Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
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Portsmouth
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Mansfield Town
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Roberts 11 (pen), Hunt 84, Baker 88, 90+5.
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Howkins sent off 57. Iacovitti sent off 73
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Attendance: 16,393 (326 from Mansfield)
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Date: 12 November 2016
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NINE MAN STAGS SELF DESTRUCT AT PORTSMOUTH
Martin Shaw and Jeff Barnes at Fratton Park Mansfield Town pressed the self-destruct button to fall to a 4-0 defeat at Portsmouth this afternoon. The Stags more than held their own for the first hour and were unlucky to be behind at the break. Portsmouth took the lead on 10 minutes through a penalty when Matt Green slid in with a badly-timed tackle in his own area following a corner. It was bad mistake from Green who immediately put his head in his hands. Gary Roberts converted the resulting penalty. The Stags came close to equalising on three occasions in the first half with Green firing into the side netting from a good position, James Baxendale so unlucky when he sent a terrific header against the inside of the post with the keeper beaten from a fine Ashley Hemmings cross, and then Kyle Howkins blazed over the bar from 8 yards when it seemed easier to score following a free kick. Pompey also went close to scoring in the first half when Carl Baker cut inside from the left and fired a great effort against the post. It was a hugely entertaining first half with plenty of action at both ends. The game changed on 57 minutes when Kyle Howkins, who had just been booked 3 minutes earlier, slid in with a reckless challenge wide on Pompey’s left, on Kyle Bennett, who was going nowhere, and gave the referee no choice but to give him a second yellow card. Idiotic from Howkins. Still Mansfield continued to attack and came very close to equalising when a great shot from Hemmings was just punched over his own bar by the keeper. The Stags switched to a 3-3-3 formation and continued to attack but were completely undone by another reckless challenge on 73 minutes, this time on the half way line, right in front of the referee, which saw Alex Iacovitti given a straight red card for a lunging studs-up tackle. Iacovitti had only been on the pitch 14 minutes after coming on shortly after Howkins was sent off. Down to 9 men, Mansfield continued to attack and Hemmings fired wide on 79 minutes after a good lay off from Henderson. The home fans were getting increasingly impatient with their team, who were trying to knock the ball around and stretch the 9 men of Mansfield. There was plenty of booing from the home fans. The home team shut their fans up on 84 minutes with a second goal, more or less walked into the net with the Stags completely stretched and still trying to push forward. Carl Baker then added 2 more goals, on 88 and 90+5 minutes, both times driving into the area and firing home. So the scoreline was given a completely false look from what occurred up to the sendings-off. The Stags were very let down by the reckless challenges from Howkins and Iacovitti, and the rest of the players gave everything for the cause with some good performances. The Stags have a week to lick their wounds before important back-to-back home games with Crawley and Blackpool. Mansfield made two changes from the side that won at Derby in the Checkatrade Trophy. Jamie McGuire replaced Jack Thomas, Matt Green replaced Darius Henderson. Jack Thomas didn’t travel with the squad after attending a funeral yesterday. Lee Collins was absent after picking up an injury last Saturday, however he’s not expected to be out for long. He’ll be needed next week for sure, with Howkins and Iacovitti suspended (for 1 and 3 games respectively), and Taft suffering a set-back on his recovery from injury. Kevan Hurst also missed out through injury. Chris Clements continued as captain. McGuire sat in front of the back four. Clements and Gobern were behind Baxendale and Hemmings, who were behind Green. 