Archived News from November 2004
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PREVIEWS AND TEAM NEWS / McLACHLAN ON LOAN
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BBC Radio Nottingham and Mansfield 103.2 report that the Stags have a new player in their ranks for the game against Colchester: Midfielder Fraser McLachlan has signed on loan from Stockport County.
Real name Fraser McLachlan Height 5.11 Weight 12.07 Date of birth 09-11-1982 Place of birth Manchester Position Midfielder Nationality England On loan to Northwich Victoria earlier this season - three games played. Played 22 games last season, scored three, two yellow and no red cards. from HattersMatters, 17/5/2002 : Fraser McLachlan Height: 5 ft 11 Date of birth: 09/11/1982 Place of birth: Manchester Nationality: English Position: Midfielder Transfer fee: Trainee Career profile Fraser joined County's centre of excellence in 1995 and signed professional forms in July 2001. After being a regular in the reserve team for the first part of the 2001/02 season, Fraser finally made his first team debut under Carlton Palmer in the 3-0 league defeat against Sheffield United in March 2002. Following his impressive debut for County, Fraser has gone from strength to strength and has formed a good partnership in midfield with Keith Briggs. Fraser scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win over Watford on Easter Monday, and he overall made 10 appearances for the Hatters during the 2001/02 season. ---------- CURLE COULD STAY AS STAGS BOSS - HASLAM Evening Post, 12 November 2004 Mansfield Town chairman Keith Haslam says it is not certain Keith Curle will lose his job as Stags boss. The Post understands Curle is facing allegations of bullying a Mansfield youth team player at a weight-training session. Curle, who has been suspended pending an internal investigation, would not comment on the allegations. But he has taken legal advice and intends to contest the claims. Curle said: "Until I get the allegations in writing, I don't know what it is about." Carlton Palmer took training yesterday, assisted by youth team manager Paul Holland, and will be in charge of the side for tomorrow's FA Cup clash with Colchester. Haslam says there will be no decision on Curle's future as manager until the investigation has taken place. "Keith Curle has been suspended subject to an internal investigation and John Gannon has been asked to take leave until Monday," he said. "There is no disciplinary action against John but we've put Keith on suspension. He might be exonerated. "Carlton has come in to help us out." Palmer has brought in Stockport midfielder Fraser McLachlan on loan. And he said yesterday he will accept the manager's job if it is offered to him on a permanent basis. "I know the chairman very well," said Palmer. "A situation arose and he asked me to take charge. "It's not an easy situation but the players were fine. We're all professionals and training was good." Speculation has been mounting that Chris Waddle had been approached to assist Palmer. "I am doing this as a favour. I am looking after the team until Monday." CUP TO REKINDLE STAGS' SEASON Evening Post, 12 November 2004 Although off-field problems have taken centre stage at Field Mill this week, the matter of a poor run of results on it still needs to be addressed. Mark Roach looks at how important tomorrow's FA Cup first round tie is for Mansfield's season And striker Colin Larkin believes a change of luck is needed to kick Mansfield's season back into gear. He says the perfect way to rekindle the side's early season form is with a good performance tomorrow. "We haven't been getting any luck lately and hopefully we can put things right against Colchester. "It's a break from the league and it would be nice to get to the second round, but what is important is the league and getting promotion. "It's always important to do well though. It's a chance for the lads to come into the team and prove they should be in there, and a chance for the lads who are already in the team to put in a good performance. "Colchester hold no fears for us." Visiting manager Phil Parkinson is expecting the Stags to cause his side plenty of problems tomorrow. "It will be a very difficult game," said the former Reading captain. "I've seen Mansfield play and they are a very good side. We won't be taking them lightly." He added: "We've had a good start to the season and we've got a lot of quality in our squad, but it's always tough away from home. "You only have to look at the results - usually the home team wins, and there are very few away wins. "It's nice to have a break from the league but the FA Cup is very important to us. It's a chance for clubs to earn extra revenue." He added: "We'll be looking to put in a professional performance. "We're looking to win the game at the first attempt, but we'll show Mansfield respect. They've got some good players. They're not a typical League Two side because they like to pass the ball, but so do we." Carlton Palmer, who will take charge tomorrow, has drafted in midfielder Fraser McLachlan on-loan from Stockport. Earlier this week, Keith Curle had been hoping to sign a new striker, but McLachlan will be the only new face. Rhys Day could be fit enough to be included in Palmer's 16. But on-loan Craig Woodman is cup tied, Chris Tate, Guy Ipoua and Joe O'Neill have been released and Scott McNiven is out after an operation to remove a testicle. With Day not 100% fit, that leaves Stags with just 12 other outfield players and two goalkeepers available for selection, with Larkin and Derek Asamoah the only two first team front men in his squad. A new right back to fill in for McNiven is also a high priority. Stockport striker Luke Beckett was top of Curle's wanted list but, despite Palmer's connections, he looked poised to join Hull City today. Front men Dele Adebola (Coventry), Daryl Clare (Chester) and Mark Stallard (Barnsley), Doncaster's transfer-listed Dave Mulligan, 21-year-old Oxford winger Chris Hackett and free agent Steve Guppy are others who could fit the bill. Danny Heron, Dean Hankey, Tom Curle and Callum Lloyd are on the list of youth team players who could be called into the squad tomorrow. Mansfield: Pilkington, Buxton, Artell, Dimech, John-Baptiste, Curtis, MacKenzie, Neil, Corden, Asamoah, Larkin, Murray, McLachlan, White, Day, Heron, Hankey, Curle, Lloyd. BOOKIES EDGING THE BETS ON STAGS ODDS Evening Post, 12 November 2004 