Season 17/18 Stagsnet Match Report
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Bradford Park Avenue
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Mansfield Town
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Mellis 49, Angol 52, 79
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Attendance: 165 (app 80 from Mansfield)
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Date: 12 July 2018
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Martin Shaw at the Horsfall Stadium
Mansfield Town won their second pre-season friendly 3-0 at Conference North Bradford Park Avenue this evening. It was a tale of two halves, with two different sides playing the two halves and with Mansfield looking rusty and lacking intensity in the first half, but the team that played the second half put Bradford Park Avenue to the sword, scored 3 goals and could have had plenty more, with Jacob Mellis outstanding. Mansfield started the game poorly against a Bradford side that included 5 trialists in the first half and it was the home side that caught the eye, though without forcing Bobby Olejnik into any saves. Krystian Pearce had a half to forget, but improved towards the end of the half setting up a chance for Otis Khan which he fired against the bar. Then Khan put in a great cross which Mal Benning volleyed over from 7 yards. Khan was the standout player in a disappointing first half. But in the second half, the Stags were on the front foot straight away with Jacob Mellis firing in a low shot from 12 yards through a crowd of defenders on 49 minutes. Then Will Atkinson in an unfamiliar wing-back role, fed Lee Angol who fired into the bottom left corner of the net from 14 yards, despite a touch from the keeper. And Angol made it 3-0 on 79 minutes, sweeping in from 8 yards after Atkinson headed back across goal from a super Mellis chipped ball. Mansfield also missed a hatful of other chances. Mellis was outstanding, Angol looked sharp, CJ Hamilton was lively, Omari Sterling-James did well and, as in Portugal, young Jordan Graham looked a real prospect. At the back, youngsters Henri Wilder and Lewis Gibbens looked composed and not out of place, albeit not put under too much pressure, alongside Paul Digby who returned to the side having not travelled to Portugal. Mansfield Town 1st half team (3-5-2): Bobby Olejnik; Krystian Pearce, Matt Preston (new signing from Swindon), Nathan Cameron (on trial); Hayden White, Alex MacDonald, Neal Bishop (new signing from Scunthorpe), Otis Khan (new signing from Yeovil), Mal Benning; Tyler Walker (season loan from Forest), Craig Davies (new signing from Oldham). 2nd half team (3-5-2): Conrad Logan; Henri Wilder (youngster), Paul Digby, Lewis Gibbens (youngster); Will Atkinson, Calum Butcher, Jacob Mellis, Omari Sterling-James, CJ Hamilton; Lee Angol, Jordan Graham (youngster). Sub: Nyle Blake (youngster) (for Sterling-James, 81 mins) Did not play: David Mirfin, Danny Rose (both injured), Paul Anderson (injured from Portugal and transfer listed), Zander Diamond (transfer listed and not seen in any training so far). From the players that played the game in Portugal, out went Nyle Blake onto the bench, and in came Paul Digby, who did not travel to Portugal as he is still on the transfer list and stayed at home with some interest from other clubs in signing him. The Stags played 3-5-2 in both halves, as they did in both halves in Portugal. It is the same formation England have played in the World Cup. David Flitcroft is short of full backs, and will surely have to sign one before the season starts, and this may have forced his hand in playing this formation. Flitcroft will also have to sign a centre half (which may or may not be trialist Nathan Cameron) It was a lovely evening in Bradford. Bradford included 5 trialists in the first half. On 2 minutes, a Bradford throw from the left caught the Stags defence cold (Pearce in particular) and Trialist no.9 had a free shot from the left, whoch he curled over. At the other end a minute later, Otis Khan curled a free kick from 25 yards straight at the keeper Steven Drench. A good challenge by Matt Preston on 5 minutes. On 9 minutes, MacDonald won a corner, and Khan’s corner was cleared. On 11 minutes, a chance for the Stags as Tyler Walker shot low from 22 yards, and the keeper got down to his left to save easily. Some good skill from the home side which was typified on 15 minutes as Ben McKenna won a corner. Then on 17 minutes Trialist no.10 for Bradford fired over the bar from a tight angle on the right. It was a rusty start from the Stags. On 18 minutes, a nice move from Mansfield, Khan to Benning, who cut inside, and had the chance to shoot but didn’t pull the trigger with his right foot, and instead laid off to his right to White, who wasted his cross. A minute later, good play from Davies who found Khan whose low shot was on target and blocked. Seconds later, Khan found Walker whose weak low shot from inside the area was saved. On 22 minutes, Davies curled a shot from the edge of the area wide of the right post. Pearce was beaten to the ball on 23 minutes and had to concede a free kick. Moments later, White gave the ball away, and was then dumped on his backside by good trickery from the left winger but the cross came to nothing. On 28 minutes, Khan cut inside from the left and his shot was deflected through to the keeper. On 31 minutes, White slid the ball across to Tyler Walker, but