Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
|
|
|
||
|
Cheltenham Town
|
|
Mansfield Town
|
||
|
|
|
|||
|
Attendance: 2941 (320 from Mansfield)
|
||||
|
Date: 4 March 2017
|
||||
|
STAGS UNABLE TO BREAK DOWN 10 MAN CHELTENHAM
Martin Shaw at Whaddon Road Mansfield Town drew 0-0 at Cheltenham this afternoon in a terrible game played on a pitch that was not up to Football League standard and was alongside the pitch at Newport last season in being the worst the Stags have played on in the last 30 years in my opinion. All of which does not excuse Mansfield, unable to break down the 10 men of Cheltenham who had Kyle Storer sent off after just 18 minutes. The Stags completely dominated the first half, with the wind behind them, both before and after the sending off, and with 13 corners in 45 minutes, had Cheltenham pinned back for long stages. But the second half was a huge disappointment for Mansfield as Cheltenham more than held their own and it was hard to tell which side was down to ten men. The wind helped Cheltenham in that second half but the Stags should have done more. The Stags failed to get a single effort on target in the entire 90 minutes and home keeper Scott Brown left the pitch at the end without a single mark of mud on his shirt. The sending off came when Storer and Jamie McGuire challenged for the ball right in front of the Stags dugout. My reaction in real time was that both players got to the ball at the same time and it was six of one and half a dozen of the other. From studying the replays from the main camera and our pitchside camera, and trying to understand the referee’s viewpoint, he might have seen it as a red card as Storer’s leg slightly comes down on the ball which he must have construed as a stamping motion. Cheltenham manager Gary Johnson, incensed at the decision, was sent to the stand. After the game, Cheltenham announced they would be appealing decision having viewed the footage. (Update 3 days later, the appeal was rejected). No doubt that Mansfield have had the rub of the green, or should that be the rub of the red, in the games at Yeovil and Cheltenham in the last 4 days, with Scott Shearer not sent off after just 6 minutes at Yeovil, and Storer sent off here after 18 minutes. Both decisions could easily have gone the other way with different referees. Mansfield had precious few chances to win the game. In the first half, Krystian Pearce did well with some good skill to set up a chance for himself and his goalbound shot was blocked. The other near miss of the first half was Rhys Bennett’s header from a corner which was deflected wide. In the second half, Ben Whiteman missed a glorious chance on 58 minutes when CJ Hamilton did very well to find him in space just inside the box and Whiteman fired wide. Lee Collins fired a good effort just wide on 66 minutes. Then on the stroke of 90 minutes, Hamilton found sub Shaq Coulthirst who fired a great chance over the bar. Cheltenham themselves could have won it in the second half. O’Shaughnessy’s long throw-ins were a threat and from one of them Boyle’s header was deflected over. Then a Liam Davis corner from the right was allowed by Scott Shearer to hit the bar and bounce away to safety. Cheltenham had two free kicks from just outside the box, one of them with virtually the last kick of the game, but fortunately for the Stags, their shots were poor. Cheltenham did a lap of honour at the end of the game to celebrate their performance, which was very good with 10 men, whereas Mansfield’s players sunk to their knees in frustration. Plenty of poor performances in the Stags side, but honourable exceptions to Krystian Pearce especially, and Rhys Bennett at centre half, who both played well. Mansfield undoubtedly missed the quality of set pieces from Joel Byrom, who was rested as Steve Evans said he was looking tired after getting home on Wednesday morning at 6am. His replacement on set pieces, Alex MacDonald, simply didn’t deliver, as Mansfield failed to make the most of those 13 first half corners. Disappointment for Mansfield, and huge frustration, but certainly not doom and gloom with the Stags just two points outside the play-offs and an exciting week next week with games against 3 of the top 9. Come on Mansfield! The pitch at Whaddon Road is shocking. Like a ploughed field with huge divots and plenty of sand. Cheltenham manager Gary Johnson brought in 9 new players in January, players equipped to play on this surface, and they have turned Cheltenham’s season around. They had just 3 players who