Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
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Crewe Alexandra
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Mansfield Town
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Dagnall 56.
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Hoban 51
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Attendance: 3831 (449 from Mansfield)
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Date: 1 October 2016
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STAGS DRAW AT CREWE
Martin Shaw at Gresty Road Mansfield Town drew 1-1 away from home for the second time in 4 days, this afternoon at Crewe. Like at Accrington on Tuesday, this was a good performance from Mansfield who certainly deserved at least a point. A good following of Stags fans applauded their team off at the end. Mansfield had a lot of the ball in the first half and twice were within a whisker of taking the lead. Midway through the first half, a Benning free kick was headed on by Hoban and Danny Rose sent a diving header inches wide of the right post with the keeper beaten. Then just before the break, the Stags went close again as Hurst’s free kick from the left was just wide of the right post as Pearce just missed getting a vital flick to turn it in, with the keeper in no-man’s land again. At the other end, Scott Shearer did well to turn away a Ryan Lowe shot from 20 yards. The Stags were in front on 51 minutes. A corner was taken short on the left, and Hurst delivered a superb cross to the far post where Hoban leapt above his marker to head down into the corner of the net from 4 yards. A great moment for Hoban with his first Stags goal and he celebrated by sliding on the wet surface towards the Stags dugout. Disappointingly Crewe were level within 5 minutes. Out of the blue, Ryan Lowe’s touch on the left came off Bennett allowing Bakayogo to skip past Bennett and slide in a low cross which Dagnall prodded into the roof of the net from 6 yards, having got in front of Collins. It was a disappointing goal to concede. After that, either side could have won it. Udoh went close when he got goalside of Pearce in the area, might have gone down when there was contact between the two players, but stayed on his feet and fired into the side netting. A bit of a break for Pearce. Then on 90 minutes Mansfield had a claim for a penalty for handball in the Crewe box. Benning lifted the ball just inside the Crewe box and Dagnell controlled it with a mixture of chest and left arm but the referee, just a few yards away, decided it was only off his chest and waved play on. It would have been a soft penalty but some referees would have given it. Mansfield played well and the players were disappointed afterwards not to have forced victory. Some good performances with Hoban deserving his goal with a dominant header and setting up a chance for Danny Rose with another header, Hurst putting in some fine crosses, McGuire very good in front of the back four with some good challenges and clearances, and Clements impressing in the centre. The defence was solid apart from the lapse for the goal and Udoh’s chance. It is 14 seasons since we last played against Crewe and a lot’s happened in those 14 seasons, but this was certainly a much more enjoyable experience than the 2002/2003 season when we played them 4 times in league and cup, losing 5-0, 4-0, 3-0 and 2-0. Mansfield remain three points outside the play-offs. On to Tuesday night and a visit to Port Vale in the Checkatrade Trophy, another club who we haven’t played for 14 seasons. Without doubt it will be a much changed side and a chance for one or two players to stake a claim ahead of the big local derby with Notts County next Saturday. Mansfield were unchanged from the side that drew at Accrington on Tuesday. Hoban and Danny Rose kept their places up front at the expense of Green after decent showings on Tuesday. Crewe had experienced strike pair of Ryan Lowe formerly of Bury and Chris Dagnall formerly of Rochdale. Crewe had made a good start to the season until a surprising 5-1 thumping at Wycombe on Tuesday. A good following from Mansfield of nearly 450, housed in the delightfully named Ice Cream Van Stand. Not that this was ice cream weather at all, far from it, with rain most of the afternoon, that became extremely heavy at one point in the second half, so heavy that had it continued it could have put the game in doubt, but fortunately it eased. Mansfield started on the front foot and a chance inside 45 seconds. Hoban headed on, a defender made a mess