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Archived News from January 2009

ALTY PREVIEWS PLUS COMMENTARY DETAILS
9th January 2009 20:52


pitch inspection at 9.30am on Saturday.
First news will be on mansfieldtown.net and http://www.altrinchamfc.co.uk/alty1.htm


NOTE - FOR ANY PITCH UPDATES ON SATURDAY, VISIT MANSFIELDTOWN.NET. THIS PAGE WILL NOT BE UPDATED.

If you can't get to Field Mill on Saturday, then as usual StagsWorld will bring you full match commentary by Nigel Pinnick and Martin Shaw, who have great faces for radio as you can see


Note that the BBC is not providing commentary for Altrincham fans.

To sign up to StagsWorld, click here.
A reminder that StagsWorld subscribers can watch video footage of ALL the goals from EVERY Stags league and cup game this season ... sadly apart from Kettering away :-(. To view the goals, StagsWorld subscribers should go here and sign in.

A reminder that commentary of all Stags away games is available online, free to air, at bbc.co.uk/nottingham, brought to you by David Jackson and Martin Shaw.

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Pitch perfect says groundsman Mez: video interview here. Mez told mansfieldtown.net: "If the game was today 100% (it would be on). It is perfect at the moment. There is a bit of frost coming out, but everything should be fine."

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Weather forecast UPDATE: Ms Blizzard on BBC EMT at 6.55pm on Friday: -4 degrees on Friday night, and 2 degrees on Saturday.


Weather forecast: Des on BBC EMT at 6.55pm on Thursday: predicted 2 degrees with fog during the day on Friday, -2 on Friday night, and 3 degrees on Saturday.

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All sorts of BSP news at the amazing Altrincham offcial site here.

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Scott Garner gives his first ever interview, to StagsWorld ... subscribers should login to StagsWorld now to view the video here

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StagsWorld freeview video - David Holdswworth press conference here

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CHAD VIDEO: Holdsworth interview here

David Holdsworth promises his new team will be the fittest, strongest and most organised
CHAD.co.uk, 08 January 2009

THE talking is over, the new signings made and David Holdsworth is now finally looking forward to his overdue first game as Mansfield Town manager when Altrincham visit on Saturday.
And with six new faces arriving this week and two more possibly in the pipeline, the existing squad know they suddenly have huge competition for places as Stags strive to fight clear of the BSP drop zone after an unexpected 10-day break from action.

"They are fighting for their futures here - if they don't deliver they will be on the first road out of Mansfield," said Holdsworth.

"There may be casualties - that's life! I am here to win and I won't accept any vulnerability or weakness.

"We should be the fittest, strongest and most organised team in the league given time.

"We have great facilities and wonderful help around this town. We need to be athletic."

Although wanting to utilise wingers and not become one-dimensional, Holdsworth will expect his side to get the ball foward quicker than his predecessor Billy McEwan.

He said: "I want to win matches. I am not here to please everyone and, while I want us to express ourselves in the right areas, we do need to get the ball foward quicker.

"Against Burton the only balls conducive to hurting them were behind them. But we do have to mix our football up.

"I love wingers, so players like Michael Blackwood and Nathan Arnold will enjoy themselves under me.

"And Louis Briscoe (new signing this week from Ilkeston) can play either wing too and will put Michael and Nathan under pressure.

"He has very strong potential and gives us options on both wings. He is also another option up front on the right of a 4/3/3 which I do like to play.

"We will play a pressing game with a high work ethic. If we have to win ugly sometimes then we will. We are here to win.

"I think we lay down a bit against Burton. You won't see a team of mine, when we are are ready, doing that. We didn't do enough that night.

"We didn't upset them at all and I don't think we got a tackle in until Gavin Hurren went straight through their lad and hurt himself.

"We need to get clean sheets and if you have a bad defence then you will shed goals. Then there is only one outcome from that which is me getting the sack."

Former Lincoln star keeper Alan Marriott will make his Mansfield debut on Saturday with ex-Chesterfield youngster and fellow newcomer Dan Whatsize providing keeper cover on the bench.

"I was aware of Alan as I had been doing my homework before I came here and looking at players at all levels," said the Stags boss.
"Alan is someone who knows how to keep clean sheets which is very important.

"He is a really good character and a very agile goalkeeper. He comes here very highly recommended and on one has had a bad word to say about him.
"I am also told he always played well against Mansfield!"

On Whatsize, he added: "He certainly has all the attributes. He has the size - he is built like a barn door.

"Luke Herriott is off ill which in causing us concern and we needed cover on the bench on Saturday. So we had to act quickly - I can't play in goal myself!"

At the back Stags will welcome 6ft 2ins teenager Scott Garner from Leicester City who has already played for Holdsworth on loan at Ilkeston and is seen by his boss as a possible future skipper.

Said Holdsworth: "Scott has that aerial ability and he is a winner. He gives us strength, height and youthfulness at the back. He is potentially a very, very good centre half.

Welsh striker Rob Duffy should put pen to paper today after being released by David's twin brother Dean at Newport County.

"Rob was playing up front on his own for my brother in a 4/5/1 which is not conducive to being a centre forward," said David.

"Also all the travelling was getting him down. But Rob has a good pedigree and hopefully we can get the best out of him here.

"He knows about putting the ball in the bag and he gets up to win headers - he should win all his first balls.

"Rob has got a bit about him. As I've said I am not into signing nice boys and Rob is a determined character.

"I don't want any ill discipline but I do want strong lads determined to win the first ball which he is.

"I chatted with Dean about it over lunch last Sunday and he didn't really want to let him go. He spoke very highly of Rob."

Apart from long term injured Jason White, Stags will be without striker Mark Stallard (back strain) and Alan O'Hare (ankle) on Saturday. Also new central midfielder Curtis Woodhouse will see his debut delayed a week by a one game suspension.

"Mark Stallard is injury free but he is not fit - there is a difference. And Alan O'Hare will be another 10 days with his ankle," said Holdsworth.

"Alan has been trying really hard to impress me but it has ended up setting him back. Sometimes you let your heart rule your brain when it should be the other way round."

Visiting Altrincham have two ex-Stags loanee strikers in their squad in Colin Little, who has netted 10 this season already, and Joe O'Neill as well as defender Mark McGregor who impressed on trial at Field Mill this summer but opted not to stay.

They beat the Stags 1-0 at their ground courtesy of that single goal after just 11 seconds of the game.

Since then they have more then held their own in the BSP and, despite a recent poor run of five games without a win and 17 goals conceded in those games, they have just bounced back to win 1-0 at Northwich and 2-1 at York in their last two games.

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