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Archived News from January 2017

STAGS OUT OF CHECKATRADE TROPHY IN QUARTER-FINALS
27th January 2017 19:18


English Football League Trophy - Checkatrade Trophy - Quarter Final
Mansfield Town 1 - 2 Wycombe Wanderers
Green pen 34. Kashket 72, Akinfenwa 81
Attendance: 2047 (108 from Wycombe)

Date: 24 January 2017

Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill

Mansfield Town were knocked out of the Checkatrade Trophy in the quarter-finals by Wycombe Wanderers, having led until the 72nd minute, after Matt Green’s penalty had put the Stags in front. But goals from Wycombe’s substitutes Scott Kashket and Adebayo Akinfenwa turned the game around, the first stemming from a howler by Stags keeper Jake Kean. It was a disappointing night with the Stags just a game and a half away from Wembley at the half time interval, but ultimately this was a poor performance from Mansfield which did not warrant victory. In a feisty first half, that was every bit the battle that Steve Evans said it would be, Mansfield went in front when Mal Benning surged forward down the left, crossed into the middle and Joe Jacobson unnecessarily but blatantly handballed it for a clear penalty. Matt Green converted into the bottom left corner of the net for his 12th goal of the season. But the game changed on 72 minutes when Muller’s shot from 30 yards was not held by Kean allowing Kashket to turn in from close range. An absolute howler from Kean. The winner came on 81 minutes when Akinfenwa chested down Bean’s cross and fired past Kean. Wycombe’s win made them 16 games unbeaten, a tremendous run. Mansfield of course were missing their four cup-tied players who have impressed in recent league games. They will be back for Saturday as the Stags continue to push to get into the play-off places with a home game against Leyton Orient.

REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE

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MATCH REPORT: Heartbreak as Stags crash out of the Checkatrade Trophy
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Tuesday 24 January 2017

Two late goals from in-form Wycombe Wanderers broke Mansfield Town hearts as the visitors snatched a 2-1 victory in tonight’s Checkatrade Trophy quarter-final at One Call Stadium.

Wanderers made a double change on 66 minutes and both those substitutes netted to ease them through and make it 16 games unbeaten.

The Stags looked in charge thanks to Matt Green’s first half penalty, but a rare mistake from on-loan keeper Jake Kean let in Scott Kashket on 72 minutes and a piece of quality finishing by Ade Akinfenwa nine minutes form time snatched them the win.

It was a full-blooded cup tie with plenty of chances, but Stags saw their six-game unbeaten run halted and dreams of Wembley shattered just two steps away from a big day out 30 years after they won the trophy. It was also a seventh successive game they have failed to beat one of their bogey sides in Wycombe.

Read more at: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/football/match-report-heartbreak-as-stags-crash-out-of-the-checkatrade-trophy-1-8351747

Mansfield made five changes on the night. With Joel Byrom, Shaq Coulthirst, Ben Whiteman and Hayden White all cup-tied and Danny Rose rested to the bench, in came Matt Green and Yoann Arquin up front, and James Baxendale, Jamie McGuire and Jack Thomas into the midfield.

Lee Collins moved into the vacant right back slot with McGuire as defensive midfielder.

Stags went into the tie six games unbeaten but were up against a formidable Wycombe side that were unbeaten in their last 15 games and had not lost any of their last six encounters with the Stags. The home side had two youngsters making up the numbers on the bench in Cameron Healey and Zayn Hakeem.

Wanderers, with one eye on Saturday’s big FA Cup tie at Tottenham Hotspur made six changes from their starting line-up last weekend.

Wycombe made a positive start and Bean had a shot blocked before the pressure was kept on and eventually Saunders blazed well over with less than two minutes elapsed. A minute later Bennett sent the home side’s first effort wide of the left post from 12 yards in Stags’ first raid. Bennett then flicked a header wide from a long Baxendale cross from the right on nine minutes as the sides sized each other up. On 15 minutes Saunders scuffed a volley at Kean from a Pearce clearance. Bennett then sent a long ball forward for Green, who did well to control and tee up Arquin, though he flashed his finish wide.

The action continues as seconds later Green got a shot on target from the right hand edge of the box that Blackman gathered to his right.

But on 21 minutes the home side came very close after good pressure, Arquin crossing towards Bennett from the left and the ball breaking for Pearce to smash a rising half-volley over from 12 yards. Four minutes later Green pulled an ambitious low 25 yard drive wide of the near post as the home side continued to plug away. The breakthrough finally came on 34 minutes from the penalty spot. Benning picked up the ball to the left of the home box and went on a magnificent burst up the wing before crossing into the opposition box where Jacobson clearly controlled the ball with his hand, The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and, although Blackman guessed the right way, Green’s kick had just enough on it to see it under the keeper’s dive and into the left side of the net. There was a moment of worry as a Cowan-Hall cross from the left was not dealt with by either Pearce or Kean, but the loose ball was eventually cleared.

McGuire was again warned for his challenge on Saunders and in the second minute of added time Saunders flattened McGuire into the home dug-out.

Evans and Paul Raynor from the home bench got involved in the row and eventually the half ended with a yellow card for Saunders.

Thomas almost got Green in during the opening seconds of the second half, but Blackman was off his line quickly to beat him to the ball.

Thomas was booked for lunging into a tackle on 47 minutes, O’Nien staying down until the card was produced.