his first touch was too slow, and his shot was easily blocked for a corner. Nicky Clee got past Pearce too easily on 33 minutes, and Pearce brought him down from behind to pick up a booking. Pearce soon gave away another foul. It summed up a poor half for him. On 40 minutes, Pearce played a lovely ball to Khan, who got the ball onto his left foot and sent a super shot against the bar. Easily Mansfield’s best moment so far. On 44 minutes, great play and a good cross from Khan from the right, Benning came in from the left and volleyed right footed over the bar from 7 yards. Mansfield looked rusty and lacked intensity in that first half, and it was the home side that caught the eye, though without forcing Bobby Olejnik into any saves. The Stags had improved just before the break with those chances for Khan and Benning. Matt Preston looked solid at the back. Nathan Cameron didn’t really do anything either way to catch the eye. Pearce had a half to forget as already noted. Benning did well at wing back, while White did ok on the other side. MacDonald was quiet in midfield but looked nice and fit. Neal Bishop disappointed in midfield, but it’s very early days. Up front, Davies did well with some hold up play and creating a couple of chances. Walker did ok but finishing was weak. Both Davies and Walker would be behind Lee Angol in the pecking order based on what we have seen in the opening two games, however there is plenty of time to go before the league games start. Khan was the standout player in that disappointing first half. Half time 0-0 The Stags changed the team for the second half. A reminder of the team: (3-5-2): Conrad Logan; Henri Wilder (youngster), Paul Digby, Lewis Gibbens (youngster); Will Atkinson, Calum Butcher, Jacob Mellis, Omari Sterling-James, CJ Hamilton; Lee Angol, Jordan Graham (youngster). Bradford made 5 changes at half time, including bringing on former Stag Gianluca Havern, who played four games for Mansfield in the Conference under David Holdsworth nearly a decade ago. Bradford then made another change early in the second half, and 4 more on 65 minutes. So 10 changes by 65 minutes. Their media man was tearing his hair out, with so many trialists, and players wearing the wrong shirts. On 46 minutes, Logan had to be out of his area quickly to head away a long ball forward. The Stags were looking a more lively side than the first half though. Mellis forward to Angol to Hamilton, Hamilton slipped in the area, but the Stags won a corner on the left. And from it, on 49 minutes, the Stags opened the scoring. Mellis took the corner short to Angol, back to Mellis, who fired through a crowd of defenders into the net from 12 yards. And it was 2-0 on 52 minutes. Angol laid a ball off to Atkinson in the middle 28 yards from goal, Angol carried on running out towards the right, Atkinson found him in space just inside the area, and Angol fired low into the bottom left corner from 14 yards on the right, despite the keeper getting a touch on it. Neat play from the Stags. On 54 minutes, a super ball from Mellis out to Atkinson on the right, but he couldn’t quite control it. A minute later, Atkinson clipped a nice left footed ball across from the right and it was just in front of Hamilton to get a header on it. Nice play. On 58 minutes, a corner from the right by Mellis, and young Gibbens got in a close range effort which was blocked wide. A minute later, Sterling-James got along the byline on the left, pulled the ball back to Graham, whose low shot was going wide but a deflection took it for a corner. From the resulting corner from Mellis, Butcher got in a header which was heading for the top corner before it was headed off the line. Rare second half action at the other end on 61 minutes, as from a corner from the left, Trialist no.19 glanced a header wide of the right post. On 62 minutes, following Logan’s goal-kick, Angol scuffed a shot wide from just inside the area, with a deflection for a corner. Following the resulting corner, great play from Mellis on the right, and a super chip to the far post where young Gibbens got up high and looped a header which the young 16 year old Trialist keeper somehow clawed away with a wonderful save. On 67 minutes, Sterling-James dinked in a cross, and Jordan Graham’s header was heading towards the roof of the net when it was well-tipped over by the young keeper. On 69 minutes, Sterling-James was brought down 24 yards from goal. Angol took the resulting free kick, but unlike his free kick at Yeovil at the end of last season from a similar position, he could only fire into the wall. A minute later, Sterling-James did well to get the ball to Butcher, who shot was saved low down. On 71 minutes, another great ball from Mellis out to Atkinson, but Atkinson fouled his man. On 74 minutes, great play from Graham on the left to get in a cross, but it was blocked. It was 3-0 on 79 minutes. Mellis chipped yet another lovely ball from outside the area to the right where Atkinson headed back across goal from about level with the penalty spot setting up the chance for Angol who side-footed home from 8 yards with just the keeper to beat. Really good goal, though the defence was static. Bradford Park Avenue had barely been in the game in the second half. On 80 minutes, Trialist no.19 sent a free kick from 25 yards straight into the Mansfield wall. Young Nyle Blake replaced Sterling-James on 81 minutes. Sterling-James had been involved