Archived News from August 2005
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MANSFIELD TOWN 3 - 0 TORQUAY UNITED
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Mansfield Town 3 - 0 Torquay United
Rundle 14, Peers 42, Brown 81 Att: 2,632 (192 from Torquay) Mansfield: Pressman, Peers, Buxton, Day, Jelleyman, Rundle (Brown 70), Dawson, McLachlan, Birchall, Barker (Beardsley 82), Tipton (Uhlenbeek 76). Subs Not Used: Coke, Lloyd. Goals: Rundle 15, Peers 43, Brown 82. Torquay: Marriott, McGlinchey, Woods, Taylor, Lawless, Hill, Hockley, Garner (Coleman 53), Sow (Sako 45), Priso (Connell 65), Kuffour. Subs Not Used: Sharp, Villis. Booked: Sow, Priso, Woods. Ref: S Mathieson (Cheshire). ----------- Mansfield 3-0 Torquay Mansfield eased past struggling Torquay to claim their first win of the season. Stags keeper Kevin Pressman saved from Matthew Hockley early on but Mansfield dominated and were worthy winners. Adam Rundle tapped in the first after Mathew Tipton beat his man and crossed to the far post and Gavin Peers made it 2-0, heading in after a scramble. Pressman denied Liam Coleman and Kevin Hill after the break but Simon Brown's superb lob from Stephen Dawson's pass sealed it for the Stags late on. ------------ Classy Stags shoot down the Gulls CHAD website MANSFIELD Town finally got what they deserved with a convincing 3-0 hammering of newly-relegated Torquay United at Field Mill this afternoon. Stags were frustrated after only taking one point from two good displays in their first two games of the season. But they looked a class apart in the pouring rain at Field Mill this afternoon as goals from Adam Rundle (15), Gavin Peers (43) and Simon Brown (81) saw them comfortably home with plenty to spare. Injured player-manager Carlton Palmer said: "I thought we had played some excellent football in the games so far but, today, it was just a case of eradicating the mistakes from set pieces which has been a fine line for us so far. "I am delighted for the fans who were magnificent today. That is the best football they have seen here for a long time. "In the end we could have had more goals than that. The lads have been a bit disappointed we didn't get more than a point from the first two games. "But we have stayed positive and worked hard. When you are conceding from set pieces it is down to bad defending and not bad luck. "They are a great set of lads who really want to do well and the fans just need to stay patient with them as they are young boys learning the game. But I am sure, if they do, they will give them something to cheer about this " Palmer decided to go for a surprise 4-4-2 formation and moved Birchall back to a right midfield role. Rundle replaced Uhlenbeek in midfield. Buxton replaced the injured Jon Hjelde (dead leg) in the centre of defence. Stags won an early corner. But Pressman was the first keeper in action, comfortably behind Hockley's 25-yard drive. The difficult conditions were getting worse with areas of the pitch starting to retain standing water and, had it not stopped by the break, the game might have actually been in danger. But Mansfield grabbed a 15th minute lead through Rundle. Tipton did superbly well on the right to skip round a defender and cross low. Lawless' challenge on Barker prevented the big striker converting right in front of goal, but Rundle made no mistake behind him with a free shot on the empty net. McLachlan was caught late by Sow on 20 minutes, earning the Frenchman a yellow card. Pressman had been largely a spectator for the first half-hour but did have to clutch a Kuffour header and then run out his box to clear before the same Torquay striker could reach a through ball. Dawson almost got McLachlan in for the home side but Woods produced a good challenge to prevent him getting in a finish. Marriott did well to tip a Peers cross over his bar as it threatened to dip under on 38 minutes. But Stags finally extended their lead two minutes from the break. Rundle took Mansfield's fifth corner from the right and defender Peers popped up with a firm header from five yards to give Marriott no chance as Stags went into the break with 2-0 cushion. Sow was replaced by 6ft 7ins Sako in the Gulls' midfield for the second half which saw Stags almost add to their tally in the opening seconds, Marriott keeping out a powerful Rundle shot from an angle at the near post. Then Dawson was inches wide from 30 yards from Jelleyman's free kick. Hill brought Pressman into the game when he saved his shot at the near post on 49 minutes. But it was Mansfield who looked more likely to net as they piled on the pressure. A low Birchall cross in front of goal just evaded everyone. Then McLachlan's shot, after a quick one-two with Birchall deflected wide. A good tackle by McLachlan on the dallying Sako saw him set up Tipton for a low shot that forced another save from Marriott. Priso's last action was to be booked for a foul on Dawson. And his replacement, Connell, almost made a sensational start as he forced a save from Pressman with his first touch. Rundle blazed wide of an open goal with a first time shot at the far post after Barker had crossed low across goal. Woods saw the visitors' third yellow card for a blatant trip on Tipton as their frustration grew. Stags sent on Brown for Rundle on 69 minutes to add fresh legs to the home side. The visitors almost conjured a goal from nothing when Pressman couldn't hold Connell's long range shot. But Buxton was on hand to clear the loose ball. After Uhlenbeek had come on for Tipton, Torquay had two quick chances. Firstly Lawless tried his luck from distance but found Pressman well placed. Then a cross to Kuffour was hooked just wide at the far post. But, after Beardsley had replaced Barker, the home side finally made sure of the points nine minutes from time. Dawson's through ball picked out the run of Brown. And, with Marriott off his line, he deftly chipped him to find the net. Beardsley put in a low shot straight at Marriott from Uhlenbeek's backheel as Stags pressed for a fourth. It