Archived News from August 2022
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CLOUGH AND WELLENS REACTION
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We performed well but must take chances - gaffer
mansfieldtown.net, Saturday 13th August 2022 Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough says his side should have taken something from this afternoon’s 1-0 loss at Leyton Orient. Charlie Kelman’s strike on 63 minutes was the difference as Mansfield were made to rue several golden opportunities in East London. Stephen McLaughlin’s penalty inside the first minute, combined with a catalogue of other near misses, left the Stags’ chief wanting more from the game. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2022/august/we-performed-well-but-must-take-chances---gaffer/ Speaking to iFollow Stags post-match, Nigel said: “Definitely [we should’ve got something from the game]. “To have at least three one-on-ones in the game, miss a penalty after 30 seconds of the game [and] situations that we had throughout [and not score is disappointing]. “We’ve conceded a relatively soft goal again. “[The goal was] Good football from their point of view but I think we have to defend it a little bit better. “Ultimately, that’s the game. “Performance wise, we were very good coming away from home. “I thought it was a very good performance.” Forward Rhys Oates had the lion’s share of Stags’ chances. Last season’s top scorer was denied well by Lawrence Vigouroux on four occasions. “He’s won the penalty which should be in the back of the net and then he’s gone clear at least three other times and hit the goalkeeper each time. “One of these days they’ll go under him [the goalkeeper], through his legs or something like that. “We just need a little break [of the ball] at the moment but [our] general performance and stuff like that was very, very pleasing.” The boss switched his side’s formation in the opening 45 minutes. “We went to a back four [in the first-half],” he said. “We’re not set in stone with one formation. “I didn’t think [the switch] was to our detriment and I didn’t think it was anything negative.” Tuesday night’s goalscorer Oli Hawkins was not named in the matchday squad. “[He felt his] Hamstring yesterday in training,” Nigel said. “It’s difficult coming here at the best of times especially when there’s no Hawkins, Akins, Bowery and you lose arguably your best player, Hiram Boateng, before half-time.” Hiram Boateng’s withdrawal from proceedings in the 45th minute added to Stags’ injury list. “[He has a] Tight hamstring. “They’re putting an awful lot of effort in. “It’ll take us a few weeks to get up to speed but we could do without injuries because it’s putting a strain on the others.” When asked if any of his absent players will return for Tuesday evening’s match at home to AFC Wimbledon, the gaffer said: “Jordan Bowery is available [after suspension] I can tell you that,” he smiled. “I’m not sure about Oli Hawkins, Lucas and Hiram.” “Two hamstrings [injuries] and a groin. “Unlikely [that they’ll be fit], but we’ll see.” ---------------------- Only finishing missing in another fine Mansfield Town display says boss Nigel Clough, but injury list lengthens for his depleted squad in Leyton Orient defeat chad.co.uk, Saturday 13th August 2022 Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough said only putting chances away was missing from his side's game right now as another fine display ended in another defeat, losing 1-0 away at Leyton Orient. Stags had plenty of chances to win in the London heatwave, including Stephen McLaughlin missing an early penalty, despite seeing their depleted squad lose even more players with injury. “I don't think we have played badly this season so far and we have lost three out of four games,” said Clough. “We had more chances than Salford on the opening day and more chances than Orient today. “That's the difference. Someone has got to put the ball in the back of the net for you. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/only-finishing-missing-in-another-fine-mansfield-town-display-says-boss-nigel-clough-but-injury-list-lengthens-for-his-depleted-squad-in-leyton-orient-defeat-3804862 “One of the lads just said we were comfortable at 0-0 in the second half. I don't like that word comfortable but they were not creating chances and if anybody was going to score it was going to be us. But one little break down the middle and we end up losing the game - it's fine margins. “We missed four one on ones and missed a penalty as well as other situations. That was the difference. “They had one chance in the middle of the second half and put it away. We didn't take ours. “In terms of performance with what we had available today I thought it was a good performance, even when we changed formation. “That's football. You just someone to get you a goal.” He added: “Our leading goalscorer last season, Oatesy (Rhys Oates), had three one-on-ones today. He won a penalty with one of them. “So after 30 seconds you should be 1-0 up. If that goes in I think we get something out the game. “I don't think Will Swan is getting a break in and around the box either. “We were a little bit unfortunate I think today in lots of ways. “It did feel a bit like the ball would not drop for us in the box today. Even so one of them should go in. “I am not saying a striker