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Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
Pre-Season Friendly
Mansfield Town  
2 - 1
 Bolton Wanderers
D.Rose 11, Pearce 23.
 
 Clough 54.
Attendance: 1481 (216 from Bolton)
 
Date: 16 July 2016

Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill

Mansfield Town beat Bolton Wanderers, who were relegated from the Championship last season, 2-1 in a pre-season friendly at Field Mill this afternoon. It was a promising performance from the Stags with lots of players impressing, and the result, although not the most important aspect in itself, was nevertheless deserved. Mansfield were ahead on 11 minutes when Matt Green chested down a nice Chris Clements ball forward, Green got the benefit of a bad touch from a defender, and squared a perfect pass for Danny Rose to score into an empty net from close range. It was very encouraging to see the two strikers combine well for the goal. Mansfield increased the lead on 23 minutes. Danny Rose won a free kick on the right, one of several he won all afternoon. Mal Benning curled in a lovely cross and Krystian Pearce headed into the net from 6 yards. Scott Shearer made a brilliant save from Mark Davies on 33 minutes, from point blank range, to preserve the lead at half time. Bolton pulled a goal back on 54 minutes, as Adam Chapman gave the ball away, a ball was played forward to Zach Clough, who fired past Scott Shearer. Bolton showed some urgency in the latter stages to push for an equaliser but Mansfield deservedly hung on for the win in what turned out to be a good competitive game.

It’s Bolton first visit in a first team game to Field Mill since 1993. Phil Parkinson was in charge of Bolton for the first time for a game in England. His assistant is former Stags manager Steve Parkin.

It’s the same Stags starting XI as at Carlton a week ago (apart from Shearer for Jensen), and the same XI as started the second half against Matlock on Wednesday.

Stags starting XI (4-1-3-2, Collins in front of the back four):
Scott Shearer;
Rhys Bennett, Krystian Pearce, George Taft, Mal Benning;
Lee Collins;
Kevan Hurst, Chris Clements, Ashley Hemmings;
Danny Rose, Matt Green.

On 3 minutes, Hurst clipped a diagonal ball into the area, Danny Rose did well to get in a diving header but it was wide of the left post.

The Stags were ahead on 11 minutes. Matt Green, on the left, chested down a nice Chris Clements ball forward from the halfway line, Green got the benefit of a bad touch from a defender laying the ball back into his path, and he squared a perfect pass for Danny Rose to score into an empty net from close range. It was very encouraging to see the two strikers combine well for the goal.

On 13 minutes, Trotter miscued a shot well wide for Bolton.

A minute later, a Hurst free kick from the left was just too high for Green as it skimmed of the top if Green’s head and out for a goal kick. On 20 minutes, Green did well to head the ball down, but it came to nothing.

Hurst tried his luck from 30 yards on 20 minutes, he hit it well, it took a slight deflection off Mark Davies and straight into the keeper’s arms. Two minutes later at the other end, Hurst gave the ball away and Jamie Proctor eventually played a ball across the face of goal but no-one got on the end of it.

Mansfield increased the lead on 23 minutes. Danny Rose won a free kick on the right, one of several he won all afternoon. Mal Benning curled in a lovely cross and Krystian Pearce headed into the net from 6 yards.

On 25 minutes, Zach Clough’s shot from 20 yards was blocked by Benning.

Scott Shearer made a brilliant save from Mark Davies on 33 minutes, from point blank range, after brilliant play by Davies to weave his way into the area and then benefitted from a loose ball back to him. On 36 minutes, Clements lost the ball in his own half, but got away with it. On 38 minutes, Benning barged into a Bolton player in the area, and it fell into the category of seen them given as penalties, but nothing given this time. Benning gave the ball away on 40 minutes but Bolton didn’t make anything of it. It was one of several times the Stags gave the ball away in a dangerous area. It doesn’t matter in a pre-season friendly, but the Stags can’t afford to do this in league games. It’s all about playing football in the right areas in my opinion.

SUB: 43 mins. Chapman for Benning. Benning had to be replaced. He’d been limping for a few minutes. After the game, Adam Murray told me it was nothing serious and he was just replaced as a precaution. On came Adam Chapman. Lee Collins moved to left back, Chapman sat in front of the back four.

On 45 minutes, Hemmings lifted the ball forward, Green showed good strength, and headed wide of the right post.

An excellent first half from Mansfield. Danny Rose scored and won the free kick for the second goal. He also forced Bolton into conceding other free kicks and was doing well finding space. Green was looking very sharp again as he has in other pre-season games. Pearce put in 2 or 3 really good tackles and scored. Shearer made a brilliant save the only time he was tested.

Half time 2-0

Bolton pulled a goal back on 54 minutes. The Stags put themselves in trouble from their own throw-in in their own half, but seemed to have got out of trouble before Adam Chapman gave the ball away, a ball was quickly played forward to Zach Clough, who fired past Scott Shearer. Sloppy from Mansfield and they paid for it here.

SUB: 57 mins. CJ Hamilton for Hemmings
SUB: 59 mins. Hoban for Green. Baxendale for Danny Rose. 4-4-2 with Hurst on the right, CJ Hamilton on the left, Clements and Chapman in central midfield. Hoban and Baxendale up front.

On 63 minutes, Baxendale crossed from the right, Hamilton knocked down off a defender for a corner. Hurst took the corner, and Bennett was completely unmarked at the far post but it was just over his head.

