Archived News from February 2017
|
SUPER STAGS PULVERISE POOR 'POOL
|
 |
|
English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 4 - 0 Hartlepool United Whiteman 19, 76, D.Rose 26, MacDonald 71 Attendance: 4309 (331 from Hartlepool) Date: 11 February 2017 Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town hammered hapless Hartlepool 4-0 in a clinical performance this afternoon, for the biggest win of the season. The Stags played very well in spells and always looked comfortable, though also looked capable of going up a gear and in truth weren’t at their best throughout. Once again it was Ben Whiteman, on loan from Sheffield United, who stole the show with another fabulous performance. The win took Mansfield’s run in 2017 to 6 wins and a draw in 7 games. It lifted the Stags into the play-off zone in 7th place, and just three points behind Luton in 4th, and 6 points behind Carlisle in the final automatic place in 3rd. The Stags are playing such good football that anything seems possible. The Stags scored twice midway through the first half. Firstly, Hayden White and Shaq Coulthirst exchanged a series of passes on the right, before Coulthirst got to the byline, pulled back into the middle, and the ball came back to Whiteman who fired into the net from 12 yards. The second goal started with a great tackle by Benning on Nathan Thomas to win the ball inside his own half. Benning pushed forward into the Hartlepool half, laid off to Danny Rose, who was dispossessed but immediately charged down Matthew Bates, the ball rebounded off Rose, towards the goalkeeper, but Rose got to the loose ball first, took it around the keeper and rolled into the empty net. Terrific from Benning, woeful from the Hartlepool defence, and great pace and a clinical finish from Rose. With Hartlepool ineffective against a rock solid Stags defence, 2-0 looked comfortable, but the win was sealed with a fine goal from substitute Alex MacDonald on his home debut. A good ball from Benning put MacDonald away just inside the Hartlepool half, MacDonald moved forward and fired a low shot into the bottom left corner from 22 yards. A tremendous finish. Then Whiteman scored his second to make it 4-0. Matt Green laid off to the overlapping MacDonald, who stood up a delightful left footed cross, perfect for Whiteman to head downwards towards the goal. It took a deflection off a defender taking it past the keeper. The outstanding Whiteman nearly had a hat-trick when he intercepted a stray-pass from former Stags loanee Sean Kavanagh, surged forward, and fired a tremendous shot which produced an equally tremendous one-handed save from the goalkeeper. Three more points for the Stags in front of 4,000 home fans, with a wonderful atmosphere. Accrington come to Mansfield on Tuesday. If you haven’t seen the Stags play recently, and can possibly get to the game, don’t miss out, because the team are on fire. A great stat from Paul Taylor, that the first goal today was Mansfield’s 3000th football league goal at home. The groundstaff did a great job to get the pitch in very good condition after a very cold couple of nights and a light snowfall overnight. They had the pitch covers on, and this morning cleared the snow off the pitch covers before removing the covers. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE -------------------------------- MATCH REPORT: Mansfield Town 4-0 Hartlepool United chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Saturday 11 February 2017 Magnificent Mansfield Town stormed into the play-off places with a 4-0 hammering of struggling Hartlepool United at a freezing One Call Stadium this afternoon. It was a fourth League win a row for Steve Evans’ side and it is now 352 minutes of League football since they conceded. Mansfield survived an early scare when Padraig Amond lobbed over a gaping net on 14 minutes. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/match-report-mansfield-town-4-0-hartlepool-united-1-8385135 But Stags then upped the gears to cruise to their biggest win of the season. Two goals in nine minutes set the ground alight as man of the match Ben Whiteman netted his third goal on as many games on 19 minutes before Danny Rose doubled it on 26 minutes after some shocking defending. Mansfield’s noisy fans in a bumper home crowd, swelled by the two for one ticket deal, were in full voice as the home side dominated and came so close to more goals. In the end they went in 2-0 up and struggled to get back into their stride in a dull second half until substitutions pepped things up again. Alex MacDonald netted one his full debut within six minutes of coming on with a low finish on 71 minutes before Whiteman’s second of the game gift-wrapped the points on 76 minutes. Alfie Potter made his full debut, his inclusion in the midfield in place of CJ Hamilton was the only change to a side that had been unchanged for three games and won all three of them in the current run of seven League games unbeaten. Hamilton was rested to the bench after a run of games under boss Steve Evans. Visitors Hartlepool included former Stags winger Nathan Thomas, back after injury. They also included ex-Stags loanee defender Kavanagh. There