4-1-2-2-1, or 4-1-4-1 if you prefer. Portsmouth made one change from their last league game, a win at Cambridge, with Danny Rose (the former Newport midfielder who scored against us in the Holdsworth vs Holdsworth game in 2010) coming into the side, in a 4-2-3-1 formation. It was a very wet day on the south coast. Before the game, the Last Post was performed beautifully in memory of the fallen. It was the usual pulsating atmosphere that we’ve come to expect on visits to Fratton Park, with over 16,000 home fans, and a good following of over 300 from Mansfield. On 4 minutes, a Gary Roberts cross, and Chaplin headed over, though he was offside anyway. On 8 minutes, Baxendale fired a shot from 30 yards straight at the keeper. Moments later, Green did well to cut inside from the left, but just over-ran the ball and was not able to get in a shot. Portsmouth were ahead on 10 minutes. Baker’s corner from the left was headed out by McGuire to the edge of the area, as far as Kyle Bennett. Kyle Bennett’s first touch saw the ball run slightly away from home, but Matt Green slid in on the wet surface and took Kyle Bennett’s legs away from him. Even though Green got a slight touch on the ball, the referee was always going to give a penalty and it was rash challenge from Green in the conditions. He held his head in his hands. Gary Roberts converted the resulting penalty, straight down the middle, as Shearer dived to his left. Pompey keeper David Forde did a very risky Cruyff turn on Baxendale as Baxendale tried to close him down, on 15 minutes. Pompey had an unconvincing shout for a penalty on 16 minutes. On 17 minutes, McGuire played a ball over the top, indecision in the defence, and Green was through on goal on the left, but fired into the side netting. It was probably a better chance than he realised. The Stags came even closer on 27 minutes. Hemmings put in a great cross from the left, Baxendale got in a terrific header which looked to be going in but came back off the inside of the post. So unlucky for Baxendale. Seconds later, Bennett crossed from the right, Benning headed back towards goal and it struck a Pompey arm, there were calls for a penalty but nothing given. Right decision from viewing the video as the Pompey player didn’t move his arm to the ball. Calls for a penalty at the other end on 32 minutes. Pearce dallied on the ball and ended up losing it, Roberts broke forward and his cross struck McGuire on the hand, but it was from close range and he didn’t move his hand to the ball. Similar to the one at the other end, it was the correct decision not to give a penalty. On 37 minutes, it was Pompey’s turn to hit the post. Carl Baker cut inside from the left and smashed a great effort against the right post. A minute later, Baker squared for Kyle Bennett who sent a soft shot straight at Shearer. Straight to the other end and a Pompey clearance hit another home defender and very nearly fell for Hemmings in the area, but not quite. An important touch by Benning in his own area on 40 minutes, to help with a clearance completed by Shearer. The Stags should have been level on 42 minutes. A free kick for Mansfield 30 yards out on the left. Clements floated the free kick into the middle, Rhys Bennett headed goalwards, it was blocked by his own man, and fell invitingly for Howkins, 8 yards out and with the goal at his mercy. It looked easier to score but somehow he blazed over the bar. Another chance for Mansfield on 44 minutes. Clements was tripped 25 yards out in a central position. Clements sent the resulting free kick over the bar. It was a hugely entertaining first half with plenty of action at both ends. The Stags unlucky to be behind at the break. Half time 1-0 On 47 minutes, Kyle Bennett sent in a swerving shot from 30 yards, and Shearer tipped it over the bar. At the other end on 49 minutes, Clements’ free kick from halfway was nodded down by Howkins, towards Hemmings who had a chance to shoot with his right foot, but instead tried to lay off with his left foot, and the chance was gone. On 50 minutes, Roberts got to the byline, and fired in a low cross that went through everyone in the middle. Then good play at the other end on 51 minutes by Green, cutting inside and his shot was blocked. Howkins was booked on 54 minutes. He lost the ball in the middle of the park, allowing Chaplin to get away from him. Howkins chased after him and brought him down from behind. Because Chaplin was not running directly at goal it was just a yellow. I wrote in my notes what an entertaining end-to-end game this was. Henderson replaced Green on 55 minutes. The game plan had been to have Hemmings and Baxendale buzzing around supporting Green. Green wasn't having his best game apart from one good cut inside and shot blocked, so it seemed reasonable to give Henderson a go with Hemmings and Baxendale playing off him, especially after they linked well on Tuesday at Derby. A great chance for Portsmouth on 56 minutes as a ball forward found Chaplin unmarked in the area. He looked offside but nothing given as he slid the ball wide of the right post. The game changed on 57 minutes when Howkins, who had just been booked 3 minutes earlier, slid in with a reckless challenge wide on Pompey’s left, on Kyle Bennett, who was going nowhere, and gave the referee no choice but to give him a