Archived News from July 2009
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FRIENDLY: MANSFIELD 3 WALSALL 1
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Mansfield Town 3 - 1 Walsall
Hughes OG 7, Jones 16, Briscoe 32. Till 46 Attendance: 1749 (39 from Walsall) Date: 28 July 2009 ---------------- Stagsnet player ratings now in the Match centre Podcast of StagsWorld commentary: by Nigel Pinnick and Steve Hartshorn, with comments by Gary Silk: 1st half 2nd half ---------------- Holdsworth and Ryan Williams post match video interview ---> http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/FromTheBoss/0,,10325~1736335,00.html --------------- BBC.co.uk report Walsall succumb to Stags pressure League One side Walsall were beaten 3-1 in their pre-season clash with Blue Square Premier outfit Mansfield Town. A Mark Hughes own goal, plus strikes from Luke Jones and Louis Briscoe put the Stags 3-0 up by half-time. New Saddlers signing Peter Till scored his first goal for the club in netting his side's second-half consolation. Trialist Jamie Vincent was given another chance to impress by manager Chris Hutchings, who is yet to decide whether to offer him a contract. ----------------- Sloppy Saddlers come unstuck at Stags by Ken Montgomery, Birmingham Mail http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/walsall-fc/walsall-fc-results-reports/2009/07/29/sloppy-saddlers-come-unstuck-at-stags-97319-24265998/ THREE goals in 25 first-half minutes saw Blue Square Conference club Mansfield Town sink Walsall at Field Mill. The night went badly from the seventh minute when new signing Mark Hughes put the ball into his own net and within 32 minutes the Saddlers trailed 3-0. Despite the tonic of an immediate reply by Peter Till after the break, the home side would not allow Walsall to make further inroads. Josh O'Keefe lost possession upfield with a loose backheel that sparked a Stags break which saw Hughes poke the ball past Rene Gilmartin after a cross took a deflection. It was 2-0 on 16 minutes as Paul Heckingbottom's 30-yard free-kick bounced through everyone in the area and found the net, though Luke Jones and Rob Duffy joined Heckingbottom's claims for the goal. Home keeper Alan Marriott finally had work to do a minute later, blocking a low Steve Jones shot, and Hughes headed wide from the resulting corner. But otherwise the half belonged to Mansfield with Rob Duffy and Scott Garner going close before Louis Briscoe's header from Duffy's cross caught out a hesitant defence on 32 minutes. The Saddlers needed a quick way back into the contest and were gifted it within 35 seconds of the restart as sloppy defending saw Sam Parkin rob Scott Garner in his own area and pull the ball back from the by-line for new signing Till to stroke home from eight yards.inside in the last minute, the nearest the Saddlers came to further threaten Marriott's goal. WALSALL: Gilmartin; Westlake, Hughes, Smith, Vincent; Till, Bradley, O'Keefe, Adkins; Jones, Parkin. Not used: Cooney, Partridge, McCourt, Paterson, Bowderman, Forde. --------------------- It's open season warns Hutchings http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/07/29/its-open-season-warns-hutchings Walsall manager Chris Hutchings has warned his players it is open season on starting spots after labelling their first-half showing at Mansfield “embarrassing.” The Saddlers were taken apart by the Stags and were 3-0 down inside the first 33 minutes at Field Mill last night thanks to Mark Hughes' own goal, Luke Jones' header and Louis Briscoe's effort. Peter Till restored some battered pride to make it 3-1 a minute after the break. Hutchings has now told his squad competition for starting berths for the League One opener at Brighton in 10 days is wide open. The manager said: “I said to them it was quite embarrassing in the first half. I wondered if we were colour blind because I don't think they realised what colour we were playing in. “Shirts are up for grabs and I said that's what they're playing for. “If they work hard through the week and come to places like Mansfield on a rainy Tuesday evening, you have to perform. “It's then you find out who has got character and those who don't have character.” ------------------ Stags' Briscoe has world at his feet Evening Post, July 31, 2009 MANSFIELD Town winger Louis Briscoe has the world at his feet in forging a superb career out of the game. