Archived News from February 2003
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UNLUCKY STAGS BEATEN BY LATE GOAL
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For full Stagsnet report and ratings, visit the Match Centre.
----------- Colchester United 1 Mansfield Town 0 McGleish 88 Colchester 1-0 Mansfield: PA Scott McGleish struck a dramatic late winner to earn Colchester a 1-0 win at home to Mansfield and three more valuable points in their fight to stave off relegation. Only two minutes were left on the clock when McGleish pounced in the Mansfield six-yard box to head home the rebound after an angled shot from substitute Gareth Williams was charged down. It could so easily have been a different story as only 60 seconds earlier a piledriver from the Stags' Adam Eaton hit the angle of bar and post with home goalkeeper Simon Brown beaten. Colchester themselves struck the woodwork 12 minutes before half-time when a fierce shot from McGleish rebounded off the underside of the crossbar. Youngster Dean Morgan went close twice for the U's early on as did McGleish and Kemal Izzet, while at the other end last-ditch tackles by Alan White and Sam Stockley prevented Andy White and Wayne Corden from scoring for the visitors. It was the U's first home win in four months, which also yielded their seventh point in three games - a factor that might just clinch the vacant manager's job for caretaker boss Geraint Williams. -------------- U's snatch late Stags win http://www.nationwide.co.uk Colchester 1 Mansfield 0 Scott McGleish struck two minutes from time for Colchester against Mansfield at Layer Road, with a 1-0 victory edging the U's away from the relegation places in Nationwide Division Two. The U's went into the game still with caretaker Geraint Williams in charge, while Mansfield gave a debut to veteran keeper Keith Welch. The opening minutes were tense, due to the importance of the game, before Welch punched clear a Liam Chilvers header, while at the other end Andy White flashed a shot just wide of target. Welch denied Dean Morgan from close range with 25 minutes played and eight minutes later McGleish rattled the woodwork with a left-foot drive from the edge of the area. The Stags keeper made further saves from Kem Izzet and Morgan again as the first half ended goalless. Shortly after the restart, the visitors brought on top scorer Iyseden Christie in place of White as they went searching for the victory. The U's own sub Gareth Williams showed some good touches, before 15 minutes from time home keeper Simon Brown had to tip away a shot from Wayne Corden. Three minutes before the end Adam Eaton's long-range drive came back off the frame of the goal for Town and a minute later McGleish pounced to settle the issue. Williams again did well and his cross from the left allowed McGleish to head past Welch from close range, to lift the U's above their victims and up to 16th in the table. ----------------- CHAD report: Stags crash to late, late winner Disaster struck for Mansfield Town as they were sunk by the only goal of the game two minutes from time in a crucial six-pointer at Colchester tonight. Disaster struck for Mansfield Town as they were sunk by the only goal of the game two minutes from time in a crucial six-pointer at Colchester tonight. Agonisingly the goal by Scott McGleish came just a minute after Adam Eaton had rattled the Colchester post with a shot from 25 yards. On a freezing cold night in Essex, these two relegation threatened sides struggled to put their passes together. But Stags, with debut keeper Keith Welch impressive, at least looked like they would take a point and a clean sheet on the long journey home. If they had managed to pass the ball better and showed anything like their best, this game was there for the taking for Stags. But United always looked dangerous on the counter attack and did hit the Mansfield crossbar in the first half. Home keeper Simon Brown, whose handling looked suspect on occasions, had to tip an Andy White cross over his bar early on as it threatened to dip under. Wayne Corden also put a free kick over from an excellent central position 18 yards out and Junior Mendes shot at the keeper on the turn. Colchester wanted a penalty when Micky Stockwell ran onto a loose Matt Gadsby pass and Adam Eaton's challenge saw him go over, but the referee was unimpressed. The lively Dean Morgan then fell over the ball in the box as he tried to skip past Gadsby and Rhys Day. Sam Stockley produced a fine challenge to halt White and the big striker hooked another shot goalwards as Brown backpeddled and the keeper had to turn it over. The game was end to end by now and Welch, who had already made a good punch and also ran out his box to make a clearance, made his first save on 25 minutes as he blocked Morgan's close range finish. McGleish raced onto a through ball six minutes later and Welch denied him with an outstretched hand right on the edge of his box. Brown again saved from White at the other end and the striker bundled another effort wide after the ball ran loose. McGleish then found himself in space on the right of the box and crashed a superb shot past Welch which hit the underside of the bar and bounced down for Curtis to clear. White poked another half-chance over the United bar before Welch turned a Kem Izzet header round his post and then was confidently behind a Karl Duguid free kick in stoppage time. It was a scrappy half but there were enough chances to keep the crowd warm on such a cold night. Mendes had a shot deflected wide early in the second half after a good run at the defence. But it was the home side who looked the more dangerous and began to edge the possession. The introduction of the tricky Gareth Williams from the bench on 57 minutes helped the U's and he had a shot deflected into the sidenetting and then his dummy set up Williams with Gadsby's lunge bringing new calls for a penalty. Izzet volleyed well over and Williams' low shot was comfy for Welch as the game looked to be petering out to a goalless draw. Duguid shot straight at Welch as Mansfield struggled to get out their own half although Wayne Corden did drill a dangerous low cross across goal and forced the keeper to turn away a shot after cutting inside. But the game was settled inside an end-to-end minute two minutes from time. Eaton raced in to pick up a loose ball and let fly from 25 yards only to see it fly off the post. Mendes quickly put the ball back in only for Disley to head over. Colchester went straight upfield and Williams ran at the visiting defence on the left of the box and got in a shot which Welch could only parry, McGleish left with a simple header from five yards. It was a dreadful blow with no real time to pull it back and how important that goal may be in the long term, only time will tell. Iyseden Chrisie, who scored four goals against Colchester in November, came on for the last 34 minutes but never troubled Brown as United celebrated seven points from three games to boost their survival chances. ------------- |
Latest | February 2003