Another great run by Benning on the left saw him swap passes with Green and smash a low shot across the face of goal on 51 minutes.

But Wycombe might have levelled on 54 minutes as Cowan-Hall was offered a free header from a Jacobson corner and sent it over the bar.

Bennett was wide from 20 yards as the half-chances continued to flow.

Stags looked comfortable but were undone by a goal from nothing on 72 minutes. Muller tried his luck from 30 yards with a vicious shot that Kean was behind but spilled and sub Kashket was on hand to prod home from close range.

Stags were then rocked nine minutes from time as Bean launched the ball into the home box from the left and Akinfenwa controlled on his chest, turned and prodded past Kean from eight yards.

Benning’s shot was saved and Hamilton’s follow-up charged down as Stags looked for a way back. Danny Rose was inches wide from 18 yards in the final minute of the 90 and Wycomkbe held out in five added minutes for glory.

STAGS: Kean, Bennett, Benning, Collins (Hoban 88), Pearce, Green, Baxendale (Hemmings 82), Arquin (Rose 82), Thomas, Hamilton, McGuire. Subs not used: Shearer, Hurst, Healey, Hakeem.

WYCOMBE: Blackman, Jombati, Jacobson, Thompson (Akinfenwa 66), Bean (Wood 84), Cowan-Hall (Kashket 66), O’Nien, Weston, Muller, De Havilland, Saunders. Subs not used: Richardson, Pierre, Harriman, Freeman.

REFEREE: David Webb of Lancashire.

ATTENDANCE: 2,047 (108 away).

CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Mal Benning.

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Mansfield 1 - 2 Wycombe
wycombewanderers.co.uk
Checkatrade Trophy
Venue: One Call Stadium
Attendance: 2,047
Referee: David Webb

Possession: 38% 62%
Shots on target: 3 3
Shots off target: 11 5
Corners: 1 3
Offsides: 1 1
Fouls: 10 20
Yellow Card: 1 1
Red Card: 0 0
Scorers
Mansfield:
Matt Green (34 Pen)
Wycombe:
Scott Kashket (73)
Adebayo Akinfenwa (81)

Cards
Mansfield:
Jack Thomas (48)
Wycombe:
Sam Saunders (45 +1:05)

Scott Kashket and Adebayo Akinfenwa fired the Chairboys into the semi-final of the Checkatrade Trophy as the Blues came from behind to secure a 2-1 win at Mansfield Town.

Read more at http://www.wycombewanderers.co.uk/fixtures-results/match-report/index.aspx?matchid=3978904&tcmuri=3528458#YAmJ0Sgryr2jvgtg.99

Matt Green drilled home a first-half penalty to give the Stags the lead, but Steve Evans' men had no answer to the visitors' strikeforce as Wycombe extended their unbeaten run to 16 games in all competitions.

Both sides made five changes to the sides that were in league action at the weekend and it was the visitors who began the stronger, coming close inside two minutes when Garry Thompson’s lay-off was fired over the bar by Sam Saunders after the Chairboys kept Myles Weston’s cross alive.

Rhys Bennett missed the target with two half-chances at the other end before Saunders hit the target with a low shot from Krystian Pearce’s poor headed clearance, but the effort lacked power and keeper Jake Kean gathered.

It was the Wanderers who were more comfortable in possession and worked it around well in the Stags half, just lacking the final ball to penetrate the defence. Meanwhile Matt Green forced a low save from Jamal Blackman before Krystian Pearce drilled over the top following a set piece.

It was a counter-attack for the hosts which led to the opening goal, with Mal Benning carrying the ball some 80 yards down the left and delivering a low cross which skidded up into the body of Joe Jacobson, prompting referee David Webb to punish him for an alleged handball and Green made no mistake with the penalty, powering it home past the despairing dive of Blackman.

Paris Cowan-Hall’s dangerous cross in first-half stoppage time almost caused a blunder from Kean and Pearce who bundled into each other to scramble it away with Myles Weston lurking, before Saunders was booked for a foul on Jamie McGuire with the game just beginning to develop a fiery edge before the break.

The Stags improved after the interval and began to impose themselves more and more as they looked for a killer second goal, with Mal Benning’s low cross-shot fizzing past the post, before Cowan-Hall headed a good chance over the bar from Joe Jacobson’s corner.

Gareth Ainsworth decided the time had come for action, and introduced Scott Kashket and Adebayo Akinfenwa from the bench with devastating effect. Within moments, Kashket pounced to level the scores when Kean spilled Max Muller’s long-range piledriver, and the in-form striker was on hand to tuck the ball home with a first-time effort.

Muller was needed at the other end to deny Yoann Arquin a chance at goal before Kashket had a goal disallowed for handball, but the winning goal came from the trusted source of Akinfenwa with eight minutes remaining.

Marcus Bean was due to be substituted with cramp but his last action was a crucial one, delivering an inch-perfect cross into the box for Akinfenwa to chest down and fire home in front of the ecstatic travelling supporters.

Now there was a job to be done at the other end to protect the lead, and Wanderers did so admirably. Jamal Blackman batted away CJ Hamilton’s shot from 18 yards and Danny Rose fired tamely wide as the Stags attempted to take the game for penalties, but a late siege wasn’t enough to get them back in the game and it’s the Chairboys who take one step closer to Wembley.

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