Archived News from April 2019
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DOMINANT STAGS THRASH MORECAMBE
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 4 - 0 Morecambe Mellis 30, Pearce 70, Hamilton 73, Benning 85. Attendance: 5177 (107 from Morecambe) Date: 19 April 2019 Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town produced a terrific performance to thrash Morecambe 4-0 at the One Call Stadium and move back into second place in the table. The Stags dominated throughout and could certainly have won by more goals. Jacob Mellis put Mansfield ahead with a low shot into the bottom left corner after 30 minutes and that it was only 1-0 at the break was due to some incredible goalkeeping from veteran Barry Roche in the Morecambe goal. One save, in stoppage time at the end of the first half, was a la Gordon Banks as Gethin Jones headed towards the bottom right corner of the net and Roche somehow got down to turn it round the post. Roche also saved well from another shot from Mellis, and another header from Jones, and just managed to keep out a shot from Jorge Grant which he saved and then had to save again as it span behind him. In a one-sided first half the Stags were also denied a goal as Mellis shot from 14 yards and it was somehow deflected inches wide, and shouts for a penalty were turned down as Tyler Walker seemed to be shoved over in the area. It remained 1-0 until 70 minutes when Krystian Pearce shimmied in the box and fired a low shot into the bottom left corner of the net from 12 yards. And just 3 minutes, CJ Hamilton added a third goal as he controlled beautifully and cut inside from the right to fire through the keeper’s legs, after Mellis did very well to turn away from Fleming and play it forward to him. Mansfield added some icing on to the cake with a fourth goal, which gave the scoreline a more realistic look, in the 85th minute as Mal Benning fired a low shot across Roche into the right corner of the net from 22 yards. A great performance and a confidence booster for players and fans ahead of the trip to Oldham on Easter Monday. The Stags are up to second place, a point ahead of 3rd placed MK Dons, two points ahead of 4th placed Bury, and five points ahead of Tranmere. And this victory has helped the Stags improve their goal difference compared to the other clubs. With MK Dons at home to Port Vale, and Bury at home to Northampton on Monday, the Stags will probably need three points at Oldham to maintain their current position. Plenty of great performances throughout the Stags side, in fact everyone played well. Jacob Mellis was a catalyst for the victory with the critical first goal, and great play to set up Hamilton for the third. Krystian Pearce capped a fine display at the back with a well-taken goal. Neal Bishop mopped up everything in a defensive midfield role. Mal Benning was at his best with numerous marauding runs and his second goal in successive games. Gethin Jones caused Morecambe problems and was unfortunate not to score, denied by keeper Roche. Mansfield made two changes to the side that drew at Northampton. Jacob Mellis and Jorge Grant came into the side. Grant had missed the last three games, having had an ankle problem which he’d been carrying for several weeks. Out went Tomlinson and MacDonald. Mellis and Grant were back in to add creativity that was lacking at Northampton. On the bench, a return to Ben Turner, ahead of schedule following his injury. Morecambe brought in former Stag Ritchie Sutton into their starting line up. Sutton is of course a legend from the Stags Conference winning season. Vadaine Oliver was on the bench and came on late on. Kevin Ellison was on the bench but not used, being saved for their game on Easter Monday. Morecambe had already done enough to effectively stay up, but results elsewhere today meant they were mathematically safe. It was glorious weather in Mansfield, warm and sunny. And another good crowd turned out to cheer Mansfield on, over 5000 home fans who created a great atmosphere. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ----------------------- REPORT: Mansfield Town 4-0 Morecambe - Stags up to second in League Two chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Friday 19 April 2019 Mansfield Town cemented their automatic promotion challenge with a convincing 4-0 home demolition of Morecambe this afternoon. With Bury losing, it edged Stags into second place and opened a two-point gap between them and fourth place with just three games to go. Shrimps keeper Barry Roche did all he could to deny Stags with some fine saves in a tense first half in which the home side deservedly went ahead through Jacob Mellis on the half-hour. But it was a nervy game until two goals in three second half minutes ended Morecambe resistance as Krystian Pearce netted on 70 minutes and CJ Hamilton soon after. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/report-mansfield-town-4-0-morecambe-stags-up-to-second-in-league-two-1-9723467 Mal Benning then added a fourth near the end as Stags’ goal difference was given a huge boost for the final run-in. The Mansfield side showed two changes as they brought midfield playmakers Jacob Mellis and Jorge Grant back in for Will Tomlinson and Alex MacDonald. The visitors included ex-Stags defender Ritchie Sutton in the starting XI with former Mansfield striker Vadaine Oliver on the bench. The game kicked off in bright, warm sunshine with a superb atmosphere. Morecambe were first to show ambition as Collins fired a shot at Logan from 20 yards on three minutes. But on five minutes it took a fine save from veteran Roche to deny Jones. Benning floated the ball in the centre and Jones met it with a powerful header from six yards that the keeper tipped over his bar. Stags kept up the pressure when the corner was cleared and some great work from Pearce set up Mellis for a thunderous low shot that Roche managed to parry. On eight minutes Preston’s lofted forward ball almost got Walker away, Roche dropping onto it at the striker’s feet. The visitors weathered plenty of home pressure before, on 16 minutes, a poor Pearce clearance gifted the ball to Fleming for a low shot that deflected wide for a corner, from which Bennett headed over. Soon after Walker had a low deflected shot for Stags that went straight to Roche. A slip by Sutton saw Walker race away down the left