Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
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Doncaster Rovers
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Mansfield Town
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Rowe 74
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Attendance: 9903 (2010 from Mansfield)
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Date: 8 April 2017
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STAGS BEATEN NARROWLY AT DONCASTER
Martin Shaw at the Keepmoat Stadium Mansfield Town were narrowly beaten 1-0 at Doncaster this afternoon. The win was enough for Doncaster to ensure promotion and they will probably end the season as champions. Their quality in the final third demonstrates that they are worthy champions. Mansfield remain 4 points behind the play-off places as 6th and 7th placed Exeter and Carlisle were also beaten, but there are more teams in the mix now with wins for Cambridge and Accrington. With 5 games left, Mansfield probably still need 4 wins to force their way into the play-offs which will be a tall order but it’s not all over. Mansfield put in a really good first half performance, competing well all over the pitch and working very hard, winning tackles to get the ball back and having much more than half of the possession but without creating many chances. It was spirited stuff and appreciated by the 2000 Stags fans who got behind the team really well. Doncaster had already shown their quality though with a couple of close calls despite not having much of the ball. Doncaster started to push the Stags back in the second half as their high quality midfielder James Coppinger, on as sub, started to pull the strings and Doncaster took the lead on 74 minutes. Coppinger put in a great corner from the left, Tommy Rowe lost his marker at the near post and headed across Kean into the right of the net. After the game Steve Evans said that it was George Taft who lost his marker, though from the video it looks like it is Danny Rose who is outjumped by Rowe, and Taft is left marking no-one. So perhaps a combination of Taft and Rose at fault. The Stags were close to an equaliser two minutes later as Mal Benning crossed from the left, Shaq Coulthirst chested to Matt Green whose overhead kick was heading wide of the left post where Danny Rose turned it goalwards before it was headed off the line by Butler. There was controversy on 89 minutes as Stags sub Alfie Potter appeared to be pushed over in the area by Andy Butler. The referee waved away Mansfield’s appeals for a penalty. Steve Evans and Paul Raynor were furious on the touchline. Video footage confirms it was a clear penalty as Butler initially barges Potter (not a foul) but then pushes him over with his arms (definitely a foul). So the Stags fell to defeat as Doncaster fans celebrated promotion in a bumper 10,000 crowd. Doncaster’s quality in the final third showed and they just about deserved this victory in my opinion but it was spirited from Mansfield. The Stags travel to Wycombe on Friday afternoon and we haven’t done particularly well against Wycombe in recent times but Wycombe are not in the best of form and I believe it’s a game we can certainly win. Mansfield were unchanged from the side that lost to Exeter. Hayden White was still out through injury. Rhys Bennett continued at right back. Bennett is on target to be the first ever present Stags player in a season since goalkeeper Alan Marriott in 2009/2010, and the first ever present outfield player since Alex John-Baptiste in 2006/2007. As last week, the Stags started with a 4-4-2 formation, with MacDonald (right) and Green (left) on either side of midfield. Steve Evans had said in midweek that Mansfield needed to still be in the game at 70 minutes and take it from there, which might have suggested that Collins or McGuire might start, but they were both on the bench in an attacking line-up. There was one change on the bench with Arquin returning from injury in place of Hakeem. Doncaster were unchanged from the side that won 5-1 at Grimsby. Club legend James Coppinger was coming back from injury and named on the bench. Matty Blair who left Mansfield to join Doncaster in the summer was playing against the Stags for the third time this season after the earlier league game and EFL Trophy game. It was Mansfield Town’s first visit to the Keepmoat Stadium. And it was a glorious day, sunny and warm. Both teams needed the points, the Stags to close the gap to the play-off zone, and Doncaster needed a