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Stags-Briscoe-world-feet/article-1211107-detail/article.html That is the view of fellow winger Ryan Williams after the 21-year-old dazzled once again in pre-season in the 3-1 win against League One Walsall. Briscoe arrived at Field Mill from Ilkeston Town in January shortly after his old Robins boss David Holdsworth was named Mansfield manager. He had previously made a handful of appearances for Port Vale before Hednesford, Leek and Stafford Rangers in non-league. But club captain Williams believes if Briscoe continues to progress, he can star further up the Football League ladder. Williams said: "He is fantastic. He has the world at his feet and can go as far as he wants to. He has everything – pace, power, can be direct and has a lot of ability. I cannot speak highly enough of him and we are grateful to have him." Briscoe has already extended his contract until the summer of 2011 and scored a header midweek. And manager Holdsworth is delighted with his improvement. He said: "He is hard to mark, hard to play against when he is like that. The lad is phenomenal. "The most important thing is you can hear the crowd sucking him in, the anticipation of an electric run. "But also against Walsall he listened to me. He laid the ball off at a good pace and at a good angle and did not try to do more than he could because he was being marked by several players. "They all followed him but he used his intelligence which means he is listening." --------------------- Holdsworth's hails powerhouse Louis CHAD.co.uk, By John Lomas David Holdsworth hailed Louis Briscoe's man of the match display tonight as Stags swept aside League One Walsall 3-1 in tonight's Field Mill friendly. http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Holdsworth39s-hails-powerhouse-Louis.5501955.jp "Louis is hard to play against when he is like that," said the manager after Briscoe had scored one and almost had a hat-trick. "He is phenomenal and you can hear the crowd sucking him in as they anticipate another exciting run. "But the good tADVERTISEMENThing is that he is a young man willing to listen and learn and there were times tonight he did as I asked and didn't try to do too much and laid the ball off when he was being marked by seven of their players! "I was pleased with the work out against good opposition. There were a lot of good performances tonight and out work rate was excellent. I was delighted with the contributions everyone made. "Again I was very grateful to Chris Hutchings and Martin O'Connor for bringing a strong squad here and we wish them well for the new season." An argument continues over who scored the second goal and Holdsworth admitted; "I have no idea – eight of them are claiming it! "But I was pleased we had put the ball into an area we work very hard on reaching in training. It is nice to see training ground moves working. "The temperature is rising now as the season gets closer and while some managers are having a few twitches I have none, I am very pleased with my squad. "As a manager you never know how long it will take to gel with 12 new players. But we have a great togetherness already and there are some good partnerships building up. "We will work hard at training tomorrow and then we are all going out for a curry tomorrow night." The only injury from the game was more hamstring trouble for Paul Heckingbottom and he will be assessed and monitored tomorrow. --------------- Stags 3 Walsall 1, Tuesday 28th July CHAD.co.uk, By John Lomas MANSFIELD Town blew away League One Walsall with three goals inside 25 first half minutes in a sparkling display in tonight's pre-season friendly at Field Mill. http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Stags-3-Walsall-1-Tuesday.5501500.jp Back to full strength, with eight changes, after Saturday's disappointing loss at Alfreton, David Holdsworth's men had the bit between the teeth from the off tonight and were helped on their way by an early Mark Hughes own goal. Paul Heckingbottom's then claimed his 16th minute free kick had gone in directly though both Rob Duffy and Luke Jones are also claiming they got a touch. But there was no disputing man of the match Louis Briscoe's 32nd minute diving header. Sloppy defending on the restart offered Walsall an unexpected way back as new signing Peter Till netted. But the visitors never looked capable of rescuing this one against a Stags side operating two leagues below them. Perry might have given Stags a shock first minute lead as Duffy picked him out with a great cross from the right. But the big striker planted a free far post header wide. But Perry did help put Stags ahead on seven minutes. O'Keefe gave the ball away with a loose backheel on the edge of the Stags box and Mansfield broke quickly with Perry using his size to shrug off the challenge of Westlake on the left. He then whipped in a cross which took a deflection and recent signing from Northampton Hughes stuck out a leg to inadvertently divert the ball past his own keeper from six yards. Mansfield continued their bright start and doubled their lead on 16 minutes. This time Heckingbottom sent in a free kick from the right which appeared to sneak through everyone and find its way into the net inside Gilmartin's right hand post, though Jones may have got a touch. Clearly stung, the Saddlers went straight upfield and Jones forced Marriott into a low save to his right to concede a corner from which Hughes headed just wide. Stags