second yellow card. Idiotic from Howkins. Roberts squared the resulting free kick, and Doyle fired just wide. Iacovitti replaced Baxendale who was sacrificed, and slotted in at centre half. Still Mansfield continued to attack and came very close to equalising on 60 minutes when a great shot from Hemmings was just punched over his own bar by the keeper. On 63 minutes a good move by Portsmouth carved the Stags open, which ended as Roberts tried to find the unmarked Chaplin but instead put the ball out for a goal kick. On 66 minutes, Stevens got past Benning, but McGuire slid in with a great block. A minute later, Baker fired in a shot saved by Shearer. Then on 68 minutes, a Pompey corner was cleared to Doyle who fired wide of the right post. A final change for Mansfield as Danny Rose replaced Benning on 69 minutes. Danny Rose went up front alongside Hemmings and Henderson in a brave 3-3-3 formation to try and salvage a point from the game despite being up against it. On 70 minutes, the ball found Roberts in the area and he fired wide of the left post. At the other end on 72 minutes, McGuire played the ball out to Danny Rose on the left, he tried a volley at goal but miscued tamely straight at the keeper. The Stags were completely undone by another reckless challenge on 73 minutes, this time on the half way line, right in front of the referee, which saw Alex Iacovitti given a straight red card for a lunging studs-up tackle on Doyle after Iacovitti had tried to play the ball out from defence and slightly over run the ball. Iacovitti had only been on the pitch 14 minutes after coming on shortly after Howkins was sent off. Down to 9 men, Mansfield continued to attack. On 78 minutes, a free kick for the Stags 35 yards out from Clements, but it was cleared. Then Hemmings fired wide on 79 minutes after a good lay-off from Henderson. The home fans were getting increasingly impatient with their team, who were trying to knock the ball around and stretch the 9 men of Mansfield. There was plenty of booing from the home fans. The home team shut their fans up on 84 minutes with a second goal, more or less walked into the net with the Stags completely stretched and still trying to push forward. The Portsmouth Danny Rose crossed from the right to Naismith on the left, who fed the ball back across goal and Hunt couldn’t miss from four yards. On 86 minutes, a free kick from Clements came out to Hemmings who should have shot first time, but took an extra touch and then his shot was closed down. Carl Baker added a third goal on 88 minutes. He drove past McGuire in the area and fired past Shearer from 10 yards. From our pitchside video footage, it seems that the shot was sufficiently close to Shearer that he probably should have done better. The Stags’ nine players were dead on their feet. On 90 minutes, a Pompey cross from the right and Michael Smith backheeled wide of the left post. On 90+3, Stevens crossed from the left and Hunt slid it wide of the left post. On 90+4 Henderson fired wide for the Stags from 35 yards, not a bad effort, after he chested down a Shearer goal kick. Carl Baker added a fourth goal on 90+5 minutes. Again he cut in from the right to the edge of the area and sent a great left-footed shot into the bottom left corner. The Stags beaten 4-0 and completely over-run from the 84th minute when Pompey scored the second goal. That should not disguise a good performance up until that point though. The Stags were very let down by the reckless challenges from Howkins and Iacovitti, and the rest of the players gave everything for the cause with some good performances. FURTHER REFLECTIONS (MY WEEKLY BLOG FOR THE CHAD NEWSPAPER): STAGS SELF DESTRUCT AT PORTSMOUTH Mansfield Town pressed the self-destruct button to fall to a 4-0 defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday. The Stags more than held their own for the first hour and were unlucky to be behind at the break. Portsmouth took the lead through a penalty when Matt Green slid in on the wet surface with a badly-timed tackle in his own area following a corner. Even though Green got a slight touch on the ball, the referee was always going to give a penalty and it was rash challenge in the conditions. The Stags came close to equalising on three occasions in the first half with Green firing into the side netting from a good position, James Baxendale so unlucky when he sent a terrific header against the inside of the post with the keeper beaten from a fine Ashley Hemmings cross, and then Kyle Howkins blazed over the bar from 8 yards when it seemed easier to score after Rhys Bennett headed goalwards, it was blocked by his own man, and fell invitingly for Howkins. Pompey also went close to scoring in the first half when Carl Baker cut inside from the left and