in a crunching challenge moments earlier. Blake went in at right wing-back, with Atkinson moving into the middle. On 85 minutes, good play from Angol outside the area, and then a good low cross from Butcher which was cleared. Moments later, marvellous play from CJ Hamilton to get the ball into an area to cross from the right, but his cross was terrible and over the bar. Come on CJ, get that end product right. On 86 minutes, Nyle Blake crossed from the right, and Jordan Graham bundled wide from 8 yards. On 88 minutes, Calum Butcher played a wonderful ball forward from the halfway line which split the defence and gave Atkinson a run at goal, but Atkinson’s 1-on-1 shot was saved by the keeper, who then saved bravely at the feet of Angol. Superb from the young 16 year old trialist keeper. A dominant and impressive second half from the Stags, against a Bradford Park Avenue side, who had changed 10 of the 11 players by 65 minutes, and were looking nowhere near the team that played the first half. Mellis was simply outstanding in midfield, running the show. He did this last pre-season too, for example recall his stunning display at Alfreton. Angol looked sharp up front, with strong running and two goals. As in Portugal, young Jordan Graham alongside Angol looked a real prospect. CJ Hamilton was lively at left wing back, though he had little defending to do. Omari Sterling-James did well in midfield. Calum Butcher had a decent half, with one defence splitting pass to set up a 1-on-1 for Atkinson. Atkinson impressed at right wing back with some good work getting forward. Like Hamilton he wasn’t really tested at the back. At the back, youngsters Henri Wilder and Lewis Gibbens looked composed and not out of place, albeit not put under too much pressure, alongside Paul Digby who returned to the side having not travelled to Portugal. In goal, Logan, as Olejnik in the first half, had very little to do. Man of the match: Jacob Mellis |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the Horsfall Stadium
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Line Up:
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1st half team (3-5-2):
Bobby Olejnik; Krystian Pearce, Matt Preston (new signing from Swindon), Nathan Cameron (on trial); Hayden White, Alex MacDonald, Neal Bishop (new signing from Scunthorpe), Otis Khan (new signing from Yeovil), Mal Benning; Tyler Walker (season loan from Forest), Craig Davies (new signing from Oldham). 2nd half team (3-5-2): Conrad Logan; Henri Wilder (youngster), Paul Digby, Lewis Gibbens (youngster); Will Atkinson, Calum Butcher, Jacob Mellis, Omari Sterling-James, CJ Hamilton; Lee Angol, Jordan Graham (youngster). SUMMARY OF PLAYER PERFORMANCES: Mansfield looked rusty and lacked intensity in that first half, and it was the home side that caught the eye, though without forcing Bobby Olejnik into any saves. The Stags had improved just before the break with those chances for Khan and Benning. Matt Preston looked solid at the back. Nathan Cameron didn’t really do anything either way to catch the eye. Pearce had a half to forget as already noted. Benning did well at wing back, while White did ok on the other side. MacDonald was quiet in midfield but looked nice and fit. Neal Bishop disappointed in midfield, but it’s very early days. Up front, Davies did well with some hold up play and creating a couple of chances. Walker did ok but finishing was weak. Both Davies and Walker would be behind Lee Angol in the pecking order based on what we have seen in the opening two games, however there is plenty of time to go before the league games start. Khan was the standout player in that disappointing first half. A dominant and impressive second half from the Stags, against a Bradford Park Avenue side, who had changed 10 of the 11 players by 65 minutes, and were looking nowhere near the team that played the first half. Mellis was simply outstanding in midfield, running the show. He did this last pre-season too, for example recall his stunning display at Alfreton. Angol looked sharp up front, with strong running and two goals. As in Portugal, young Jordan Graham alongside Angol looked a real prospect. CJ Hamilton was lively at left wing back, though he had little defending to do. Omari Sterling-James did well in midfield. Calum Butcher had a decent half, with one defence splitting pass to set up a 1-on-1 for Atkinson. Atkinson impressed at right wing back with some good work getting forward. Like Hamilton he wasn’t really tested at the back. At the back, youngsters Henri Wilder and Lewis Gibbens looked composed and not out of place, albeit not put under too much pressure, alongside Paul Digby who returned to the side having not travelled to Portugal. In goal, Logan, as Olejnik in the first half, had very little to do. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Sub: Nyle Blake (youngster) (for Sterling-James, 81 mins)
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Opposition Line Up:
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(Starting XI): Drench, Trialist, Lowe, Trialist, Killock, Trialist, McKenna, Boshell, Trialist, Trialist, Clee. Substitutes (all used): Toulson, Trialist, Wroe, Havern, Spencer, Nowakowski, Johnson, Trialist, Onion, Johnson, Rowntree.
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Referee:
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James Bell
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