of trying to clear, presenting Danny Rose with a shooting chance but he scuffed his shot and it dribbled through to the keeper from just inside the box. A couple of early clearances for McGuire while Hoban won a couple more early headers. On 8 minutes a free kick from Shearer, taken long, fell to Hoban who volleyed over the bar from 20 yards. At the other end on 10 minutes a Crewe free kick was cleared to James Jones who fired straight into Shearer’s midriff from outside the box. On 11 minutes, Danny Rose tried a shot from 35 yards but it was a long way wide. On 14 minutes, a Stags free kick from the halfway line taken by Benning, the keeper came right to the edge of his area to try to punch, but only punched as far as Hurst who tried to get in a shot with the keeper off his line, but it was blocked. Finally the ball came back to Hurst who fired over the bar. On 17 minutes, good trickery by Bennett on the right, and he was unlucky when his cross bounced off a defender and back off him for a goal kick. On 18 minutes good play by Clements to win the ball. An attack for Crewe on 21 minutes, Ryan Lowe crossed from the right and Benning did well to put behind for a corner. A chance for Crewe moments later, as a corner found Dagnall 3 yards from goal his shot was well-blocked by Benning and it hit Dagnall again to go out for a goal kick. Mansfield were within a whisker of taking the lead on 23 minutes. A Benning free kick from the left was headed on by Hoban and Danny Rose sent a diving header inches wide of the right post with the keeper beaten. At the other end a minute later, Scott Shearer did well to turn away a Ryan Lowe shot from 20 yards for a corner, after a great crossfield pass from George Cooper for Crewe. Hoban was booked on 32 minutes, as a kick by the keeper cannoned into Hoban’s back, after not retreating quickly enough. On 33 minutes, Danny Rose had the ball in the net, but the whistle had long since gone. At the other end on 35 minutes, Turton crossed from the right into the middle and Benning did well to clear for a corner. The Stags went close again on 42 minutes as Hurst’s free kick from the left, 35 yards out, curled just wide of the right post as Pearce just missed getting a vital flick to turn it in, with the keeper in no-man’s land again. Mitch Rose was booked for a flying challenge on 43 minutes. On 44 minutes, a fortunate ricochet put James Jones into a shooting position on the right in the area, and McGuire did well to block his low shot for a corner. From the resulting corner, Harry Davis headed goalwards and Collins did well to block. On 45+2 minutes, a Crewe free kick from 35 yards, and Shearer was out well to pounce on the ball. 0-0 at the break. Mansfield had most of the possession but just lacked a bit of quality in the final third. Half time 0-0 On 46 minutes, a Stags free kick from the halfway line by Clements, was nodded down by Pearce almost into the path of Hoban, but it skipped off the turf away from him to the keeper. It was raining heavily now. The Stags were in front on 51 minutes. Good play by the Stags and Benning won a corner. The corner was taken short on the left by Benning, to Hurst who delivered a superb cross to the far post where Hoban leapt above his marker to head down into the corner of the net from 4 yards. A great moment for Hoban with his first Stags goal and he celebrated by sliding on the wet surface towards the Stags dugout. Disappointingly Crewe were level within 5 minutes. Out of the blue, Ryan Lowe’s touch on the left came off Bennett allowing Bakayogo to skip past Bennett and slide in a low cross which Dagnall prodded into the roof of the net from 6 yards, having got in front of Collins. It was a disappointing goal to concede. On 58 minutes, Hoban tried his luck from an impossible angle, and was behind for a goal kick, a poor effort when waiting to pull back the cross would have been a more sensible option. Two minutes later, Benning got into space coming forward after a good advantage played by the referee for a foul on McGuire, but instead of getting closer to goal, Benning fired over from 35 yards. The rain was now torrential. For a moment the water lay on the surface in patches and there were signs of it splashing up. But fortunately it lasted just a few minutes like that and then eased. We’d already heard news of an abandoned game at Meadow Lane and a postponed game at Rodney Parade for the same reasons. On 62 minutes, Collins lifted a lovely ball forward which Pearce tried to control in the area, goalside of the defence, but it just skipped away from