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Season 17/18 Stagsnet Match Report
Pre-Season Friendly
Mansfield Town  
0 - 4
 Nottingham Forest
 
 Cummings 26, Walker 70, Vellios 83, 89.
Attendance: 5333 (1449 from Forest)
 
Date: 22 July 2017

STAGS START WELL BUT THEN DISAPPOINT AGAINST FOREST

Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill

Mansfield Town’s third home pre-season friendly was ultimately disappointing, despite a very promising opening 20 minutes in which the Stags played some terrific football against a strong Nottingham Forest team. In that first half of the first half, Mansfield’s attacking midfield of Jacob Mellis, Alfie Potter and Paul Anderson had looked wonderfully creative. But with no goal to show for it, it was Forest who took the lead after 26 minutes with a fine finish from Jason Cummings, and they got on top for the rest of the half. The Stags changed the team for the second half, and rarely looked like creating chances. Then a calamitous error on 70 minutes by Hayden White gifted Forest a 2nd goal, for Tyler Walker, and after that the Stags looked poor, conceding two more goals, both scored by Apostolos Vellios, to eventually go down 4-0. Not too many players pushed their case for a place in the starting 11 against Crewe. For me the pick today were Mellis, Potter, Anderson, and Digby. None of the strikers had a good game.

Steve Evans chose two different 11’s to play in the first half and second half. Alex MacDonald missed out again through injury. Keeper Conrad Logan played both halves as Bobby Olejnik played a full 90 minutes and impressed at Stamford last night. David Mirfin was named on the team sheet to play in the second half, but didn’t play and it was unclear if he had picked up an injury. So Rhys Bennett played the second half at centre half in place of Mirfin, having played the first half at right back. Jacob Mellis played both halves in an attacking midfield role. Jack Thomas, having played 90 minutes at Stamford last night, came on for the last 5 minutes as substitute.

Trialist Jordan Slew didn’t feature, having played 90 minutes last night. After the game, Paul Raynor explained that Slew is with us for a few more days. Steve Evans had already said that he will make a decision by Monday about Slew.

Paul Anderson, playing against his former club, was given the honour of captaining the side in the first half, even though Zander Diamond, was has previously captained the team when he has been on the field, was playing.

1st half team (4-4-2, with a diamond in midfield):
Conrad Logan;
Rhys Bennett, Krystian Pearce, Zander Diamond, Johnny Hunt;
Joel Byrom,
Alfie Potter, Paul Anderson,
Jacob Mellis;
Lee Angol, Danny Rose.

2nd half team (4-4-2, with a diamond in midfield):
Conrad Logan;
Hayden White, Rhys Bennett, George Taft, Mal Benning;
Paul Digby,
Will Atkinson, CJ Hamilton,
Jacob Mellis;
Omari Sterling-James, Jimmy Spencer.
Sub:
Jack Thomas for Mellis, 85 mins

It was a lovely sunny day in Mansfield. But the weather turned late in the second half, as the floodlights were turned on and it rained.

Inside the 1st minute, Byrom gave the ball away in the centre circle, the ball was quickly played forward to Hobbs on the left and he fired across Logan and wide of the right post. A minute later, a great tackle by Potter inside his own area, on Traore, to put the ball out for a throw-in.

On 8 minutes, Byrom’s free kick from 35 yards, was wonderfully placed towards Bennett who had the chance to head at goal but got his header completely wrong.

On 10 minutes, Rose forced his way into the area and went down, but there was no foul despite appeals from the crowd.

A minute later, Mellis found Bennett on the right, and despite having two defenders on him, Bennett did brilliantly to get a cross in, which was cleared. Straight to the other end, and the pacey Carayol embarked on a great run, past Diamond and into a good position before he fired over. Carayol was to demonstrate lightening pace throughout.

On 13 minutes, great skill from Mellis, flicking the ball over a Forest player, playing the ball to Rose on the left, who played in to Angol who miscontrolled for a goal kick.

On 15 minutes, great play from Anderson who intercepted the ball, pushed forward down the left, and crossed in for Rose who volleyed wide of the right post. A minute later, great play from Pearce to rob Brereton who was moving forward.

On 19 minutes, great play by Rose to win the ball, and played to Anderson, who was fouled. From the resulting free kick, Byrom’s ball in from the left was cleared.

The Stags were playing so well, with Mellis, Anderson and Potter terrific and full of creativity.

On 21 minutes, a Forest cross in from the left, and Johnny Hunt did well to head over his own bar. On 25 minutes, Carayol got past Bennett on the byline (though it did look like the ball had gone out), and pulled the ball back to Cummings, whose close range shot was well blocked by Pearce.

Forest took the lead on 26 minutes. David Vaughan slid a ball perfectly forward into the path of Cummings, and Cummings fired into the top left corner of the net. It was a classy goal, but harsh on the Stags who had played so well to that point.

The Stags had a chance to level on 29 minutes. A great ball from Mellis forward to Rose, who got into the area but delayed just a fraction too long and by the time he shot left footed, Worrall had slid in to block the shot. Rose was just a millisecond too late. The key was to take the shot early, which he didn’t do.

On 31 minutes, Mancienne floated in a fantastic cross, Bennett stood and waited for it to come to him, while Carayol nipped in front of him and headed over. Too static from Bennett. On 34 minutes, a fantastic tackle by Hunt on Brereton on the edge of the area.

