Archived News from March 2015
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STAGS SECURE VITAL WIN WITH LATE BINGHAM WINNER
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Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 2 - 1 AFC Wimbledon Beevers 56, Bingham 87. Francomb pen 69 Attendance: 2151 (145 from AFC Wimbledon) Date: 17 March 2015 Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town bounced back from Saturday’s disappointing defeat to Bury with a vital 2-1 win over AFC Wimbledon at the One Call Stadium tonight. The Stags won it with Rakish Bingham’s crisp strike from 12 yards after 87 minutes following a terrible defensive error by Wimbledon on the edge of the box. Earlier the Stags had taken the lead through a shot from Lee Beevers from 18 yards which took a fortunate deflection on 56 minutes. It’s about time the Stags had a bit of luck with a deflection, having conceded several in similar circumstances this season! Mansfield were well on top when they were rocked by an innocuous penalty for Wimbledon on 69 minutes as the ball bounced up and struck Tafazolli on the arm in a position of no danger. Francomb buried the resultant penalty. The goal coming out of nothing clearly rocked the Stags and Wimbledon had chances to take the lead through Azeez with Pidgeley making one fine save and Azeez missing one other great chance, before Bingham buried the winner. In the first half, the Stags were unlucky when Billy Kee fired a powerful shot against the underside of the bar, while Pidgeley made a good save from a Winfield header. With other teams towards the bottom mostly picking up wins, apart from York, this really was a critical victory. The Stags are up to 16th, leaping above Oxford, Cambridge and Accrington, and 8 points above Cheltenham, Tranmere and York, and 12 above Hartlepool, who the Stags visit on Saturday in another very important game. Full report in the Match Centre ------------------------------------ Tuesday, 17th March 2015: Mansfield Town 2, AFC Wimbledon 1 chad.co.uk report by John Lomas Sub Rakish Bingham pushed Mansfield Town nearer League Two safety with a late winner tonight as the Stags edged a thriller 2-1 at home to AFC Wimbledon. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/tuesday-17th-march-2015-mansfield-town-2-afc-wimbledon-1-1-7160425 Stags thought they had allowed two precious points to slip through their fingers after Ryan Tafazolli conceded a penalty on 69 minutes, 13 minutes after Lee Beevers had fired them in front. But manager Adam Murray made three substitutions in as many minutes near the end to breath new life into his tiring team and it did the trick as Bingham swept home an 87th minute winner. Although the gap to the bottom two remains eight points, the win did push Mansfield up to 16th place ahead of Saturday’s trip to bottom club Hartlepool. Both sides had chances in a frantic first half in which Billy Kee hit the bar. The Dons wasted a good chance after the break before Beevers struck with a deflected low finish to break the deadlock. But the visitors were far from finished and, after George Francombe levelled from the spot, sub Adebayo Azeez wasted two good chances, Pidgeley making his second crucial save of the night, before Bingham stole it at the end. Mansfield changed formation to 4-4-2. There were two changes with Jack Thomas and Ricky Ravenhill axed from the midfield with Jamie McGuire coming into the centre and Kee joining Vadaine Oliver up front. Oliver’s persistence won Mansfield a fifth minute corner, which was cleared by Tanner. However, it was fed back down the centre by McGuire and suddenly Kee was clear. From just inside the box he flashed a powerful finish over Worner that came back off the bar and then sent a follow-up header over. Fuller robbed Clements in the box as he tried to burst clear after a one-two with Lambe as Mansfield showed good early determination. McGuire and Reeves clashed in the middle of the park to earn a ticking off from the referee. Both sides were getting the ball forward early in a blood and thunder first 15 minutes. Oliver’s nod-down from a Beevers cross found Kee, who almost put Oliver in, but an offside flag was already up as Worner dived at his feet. A deflected Moore shot from 25 yards earned the visitors their first corner and first real menace of the night on 20 minutes. The flag kick picked out Winfield, who rose to power a higher towards the top corner that Pidgeley had to tip away for a second corner. Soon after Smith tried his luck from outside the box, Pidgeley gathering low at the post, though it looked like it may have gone wide anyway. At the other end Elder’s left wing cross was just too high for Oliver to head on target. Akinfenwa was too high with a dipping half-volley on the turn from 35 yards, though showed great confidence in going for it. Then Clements was well over for the Stags from 30 yards as we reached the 28th minute. As the ball came in from the right, Akinfewa then turned smartly in the box with two defenders behind him to force Pidgley into a low save. The Dons were shooting on sight and Reeves was next to chance his arm, too high from 25 yards. The visitors found themselves down to 10 men as Kennedy limped off. But Brown’s cross was too high and Francombe was able to come on to replace Kennedy. Oliver laid a far post Elder cross back to Kee at the end of a decent string of passes started by Lambe tenaciously winning back the ball after giving it away. But Clements’ finish hit a defender and the shout for handball carried little weight. Elder gave the ball away down the left and Rigg hurried in a low effort from 25 yards that was always going wide. Brown won Mansfield two corner in as many minutes. The Dons got forward and Akinfenwa nodded a left wing cross back into the danger area from the right, but the ball rolled harmlessly to Pidgeley. A minute from the break a goalbound Oliver snapshot in the box clipped the head of