Archived News from September 2009
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HOLDSWORTH AND GARY PHILLIPS REACTION
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103.2 audio with Marriott, Speight, Armstrong, Mills, Mick Woodward --->
http://www.mansfield103.co.uk/xtra.php?e=2 ------------------ BBC Radio Nottm and BBC Essex audio interview with David Holdsworth and Grays Athletic manager Gary Phillips ---> http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/8234474.stm Grays Athletic manager Gary Phillips told BBC Essex: "I'm very pleased with the performance. "Again we've had four or five debutants again today and they've put in a proper performance. "We always look like scoring goals, but obviously we're still playing catch-up with our fitness at the moment and it shows." Mansfield Town manager David Holdsworth told BBC Radio Notttingham: "We had enough chances there to win three games. We got in an unbelievable amount of positions. "We had so many chances inside their box, you wonder how it slipped away. "You've got to take your chances in football. You've got to have that ability to put the ball in the net." ---------------- Wasteful Stags count the cost CHAD.co.uk, By John Lomas FANS left Grays' unlikely 1-1 draw with Mansfield Town on Saturday talking about the superb goalkeeping of home debutatant Lee Butcher. The Spurs loanee was man of the match but Stags know their domination should have seen them win with plenty to spare at a very poor Grays side and only a moment's lapse allowed the home side back in it after Jake Speight had put Stags ahead on 12 minutes. http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Wasteful-Stags-count-the-cost.5621409.jp But Jamie Slabber was gifted a free header on 36 minutes and, despite one-way traffic, Butcher stood firm to deny Mansfield. "I would love to say we didn't create chances but we lost count how many we did create and ran out of paper to mark them down," said stunned Mansfield boss David Holdsworth. "I don't know how we didn't win that. We had enough chances to win three games. "We have come on the road, it's been a long journey, and we have worked out socks off and created an unbelievable amount of chances. "But we have wasted a couple from six yards, Pezzer (Kyle Perry) has hit the bar and their keeper has made some unbelievable saves. "One error of judgement and concentration has cost us. Luke Jones has held his hands up and understands. He switched off, "Grays had 15 minutes or so before half-time but it took them 26 minutes to get in a shot. "I feel for the boys. It does feel like a defeat. But we were by far the superior team and I can't grumble as it is a point on the road which is a positive. "I wasn't happy at half-time and had to remind them of their duties in no uncertain terms. I got the reaction I wanted and it was one-way. "The work rate was there and the desire was there. If I am going to be critical I would say we need a bit more quality in the final third." Stags skipper Gary Mills, back in after injury, added: "We dominated the game so we are disappointed with the draw. "It is not as if we didn't create chances, but it was just one of those days where it didn't go for us. "There keeper got my vote for man of the match – he made some great saves. "We were disappointed as a team with the goal we gave away because we pride ourselves on our clean sheets and we didn't get one." Grays boss Gary Phillips said: "We are still playing catch-up and in the last 20 minute we had to dig in and get the flack jackets on! "But we defended resolutely and the keeper made two magnificent saves. "That's the third game on the trot we've gone behind, so it would be lovely to go in front for once and see what happens. "They are a good bunch of kids, honest, and are having a real go. We played some decent stuff at times. "I think Jamie Slabber was wearing the old invisible cloak when he got his free header for the equaliser! But it was quality ball in from Richard Graham which is what he is good at. "And there was still work that had to be done for the centre forward as he has got away from someone. "I know we will still get some criticism. But if we show today's heart and passion and the work rate and get match fitness to the level we want then they will be fine." -------------------- No drastic changes needed at Mansfield Evening Post LUKE Graham feels there is no need for Mansfield to make drastic changes to their game after drawing at Grays. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/drastic-changes-needed-Mansfield/article-1314022-detail/article.html Although failing to take maximum points was a blow for the Stags, the former Kettering man says only a few minor adjustments are needed. He is hoping the side can bounce back to winning ways as they attempt to make it seven games unbeaten at Kidderminster Harriers tomorrow night. "We have come away from home and had 20 shots on goal, which tells you there is not too much wrong," said Graham. "Normally if you have that many shots then you would expect to score at least two goals. Sometimes you can only have two shots and score them both. "That is the nature of football and sometimes it can happen like it didt near the end of a game. "People have more time than they think but put pressure on themselves. They know they should be winning the game so they rush it or go for a piece of magic. "But you just have to keep doing what you have been doing and takes the positives. "I think the performance was decent and just as