Season 15/16 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Oldham Athletic
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Attendance: 2886 (512 from Oldham)
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Date: 7 November 2015
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STAGS AND OLDHAM MUST REPLAY IN FA CUP
Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town were held 0-0 by League One Oldham Athletic in a game of few chances this afternoon and so the teams will have to do it again a week on Tuesday to earn a place in round two of the FA Cup. Mansfield had more possession than the League One side and kept the ball well but weren’t clinical enough in the final third. Neither team created many chances with Ricardo Fuller missing a good chance for Oldham in the first half and Reggie Lambe missing a glorious opportunity as he volleyed Craig Westcarr’s pinpoint cross over the bar from 7 yards. The first half had been even but Mansfield got on top in the second half without creating too many clearcut chances. One of the best chances fell to Matt Green whose initial shot was saved by the keeper and then his follow up was blocked on the line by defender Dummigan. Later in the half, Dummigan cleared off the line again, this time from Nathan Thomas’s shot from 7 yards. A decent performance with the Stags solid at the back as Lee Collins and Ryan Tafazolli were again in commanding form, with Collins our man of the match for a series of timely interceptions and clearances. The replay promises to be another tight encounter and it says a lot on how far we have come since last season that we come away from this game disappointed not to have beaten a League One side at the first attempt. Mansfield made two changes from the side beaten by Wycombe a week ago. Chris Clements came in for Jamie McGuire in central midfield to bring more creativity. And Mitch Rose came in for Matty Blair on the right side of midfield. Blair Adams was given clearance to play by Notts County (before Notts were knocked out themselves last night) and he continued at left back. The Stags lined up initially in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Westcarr just behind Green. Krystian Pearce sat out the final game of his four game ban. The way that Collins and Tafazolli have been playing, Pearce can expect to be on the bench for the next game rather than coming straight back into the team. Meanwhile there was a surprise on the bench. We had been to watch the Stags youth team this morning and were initially disappointed that Cain Smith was not playing, after his goal in the FA Youth cup during the week and his fine performances so far this season. The reason he wasn’t playing was that he was promoted to the first team squad and a place on the bench this afternoon in the FA Cup. A clear message to the youngsters that if they play well, Adam Murray may promote them to the first team squad. A subtle change in the Stags shirt with the Stags head on the back of the shirt now removed, making the numbers easier to see. Oldham arrived at Field Mill as the draw specialists having drawn 10 of their 16 league games, with two wins and four defeats. Player-manager David Dunn was on the bench. Former Premier League striker Ricardo Fuller started his first game for Oldham. Before the game there was a minute’s silence in memory of the fallen, and the Last Post was performed beautifully in total silence. It was a windy afternoon though fine and sunny after a wet morning. On 7 minutes, Hunt lost the ball in a dangerous position, allowing Yeates to break forward and shoot over the bar via a deflection off Collins. On 11 minutes, Tafazolli did well against Fuller at the back, Adams cleared the ball forward and Westcarr showed good strength to get the ball to Green who broke into the box but Mills was able to block Green’s shot. Stags were queuing up in the box on 13 minutes as Hunt found Rose, Rose’s shot flew up to Adams whose sidefooted shot was on target but lacked power and provided an easy save. Adams continues to defend well without providing the shooting prowess of Benning. Tafazolli did well to block a goalbound shot from Danny Philliskirk from 10 yards on 14 minutes. Oldham should have been ahead on 29 minutes. Tafazolli and Adams got in each other’s way allowing Yeates to find Fuller with a clear sight of goal. Fortunately for the Stags Fuller pulled his shot wide of the left post when he should have buried it. A real let off. On 34 minutes, Hunt’s free kick from the halfway line was met by Tafazolli who headed down but the ball was cleared. A clever corner kick by Mansfield a minute later as Reggie Lambe pulled the kick back to Chapman on the edge of the box giving Chapman a shot at goal which he ballooned up in the air, though the referee had already blown for an off the ball infringement. Oldham were not expecting the corner kick routine even though the Stags have tried it a few times this season. On 39 minutes, Adams crossed from the byline on the left back to Rose whose shot from the edge of the box was blocked. It was a similar chance for Rose to his goal against Crawley. A good passage of passing football from the Stags on 43 minutes. On 45 minutes, an Oldham free kick was well headed away by Collins, Rose broke quickly and played the ball to Westcarr on the left. Westcarr