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Season 17/18 Stagsnet Match Report
Pre-Season Friendly
Malta Players Association XI  
0 - 5
 Mansfield Town
 
 Rose 13, Digby 13, Atkinson 55, Angol 62 (pen), 75. Angol missed pen 89
Attendance: app 300, all from Mansfield, my estimate
 
Date: 6 July 2017

Martin Shaw at the Ta’Qali National Stadium Training ground, Malta

Mansfield Town won the first pre-season friendly of the 2017-18 season with a 5-0 win against a Malta Players Association XI at the training ground of the National Stadium in Malta in front of several hundred Stags fans. It was the Stags fans’ first opportunity to see the 12 new players (*) that Steve Evans has brought together, along with the 10 players who played last season, in two completely separate sides that played the two halves. The Stags dominated throughout and could have won by more than the 5-0 scoreline, against a group of players that never tested Mansfield at the back, but who provided a competitive opposition. The Stags looked comfortable in possession of the ball in both halves. In the first half, Danny Rose shone like a beacon with a fine performance, including a goal, a disallowed goal and an effort against the bar, while newcomer Paul Digby really caught the eye with an impressive box to box performance in midfield and also scored. In the second half, new striker Lee Angol scored twice, once from the penalty spot, but also saw another penalty saved and thus missed the chance of a hat-trick, while midfielder Will Atkinson also scored and looked good in central midfield. Hayden White impressed going forward and won a penalty with a mazy run in the best piece of play of the evening.

(*) for clarity, whilst Mansfield have so far made 13 new signings, Hayden White played half of last season on loan, so there were 12 new players who the fans hadn't seen playing for the Stags, and this was their first chance to see them. I’m including Will Atkinson in the list of 12 though of course he did play for the Stags nearly a decade ago on loan.

Mansfield Town
1st half team (4-4-2):
Conrad Logan;
Rhys Bennett, Zander Diamond, George Taft, Johnny Hunt;
Paul Anderson, Jacob Mellis, Paul Digby, Alex MacDonald;
Danny Rose, Omari Sterling-James.

2nd half team (4-4-2):
Bobby Olejnik;
Hayden White, Krystian Pearce, David Mirfin, Mal Benning;
Alfie Potter, Will Atkinson, Joel Byrom, CJ Hamilton;
Jimmy Spencer, Lee Angol.

Subs not used: Jack Thomas, Lewis Collins.

The first half saw Mansfield include seven new signings, with just four of last season’s squad included. Zander Diamond played on the right of central defence with George Taft on the left. Johnny Hunt was at left back with Rhys Bennett reverting to right back rather than centre half where he played much of last season. In a midfield four, Paul Anderson and Alex MacDonald were on the wings, with Paul Digby and Jacob Mellis pulling the strings in the centre. Young striker Omari Sterling-James joined Danny Rose up front. Diamond was captain.

On 3 minutes, the first corner of the game taken by MacDonald from the right and Diamond sent in a header which was caught by the keeper just under the bar on the left hand side of the goal. On 4 minutes, Danny Rose flicked an effort on to the top of the bar and over.

On 8 minutes, Sterling-James did well to get to the byline and pulled the ball across to Danny Rose who could only scramble the ball over the bar.

On 10 minutes, the surreal sound of the Westfield Stags approaching the ground in an open topped bus, provided excellent vocal support. I enjoyed returning back from the ground on the bus - thanks for the lift lads! "Sing in a tunnel, we only sing in a tunnel"...

On 12 minutes, another MacDonald corner from the right, and again Diamond headed goalwards but it went over via a deflection.

The Stags took the lead on 13 minutes. Taft’s ball forward from inside his own half bounced up and over a defender who misjudged it, Rose ran on to it, took a touch and fired into the right corner of the net, despite the keeper getting a touch on it, he couldn’t keep it out.

On 17 minutes, Hunt crossed from the left, Rose headed goalwards and a defender cleared ahead of Sterling-James.

On 20 minutes, MacDonald found Rose on the edge of the box. He took a good touch and chipped over the keeper but just over the bar. A minute later, Rose headed on but Sterling-James couldn’t quite turn the ball goalwards.

Danny Rose was really standing out.

The Stags made it 2-0 on 23 minutes. Anderson crossed from the right, MacDonald had a sight of goal but his shot was blocked, and Sterling-James found Digby who fired the loose ball into the net from 8 yards.

MacDonald was elbowed in the face right in front of us on 25 minutes and exchanged words with the home side right back as the referee missed it but MacDonald was fine to carry on.

On 28 minutes, a good ball from Digby out to Anderson on the right. A minute later, the Stags won a free kick 26 yards from goal, Hunt took it straight into the wall.

The Stags had a goal disallowed on 31 minutes. Anderson headed on to Sterling-James who won a corner. The corner was initially taken short and then played into Danny Rose who knocked in from close range but was offside.

On 33 minutes, MacDonald took a free kick from the right to Taft who miscued an effort nowhere near goal.

The Stags went close on 36 minutes. A great cross from the left from Hunt, Rose attacked it with a diving header and headed just wide of the right post.

On 39 minutes, really good play from MacDonald on the right, the ball came in and fell kindly for Sterling-James who fired a good chance over the bar when he had time and space.