started today who started the game at Mansfield in August. Cheltenham had won their last 3 games, keeping 3 clean sheets in the process and would provide a real test to the Stags. The Stags made two changes from the side that drew at Yeovil. Byrom and Coulthirst were rested to freshen things up. Both had got home very late on Wednesday morning. In came Jamie McGuire and Pat Hoban. No surprise to me with either of those. McGuire was in because it was expected to be a battle. And Hoban in because you could expect the ball to be in the air a lot with the surface so poor. Mansfield were still missing Danny Rose and Matt Green, who didn’t travel through injury. One or other will surely come back into the team next week after other strikers have not taken their chances while they have been out. Jake Kean was also still out with injury. Kyle Howkins was back from injury on the bench, with Ashley Hemmings dropping out of the 18. The Stags lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with McGuire and Collins in central midfield, and MacDonald just behind Hoban. Cheltenham had the game’s first chance on 7 minutes. Barthram’s low cross was cleared by White. The resulting corner came out to Liam Davis who fired well wide, nearly hitting the corner flag. The rain was lashing down, and the Stags had the wind behind them. The rain soon stopped though. On 14 minutes, a corner from MacDonald from the right, Bennett got to the ball fractionally before a defender and his header was deflected wide for another corner. The Stags ended up with 6 corners in quick succession, all from the right, all taken by MacDonald, but not made to count. The game exploded on 18 minutes. Kyle Storer and Jamie McGuire challenged for the ball right in front of the Stags dugout. My reaction in real time was that both players got to the ball at the same time and it was six of one and half a dozen of the other. From studying the replays from the main camera and our pitchside camera, and trying to understand the referee’s viewpoint, he might have seen it as a red card as Storer’s leg slightly comes down on the ball which he must have construed as a stamping motion. Cheltenham manager Gary Johnson, incensed at the decision, was sent to the stand. After the game, Cheltenham announced they would be appealing decision having viewed the footage. (Update 3 days later, the appeal was rejected). On 22 minutes, Benning shot from the edge of the area and it was deflected over the bar. A minute later, following MacDonald’s corner from the left, Whiteman played an air-shot, but still had time for a left-footed shot that was deflected wide. On 28 minutes, Benning played a free kick from his own half into the area and Pearce had a shot blocked. At the other end on 29 minutes, a cross in from Davis, which was well caught by Shearer. On 32 minutes, Whiteman burst forward with a good surging run, but he dragged his left footed shot well wide of the right post. On 40 minutes, from MacDonald’s corner, Bennett headed down, it bounced up to Hoban whose header was blocked. The ball came out to Pearce on the left, who did well with some good skill to set up a chance for himself and his goalbound shot was blocked. On 42 minutes, a chance for Hoban, and he fired over the bar and over the stand. Hoban was booked on 45 minutes. He was too slow to get the ball, and probably through frustration, then fouled his man. Mansfield had completely dominated but without many clearcut chances despite having 13 corners (to Cheltenham’s 3). The crowd were right behind Cheltenham, with the sending off having galvanised players and fans alike. Half time 0-0 Cheltenham had the wind behind them in the second half. On 50 minutes, a missile of a long throw from O’Shaughnessy and Boyle’s header was deflected over. A minute later, a Liam Davis corner from the right was allowed by Shearer to hit the bar and bounce away to safety. A great corner, and Shearer had his positioning all wrong. On 54 minutes, a free kick for the Stags. MacDonald took it short, got it back, and ran the ball straight out of play. Poor and it summed up his game thus far. On 58 minutes, a good break from Hamilton, he set up Whiteman for a shot from just inside the box and Whiteman fired wide. It was a glorious chance on 58 minutes. Coulthirst replaced Hoban on 60 minutes. Hoban had a poor game but didn’t get much good service. On 61 minutes, a free kick from the Stags. Terrible from MacDonald as he wasted it again. Collins fired a good effort just wide of the left post on 66 minutes. He struck