squandered another chance on 26 minutes as a loose pass in the visitors' defence allowed Williams to put over a cross from the left right onto the head of Duffy who lost his sense of direction at the far post and headed wide when he should have forced Gilmartin into action. But it was 3-0 on 32 minutes. Duffy was the provider with a right wing cross that saw Briscoe get between a hesitant defence to thrown himself into a diving header just inside the six yard box that beat Gilmartin. Armstrong replaced a limping Heckingbottom at left back before Stags won their second corner of the night which saw Garner head straight at Gilmartin. Nix replaced D'Laryea in the Stags midfield for the second half which was only 35 seconds old when sloppy defending offered Walsall a lifeline goal. Garner allowed Parkin to rob him on the by-line in his own box and roll back a pass for Till to stroke home a simple low finish. Stags settled after that early shock and began to take a grip again and twice Garner terrified the Walsall defence with strong runs down the centre, the second time rolling a finish inches wide of the far post. Marriott was easily behind a tame low shot on the turn by Parkin from 18 yards. On 61 minutes Bradley's ball found Parkin inside the box and this time he turned superbly before forcing Marriott to beat away his finish. A triple switch by the home side on 63 minutes saw Bradley, Istead and Clare on for Perry, Williams and Briscoe, soon followed by Graham and Speight on for Jones and Duffy. The flow of substitutes inevitably affected the flow of the game and the visitors were offering little threat of clawing any further back into it apart from a powerful 20 yard from Till which flew over on 77 minutes. In the final minute Somner wasn't far wide with a low 25 yard effort while soon after Till lifted a final 20 yard effort over Marriott's crossbar as Stags hung on for a well deserved success. STAGS: Marriott; Gardner, Jones (Graham 68), Garner, Heckinbottom (Armstrong 34); Briscoe (Istead 63), Mills (Somner 78), D'Laryea (Nix ht) , Williams (Bradley 63); Duffy (Speight 68), Perry (Clare 63). Subs; Sandercombe. WALSALL: Gilmartin; Westlake, Hughes, Smith, Vincent; Till, Bradley, O'Keefe, Adkins; Jones, Parkin. Subs: Cooney, Partridge, McCourt, Paterson, Bowderman, Forde. REFEREE: David Coote of Nottingham. ATTENDANCE: 1,749 (49 away fans - correction by Martin - it was 39) ---------------- Mansfield Town 3, Walsall 1 Evening Post report MANSFIELD Town fired three first-half goals on their way to upsetting League One Walsall at Field Mill. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Report-Mansfield-Town-3-Walsall-1/article-1203580-detail/article.html The Stags took the game to the Saddlers from the first whistle and a Mark Hughes own goal, a Paul Heckingbottom free kick and Louis Briscoe's header had the Stags 3-0 up after 32 minutes. Peter Till pulled one back straight after the break but it was the Blue Square Premier side that came out 3-1 winners last night. After Rob Duffy wasted a good chance in the opening minute, Kyle Perry used his big frame to shrug off Daryl Westlake before whipping in a low cross from the left. And as it fizzed across the six-yard box, Hughes slid in to clear, only to turn it into the bottom corner of his own net. Mansfield's dominance continued and they doubled their advantage on 16 minutes. Heckingbottom curled in a superb free kick from the right and indecision from the Walsall defence allowed the inswinger to make its way through a sea of bodies and into the back of the net, although Luke Jones and Duffy tried claiming the final touch. It prompted the first real attack from the visitors, who responded through Steve Jones but his low effort was palmed away by Alan Marriott. Duffy could twice have got on the scoresheet for the Stags, first shooting wide from Perry's lay-off before wasting a golden chance with a poor back-post header. But Duffy turned provider when he crossed from the right for the on-rushing Briscoe, who dived in to beat the advancing goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin and head into the bottom corner from eight yards. Walsall pulled one back 38 seconds after the restart when hesitation at the back cost the Stags. Sam Parkin capitalised and from the byline, he pulled it back for Till who drilled the ball beyond Marriott. Mansfield recovered from the early blow and Briscoe deserved another goal when he burst forward from his own half only to pull his shot just wide of the far post from inside the Walsall box. The visitors were looking more dangerous as Mark Bradley threaded Parkin down the left of the box and he turned Scott Gardner only to see Marriott save his shot. The inevitable flurry of changes from Mansfield boss David Holdsworth disrupted the pattern of play late on, but gave him a chance to run the rule over all his squad. ------------------- |
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