On 45 minutes, another MacDonald corner from the right, Bennett headed down and goalwards but it was cleared.

At half time, the entire Stags team walked along the touchline to thank the Stags fans for coming and received a good hand. Danny Rose really stood out with a fine performance up front. Paul Digby impressed hugely with his box to box performance. He is also a tall lad and looked good in the air. Hunt impressed at left back, while MacDonald was working hard on the wings. The defence was not tested, while Conrad Logan had literally nothing to do.

Half time 0-2

The second half saw a completely new Stags eleven, made up of six players who played last season (including Hayden White, who is of course technically a new signing this season), plus five new signings who we hadn’t yet seen in a Stags shirt (at least, not recently, because that includes Will Atkinson who had played for the Stags on loan nearly a decade ago).

On 54 minutes, Byrom sent in a free kick from the left and Mirfin headed well wide. A minute later, a great tackle from White to win a throw in.

The Stags made it 3-0 on 55 minutes as Atkinson tapped in from close range after Angol’s cross was deflected on to the bar and came out to Atkinson.

Potter was looking like a busy bee on the right.

It was 4-0 on 62 minutes. CJ Hamilton played a good 1-2 with Atkinson, and found himself in space just outside the box but rather than shoot, he found Angol just inside the area who went down over the keeper for a penalty. Angol took the penalty himself and fired to the left of centre, sending the keeper the wrong way.

On 64 minutes, Potter curled a tame, left-footed effort wide of the left post. A minute later, a good ball from Pearce out to Angol on the left. Angol played the ball back to Byrom who skied a shot well over.

On 67 minutes, a really good move from the Stags. Atkinson to Potter, on to Angol who headed on to Hamilton but Hamilton lost control before he could get in a shot.

On 68 minutes, the home side threatened to mount an attack but Atkinson put in a good tackle. A minute later at the other end, Benning crossed from the left and the keeper punched away. A minute after that, Benning won a corner on the left, Byrom floated the corner in and Pearce thundered a header just over the bar.

On 72 minutes, Spencer back-heeled to Atkinson who fired in a powerful shot which the keeper pushed away. A minute later, Spencer laid off to Potter who got in a shot on target which was blocked. Moments later, Byrom fired a shot well wide from 25 yards.

On 74 minutes, Mirfin gave away a free kick in his own half which provided the home side a rare opportunity to put the ball into the Stags box but the free kick was easily caught by Olejnik. I think that was his first touch of the ball.

The Stags made it 5-0 on 75 minutes. Hamilton crossed from the left, the defence made a hash of trying to clear it allowing Angol to blast into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

On 79 minutes, Atkinson set up Hamilton for a chance to shoot but he fired wide. He just can’t find the net.

On 82 minutes, a good low cross from Potter from the right and Spencer flicked wide.

A minute later, from Byrom’s corner from the left, a good leap from Pearce who headed just wide of the right post. That was unlucky.

The Stags missed a chance to make it 6-0 on 89 minutes and Angol missed the chance of a hat-trick. A brilliant mazy run from Hayden White all the way into the box before he was brought down for a clear penalty. It was the best piece of play of the night. Angol took the penalty but it was tipped over by the keeper diving to his left.

Full time and the Stags had to settle for 5-0.

Lee Angol looked good, scoring twice, but will be disappointed to have missed the chance for a hat-trick. Will Atkinson also scored and looked good in central midfield. Hayden White was perhaps the standout player of the second half, impressing going forward and winning a penalty with a mazy run in the best piece of play of the evening.

An enjoyable night for the Stags fans who made the trip to Malta.

I think it would be fair to say that neither team that played a half each tonight looks particularly stronger than the other, and no-one, including Steve Evans, could name the team for the Crewe game at the moment. It will be a matter of who impresses most in pre-season.

Before the game, I asked Steve Evans for clarity on the rest of the pre-season schedule, including which are truly first team games. In each of the three home friendlies, the team will of course be made up of the first team players. Each match will utilise roughly 18 players. There are two away friendlies the night before a home friendly, at Stocksbridge Park Steels on 18 July and AFC Stamford on 21 July, these will involve only the roughly 3 or 4 first team players who are not playing in the home match the following day and so will mostly be made up of U21 players. The games at Gainsborough on 25 July and Alfreton on 29 July will be first team games. The game at Rainworth on 1 August will involve players who need minutes topping up, but is of course just 4 days before the Crewe game.

















Report by: Martin Shaw at the Ta’Qali National Stadium Training ground, Malta



Line Up:
1st half team (4-4-2):
Conrad Logan;
Rhys Bennett, Zander Diamond, George Taft, Johnny Hunt;
Paul Anderson, Jacob Mellis, Paul Digby, Alex MacDonald;
Danny Rose, Omari Sterling-James.

2nd half team (4-4-2):
Bobby Olejnik;
Hayden White, Krystian Pearce, David Mirfin, Mal Benning;
Alfie Potter, Will Atkinson, Joel Byrom, CJ Hamilton;
Jimmy Spencer, Lee Angol.

Sub Line Up:
Subs not used: Jack Thomas, Lewis Collins.
Opposition Line Up:
unknown
Referee:
unknown


Season 17/18 Reports