Archived News from July 2007
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ALFRETON TOWN 0 - 5 MANSFIELD TOWN
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ALFRETON TOWN 0 - 5 MANSFIELD TOWN
Arnold 2, Reet 3 Attendance 281 (approx 140 from Mansfield) Monday 30th July 2007 Stagsnet report by Gordon Cleugh at the Impact Arena Let the season finish now as I do not think you will see 4 better goals than those witnessed by the crowd of 281 at the Impact Arena on Monday night. The crowd was smaller than on previous visits but maybe some people were put off by the £9 entrance charge which is the same as they are charging for league games. Stags started with a side with quite a few first team regulars. Arnold's first goal was sensational just past the half hour mark. He got the ball around the half way line and raced down the right hand side and shot from just inside the area. Reet made it 2 just before half time with a 25 yard shot which the keeper misjudged and it went under his body. The 2nd half followed the friendly tradition of mass substitutions with Alfreton using 7 and Stags 5. In the 58th minute Reet added a third. He got the ball on the right and drilled the ball along the ground past the keeper from just inside the box to find the net on the far post. His hat trick came about 10 minutes later from a similar position although this time the keeper was further out and Reet made a superb lob over the keeper. The best goal was saved for last. Arnold's first goal was sensational but the 2nd was even better. Arnold got a loose ball about 10 yards into the Alfreton half and ran down the right as he did for his first goal before cutting in and shooting from just outside the box into the top left hand corner. He beat 3 players in this run. Trimmer had some promising runs in the 2nd half and McAliskey again looked useful. An entertaining evening and despite the admission price, I think everyone got their money's worth and I do not think we will see many better goals this season but I hope I am proved to be wrong. ------------- For photos from the game, visit the CHAD website at http://www.chad.co.uk/stags-news?articleid=3071627 Alfreton 0 Mansfield Town 5, 30th July CHAD report, By John Lomas A HAT-TRICK by Danny Reet and two sparkling solo efforts from Nathan Arnold saw Mansfield Town cruise to a 5-0 win at Conference North neighbours Alfreton Town in tonight's pre-season clash at the Impact Arena. Reet answered his critics with three goals inside 23 minutes - the first thanks to an error from home keeper Ale Barcherini - the other two superbly taken finishes. But even his triple was outshone by two magnificent Arnold goals, the first which saw him race away from the halfway line and the second which saw him race 40 yards and inside three defenders. The only down note for Mansfield was a pre-match warm-up injury for midfielder Stephen Dawson who sat the game out with his thigh heavily strapped. "I have got to be pleased with that - they did very well," said boss Billy Deaden. "Danny scored a hat-trick and now he has go to keep that up. That's what he is capable of doing. "Nathan promises to score and he has taken both goals very well tonight. Let's hope he can carry on that form every week too. "Our attitude was spot on and one or two of the younger lads did better tonight. "Stephen Dawson just felt his thigh tighten while he was warming up and so we just though he would be better off sitting it out and hope it will be fine for Saturday against Huddersfield." As promised Dearden played a strong side, Gareth Jelleyman drafted in for Dawson, but they were almost caught napping when Scott Ellis got a dangerous cross into the six yard box inside the first 30 seconds which was headed clear. Big John McAliskey really should have put Stags ahead on nine minutes from a superb Dan Martin through ball. But, with only the keeper to beat, he placed his low finish wide from a great position. Reet also shot tamely at Barcherini. But the home side did cause a few problems and Adam Morning sent a free kick too high, Ellis made a promising run into the box where he was finally crowded out at the crucial moment and Daniel Douglas-Pringle blasted straight at Carl Muggleton from 15 yards. Muggleton also got down well to cut out a dangerous Mark Barnard cross after his fine overlapping run on the left with Reds players ready and waiting to finish. But Arnold produced a moment of magic on 35 minutes to conjure up the first goal from nowhere. Mansfield were under pressure but cleared the ball towards halfway where Arnold showed a superb first touch on the halfway line. He then turned and ran at the home side, leaving them all trailing in his wake before slotting home past the keeper. A minute from the break it was 2-0 as Reet zipped in a daisycutter shot from 25 yards and Barcherini got it all wrong as he somehow dived over the ball when he looked certain to stop it. Chris Wood, who had his arm strapped after an earlier knock, did not reappear after the break, Jamie McGhee coming on in midfield, Jelleyman dropping to left back and Ashley Kitchen moving into the centre of defence. Alfreton swapped keepers at half time and within three minutes James Lindley had to make a fine save to deny Reet. On 50 minutes Tommy Hannigan sent a hurried clearance inches over his own crossbar and, from the corner, McAliskey headed against the far post. A two minute passage of play sealed the result as, on 56 minutes, Muggleton got down well to deny Matt Glass after he got goal side of the visiting defence. And, within two minutes, McAliskey headed on and Reet cleverly flicked the ball neatly over a defender's head before rifling home an unstoppable finish. As both sides changed their personnel at regular intervals, Laurie Wilson curled an Alfreton free kick wide while an offside flag denied McAliskey at the other end after Reet had sent him through. But it was 4-0 on 67 minutes and a deserved hat-trick for Reet. Under fire for his weight and lack of match fitness since midway through last season, Reet gave another reminder of his immense capabilities as he spotted Lindley off his line and lobbed him to perfection inside the far post from the right of the box. Alfreton tried hard for a consolation and Muggleton did well to tip over Wilson's dipping 20 yard shot on 82 minutes and then got in the way of Brian Cusworth's finish from Barnard's cross. Matt Glass also blasted a shot over from a tight angle. But the final word went to youngster Arnold who this time pounced quickly onto Barnard's slip 15 yards into the Alfreton half, taking possession and again racing away on the right. This time he had defenders in front of him but simply cut inside three of them with a burst of pace and crashed home a finish into the top left hand corner, giving Lindley no chance. That is three friendlies for Stags and two wins with clean sheets to follow the opening 1-1 draw. ALFRETON: Barcherini (Lindley ht), Wilson, Barnard, Hannigan (Henshaw 59), Winder, Wilson, Ellis (Glass ht), Brown (Walton 71), White (Cusworth 71), Douglas-Pringle (Outram ht), Morning (Bowler 71). STAGS: Muggleton, Mullins, Wood (McGhee ht), Bell (Burrell 66), Kitchen, Buxton (John-Baptiste 61), Arnold, Jelleyman (Storey 66), McAliskey (Trimmer 61), Reet, Martin. Sub not used: White. |
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