Boookie are wary of a small upset when Mansfield face League One outfit Colchester at Field Mill. The Stags, amid managerial turmoil, aren't favourites anywhere, but many firms lay both at 6/4, including Stan James and William Hill. But Betdirect can separate the sides, favouring the visitors at 13/10 and making the Stags slight outsiders at 17/10. With many bookies undecided, sizeable prices aren't available on the draw. Coral and Superodds lead at 9/4 while the latter also post 17/4 on the match being level at half and full-time. Odds supplied by http://www.betrescue.com -------------- East Anglian Daily Times preview: U's after cup rewards BY CARL MARSTON November 12, 2004 07:00 COLCHESTER United have already enjoyed one good cup run this season, but they would love another. Phil Parkinson's men travel to Mansfield Town for an FA Cup first round tie at Field Mill tomorrow, knowing first-hand the rewards that lie ahead. The U's relished their glamorous run in the Carling Cup earlier this campaign. A first round win over modest opposition, in the shape of Coca-Cola League Two side Cheltenham Town, yielded two fantastic ties against Premiership clubs West Brom and Southampton. The Baggies were beaten 2-1 in September, and the Saints rode their luck before pipping the U's 3-2 at St Mary's Stadium last month. For most of the Colchester squad, this was a rare chance to play against top-flight opposition. In fact, the visit of West Brom was the first time in 21 years that a top-level club had visited Layer Road. And Parkinson is keen to sample the delights of another cup run, starting with the Mansfield trip. Parkinson said last night: “The cup runs give the club fantastic exposure. They did last season, and the same can be said of the Carling Cup this season. “Neither we nor Mansfield have won recently, but I prefer to look at it as two games unbeaten, following our draws at Bristol City and Bradford.” Keeper Aidan Davison has missed the last seven games with an injury to the back of his ankle. The 36-year-old is back in training, and could be on the bench at Field Mill. Last season, Colchester's promotion bid was effectively dented by their involvement in two cup competitions. They were handily-placed in the top six before Christmas, with genuine hopes of a play-off place, until two exhausting cup runs began to have an adverse effect on league form. The net result was two exciting campaigns, in the FA Cup and LDV Vans Trophy, but a gradual slide down the table. They eventually finished in 11th spot. But the same fears of a cup distraction do not apply this season. United's dilemma last season was their prolonged progress in two cup competitions - they ended up playing 15 cup ties, and 12 of these were crammed into the period of November to February. The U's reached the southern area final of the LDV Vans Trophy, and the fifth round of the FA Cup. This guaranteed a welcome financial boost, in terms of gate receipts and prize money, and some fairy-tale visits to Coventry City and Sheffield United, but also demanded four extra fixtures in both January and February. No wonder the league form suffered. However, the U's early exit from the LDV Vans Trophy, at home to Southend (on penalties) in round one, means that there can be no repeat of the fixture congestion this term. There is no reason why Colchester cannot embark on another exciting FA Cup run, and still resurrect their league aspirations. Tomorrow's trip to Mansfield, who are currently sitting in mid-table in League Two after a run of five games without a win, should be a welcome rest from the worries of the league. The U's have slithered down to 15th in the table, after a run of seven games without a win, but a good cup performance could restore confidence for the weeks ahead. The U's are coming to the end of a difficult sequence of away fixtures. In addition to the Carling Cup adventure at Southampton, there have been hard-earned draws at Bristol City and Bradford over the last couple of weekends. The 0-0 draw at Ashton Gate was a reward for gritty determination and a stoic defence; the 2-2 draw at Valley Parade hardly reflected the U's dominance of this match. They are playing well, but not picking up the points to match their displays - interestingly, they are now six points adrift of the play-off zone, and just six points clear of the bottom four. The exit of Neil Danns and Ben May this week, at the end of their respective loan deals, means that Parkinson has a smaller squad to choose from at Mansfield. Midfielder Danns is back at Blackburn Rovers, and striker May has returned to Millwall, although neither club would probably have wanted their player to be cup-tied this weekend. May was not involved in any of the U's last four matches, so he shouldn't be missed. Greg Halford has operated to good effect as a target man, alongside Craig Fagan, while striker Gareth Williams is waiting in the wings for another chance, after regaining his goal-scoring touch in the reserves. The absence of Danns is a bigger blow. The U's will miss his attacking impetus from central midfield - the 21-year-old scored four goals in two months. Bobby Bowry remains on the sidelines, after undergoing keyhole surgery on a mystery groin problem, while midfielder Kem Izzet only has a slight chance of being fit after missing the last three games with an ankle injury. The U's need some cup cheer after their recent exploits in League One. Before their first round match at home to Oxford last year, they were in third position with 28 points; this term they have accumulated six points less, and are down in 15th spot. Colchester began this season on fire. They have secured some terrific memories already, but they don't want the campaign to end in a whimper. A win at Mansfield tomorrow, and progress in the FA Cup, could have the opposite effect to last year. Namely, a rise, rather than fall, in league fortunes. ------------- BBC.co.uk: Mansfield v Colchester Mansfield's on-loan defender Craig Woodman has been ruled out of the FA Cup clash with Colchester as Bristol City do not want him cup-tied. The Stags' rearguard is likely to be strengthened by the return of centre-half Rhys Day following his recovery from an ankle knock. Colchester keeper Aidan Davison returns after being out since early October with an Achilles injury. Bobby Bowry, midfielder Kem Izzet, and Karl Duguid are all sidelined. |
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