win to seal promotion. Mansfield were off to a positive start, and the ball was in the Doncaster half continuously for the first three minutes. However it was Doncaster who created the first chance of the game on 6 minutes as Green conceded a free kick on Doncaster’s right, halfway inside Mansfield’s half. McSheffrey’s ball into the middle was headed goalwards by Marquis and Kean saved well with his legs. Poor marking by Bennett who let Marquis get away from him. Two good tackles by Pearce on 10 minutes. Then good play by Coulthirst on 11 minutes to win a corner. From the corner by MacDonald, Bennett headed up and the keeper claimed. Mansfield had had all the possession but Doncaster created another chance, through route one football on 12 minutes, a huge kick forward from the keeper was controlled by Williams, but Kean was out quickly to meet it at Williams’ feet. Green went down with an injury on 20 minutes, but he played on after attention. Doncaster had switched formation to three at the back from 4-4-2, and it could have been a strategic time out for the Stags to regroup against a different formation. On 22 minutes McCullough sent a snapshot well wide from outside the box. A good header away by Taft on 24 minutes. On 26 minutes, Benning’s cross was above the goal along the goalline, it was cleared away for a throw-in. The resulting throw-in came back to Benning whose shot was blocked. On 28 minutes, Taft slid in with an important challenge after Whiteman gave the ball away. Two minutes later, a great tackle by Benning on Blair. Then a good tackle by Green on Blair as the Stags worked so hard to get possession. On 32 minutes, a chance for Doncaster as McCullough fed Rowe in the area and Benning did brilliantly to slide in and block his shot. The ball ricocheted off Pearce and Kean saved one handed. On 34 minutes, Byrom’s short corner to Coulthirst, and Coulthirst did well to find MacDonald who curled a shot goalwards but straight at the keeper from 20 yards. A good interception by Bennett on the edge of his own area on 38 minutes. Danny Rose had been fouled multiple times but no card was produced for Doncaster players. On 41 minutes, from one of the fouls on Danny Rose, Byrom’s lovely delivery was cleared for a corner. The resulting corner from Byrom was also terrific and across the face of goal but through everyone and out the other side. On 45+1 minutes, Williams headed over from McSheffrey’s free kick from the right. With the last kick of the half Coulthirst fired well over the bar after a good break by Benning. A good performance from Mansfield in the first half, competing well all over the pitch and working very hard, having more than half of the possession but not creating many chances. Half time 0-0 On 50 minutes, Mason got to the byline and Taft did well to put his low cross behind for a corner. The resulting corner was to the near post where Rowe’s header was deflected into the side netting for another corner. On 51 minutes, a great ball forward by Green, Coulthirst got onto it, and squared to Benning who blasted wide from 23 yards. The Stags fans, a magnificent following of over 2000, were in fine voice. Green was booked for fouling McSheffrey on 57 minutes. The referee had previously been lenient, particularly on fouls on Danny Rose, and this looked harsh. On 58 minutes a good punch away by Kean from a free kick. Doncaster brought on dangerman James Coppinger on 59 minutes, along with May. On 60 minutes, a low Doncaster cross from the left by Coppinger and Kean pushed away with his foot. Doncaster were pushing Mansfield back with a good spell. Coulthirst was being isolated up front for Mansfield with Danny Rose dropping back. On 65 minutes, Danny Rose did well to head on Kean’s long kick onto the path of Coulthirst who tried to find MacDonald on his right but couldn’t reach him. The ball was recycled to Green who fired over from 30 yards. Hamilton replaced MacDonald on 70 minutes. On 72 minutes, Rowe shot low from 20 yards and Kean did well to tip wide. The Stags were still being pushed back and Doncaster took the lead on 74 minutes. Coppinger put in a great corner from the left, Tommy Rowe lost his marker at the near post and headed across Kean into the right of the net. The goal had been coming. After the game Steve Evans said that it was George Taft who lost his marker, though from the video it looks like it is Danny Rose who is outjumped by Rowe, and Taft is left marking no-one. So perhaps a combination of Taft and Rose at fault. The Stags were close to an