crossed perfectly into the middle where Lambe volleyed over the bar from 7 yards from a central position. It was a glorious chance for Lambe. On 45+1 minutes, Winchester’s shot was deflected through to Jensen. A fair scoreline of 0-0 at half time. The Stags had generally defended well and kept the ball well in possession and the miss by Reggie Lambe was still fresh in the mind at the break. Half time 0-0 On 50 minutes, great defending by Collins as Fuller pushed forward. Moments later a good tackle by Collins on Yeates. A minute later at the other end, Rose headed wide of the right post from Chapman’s corner from the right. On 54 minutes, Higdon got goalside of Collins but Collins got in a great challenge to clear. By now, it was noticeable that the Stags full backs were pushing further and further forward like wing-backs. On 57 minutes, Hunt slipped a lovely ball forward for Green to run on to. Green’s goalbound shot was half-saved by the keeper. Green slipped over but got up to pick up the loose ball and fire goalwards again and Dummigan had done really to get back and clear off the line for a corner. Two minutes later, good play from Westcarr to Lambe on the left, and Lambe’s cross-shot was over the bar. A good save by Jensen on 61 minutes as he pushed away a left-footed shot from Croft who cut inside on the right from his right foot. Nathan Thomas replaced Rose on 63 minutes. Lambe moved to the right, with Nathan Thomas on the left. Lambe was booked for a foul on Mills on 67 minutes. On 72 minutes, a quick Stags free kick to Nathan Thomas who made a positive run forward and his shot was easily saved. A great move of flowing football from Mansfield on 77 minutes involving Adams, Nathan Thomas and Westcarr earned a corner. The corner from the left, by Chapman, came back to him, he curled in a cross which Tafazolli headed down and was saved by the keeper on the line. On 79 minutes Green laid off to Lambe who played a great one-two with Chapman giving Lambe a sight of goal, Lambe pulled back to Westcarr who couldn’t get his shot on target, the ball ran straight to Nathan Thomas who shot goalwards from 7 yards and Dummigan cleared off the line again. Matty Blair replaced Lambe on 80 minutes. Yussuf replaced Green on 82 minutes. The Stags were very much on top and pushing for a winner. On 84 minutes, Yussuf did well to power down the left with pace but his cross into the middle was poor. On 88 minutes, a cross from the byline by Yeates and an Oldham shot from Philliskirk was deflected well wide. From the resulting corner, a header was blocked and then another header up in the air was claimed by Jensen. A corner for the Stags on 90+2 minutes from Chapman but Tafazolli could not direct a header goalwards. Two minutes later, following another Stags corner, a shot from Matty Blair from 12 yards that was on target, was blocked on the 6 yard line. Full time and one or two boos from home fans but a generous round of applause from the majority of home fans. So all to play for in ten days’ time and don’t be surprised if it goes all the way to penalties. Before that, a mouth-watering top of the table clash at Northampton awaits. Northampton are a club in turmoil yet on the pitch the team continue to go great guns. Man of the match: Lee Collins |
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Report by: Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill
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Line Up:
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(4-4-1-1)
Jensen 7 Made one good save from Croft. Good clearances. Otherwise little to do. Hunt 7 Composed performance after one early error. Covered a lot of ground trying to get forward. Collins 8 A string of timely interceptions and clearances capped a dominant performance. Tafazolli 7.5 Fine game at the back. Adams 7 Defended well. One good cross for Rose. Rose 6.5 Workman-like performance. Clements 6.5 Brought in to provide creativity but didn’t create much. Worked hard. Chapman 7 Not at his best, but put himself about and got involved. Lambe 6.5 Some good moments and a good game overall. But missed the best chance of the game which was on a plate for him from a perfect cross. Westcarr 7 Perfect cross for Lambe. Good strength on occasion. Good game. Green 6.5 Didn’t get much service. Needs better service on the floor. From the one great ball that he got on the floor he had a shot saved and the follow-up blocked on the line. Won a lot of headers. |
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Sub Line Up:
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N.Thomas (for Rose, 63) - Shot cleared off the line. Some good movement forward
Blair (for Lambe, 80) - One shot blocked in stoppage time. Yussuf (for Green, 82) - One good run with pace and power but the resulting cross was poor. Subs not used: Shearer, McGuire, Cain Smith, J.Thomas. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-4-2): Coleman, Dummigan, Wilson, Dieng, Mills; Poleon (Rasulo 72), Winchester, Philliskirk, Yeates; Higdon, Fuller (Croft 55, Eckersley 78). Subs not used: Dunn, Vassell, Byrnes, Renshaw.
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Referee:
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Tony Harrington 7 Handled the game well and was barely noticed.
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