good as in the games against Ebbsfleet and Barrow where we scored lots of goals. "We haven't lost the game and if we carry on drawing away and winning at home then we are going to be right up there. "We have to take the momentum from how we finished this game into our next one. "I'm sure a little bit more luck in front of goal and we can get the result we want." Central defender Graham was making his first start of the season, filling in as a left-back for the injured Craig Armstrong. He signed on a one-year deal in the summer after a season at Kettering Town. But he spent much of that campaign on loan at King's Lynn. He admits it has been a frustrating time on the sidelines but has been prepared to stay patient. He said: "It's tough to take, but it's part and parcel of being a footballer. "I have been lucky enough to be part of successful sides at Northampton and Kettering and I want to be part of another successful team here. "I would rather be part of a team that does well and play 20 or 30 games a season than play 50 games for a side who is struggling at the bottom." Graham was happy enough with his performance in his makeshift role. "I think it went fine and I did a job for the team," he said. "I play down the middle normally but I have filled in there before on the odd occasion for Kettering and Forest Green. "The gaffer knows I have experience in that position and probably felt I would be the best option. -------------------- Stags will learn from mistakes Evening Post MANSFIELD Town skipper Gary Mills believes the team will learn from the mistakes they made at Grays. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Stags-learn-mistakes/article-1314235-detail/article.html The Stags players were bitterly disappointed to be held to a 1-1 draw at the Recreation Ground despite dominating for much of the game. The final result owed much to a lack of clinical finishing and a lapse of concentration at the back. But Mills insists he and his team-mates will take on board what went wrong and work hard to put things right in the future. "The good thing about this squad, a lot of who are still young, is that they want to learn and improve," he said. "No-one in the team is the finished article. There will be a few players who are disappointed with some of their finishing. "We are also disappointed as a team with the goal we gave away because we pride ourselves on our clean sheets and we didn't get one. "But the lads are an honest bunch. They know how they have done themselves and don't need telling. "But we will crack on from this, work on things and then move on to the next game." Mills felt Mansfield had acquitted themselves well on the whole and played some decent football. He was particularly pleased with the number of opportunities the Stags created, even if they only took one of them. Mills said: "We dominated the game so we are disappointed with the draw. I think the best way I can sum it up is to say that a neutral would have thought we were the home team. "It is not as if we didn't create chances, but it was just one of those days where it didn't go for us. "Jake (Speight) took his goal well and he has taken his chance on coming into the team. "We played in a formation that really suits him and he caused a lot of problems. Long may that continue. "Their keeper (Lee Butcher) got my vote for man of the match – he made some great saves." Mills was making his first appearance since the first game of the season at the Recreation Ground after recovering from a hamstring injury.He was delighted to come through the match without any adverse reaction. "I felt all right, a bit rusty that's all, but not bad considering how many games I have been out," he said. "I didn't get any pain at all and I have the physio Jason (Truscott) to thank for that because he has done a great job on me. He has been a different class." --------------------- Grays happy with Stags point Evening Post GRAYS manager Gary Phillips praised his team of battlers after they somehow held Mansfield at bay to claim a point at the Recreation Ground. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Grays-happy-Stags-point/article-1314205-detail/article.html With the sides level at 1-1 at half-time, the Stags peppered the home side's goal in the second half as they pressed hard for a winner. But they were unable to break down a resilient Athletic, for whom on-loan keeper Lee Butcher, from Spurs, was outstanding. And Phillips paid tribute to the efforts of his charges after a 4-2 defeat to AFC Wimbledon on Bank Holiday Monday. "In the last 20 minute we had to dig in and get the flack jackets on!" he said. "But we defended resolutely and the keeper made two magnificent saves. "They are a good bunch of kids, honest, and are having a real go. We played some decent stuff at times." Jamie Slabber scored the winner in this fixture last season and was again on target to level after Jake Speight's early opener. Phillips said: "I think Jamie Slabber was wearing the old invisible cloak when he got his free header for the equaliser! "But it was quality ball in from Richard Graham, which is what he is good at. "And there was still work that had to be done for the centre forward as he has got away from someone." Phillips senses that some Athletic fans will be increasingly frustrated by the Essex side's start to the season. "That's the third game on the trot we've gone behind, so it would be lovely to go in front for once and see what happens," he said. -------------------- |
Latest | September 2009