fired a great effort against the post. It was a hugely entertaining first half with plenty of action at both ends. The game changed on 57 minutes when Kyle Howkins, who had just been booked 3 minutes earlier, slid in with a reckless challenge wide on Pompey’s left, and gave the referee no choice but to give him a second yellow card. Idiotic from the West Brom loanee. Still Mansfield continued to attack and came very close to equalising when a great shot from Hemmings was just punched over his own bar by the keeper. The Stags continued to attack but were completely undone by another reckless challenge on 73 minutes, this time on the halfway line, and right in front of the referee, which saw Alex Iacovitti given a straight red card for a lunging studs-up tackle. Iacovitti had only been on the pitch 14 minutes after coming on shortly after Howkins was sent off. Down to 9 men, Mansfield continued to attack and Hemmings fired wide after a good lay off from Henderson. The home fans were getting increasingly impatient with their team, who were trying to knock the ball around and stretch the 9 men of Mansfield. There was plenty of booing from the home fans. That doesn’t happen often when a team is winning. The home team shut their fans up on 84 minutes with a second goal, more or less walked into the net with the Stags completely stretched and still trying to push forward. Carl Baker then added 2 more goals, on 88 and 90+5 minutes, both times driving into the area and firing home. And in the end Portsmouth could have had more goals in those final stages. The Stags beaten 4-0 and completely over-run from the 84th minute when Pompey scored the second goal. That should not disguise a good performance up until that point though. The Stags were very let down by the reckless challenges from Howkins and Iacovitti, and the rest of the players gave everything for the cause. In particular, midfielders Hemmings, Clements, McGuire and Baxendale looked good. The Stags have a week to lick their wounds before important back-to-back home games with Crawley and Blackpool. Mansfield have put in good performances against Plymouth, Derby’s academy and Portsmouth in the space of 7 days. If they can keep that level of performance, I think the Stags can pick up at least 4 points from those 2 home games. An improvement in results is needed, as the Stags have slipped down to 18th in a very tight league table, three points from the play-offs, but three points from the relegation zone. Man of the match: Ashley Hemmings |
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Report by: Martin Shaw and Jeff Barnes at Fratton Park
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Line Up:
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(4-1-2-2-1)
Shearer 6 One good save, tipping over the bar. No chance with three of the four goals. Probably should have done better for the third goal. Bennett 6.5 Tough game but continued to push forward. One good header from a free kick that was blocked by his own man. Howkins 4 Idiotic second yellow card so soon after his first. Completely let his team down. Blazed over the bar from 8 yards when it seemed easier to score following a free kick. Pearce 6.5 Dallied on the ball on one occasion and lost it in a dangerous position. Otherwise did well. Benning 6.5 Defended well. McGuire 7 Decent game. One particularly good block. Clements 7 Tried to dictate play. Some decent set pieces. Gobern 6.5 Kept things simple, didn’t waste possession. Baxendale 7 Great header so unluckily against the inside of the post. Hemmings 7.5 Got forward well. Great cross for Baxendale’s header. Great shot that the keeper just about turned over his own bar. Our man of the match. Green 5 Rash challenge in the conditions to concede the penalty. Wasn't having his best game apart from one good cut inside and shot blocked, so unsurprisingly subbed. He seemed to struggle in the slippery conditions. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Henderson (for Green, 55 mins) 6.5 One good lay off for a Hemmings shot, and a decent effort himself from 35 yards.
Iacovitti (for Baxendale, 59 mins) 5 Sent off for a reckless studs-up challenge, 14 minutes after coming on. D.Rose (for Benning, 69 mins) - Subs not used: Jensen, Hamilton, M.Rose, Hoban. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-2-3-1): Forde; Evans, Burgess, Clarke, Stevens; D.Rose, Doyle; Baker, Roberts (Hunt 77), Bennett (Naismith 79); Chaplin (Smith 86). Subs not used: O’Brien, Whatmough, Close, Lalkovic.
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Referee:
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Roger East 7 Premier League referee. Got the sendings-off and the penalty right in my opinion.
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