Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
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Alfreton Town
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Mansfield Town
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Priestley 29.
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Green 5
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Attendance: 612 (269 from Mansfield; though it seems to me more than half from Mansfield)
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Date: 23 July 2016
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Martin Shaw at the Impact Arena
Mansfield drew 1-1 at Alfreton Town, of the Conference (National League) North, this afternoon in the latest pre-season friendly. On a roasting sunny afternoon, Mansfield were in front after 5 minutes with a header by Matt Green. Alfreton equalised on 29 minutes through Adam Priestley. Stags boss Adam Murray set this game up to provide a physical encounter and he certainly got it in a game with plenty of tough challenges, and had it been a league game there would have been at least half a dozen bookings, and probably a sending off, mostly for the home side. Home striker Paul Clayton, a thorn in Mansfield’s side during our Conference days, has returned to Alfreton from a spell at Harrogate, and gave Krystian Pearce a stern test, with plenty of physicality and winning most of his headers. Indeed, it was a good test for the Stags all over the pitch against this big physical Alfreton side. Afterwards Adam Murray said it was just what his team needed. Mansfield had started the game well during the opening 25 minutes with some good movement forward and Kevan Hurst looking particularly impressive, including plenty of good crosses. Alfreton then forced their way back into the game with direct football that really gave Mansfield a test at the back. Mansfield used this game, and the game against Hull on Tuesday, to give a run out to two different left back trialists (who I’m not naming with the manager preferring to keep the names under wraps). Today’s trialist left back had a good game, looking solid defensively with timely clearances, and getting forward at every opportunity, with some good interplay down the left and good crosses. Mansfield Town Stags team (4-1-3-2, Collins in front of the back four): Scott Shearer; Rhys Bennett, George Taft, Krystian Pearce, TRIALIST LEFT BACK (Mitch Hancox); Lee Collins; Kevan Hurst, Chris Clements, Ashley Hemmings; Danny Rose, Matt Green. Subs (with formation changes): 55 mins Mitch Rose for Hemmings. Rose to right of midfield three, with Clements in the middle and Hurst switching to the left. 67 mins CJ Hamilton for Hurst 72 mins Baxendale for Green. Stags move to a 4-1-4-1 formation which is 4-3-3 when pushing forward, with Mitch Rose in central midfield, Baxendale on the right, Hamilton on the left. Danny Rose up front in the middle. Subs listed but not used: Jamie McGuire Zayn Hakeem Ollie Humphries (U21, signed from Norwich or Crystal Palace, I got slightly confused by what Muzza and Coops told me) Niall Blake (youth teamer, brother of Tyler Blake) Mal Benning and Jack Thomas still have slight injuries, but their exclusion was again precautionary according to boss Adam Murray. Several other players not involved today such as Chapman, Hoban. They will presumably get a game on Tuesday at Mickleover, which is the next first team pre-season friendly, followed by Worksop on Saturday. Alfreton include some familiar names: Fabian Spiess in goal played for Mansfield in pre-season a couple of years ago. Andy Monkhouse has played against the Stags a number of times for Hartlepool. Paul Clayton has returned to Alfreton from Harrogate. He’s scored against Mansfield in the Conference. Dan Bradley is a player that impressed me when I watched Alfreton last season in Conference North. Craig Westcarr has joined Alfreton, and is on the sub’s bench today. He played for Mansfield last season. It’s hot and sunny at the Impact Arena for Mansfield’s latest pre-season friendly. First half: 2 mins Danny Rose won a corner. From the corner, from the left, Taft headed down and it hit the hand of Doyle, but the referee waved away appeals for a penalty. 5 mins GOAL 0-1 Mansfield in front. Hurst swung a high cross from the right which was heading towards the top left corner of the net, just under the bar. Keeper Fabian Spiess patted it away, straight to Matt Green who headed into the empty net from 2 yards. Terrible goalkeeping from Spiess, who always seems to dish a howler when I watch him play. 10 Alfreton won a free kick from 25 yards out as Bennett fouled Paul Clayton. The kick was taken by Dan Bradley, the wall does its job, the ball loops up and easily caught by Shearer. 15 Great ball in from trialist left back, just cleared, back out to Hemmings on the byline on the left, he put in a fine cross to the back post, where Danny Rose lost his marker and headed straight at keeper Spiess from 8 yards. 16 Hurst crossed, Green’s header was deflected over the bar by a defender. 18 A great flick on from Green to Danny Rose who went forward, and fed Hurst, but with the Stags in full flight, the referee pulled play back with an Alfreton player down with a head injury. 21 Fine cross from the right by Danny Rose, Green pulls away from his marker beyond the left post, but heads wide of the left post. 22 Trialist left back does well to win the ball off Andy Monkhouse near the touchline. Moments later Dan Bradley tries a speculative effort from 25 yards but it sails wide of the left post. 28 Good cross from the right by Hurst, Danny Rose rises at the far post, but can only handball it rather than get his head to it. 29 mins GOAL 1-1 A long free kick from Spiess, Clayton outjumped Pearce, to flick into the path of Adam Priestley who took one touch on the left and fired under Shearer from a tight angle. 