it with power from 20 yards. Arquin replaced MacDonald on 66 minutes. I would have replaced MacDonald with Byrom, and a lot earlier than this. On 70 minutes, Winchester fired a shot from 30 yards over the stand. Two minutes later, a free kick for Cheltenham from a dangerous position, 24 yards out. Pell took it and fired high and wide. Potter replaced McGuire on 75 minutes. The decision to play McGuire from the start was the right one in my opinion. Once Mansfield found themselves with a man advantage, I would have brought Byrom on to give more attacking midfield options and increase the quality of delivery into the box. We didn’t need two midfielders who are naturally more defensive, against ten men. Really good play from Coulthirst to win a corner. Taken by Whiteman, it came to nothing. On 77 minutes, the Stags had the ball by the corner flag in the Cheltenham half, the Stags played it all the way back to Shearer, who shanked a clearance into touch. It was shockingly bad football. On 78 minutes Arquin tried a shot from 35 yards, well wide. On 80 minutes, Benning put the ball out of play hopelessly. The Stags just could not get to grips with this pitch. Straight to the other end, Liam Davis crossed from the right and Shearer did well to save as the ball headed towards dangerous sub Danny Wright. On 89 minutes, a shot from Davis was well blocked by White. On the stroke of 90 minutes, Hamilton found Coulthirst who fired a great chance over the bar as the keeper came out. What a chance. On 90+5 minutes, Bennett fouled Davis 22 yards out, to the right of centre. Bennett was booked. A real chance for Cheltenham to win it at the death. Rowe fired his kick into the wall, which did its job as Bennett blocked the shot with his head. The final whistle, home fans and players celebrated. Mansfield players dropped to their knees in frustration. The Stags were hopeless going forward, simply unable to cope with the pitch. Since the start of January, Mansfield have won 7, drawn 4 and lost 1. It’s a great record. Three tough games coming up, but these are the games we want to be involved in, with everything to play for. Man of the match: Krystian Pearce |
||||
|
Report by: Martin Shaw at Whaddon Road
|
||||
|
Line Up:
|
(4-4-1-1)
Shearer 6 Caught two dangerous crosses well. Poor play as he allowed a corner to hit the bar. Shanked two clearances into touch; not easy on this pitch of course. Didn’t have a shot to save, as didn’t the Cheltenham keeper. White 6 One good block and one good clearance. Did ok. Bennett 7 Good game. Pearce 8 Pick of the defence. Put in several good tackles. Showed good skill to set up a chance for himself which was blocked. Benning 6 Good first half, but struggled on the pitch in the second half. Whiteman 6 Fired a glorious chance wide. One good surging run but fired wide. Another shot deflected wide. Collins 6 One fine shot, just wide. Did ok. McGuire 6 Did ok in the role he was expected to play. The decision to play him from the start was the right one in my opinion. Once Mansfield found themselves with a man advantage, I would have brought Byrom on to give more attacking midfield options and increase the quality of delivery into the box. Hamilton 6 Set up good chances for Whiteman and Coulthirst. MacDonald 5 My joint man of the match at Yeovil but he was poor here. It was never going to be his sort of pitch, but he had a lot of set pieces (13 corners in the first half, and some free kicks in the second half) and the quality wasn’t good enough, which was not a result of the pitch. Set pieces are so crucial on a poor pitch. Hoban 5 Poor game but didn’t get much good service. |
|
Sub Line Up:
|
Coulthirst (for Hoban, 60 mins) - Fired a great chance to win it over the bar on 90 minutes. One good piece of play to win a corner.
Arquin (for MacDonald, 66 mins) - Didn’t get into the game. Potter (for McGuire, 75 mins) - Subs not used: Jensen, Howkins, Baxendale, Byrom. |
|
Opposition Line Up:
|
(3-5-2): S Brown; E Onariase, W Boyle, D O’Shaughnessy; J Barthram, H Pell, K Storer, C Winchester (J Cranston, 73), L Davis; B Waters (J Rowe, 88), K Wootton (D Wright, 73). Unused Subs: R Lovett, J Munns, J Dayton, D Holman.
|
|
Referee:
|
Charles Breakspear 6 The red card was possibly harsh, though from his viewpoint, he might have seen it as a red card as Storer’s leg slightly comes down on the ball which he must have construed as a stamping motion. There was a worse challenge, in my opinion, by Liam Davis which was a potential leg breaker, which could have seen a red card.
|
|
|