should score every single time they go clear. But you'd hope if he goes clear three times, one of them should go in. “And of course you should put your penalties in, Macca has not really missed many, but those sort of things have cost us today. “I thought the game was a bit open in the first five or 10 minutes and their width was causing us problems which is why we changed things. I thought we were much more solid and much more dangerous from that point on. “It could have been 2-2 after five or six minutes of the game.” Stags were missing Oli Hawkins, lost Hiram Boateng before half-time and had two players on the bench who are not yet fit but were there to make up the numbers on a sweltering hot afternoon. “Oli felt his hamstring in training yesterday afternoon so we drafted in Kieran Wallace at the last minute, who actually joined in for five minutes yesterday,” said Clough. “Perchy has done 15 minutes training. But we just had to fill the bench as we thought with the heat we would probably need the five subs, which we did. “Hiram has a tight hamstring again. It's just the load of the players early season. That's why we do try to bring them off around 60 minutes. “People wonder sometimes why you bring players off but it's to stop things like that happening. “He couldn't even get through the last couple of minutes until half-time. But it is just tight so we hope it won't be too long, the same with Oli Hawkins and Lucas Akins.” Despite the results, Clough believes Stags are not far off where they need to be. “The first three game stats we've received, we've had more of everything than the opposition,” he said. “So you just keep on with that pattern and concentrate on somebody trying to put the ball in the net. “I think if we'd got a goal at any time today at 0-0 I really think we'd have won it. I think we played well enough to win it today, let alone draw it.” ---------------------- Richie Wellens told BBC London: "We worked hard, but we were nowhere near at our best. "We were playing a really good team. We conceded too many chances by being too open. "Today was a win where we needed to dig in. "We weren't fluid, but our supporters stayed with us, made a good atmosphere and got us the win. "The penalty was one of four or five excellent saves. "We conceded chances because we gave the ball away in sloppy areas and were too open." ------------------------- Hard-working Leyton Orient 'nowhere near best' in Mansfield win says Wellens newhamrecorder.co.uk Leyton Orient head coach Richie Wellens admitted his side were nowhere near their best in the 1-0 win over Mansfield Town that put them top of League Two. Lawrence Vigouroux saved an early penalty from Stephen McLaughlin, before QPR loanee Charlie Kelman netted the only goal of the game just past the hour. And after a third successive win and third straight clean sheet, Wellens praised the work ethic of his squad. "We worked hard, we were nowhere near our best," he told the club website. "In patches we created some good chances, they had more than us because they got to finish their chances, wheras we lacked that last pass to get the chance. "The work and commitment of the players was excellent. We've got a lot of players that are nowhere near 100 per cent yet, playing a really good team. "We conceded too many chances through being open and giving the ball away. When you're open you need to be secure in possession, but we will get better. https://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/sport/leyton-orient-richie-wellens-mansfield-town-reaction-9209354 "Today was a win where we needed to dig in. The three points was gotten today by our supporters, they could've turned at some point because we wasn't quite fluent, wasn't quite at it. "But our supporters stayed with us, made a good atmosphere, give the players confidence, so I'd like to thank the supporters because I think they were a massive part in getting us three points." The Stags were awarded a penalty with barely a minute played when Vigouroux brought down Rhys Oates, but the O's keeper made amends with a superb diving save and thwarted Oates on three more occasions before the break. "The penalty was just one of four or five excellent saves," added Wellens. "When you play against Mansfield, they've got two wing backs who pin you high, two strikers and two midfield eights that run through gaps. "If you're open you're going to concede chances, but we conceded chances today because we give the ball away in sloppy areas and were too open." George Moncur forced Christy Pym into a fingertip save in the second half, with Dan Happe heading wide from the corner. But O's struck when debutant Idris El Mizouni produced a driving run to tee up Kelman for a powerful finish. "A vital one and it will do well for his confidence," said Wellens. "I've seen in training, he can finish every time he gets a chance. He is quite ruthless in his finishing, he's got a really hard sidefoot, we just need him to shoot more. "We need to get him in positions where he can shoot more then when the balls comes in around him he doesn't need that touch, he can hit on the swivel, he can take shots, because he has got that ability. "We need to make sure we keep everybody in the squad happy but I'm just so pleased for the supporters today." ---------------- |
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