on 21 minutes. But Roche was able to block his near post effort and Hamilton sent his follow-up wide. Referee Kettle won no friends among home fans when he stopped a promising home attack to bring it back for a free kick and the boss were even louder when Lavelle jumped into Walker’s back to flatten him in the box on 24 minutes and no penalty was given. Roche made another fine one-handed save to deny Bishop from 15 yards soon after as Stags turned up the heat, Roche forced the make a second stop as the loose ball continued to spin towards goal. Fleming was booked for his off the ball coming-together with Mellis on 27 minutes and Benning was wide from the free kick. Stags were finally and deservedly ahead on the half-hour mark. Benning looked set to cross from the left but instead squared a low pass to Mellis just inside the box and Roche was left rooted as he drilled a low finish inside the left post. Kenyon’s foul on Bishop earned him a 36th minute yellow card, Grant curling the free kick onto the roof of the net. More home pressure saw a Mellis shot deflect wide after a scramble in the box. Pearce was added to the book for a foul on Collins in the final minute of the half. In added time Roche pulled off the save of the game to stop Jones’ header creeping inside the post to his left from Hamilton’s cross as Stags went in with a more slender lead than they deserved for a fine half. The Shrimps made a double change at the break, sending on Mingoia and Conlan for Kenyon and Sutton. Roche was quickly back in action, using his legs to block a low shot from Grant on 48 minutes. Mills was booked on 50 minutes for a nasty tackle on Benning that Stags felt should have been a red card. Sweeney joined him for hacking down Collins on 53 minutes. A great run from Hamilton down the left saw him set up Grant from the by-line but the midfielder was unable to divert the ball on target. Walker was then wide as Morecambe struggled to clear their lines from a corner. The visitors had a rare chance on 66 minutes as Logan had to clutch an Old header at his near post from a corner. But the tension was eased four minutes later as Morecambe failed to clear Grant’s free kick, the ball falling to Pearce who made space and drilled a low finish inside the near post from eight yards. Just three minutes later it was game, set and match as Hamilton cut inside from the right of the box from a pass by Mellis and smashed a low finish under Roche. With five minutes to go Benning joined the scorer’s list with a crisp low shot from 25 yards that Roche failed to reach as it zipped inside the far post as Stags began to really enjoy their afternoon. MANSFIELD: Logan; Sweeney, Pearce, Preston; Jones, Mellis, Bishop (Tomlinson 83), Grant (MacDonald 72), Benning; Walker (Rose 77), Hamilton. Subs not used: Smith, Atkinson, Turner, Hakeem. MORECAMBE: Roche, Mills, Kenyon (Conlan HT), Old, Bennett, Fleming, Sutton (Mingoia HT), Lavelle, Mandeville, Cranston, Collins (Collins 72). Subs not used: Halstead, Ellison, McKay, Hedley. REFEREE: Trevor Kettle of Rutland. ATTENDANCE: 5,177 (107 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jacob Mellis. ----------------------- MANSFIELD TOWN 4-0 MORECAMBE https://www.morecambefc.com/news/2019/april/match-report-mansfield-town-4-0-morecambe/ MORECAMBE made sure of Football League safety for another season but suffered a heavy defeat on a bitter sweet afternoon. The Shrimps suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to a very good Mansfield side but defeats for Yeovil and Notts County ensured they cannot be caught with just three games of the season to go. Boss Jim Bentley made four changes to the side that drew with Grimsby last week with Aaron Wildig ruled out through illness and Kevin Ellison, Luke Conlan and Piero Mingoia dropping to the bench to make way for Alex Kenyon, Ritchie Sutton, Jordan Cranston and Aaron Collins. The Shrimps though looked second best for long periods of time against a good home side and it was left to Barry Roche, who made a string of superb saves in the first half, to keep the score down. After just five minutes Roche was called into action with a superb save from Gethin Jones’s point-blank header. Roche then had to save smartly from Jacob Mellis shot with his legs and then tip away a Neal Bishop drive at full stretch to his right hand side as the home side piled on the pressure. Morecambe had a brief period on top with Andy Fleming seeing a goal-bound effort blocked by Kristian Pearce and Richie Bennett heading a Liam Mandeville corner over at the far post. Mansfield soon found their feet again and took the lead on the half hour. Ritchie Sutton lost possession and Mal Benning was able to cross from the left for Mellis to finally beat Roche with a shot from the edge of the box. The Stags continued to dominate the first half and were denied again by Roche in injury time when the keeper somehow got down low to his left to tip away Tyler Walker’s close range header. The Shrimps changed things at the break with Luke Conlan and Piero Mingoia brought on and a change of formation saw the Shrimps look more threatening. Unfortunately as they pushed forward Mansfield took advantage of the gaps that were created and scored the all important second goal when defender Kristian Pearce was perfectly placed to fire home the loose ball into the bottom right hand corner with a neat shot on the turn. Two minutes later the home side sealed the three points with a third. Mellis played in C J Hamilton down the right and he cut inside Steven Old before finding the target from eight yards out. To make matters worse Mansfield scored a fourth five minutes from time when Mal Benning beat Roche low to his left with a well struck shot from 25 yards out. At the end of the game though the results came through to confirm the Shrimps’ safety to make it a Good Friday after all. Mansfield: Logan, Preston, Pearce, Sweeney, Jones, Bishop (rep Rose 83), Mellis, Benning, Grant (rep MacDonald 71), Walker (rep Rose 77), Hamilton. Subs not used: Smith, Atkinson, Turner, Hakeem. Morecambe: Roche, Old, Sutton (rep Mingoia 45), Lavelle, Mills, Kenyon (rep Conlan 45), Fleming, Cranston, Mandeville, Bennett, Collins (rep Oliver 72). Subs not used: Halstead, Ellison, Hedley, McKay. Ref: T Kettle. Att: 5,177 ------------------------- |
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