Pearce gave the ball away on 36 minutes. Evans went barmy on the touchline.

On 37 minutes, Zander Diamond dinked a ball into the box, Angol rose for the ball with Mancienne, but it was Mancienne who won the header looping it back towards his keeper Smith, who had to save it under the angle of bar and post.

Forest were right on top now. The Stags were trying to keep their shape.

On 41 minutes, Brereton cut inside from the right and Hunt did well to block for a corner.

On the stroke of half time, Byrom gave the ball away just inside his own half, Forest broke, and Diamond rescued the situation. It was the second time Byrom had given the ball away in such a position.

So a half of two halves. The Stags terrific in the opening 20 minutes. Forest then took the lead and got right on top.

Half time 0-1

Logan, Bennett and Mellis continued in the second half, while 8 of the rest of the squad came on.

On 46 minutes, Jimmy Spencer played the ball inside to Mellis, 25 yards from goal, and he fired wide of the right post.

On 48 minutes, Carayol showed great pace to get past White to the byline, and his cross was cleared.

A real John Smith’s moment then as Traore booted the ball over the TV gantry and down Bishop Street.

On 51 minutes, a great run from Brereton, past Benning on the right, he somehow kept hold of the ball, then played a 1-2 with Osborn before firing in a shot from the left which Logan tipped wide. Logan would have been pleased to have the opportunity of a shot to save.

A good sliding tackle by Will Atkinson on 58 minutes.

Forest made 9 changes on 60 minutes. One of the changes was keeper Dimi Evtimov, a former Stags loan keeper.

On 61 minutes, a great run forward by White until he was fouled.

A poor clearance by Benning on 63 minutes was straight too McKay who fired over the bar from 16 yards.

Sterling-James did well to win a corner on 64 minutes. Mellis’s corner created a chance for Taft to shoot, but he miskicked.

Calamity on 70 minutes. White tried to head the ball back to Logan, left it short, Tyler Walker nipped in, rounded Logan and fired into the empty net.

On 73 minutes, Digby made a good run, played a 1-2 with Spencer, and Digby shot straight at the keeper Evtimov. Good play from Digby though. On 77 minutes, a good tackle from Mellis.

The game had gone flat for Mansfield with that error by White. Forest were happy just to keep the ball.

On 80 minutes, a great move from the Stags, Digby went a great run, to Spencer, who was brought down on the edge of the area. The resulting free kick was taken by Sterling-James and brilliantly tipped over by Evtimov. It was a terrific effort which took a very slight deflection off the wall and made the save by Evtimov even better. From the resulting corner, taken by Mellis, Spencer headed wide.

Straight from Evtimov’s goal-kick, Atkinson headed forward, Spencer flicked on, and Sterling-James got past his defender and sent another shot just wide. A good couple of minutes for the Stags in a generally poor half.

Forest made it 3-0 on 83 minutes. A great move, as Jamie Ward crossed from the right and Vellios tapped in from 8 yards.

On 85 minutes good play from Sterling-James, and he slid the ball across the area but no-one wanted it enough in the middle.

Jack Thomas replaced Mellis after 85 minutes. Mellis had had a good game and was my man of the match.

86 minutes in and the Forest fans in the North Stand finally make some noise.

On 86 minutes, McKay’s shot was deflected for a corner.

A half chance for the Stags on 89 minutes. Evtimov came out of his goal to slide tackle the ball away, the ball came to Digby who saw a chance to shoot from 35 yards with a chip, but Evtimov got back and caught the ball on his line.

4-0 to Forest on 89 minutes. Ward played the ball forward for Vellios again and as Logan came out, Vellios slid the ball under him.

A bit of a disintegration from the Stags late on. And Forest capitalised especially after White’s calamity for the 2nd goal on 70 minutes.

The Stags move on to games at Matlock and at Gainsborough on Tuesday (the Matlock game has recently been added). The Stags will send half the squad to each game. I will be at the game at Matlock. If you would like to do a Stagsnet report of the game at Gainsborough, please make yourself known. Then the whole squad goes to Alfreton next Saturday, before the first league game two weeks today at Crewe. Plenty of players still have much to prove before Steve Evans can select his 11 for that game at Crewe.


Report by: Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill



Line Up:
1st half team (4-4-2, with a diamond in midfield):
Conrad Logan;
Rhys Bennett, Krystian Pearce, Zander Diamond, Johnny Hunt;
Joel Byrom,
Alfie Potter, Paul Anderson,
Jacob Mellis;
Lee Angol, Danny Rose.

2nd half team (4-4-2, with a diamond in midfield):
Conrad Logan;
Hayden White, Rhys Bennett, George Taft, Mal Benning;
Paul Digby,
Will Atkinson, CJ Hamilton,
Jacob Mellis;
Omari Sterling-James, Jimmy Spencer.
Sub Line Up:
Jack Thomas for Mellis, 85 mins
Opposition Line Up:
Smith (Evtimov 60); Mancienne (Mills 60), Worrall, Hobbs (Lam 60), Traore (McKay 60); Vaughan (Bouchalakis 60), Cohen (Clough 60), Cummings (Vellios 60), Osborn (Edser 81), Carayol (Ward 60), Brereton (Walker 60).
Referee:
Mark Heywood


Season 17/18 Reports