after the 3-1 defeat at Mansfield Town gloucestershirelive.co.uk, By Jon Palmer, 9 MAR 2021 What is your assessment of that? Not quite good enough. First half we weren't particularly good. A few goalmouth scrambles and they've had a good chance and hit the post, but a few things flashed across our box. We weren't particularly happy with certain things. We came out second half and scored a really good goal and then made silly mistakes. They have not had to work particularly hard for the goals. When you are 1-0 up against a team who are struggling you don't necessarily have to go and start trying to play out from the back for the next 10 minutes. If we'd have gone another 10 or 15 minutes, they start losing belief because of how resilient we've been and it kills their spirit. But we made the mistake, invited them on and given a goal away from a corner and it's down to individual errors during a mad 10 minutes and after that we are chasing it. Not quite at it today. Three goals conceded in 10 minutes, how much was it your own doing and how much was good play from Mansfield? Individual error there is no getting away from that and it's not me outing people. People know they have made mistakes, but the season we are in and the run we are in, it's difficult to hit the levels every week. There is no teapot throwing from me because we've been brilliant and I think that's two in 15 we have lost. Anyone would take that, at any level. Yes we are disappointed, particularly after going 1-0 up, but can we respond in what is another really hard game on Saturday (Exeter away). It's another opportunity to go on another run and hopefully stay top of the league. https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/theres-no-teapot-throwing-because-5105902 It hasn't happened very often away from home this season, with Barrow the one really disappointing performance on the road That wasn't a Barrow performance and there wasn't a lot in the two teams. At Barrow, we didn't deserve anything out of the game. We had a good penalty shout at 3-1 with 15 minutes left and that would have been interesting. I am not blaming the officials. But we were turgid against Barrow and I don't think we were that today. There were some good passing moves to open them up, but you also gave it away in dangerous areas, so are you still encouraging that risk taking on a difficult looking pitch? Not in certain areas of the pitch you don't play in. You don't try and pass it out from our 18 yard box when they are pressing us, just whack it out of the ground and defend the next one, especially after we've just gone 1-0 up. But that's game management and what I mean by individual errors. It's recognising the state of the game. We still want to try and play. The pitch isn't great, but it's probably not as bad as it looks. There was still some half decent football from both teams, considering. We went to Harrogate and it was rock hard, like playing on a cheese grater. That's totally different. It's managing the state of the game, the pitch and all sorts of other things. Games ebb and flow, so it's about what state the game is in. It's a difficult balance because at 0-0, Conor Thomas took a risk inside his own penalty area and it started a nice move which led to Sam Smith's goal When they are playing that shape you need to draw them on to split them. That's what we tried to do, rather than just whacking it forward when they have four biggish lads at the back. It is risk and reward, but it's doing it in the right areas and recognising that. We didn't quite do enough tonight. There were positives, including Sam Smith's third goal in seven starts Yes, good delivery from Huss (Chris Hussey) again and that's why we brought Sam in because we think he can attack it with a physical presence. Sercs (Liam Sercombe) getting more minutes in is a positive and there is real competition for places in the middle of the pitch. Is Liam Sercombe close to being able to play 90 minutes now? He probably could have tonight, but with us 3-1 down on a heavy pitch, it was 84 or 85 minutes plus added time and it probably wasn't worth the risk. That's probably more a management thing because you don't want to lose the game and him. He's absolutely fine. ----------------- "They didn't have to work hard for those goals!" Cheltenham boss Michael Duff says 'silly mistakes' costly at Mansfield Town chad.co.uk, By Duncan Browne, Tuesday 9th March 2021 Cheltenham Town boss Michael Duff believes his side gifted Mansfield Town their three goals as they sunk to a 3-1 defeat at One Call Stadium. The Robins manager said his team 'weren't quite at it' and on another night would have killed the Stags spirit. While Mansfield boss Nigel Clough was left praising a terrific all-round team performance, his opposite number saw the game very differently. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/they-didnt-have-to-work-hard-for-those-goals-cheltenham-boss-michael-duff-says-silly-mistakes-costly-at-mansfield-town-3160595 "We weren't quite good enough tonight," said Duff told the Robins website. "The first half wasn't particularly good. We weren't happy about a few things but then we scored a really good goal in the second half, then made some silly mistakes." Sam Smith headed the Robins in front before three goals in eight minutes - a brace from Jordan Bowery and a close-range finish from Jamie Reid - competed the comeback. "They didn't have to work hard for those goals," Duff added. "When you take the lead against a struggling side, you don't start trying to play out from the back for 10 or 15 minutes. "If we'd have kept them quiet, with how resilient we've been, they would have started to lose belief. It would have killed their spirit. "We made the mistakes so we weren't quite at it today." ----------------------- Kellan Gordon @kellangordon25 That’s how you bounce back!!! Love it team 3 points @mansfieldtownfc -------------- |
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