30 Another good cross from Hurst from the right, Spiess just got fingertips on it, to push it wide of the left post, for a corner. 32 Good clearance from trialist left back just as Bradley was going to nip into the area. 34 Cross from the right by Doyle, to Priestley who got away from Collins and poked a shot straight at Shearer. 35 Green did well to force himself into area on the right, and tried to square to Danny Rose, but it was intercepted for corner. 38 Flare up between Collins and Clayton after Clayton was late on Collins and could have caused an injury. Nasty from Clayton. No yellows seem to be issued in pre-season but that should have been one. 45+1 Hemmings fed Hurst on the right. Great play by Hurst to get to the byline, pulled back to Hemmings, who fired a right foot shot wide of the left post from about 15 yards. 45+2 Clements played a one-two with Hemmings on the right, Clements got the ball onto the left foot, and his shot was put behind for a corner. From the corner from the right, it came out to Hemmings, who sent a left footed shot over the bar. Half time and it’s level at 1-1. Mansfield started well for the opening 25 minutes with some good movement forward and Hurst looking impressive. But Alfreton forced their way back into the game with some route one stuff and gave Mansfield some problems at the back. Half time 1-1 47 mins Green picked the ball up on the left on the edge of the area, cut inside and fired in a left-footed shot, straight at the keeper. 55 mins SUB Mitch Rose for Hemmings. Rose to right of midfield three, with Clements in the middle and Hurst switching to the left. 57 Alfreton cross from the right towards Monkhouse 6 yards out on the left. Mitch Rose did well to put behind for a corner. 58 Lee Collins brought down Dan Bradley 28 yards out. Sub Ryan Wilson took the kick, into the wall and out for a corner. 61 Alfreton’s Tom Allan sent in a low cross from the left, trialist left back did well to put it behind for corner. Taft headed away the corner. 64 A Stags free-kick 40 yards out from goal. Hurst took it short to Mitch Rose, back to Hurst, Hurst sent in a curling cross to the left post, where Bennett headed wide. 65 A high ball over the top from Alfreton, Shearer came out of his goal to dribble past one and then a second Alfreton player and play away to safety. Good goalkeeping in the circumstances. 67 SUB CJ Hamilton for Hurst 69 Great free-kick from wide on left by Clements to beyond far post, where Bennett rose high and headed back across goal and just wide of left post. Good set piece. 71 Great strong defending from Pearce just inside his own third of the pitch. 72 Great play down left from the Stags, Hamilton to Clements, back to Hamilton, who put in a low cross through corridor of uncertainty but no-one on the end of it and out for a goal kick. 72 mins SUB Baxendale for Green. Stags move to a 4-1-4-1 formation which is 4-3-3 when pushing forward, with Mitch Rose in central midfield, Baxendale on the right, Hamilton on the left. Danny Rose up front in the middle. 74 More good play down left by Mansfield, trialist left back headed down to Hamilton, back to the trialist left back, who fired in a low shot that was well saved low down by Spiess. 75 Sam Smith shot wide with a speculative effort from 25 yards. 76 Great ball from Mitch Rose out to trialist left back, on the left, and his low cross was cleared. 78 SUB FOR ALFRETON Craig Westcarr, who spent last season at Mansfield, comes on for Alfreton in place of Doyle. 83 Good defending from Collins as Alfreton broke into the Stags box after a mistake by Taft. 89 Good header from Danny Rose to Hamilton, but the ball was cleared. 90 Another good flick on from Danny Rose, nearly put Hamilton through on goal but it just ran through to the keeper. 90+1 Good play between Clements and Hamilton, Hamilton crossed into middle, and Clements fired straight at the keeper who fumbled but gathered before Danny Rose could poke home. FT Alfreton 1-1 Mansfield Man of the match: Kevan Hurst and trialist left back |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the Impact Arena
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Line Up:
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Stags team (4-1-3-2, Collins in front of the back four):
Scott Shearer; Rhys Bennett, George Taft, Krystian Pearce, TRIALIST LEFT BACK (Mitch Hancox); Lee Collins; Kevan Hurst, Chris Clements, Ashley Hemmings; Danny Rose, Matt Green. |
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Sub Line Up:
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55 mins Mitch Rose for Hemmings. Rose to right of midfield three, with Clements in the middle and Hurst switching to the left.
67 mins CJ Hamilton for Hurst 72 mins Baxendale for Green. Stags move to a 4-1-4-1 formation which is 4-3-3 when pushing forward, with Mitch Rose in central midfield, Baxendale on the right, Hamilton on the left. Danny Rose up front in the middle. Subs listed but not used: Jamie McGuire Zayn Hakeem Ollie Humphries (U21) Niall Blake (youth teamer) Mal Benning and Jack Thomas still have slight injuries, but their exclusion was again precautionary according to boss Adam Murray. Several other players not involved today such as Chapman, Hoban. They will presumably get a game on Tuesday at Mickleover, which is the next first team pre-season friendly, followed by Worksop on Saturday. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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Spiess, Doyle (Westcarr 78), Heaton (Smith 46), McGowan, Jordan, Nyoni, Monkhouse, Keane (Allan 46), Bradley, Priestly (Wilson 46), Clayton (Garnett 46).
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Referee:
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Dave Plowright
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