was a minute’s applause on 16 minutes in honour of 16-year-old Lewis Crouch who had died in a scooter crash on Friday, February 3, on Peafield Lane. Stags began brightly and had the first goal attempt on eight minutes as Coulthirst ran forward purposefully and sent a low shot skidding wide from 20 yards. But the visitors almost went ahead on 14 minutes when Bennett fluffed a clearance in the box and, with Kean off his line, Amond had a chance to lob into an empty net but lifted the ball over. Instead it was Mansfield who drew first blood on 19 minutes. Coulthirst and White exchanged several passes on the right of the box before Coulthirst turned and raced to the right by-line and pulled back a low cross, which was half-cleared and rolled invitingly for Whiteman to lash home from 12 yards. Seven minutes later it was 2-0. Bates allowed Rose to run him just outside the box to run clear, round keeper Bartlett and slot into the empty net. Soon after Coulthirst was wide with a shot on the turn from 20 yards as the home crowd began to turn up the volume. On 34 minutes Bartlett had to turn away a goalbound header from Bennett from a Byrom free kick to give the home side their first corner of the game. Whiteman then forced Bartlett to clutch a bouncing shot from 25 yards with six minutes to go to the break. On 41 minutes Byrom put over a corner from the right and Bennett sent a free header wide from eight yards. Rose saw the game’s first yellow card on 43 minutes for a clattering challenge on Donnelly, indeed Donnelly did not come out for the second half, replaced by Richardson. A quiet start to the second half saw Rose sidefoot Stags’ first effort over the near angle on 55 minutes. The game had gone very flat and in need of a spark, so MacDonald was thrown in for his full debut in place of Potter on 65 minutes with Green then taking over from Rose four minutes later. MacDonald made an immediate impact with the crucial third goal on 71 minutes. Allowed to run with the ball down the centre, he looked up and rifled a low shot from 22 yards that beat the dive of Bartlett and found the net inside the left post. It was 4-0 on 76 minutes as MacDonald crossed from the left and Whiteman sent a downwards header past Bartlett. Arquin took over from Coulthirst up front on 78 minutes. Whiteman almost completed a hat-trick with a vicious shot from 20 yards on 81 minutes, but this time Bartlett was able to parry. STAGS: Kean, White, Bennett, Pearce, Benning, Collins, Whiteman, Byrom, Potter (MacDonald 65), Coulthirst (Arquin 78), Rose (Green 69). Subs not used: Shearer, Baxendale, Hamilton, McGuire. HARTLEPOOL: Bartlett, Featherstone, Bates, Thomas (Oates 75), Walker, Amond (Alessandra 58), Nelson, Harrison, Rooney, Donnelly (Richardson HT), Kavanagh. Subs not used: Fryer, Woods, Hawkins, Smith. REFEREE: Andrew Madley of West Yorkshire. ATTENDANCE: 4,309 (331 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Ben Whiteman. ------------------- Pools Defeated At Mansfield Town hartlepoolunited.co.uk It was another disappointing afternoon for Pools as they lost out 4-0 at Mansfield Town. Dave Jones’ men put in a below-par display and were made to pay by the in-form Stags who took full advantage of some suspect defending at times. Shaquile Coulthirst fired in the first warning shot within the first ten minutes, sending a low drive just wide of Adam Bartlett’s left-hand post as the hosts started strongest. Pools did manage their best chance of the half on 14 minutes when a slip by Rhys Bennett allowed Padraig Amond to run through on goal. With former Pools loan man Jake Kean off his line, Amond went in for a chipped effort but his shot landed on the roof of the net. Read more at http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/mansfield-town-v-hartlepool-united-match-report-3568987.aspx#gGL3iOKqwLR8hTEH.99 And from then on in, there was little Pools offered to really force Kean into action. The first goal arrived on 18 minutes as Pools allowed the ball to cannon around inside the area, with nobody making sure to clear the danger. The ball made it out only as far as Ben Whiteman who powered a drive through the crowd and past Adam Bartlett to make it 1-0. Less than ten minutes later and it was 2-0; a rare slip at the back from Matthew Bates saw the ball roll nicely for Danny Rose who rounded a stranded Bartlett to slot home the second goal of the game. There were further chances for the hosts before half time, with Bartlett tipping a headed effort from Bennett round the post and the Pools keeper holding onto Whiteman’s shot from distance. Scott Harrison put in a last-gasp tackle to deny Coulthirst the chance to shoot on goal, while Bennett headed wide from the resulting corner. There was little to cheer for the travelling Pools fans on a icily cold afternoon at the One Call Stadium as the team went in 2-0 down at the break. Pools did look at little more lively at the start of the second half but it was Mansfield who had the first real chance on goal as Danny Rose tried his luck with a chipped effort from the edge of the box, which went high of target. Jones’ side saw more of the ball in the second half but just couldn’t break past