Archived News from April 2007
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DEARDEN, WHITE AND ASA CHARLTON REACTION
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Stags skipper faces surgery
CHAD website STAGS skipper Jake Buxton faces a knee operation tomorrow morning - but the club hopes he will be fit to return within two or three weeks. Buxton has missed the last two games with cartilage problem and he has now been booked in for a clean-up operation early tomorrow morning. He has played on through the pain barrier in recent weeks as Mansfield made sure of gaining enough points for League Two safety but will now have the operation. Jon D'Laryea continued to improve with his ankle ligament injury and the club are hopeful he will be fir for next weekend's visit of beaten Johnstone's Paints Trophy finalists Bristol Rovers. Youngster Chris Wood has gone out on a month's loan to non-League neighbours Ilkeston Town. --------- KNEE OP COULD END SEASON FOR BUXTON Evening Post, 02 April 2007 The Stags' skipper missed the 0-0 draw at Wrexham on Saturday after struggling for weeks. Buxton, 22, is disappointed to miss the run-in, especially as he was also ruled out at the end of last season after cracking his toe at Barnet. He said: "I've been to see a specialist and they have diagnosed it as a meniscal tear on the side of my knee." DRAW A FAIR RESULT BUT WE COULD HAVE SNATCHED IT, SAYS DEARDEN Evening Post, 02 April 2007 Billy Dearden admits he faces a central defensive selection headache after Mansfield's injury problems mounted in the 0-0 draw at Wrexham. With skipper Jake Buxton already sidelined with a knee injury that will be operated on today, Jon-Olav Hjelde was forced off at the Racecourse Ground. That leaves the Stags boss short of cover, with Gareth Jelleyman playing as an emergency centre-back following Hjelde's substitution. "Jake is going to be out for two or three weeks, so to lose Jon as well is a big blow," said Dearden. "We might have to look at moving Jells into the middle, but we defended our box very well, especially when we had to make the change. "I was pleased with Jells. It is probably the best game he has had for a few weeks. I think he enjoyed the change and Bap [Alex John-Baptiste] played very well alongside him. "We looked good from set-pieces and there was only the one occasion right at the end where we lost a man and then Jason [White] made a decent save. "I thought we rolled our sleeves up and fought for it and it was pleasing to see that fight. "The 7,000-plus backing them wanted to see a home win but there was no way they were going to get it with our lads' determination." Although he felt a draw was a fair result, Dearden was disappointed that Mansfield had not snatched all three points when Martin Gritton missed a golden chance. But as a former striker himself, the Stags manager sympathised with his player. "It was a bit scrappy and typical of a game where one side is fighting for their lives and I thought 0-0 was probably a fair result," said Dearden. "You only get round the back probably three or four times away from home and you have to make it count. "Martin had the best chance of the game from a great cross by Matty [Hamshaw]. It seemed he only needed to get his head on it to score, but he has missed by a couple of inches. "We have all been in that situation but he just has to try to get there again and I'm sure it will go in next time." Dearden had hoped to sort out both his contract and those of some of his players last week, only for progress to be halted by his three-day illness. But he does hope things will get moving over the next week or so. He said: "I want to sort things this week with Mr Haslam. I've already had a word with him and things seem to be OK." Youngster Chris Wood has gone on loan to UniBond Premier Division side Ilkeston Town. ---------------- Audio interviews with Billy Dearden and Jason White from Mansfield 103.2 here --------- Audio interview with Billy Dearden from BBC Radio Nottingham (RealPlayer needed) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/football/2007/stags_wrexham_away_manager.ram ------------ Audio interview with Asa Charlton from BBC Radio Nottingham (RealPlayer needed) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/football/2007/stags_wrexham_away_player.ram |
Latest | April 2007