equaliser on 76 minutes. Benning crossed from the left, Coulthirst chested to Green whose overhead kick was heading wide of the left post where Danny Rose turned it goalwards before it was headed off the line by Butler. So close. Doncaster had a goal disallowed on 78 minutes. Coppinger’s shot was well pushed away by Kean, Rowe’s low cross was then well saved by Kean again, and Matty Blair knocked the loose ball into the roof of the net from close range. Unaware that the whistle had already gone, Blair ran away to celebrate wildly in the corner and it was quite some time before he realised it had been ruled out. We’ve seen classy goal non-celebrations against the Stags by former Stags players this season, Billy Kee being an example. This was the opposite. Review of the video shows the goal was disallowed for a foul by Marquis on Benning off the ball as Benning tried to get to the loose ball before Blair. On 80 minutes, Benning did well to win the ball on the left, broke forward and squared to Whiteman who curled just wide of the right post from 22 yards. Danny Rose gave the ball away in a dangerous position on 84 minutes, and Bennett rescued the situation. Potter replaced Danny Rose on 86 minutes. Controversy on 89 minutes, Potter appeared to be pushed over in the area by Andy Butler. The referee waved away Mansfield’s appeals for a penalty. Steve Evans and Paul Raynor were furious on the touchline. Video footage confirms it was a clear penalty as Butler initially barges Potter (not a foul) but then pushes him over with his arms (definitely a foul). On 90 minutes, Pearce dispossessed Marquis as he was running at goal. On 90+1 minutes, real determination on the right from Coulthirst who lost the ball then won and back and pulled back from the byline to Potter whose shot was going wide of the left post before Blair cleared anyway. On 90+4 minutes, a long ball forward from Kean nearly fell for Green in the area but it was cleared. The Doncaster fans behind the goal were lined up on the byline ready to invade the pitch and the referee blew the whistle about 30 seconds early to try to allow the players to leave the pitch safely. Doncaster were promoted. It was gutting for the Stags to lose. A good first half from Mansfield but Doncaster’s quality in the final third showed in the second half and they just about deserved the victory in my opinion. Man of the match: Jake Kean |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the Keepmoat Stadium
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Line Up:
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(4-4-2)
Kean 8 Made seven saves, several of them very good. Very good performance. Bennett 7.5 Very good game with good interceptions and tackles, but let Marquis away for a free header from an early free kick. Pearce 7.5 Several good tackles. Taft 7 Some good headers away and challenges. According to Evans was at least partly responsible for the goal. Benning 8 A couple of excellent blocks and tackles. Some good breaks. One shot wide and one shot blocked. MacDonald 6 Curled one shot straight at the keeper but didn’t match his impressive form from the wins over Morecambe and Carlisle. Whiteman 5.5 Disappointing and nowhere near his usual high standard. Byrom 6.5 Put in a fantastic free kick and then corner towards the end of the first half, but no-one got on the end of them. Otherwise a bit quiet. Green 6 Good first half working hard with good tackles. Overhead kick set up a chance for Danny Rose. Coulthirst 6 Several pieces of good play but also wasteful on occasion. Was isolated at times. D.Rose 6 Fouled multiple times in the first half. One fine flick on to set Coulthirst away. One effort cleared off the line. Appeared to be outjumped by Tommy Rowe for the goal. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Hamilton (for MacDonald, 70 mins) -
Potter (for D.Rose, 86 mins) - Subs not used: Jensen, Howkins, Collins, McGuire, Arquin. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-4-2, later 3-5-2): Lawlor; Alcock, Baudry, Butler, Mason (Wright 90+5); Blair, McCullough, Rowe, McSheffrey (Coppinger, 59); Marquis, Williams (May, 59). Unused subs: Marosi, Sinclair, Middleton, Grant.
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Referee:
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Dean Whitestone 5 Clear error in my opinion not awarded a last minute penalty. Correctly disallowed Doncaster goal for foul by Marquis. Lenient with his yellow card in general.
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