the Mansfield back line to get a shot on target. And on 70 minutes, the hosts upped their pressure again to move further ahead; a quick break saw the ball picked up by sub Alex MacDonald who twisted free of his marker to unleash a low drive from the edge of the box which beat Bartlett and hit the bottom corner. Defeat was compounded just six minutes later when a cross into the box from Coulthirst was headed home by Whiteman with his second of the game. Adam Bartlett pulled off a great save to deny Whiteman his hat-trick on 81 minutes, sticking out a hand to claw it clear before Bates arrived to head over the bar. There were no other real chances on goal and the game finished 4-0 to Mansfield, with the defeat no doubt giving Dave Jones plenty to think about ahead of Tuesday night's trip to Luton Town. Full Time: Mansfield Town 4 Pools 0 Attendance: 4309 (331 Pools) Mansfield Town: Kean, Bennett, Benning, Collins, Pearce, Coulthirst (Arquin 77), Potter (MacDonald 65), White, Byrom, Whiteman, Rose (Green 69). Subs Not Used: Shearer, Baxendale, Hamilton, McGuire. Pools: Bartlett, Donnelly (Richardson 46), Bates, Harrison, Kavanagh, Featherstone, Walker, Nelson, Thomas (Oates 75), Amond (Alessandra 58), Rooney. Subs Not Used: Fryer, Hawkins, Woods, Oates, Smith. --------------- OPINION: Something tells me Mansfield Town are on to something good chad.co.uk, by TIM MORRISS, Saturday 11 February 2017 Has there ever been a better time to be a Mansfield Town fan, particularly in the modern era? I doubt it, having watched a lot of football at Field Mill - sorry, One Call Stadium - for many years. Yes, winning promotion back to the Football League under Paul Cox was exciting - and necessary - and some of the football in the Liam Lawrence-inspired era at the start of the century led to great days for the fans and a trip to the play-off final. But right now the excitement generated by manager Steve Evans and his team - so many of them new signings - on the pitch reminds me of the 1986 season when Ian Greaves put together a side that first won promotion and then the Freight Rover Trophy at Wembley. That was a team that could score goals for fun and played with a smile on its face, and Evans new-look Stags who are chasing promotion remind me of that. What is different from recent years, and so even more exciting, is that the performances on the pitch are being matched by developments off it that are turning Mansfield Town Football Club into a community again - something the whole town seems to proud of. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/opinion-something-tells-me-mansfield-town-are-on-to-something-good-1-8385378 The club’s march up the League Two table since Christmas has been led by Evans, a vastly experienced manager - in fact, the most experienced since those heady days under Greaves. Evans has brought in eight new signings - many of them League Two promotion winners - who have transformed the team, which is now playing positive football that excites the fans. That surely came about because owner John Radford was able to sell Evans his dream of taking the Stags up the divisions - and prepared to back his manager with the funds necessary to bring in those eight players? Evans won’t get carried away Radford, of course, is also developing a planned new training ground at Pleasley among other moves to take the club forward off the pitch. And the owner is spearheading the generous two-for-one ticket offers that are drawing more fans into the ground on matchdays. Along with that, Radford and others at the club responded positively when approached by supporters James Perrin, Daniel Maddison and Mitch Bailey, who wanted to create a singing section in the Ian Greaves Stand. The singing fans have adopted a new song to back the side - I’m Into Something Good by Herman’s Hermits - and, of course, adapted the lyrics. It goes something like this: Woke up this morning feelin’ fine. I’ve got Mansfield on my mind, Stevie’s got ‘em playing the way he should, whoa yeah, Something tells me I’m into something good. And to help create an even more fervent atmosphere before kick-off another club song is played - a Stags’ version of Elvis Presley’s The Wonder Of You to cheer on the amber and blue. The atmosphere inside One Call Stadium has been transformed by both players and fans alike. The place is buzzing and the fans being drawn into the club will surely return. All so often in the past the Stags players would fail to perform on the pitch in front of big crowd. Not anymore. And that crowd is containing more and more youngsters as the Stags expands its family section and matchday experience for the fans of the future. The football club is a place that is used away from football seven days a week, from meals in the Sandy Pate Bar, to functions and entertainment in the 1861 and Kevin Bird suites, not to mention as an office or classroom by businesses and schoolchildren during the week. Now coupled with a successful team on the pitch and a feelgood factor around the club, Mansfield Town is suddenly the place to be and has every right to feel it is into something good! Long may it continue. ---------------- |
Latest | February 2017