him to the keeper. Then moments later, another ball in from Collins, and Hoban headed straight to the keeper from 12 yards. On 65 minutes, Hoban was penalised for a foul, and was spoken to by the referee. He’d have to be careful now. Gobern replaced Danny Rose on 68 minutes. On 73 minutes, as Crewe broke forward, an important clearance by McGuire. On 74 minutes, a Crewe free kick on the left was played into the middle by Jones, it was headed goalwards by sub George Ray, Shearer pushed away, and then the offside flag was up against Ryan Lowe. It was anybody’s game. Iacovitti replaced Mitch Rose on 77 minutes. Iacovitti slotted in at left back, with Benning further forward in left midfield. Benning was momentarily limping but soon seemed to be ok. On 80 minutes, Hurst put in a good cross, but a foul was given against Clements. On 81 minutes, a scare for Mansfield. Sub Udoh got goalside of Pearce in the area, he might have gone down when there was contact between the two players, but stayed on his feet and fired into the side netting. A bit of a break for Pearce. On 82 minutes, Crewe claimed for a foul by Hoban on Bakayogo, but the referee waved play on. It would be sensible to take Hoban off now and immediately Murray turned around to tell Green to come on. On 83 minutes, Iacovitti got to the byline and crossed in but it was cleared with Hoban in space at the far post. Green replaced Hoban on 84 minutes. McGuire was booked on 89 minutes. I’ve studied the incident again on video and it’s hard to work out why he was booked so it may have been for something he said because it came after Mansfield had won a free kick. If so, it was a silly booking, not his first this season, but he was having a fine game. Then on 90 minutes Mansfield had a claim for a penalty for handball in the Crewe box. Benning lifted the ball just inside the Crewe box and Dagnell controlled it with a mixture of chest and left arm but the referee, just a few yards away, decided it was only off his chest and waved play on. It would have been a soft penalty but some referees would have given it. On 90+3 minutes, brave keeping from Shearer as he pouched a low cross into the box at the feet of Dagnell. Full time and the Stags got a good reception from the fans for a good performance. Man of the match: Pat Hoban |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at Gresty Road
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Line Up:
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(4-1-3-2)
Shearer 7 Good save from Ryan Lowe shot. Good brave keeping from a couple of crosses. Bennett 6 Allowed Bakayogo to get past him to cross for the goal (maybe he was a little unlucky as Ryan Lowe’s touch came off him leaving slightly out of position). Otherwise did ok. Pearce 6 Got a bit lucky when Udoh got goalside of him in the area, Udoh might have gone down when there was contact between them, but stayed on his feet and fired into the side netting. Otherwise did well. Collins 7 Allowed Dagnall to get in front of him and prod in the goal. Otherwise a very good game. Benning 7.5 Some very good defensive work, and good work going forward. McGuire 7.5 Very good in front of the back four with several good challenges and clearances. M.Rose 6 Didn’t get as involved as we’ve seen him lately. Clements 8 Impressed in the centre. Some good challenges too. Looking right back to full match sharpness now. Hurst 8 Put in some fine crosses and set pieces, including the superb cross for the goal. D.Rose 6 Unlucky when his diving header was inches wide. Scuffed an earlier chance. Hoban 8 Dominant header for the goal which he thoroughly deserved. Good header to set up Danny Rose chance. Dominated the defenders all afternoon, “beat them up” is the phrase commonly used. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Gobern (for D.Rose, 68 mins) -
Iacovitti (for M.Rose, 77 mins) - Absent now for the next 2 games (including Checkatrade Trophy) with Scotland U21. Green (for Hoban, 84 mins) - Subs not used: Jensen, Hamilton, Hemmings, Henderson. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-4-2): Garratt; Turton, Davis (Ray 68 mins), Guthrie, Bakayogo; Jones, Hollands, Cooper, Ainley (Udoh 64 mins); Lowe, Dagnall. Subs not used: Richards, Wintle, Ng, Bingham, Kirk.
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Referee:
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Ross Joyce 5 Turned down a possible Stags penalty in the final minute. Some good use of the advantage rule earlier. One or two odd decisions
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