Winfield en route and the Dons survived, the half ending 0-0. Mansfield had a let-off on 49 minutes as Wimbledon found themselves with two players over on the left as Tanner fed the ball into the box only for Reeves to poke a tame finish at Pidgeley from 12 yards. On 53 minutes Tanner turned well from outside the box, left two players in his wake and flashed a shot wide. But Stags made the big breakthrough on 56 minutes after Oshilaja had fouled Kee on the right. Clements’ free kick was only cleared as far as the edge of the box where Beevers ran in to smash a low shot goalwards, the ball taking a deflection as it sped into the net. Soon after Oliver was too high with a looping effort while Rigg was crowded out at the other end as he tried to burst clear in the box. A good run down the left by Elder saw him whip in a devilish cross that almost reached Oliver at the far post as the Stags continued to enjoy a good spell of pressure. Rigg blazed over from a good position on 67 minutes but again an offside flag was up anyway. A minute later, with Azeez on for Rigg, a precision pass by Clements invited a shot from Oliver which wasn’t far wide. But on 69 minutes the visitors were gifted a way back into the game. Tafazolli clearly and needlessly moved his arm towards the ball in the box and nudged it and the referee, well positioned, pointed straight to the spot. Sub Francomb dispatched a confident penalty past Pidgeley and all that hard work had been undone in an instant. Azeez threatened at the far post as Stags looked for an offside flag and Pidgeley was forced to save with his legs - another let-off. With the visitors suddenly growing in stature, Stags made three substitutions in as many minutes, Monakana, Rhead and Bingham replacing Brown, Oliver and Kee. Lambe forced a good tip-away save from Worner on 81 minutes, Rhead hooking wide at full stretch soon after. Azeez again stormed through past Riley on 82 minutes with no offside flag and flashed a finish wide when he should have finished the game. But Stags snatched it with three minutes to go after a superb burst down the left by Elder. His low cross wasn’t the best but the visitors failed to clear it and Bingham was quicker than Winfield in drilling home a low finish from 12 yards. Monakana had a couple of late chances before we had to ensure five added minutes before the joyous relief and release of the final whistle. STAGS: Pidgeley; Beevers, Riley, Tafazolli, Elder; Brown (Monakana 74), McGuire, Clements, Lambe; Oliver (Rhead 75), Kee (Bingham 76). Subs not used: Studer, Sutton, Ravenhill, Heslop. AFC WIMBLEDON: Worner, Fuller, Smith, Moore, Akinfenwa, Rigg (Azeez 67), Kennedy (Francombe 32), Reeeves, Tanner (Potter 74), Winfield, Oshilaja. Subs not used: McDonnell, Phillips, Fitzpatrick, Gallagher. REFEREE: Scott Duncan of Northumberland. ATTENDANCE: 2,151 (145 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jamie McGuire. --------------- AFC Wimbledon still looking for first away win of 2015 By Matt Lewis, getwestlondon.co.uk Three points on the road remain elusive for Neal Ardley after Mansfield strike late Mansfield Town 2-1 AFC Wimbledon AFC Wimbledon are still looking for their first three points on the road of 2015 after going down to a late goal at Mansfield Town. http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/afc-wimbledon-still-looking-first-8863407 The Dons haven’t won away from home since the Boxing Day win at Portsmouth and that dreadful run continued at the One Call Stadium. George Francomb had come off the bench to cancel out Lee Beevers’ opener but three minutes from time Rakish Bingham made Wimbledon pay for some terrible defending. Dannie Bulman was missing through suspension having been dismissed for a rash challenge in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Exeter City. That was one of four changes to the starting XI made by Neal Ardley as Callum Kennedy, Sammy Moore, Sean Rigg and goalkeeper Ross Worner came into the side. Alfie Potter, George Francomb and young shot-stopper Joe McDonnell, who had been enjoying a run in the team in the absence of James Shea, were named on the bench. The Dons survived a lucky escape early on as on-loan Scunthorpe United striker Billy Kee struck the underside of the bar for the hosts. Dave Winfield, fresh from agreeing an extension to his stay from York, and Bayo Akinfenwa went near for Wimbledon but Lenny Pidgeley stood firm. Kennedy was forced to withdraw midway through the first half having picked up a knock and Francomb entered the fray. Jack Smith, who had been playing in midfield, dropped back into the defence and Francomb took his place in a three in the centre of the park. It remained goalless at the break but the Dons should have taken the lead shortly after the restart and Jake Reeves will have felt he could have done better with a tame effort. But instead it was Mansfield who grabbed the lead in fortuitous fashion on 56 minutes when Beevers’ ferocious drive took a wicked deflection and bamboozled Worner. The lead lasted a little over 10 minutes though as Ryan Tafazolli was penalised for handball and Francomb took over spot-kick duties from Akinfenwa and rifled it home. Wimbledon substitute Ade Azeez then beat the offside trap and forced a wonderful one-on-one save from former Chelsea goalkeeper Pidgeley to keep it all square. Ardley played his final card with the introduction of Alfie Potter, replacing Reading striker Craig Tanner, as the men from Kingsmeadow went looking for a winner. The winner was found, but not by the Dons, as it was Stags substitute Bingham who struck the crucial blow with three minutes to go after some sloppy Wimbledon defending. AFC Wimbledon: Worner, Fuller, Smith, Moore, Akinfenwa, Rigg (Azeez, 66), Kennedy (Francomb, 31), Reeves, Tanner (Potter, 74), Winfield, Oshilaja. Subs (not used): McDonnell, Phillips, Fitzpatrick, Gallagher. ------------------ |
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