Six Bolton changes on 64 minutes.

On 65 minutes, a ball forward to Hamilton down the left, he showed good pace, and won a corner.

SUB: 66 mins. Jensen for Shearer

On 66 minutes, Hamilton nicely laid off to Hurst, whose low shot was straight at the keeper from 22 yards.

SUB: 67 mins. Mitch Rose for Hurst
SUB: 73 mins. Corbin Shires for Pearce. Pearce was limping slightly.
SUB: 75 mins. McGuire for Clements.
SUB: 79 mins. Danquah for Taft. Danquah to left back. Collins to centre half.

On 80 minutes, Chapman fired in a great shot from 25 yards, which the keeper pushed away.

SUB: 80 mins. Yussuf for Bennett. Mitch Rose to right back, Yussuf to left midfield, Hamilton to right midfield.

It’s two completely different teams from those that started the game, apart from Lee Collins who’s still on.

On 83 minutes, Gary Madine turned from his back to goal and shot, it deflected off Collins and Jensen saved low down. There was real urgency from Bolton now. Bolton had seen more of the ball in the second half.

On 88 minutes, Hamilton did well to clear from inside his own area. Four minutes of time added on. In previous games, we hadn’t seen time added on but Bolton asked for it and were clearly keen not to lose. On 90+1 minutes, Max Clayton’s shot was deflected for a corner. Then Mitch Rose (check video) after a good move.

Mansfield deservedly hung on for the win in what turned out to be a good competitive game. Bolton showed some urgency in the latter stages to push for an equaliser and clearly didn’t want to lose in the end.

MORE REFLECTIONS:
Mansfield Town’s first home friendly of pre-season, against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, gave home fans a chance to see Adam Murray’s new signings in action. And judging by the reaction of the crowd at half time and full time, the home fans were happy with what they saw. The Stags won the game 2-1, with goals from new signing Danny Rose and centre half Krystian Pearce. It really was a promising performance from the Stags with lots of players impressing, and the result, although not the most important aspect in itself, was nevertheless deserved. Bolton were relegated from the Championship last season, and I expected them to give the Stags more problems than they did.

Striker Danny Rose, partnering Matt Green up front, frequently found space, made lots of good runs, and forced Bolton into conceding several free kicks, including one from which the Stags scored the second goal. Rose’s goal, set up by Green, hinted at a good understanding starting to develop between the two strikers. Green himself was looking very sharp, as he has in other pre-season games.

Pearce was the pick of the defence, not only scoring, but putting in several good tackles and good headers too. Alongside him in central defence, George Taft looked like an accomplished footballer, comfortable on the ball with good distribution. Taft is the replacement for Ryan Tafazolli who has signed for League One Peterborough, and he is showing the signs of looking like a similar player. Right back Rhys Bennett pushed forward a lot down the wing. So far we haven’t seen Taft and Bennett tested too much defensively though. I did expect Bolton to test Mansfield defensively more than they did, but probably the game against Hull will give the defence a better test. It was only in the latter stages of the game that Bolton tried to turn up the heat and turn it into a more competitive game, seemingly not wanting to be beaten, and even requesting injury time to be added on, something we haven’t seen in most pre-season games.

Mal Benning has started pre-season in good form, with his goal at Carlton, and a lovely curling free kick against Bolton from which Pearce headed the second goal. And in goal Scott Shearer made an excellent save at point blank range. It looks like he will start the season as number one keeper, ahead of Brian Jensen. But we know from last season that Jensen is more than good enough to take over should Shearer get injured or suffer a loss of form.

In midfield, Kevan Hurst showed some good delivery from set pieces and a touch of class. From open play, he may need to get a bit sharper.

The substitutes on Saturday only got about half an hour each, but that was enough for left sided midfielder CJ Hamilton to demonstrate his searing pace down the wings, putting defenders under pressure and winning several corners. He will be probably be fighting for a starting position with Ashley Hemmings, and at the moment it’s hard to choose between them.

Things seem to be coming together for Adam Murray’s new side, with just three weeks until the big kick-off.


Man of the match: Danny Rose


Report by: Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill



Line Up:
Stags starting XI (4-1-3-2, Collins in front of the back four):
Scott Shearer;
Rhys Bennett, Krystian Pearce, George Taft, Mal Benning;
Lee Collins;
Kevan Hurst, Chris Clements, Ashley Hemmings;
Danny Rose, Matt Green.
Sub Line Up:
43 mins. Chapman for Benning.
57 mins. CJ Hamilton for Hemmings
59 mins. Hoban for Green. Baxendale for Danny Rose.
66 mins. Jensen for Shearer
67 mins. Mitch Rose for Hurst
73 mins. Corbin Shires for Pearce.
75 mins. McGuire for Clements.
79 mins. Danquah for Taft.
80 mins. Yussuf for Bennett.
Opposition Line Up:
Amos (Howard 46’), Moxey (Honeyball 73’), Dervite (Wheater 64’), Beevers (Finney 64’), Vela (Pratley 64’), Taylor (Clayton 46’), Clough (Woolery 64’), Davies (Walker 70’), Trotter (Spearing 64’), Proctor (Madine 64’), Wilson (Spooner 78’). Subs not used: Twardzik, Newell
Referee:
Gary Sutton.


Season 16/17 Reports