was exhibition stuff now as Stags strung their passes together with Brown finally volleying over from Uhlenbeek's cross in the dying seconds. Torquay manager Leroy Rosenior slammed his side's display and raged: ""We were absolute rubbish from start to finish, apart from the young lads who came on and gave us some mobility in the second half. "I have some tough decisions to make and some hard work. But I want to go home, reflect on it and then go in tomorrow morning and sort things out. "I feel so sorry for our supporters. They were different class to come all this way to watch that. We were an absolute disgrace." He added: "I feel let down and that's never happened to me before. Even last season when we were losing we showed effort and application which we didn't today. "But I won't scream and shout or rant and rave. Action speaks louder than words. "Of course I ask questions of myself, too. If I didn't I wouldn't be the person that I am. If we are back to square one then so be it. But I won't make excuses for that rubbish." ------------------ http://www.torquayunited.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Match/LastMatch/0,,10445~29727,00.html Atrocious weather in the form of heavy rain left surface water on the pitch but the referee was happy for the match to go ahead. Almost straight from the kick-off Garner had a half chance but was beaten by the bounce. Kuffour saw a lot of the ball in the opening few minutes as the Gulls looked to open their League Two scoring campaign. With 5 minutes gone Woods made a good clearance with Marriott beaten, but the resulting corner was wasted. A minute later Priso, Kuffour and Hill linked well to set up a shot for Garner. A foul on Kuffour after 9 minutes led to a free-kick taken by Taylor. The shot was blocked and Hockley fired the rebound straight at Pressman. The Gulls were then forced to defend as Mansfield upped the tempo with Marriott and Woods needing to be alert to some good crosses. After 14 minutes Tipton then set up the first goal for Mansfield as Barker went in with Taylor but Rundle reached the ball first to fire past Marriott. Lawless then needed lengthy treatment for an injury sustained in the build up to the goal and the Gulls briefly went down to 10 men. Sow received a yellow card on 19 minutes for a heavy challenge on McLachlan within the centre circle. Barker had a good attempt with a header on 22 minutes as Birchall sent in a free-kick, but he put the ball wide, as he did again a moment later with a weak shot. The Gulls won their first corner in the 25th minute and Garner found Hockley with a short ball but Mansfield cleared. Peers then nearly set up Barker for a second but Woods was quick to spot the danger and clear up field. A free kick by Garner saw Kuffour loop a header towards Priso for the Gulls best chance to date after 29 minutes. Priso then nearly set up Kuffour but Pressman came out of his area to clear the ball. Marriott made a smart save low down following a break by Mansfield with 10 minutes remaining. Rundle had a chance to test Marriott but Hockley came in with a smart challenge to thwart him. Hill and Kuffour nearly set up Priso for the equaliser but his shot was pushed away by Pressman and an off-side decision then resulted. Marriott again was forced into a smart save as a cross from Peers dipped dangerously under his bar with 6 minutes of the first half remaining. Following a corner on 42 minutes Peers put Mansfield two up with a header from inside the 6 yard box. HT 2 - 0 Leroy made a half time change with Sako replacing Sow. Mansfield went for goal straight from the restart but Marriott was alert to Rundle's effort. Minutes later a free-kick saw Dawson drive the ball just wide from a pass by Jelleyman. Straight down to the other end Kuffour set up Hill but Pressman managed to make the save at the near post and gave away a corner. On 53 minutes Garner was replaced by Coleman. Birchall then drove a cross across the box but McGlinchey saw it out safely. Woods gave away a corner on 56 minutes and another chance went begging for Mansfield as the resulting ball from Birchall went across the box unchallenged. Another corner resulted which was cleared at the expense of yet another. Sako cleared this time. Hill had another good left-foot shot on 59 minutes but the ball again broke to Mansfield. Marriott was again called into action following a shot by Tipton as Mansfield remained in the Gulls half. Frustration saw Priso receive a yellow card for pulling the shirt of Peers in the 63rd minute and the resulting free-kick put more pressure on the Gulls defence. A minute later Connell replaced Priso and almost immediately Pressman had to save from Coleman. Mansfield wasted another chance in the 66th minute when Barker and Rundle had a chance but wasted them. A minute later Coleman then nearly set up Connell who just couldn't quite reach the ball Tipton then beat Woods who hacked him down and received a yellow card for his troubles. Mansfield replaced Rundle with Brown on 69 minutes. Connell shot from 30 yards to force a good save from Pressman in the 73rd minute, winning a corner. The corner came to nothing. Mansfield then replaced Tipton with Uhlenbeek, and then Lawless tested Pressman. Kuffour fired just wide on 77 minutes as the Gulls continued to look for a goal. With 10 minutes remaining Taylor was forced to give away another corner but the danger was finally cleared by Taylor, who found Woods and then Kuffour. Then, in the 81st minute Brown made it three as he beat Marriott off his line following a through ball from Dawson. Only a sliding tackle by McGlinchey denied Uhlenbeek a chance on goal as the home side kept the pressure on. The Gulls won a corner with 3 minutes left. It was taken by Coleman, but they could not capitalise. Beardsley then forced Marriott into another good save with a minute left. In added on time Brown nearly made it four with a shot on the turn which went just over the bar. FT 3 - 0 ----------- |
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