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Archived News from October 2009

SUPERB ATTACKING SPELL WINS IT FOR STAGS
25th October 2009 18:40


Blue Square Premier
Eastbourne Borough 1 - 2 Mansfield Town
Enver-Marum 68. Perry 5, Duffy 11.
Attendance: 1207 (200 from Mansfield)

Date: 17 October 2009

Martin Shaw at Langney Sports Club, Priory Lane

Mansfield Town picked up the fifth win in six games with a 2-1 victory at Eastbourne Borough. The Stags produced a superb attacking display in the opening 25 minutes that Eastbourne simply couldn't cope with. Goals from Perry on 5 minutes and Duffy on 11 minutes made it 2-0, then Speight hit the bar on 24 minutes. It was probably the Stags' best attacking spell of the season. Eastbourne came back into it in the last 15 minutes of the first half and Marriott made two superb saves from Jamie Taylor. In fact the first half was a wonderful advert for the Blue Square Premier. The second half turned out to be a scrappy affair. Liam Marum, the former Woking forward, scored an outrageous fluke on 68 minutes as his shot from virtually on the byeline flew over Marriott into the net, and the final minutes were nervy but the Stags held on for the deserved victory.

Stagsnet player ratings in the Match Centre

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Podcast of Radio Nottm commentary
First half
Second half
Apologies for some dropouts in the sound in the second half.

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Eastbourne Borough 1 Mansfield Town 2
Evening Post report, October 17, 2009

FIRST-HALF goals from Kyle Perry and Rob Duffy helped Mansfield to their second consecutive away victory – and third victory in a row – at Eastbourne Borough this afternoon.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Eastbourne-Borough-v-Mansfield-Town/article-1425139-detail/article.html?
When the strikers respectively scored their eighth and ninth of the season, the Stags might have thought they could go into cruise control.
But the home side – determined to end a run of three defeats on the bounce – never gave up and pushed the Stags all the way.
They pulled a goal back midway through the second period through substitute Liam Enver-Marum.
But while not as threatening in the first period, Mansfield held firm to win 2-1 at Priory Lane just like last season.
In a lively start to the game, Mansfield went close inside the first 30 seconds as Gary Mills drilled just wide of the right-hand post from the edge of the box after a Perry cross was only half-cleared.
Eastbourne then went straight on the attack and Dan Smith drilled off target from a narrow angle after Luke Jones had got himself in a tangle.
The Stags took less than five minutes to go in front – and it came from an attacking free-kick.
Gary Mills whipped the ball in from the right, Jones flicked the ball on and Speight slid in at the far post to turn the ball past Michael Jordan in front of the delighted Mansfield fans.
Borough tried to hit back straight away and Andy Atkin was not too far wide with a near post flick from Smith's centre from the right byline.
It was 2-0 to Mansfield in the 12th minute with another clinical strike.
Jake Speight won the ball on the edge of the box, allowing Steven Istead to burst into the right-hand side of the box.
The midfielder's low cross found Duffy and his precise first-time finish from eight yards found the left-hand corner unerringly.
Mansfield continued to cause all kinds of problems for Eastbourne going forward and Speight was only inches too high with a drive from 25 yards.
However, it might have been 2-1 when the ball broke for Jamie Taylor in the box, only for Marriott to race off his line to make an excellent block with his legs.
Mansfield should have gone 3-0 in front in the 25th minute from another free-kick, this time delivered by Heckingbottom.
The left-back's deep ball was headed across goal by Duffy for Speight whose close range header crashed back off the bar with Jordan beaten.
Borough continued to push on in search of a way back into the game but Marriott held Atkin's shot on the turn.
The home side had two good opportunities when Taylor dragged wide as he was put free in the box from Atkin's flick, who himself then headed just wide of the left-hand post.
Marriott pulled off a spectacular save as Eastbourne continued to pile on the pressure with the break approaching, tipping over a header from Taylor that was bound for the top corner.
There was plenty of incident at half-time as referee Marvin Thompson had to be replaced and Speight was booked after clashing with Neil Jenkins in the final seconds of the first 45 minutes. Gary Elphick then came on for Darren Baker.
In the opening stages of the second half, the new referee A. Neil ignored Eastbourne appeals for a penalty when Paul Heckingbottom and Matt Crabb came together in the box.
Eastbourne were awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the box when the ball struck Mills who could do little to get out the way, but Crabb fired into the arms of Marriott.
Eastbourne were back in the game in the 68th minute with a fluke goal from substitute Liam Enver-Marum. It was Borough's first goal in 372 minutes of play.
In trying to hook the ball in from the right byline, he clipped the ball over the stranded Marriott and into the top left-hand corner.
Mansfield responded with a right-wing cross from Istead that was just too high for the leaping Perry.
Moments later, the striker had to make way, giving Craig Dobson a debut.
As the game moved into the closing stages, Eastbourne were still pressing strongly, but the visitors broke well for Dobson to flash wide of the left-hand upright.
Four minutes of stoppage time were added, but Mansfield saw them out without alarm to seal a fifth win in six attempts.

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Eastbourne 1-2 Mansfield Town, Saturday, 17th October
CHAD report, 17 October 2009
TWO early goals from strikers Kyle Perry and Rob Duffy were enough to give the Stags their second away win in a week at Eastbourne Borough on Saturday afternoon - after a tense six and a half minutes of added-on time.

http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Eastbourne-12-Mansfield-Town-.5743204.jp?

Gary Mills free kick was flicked on by the returning Luke Jones at the far post and Perry knocked in his eighth goal of the season - slightly against the run of play in a sparkling opening - after just five minutes.

Seven minutes later Duffy fired in a second after good work by Steven Istead - but within minutes only a great save by Alan Marriott denied Jamie Taylor a quick reply for Borough.

However, the Stags might have made the game safe in the 25th minute when Jake Speight headed against the bar.

And they were made to pay when the home side grabbed a lifeline 22 minutes from time, a fluke goal from substitute Liam Enver-Marum making it 2-1 - the goal-starved visitors' first successful strike in 372 minutes of football.

But despite a few scares, the Stags hung on for a second successive Saturday away win and their fifth win in six, condemning Eastbourne to a fourth straight defeat.

The Stags made two enforced changes from the side which won at Altrincham last weekend. Luke Graham, who has been suffering with the sickness bug that has plagued other players at Field Mill in the last two weeks, missed out with Jones forced into a quicker-than-expected return to the centre of defence after his ankle injury.

Also missing was Louis Briscoe who hurt his knee in a freak accident, slipping down his stairs at home on Thursday night.

Speight replaced him and, for extra wide cover, Holdsworth immediately moved to sign unattached winger Craig Dobson who was on the bench and came on as a late substitute.

But there was no room in the 16 for Ollie Hotchkiss who has just returned on loan from Leeds.

The game kicked off in blustery wind and cloudy conditions, replacing the warm morning sunshine.

And there were chances at both ends inside the first 90 seconds on a bobbly surface.

First, inside the first half-minute Borough failed to properly clear Perry's low cross from the left and Mills screwed a shot just wide from 18 yards.

Then Jones couldn't control a ball into the box and allowed Smith to get away an angled shot that eventually went for a throw-in.

Smith also tested Marriott with a 25 yard volley almost straight at him, then Armstrong saw his far post cross pass just too high for Atkin to reach as Borough asked more early questions.

But the visitors grabbed a fifth minute lead through Perry.

Perry was tripped just inside the Eastbourne half. Mills floated the free kick into the box, Jones headed it on and Perry stole in at the far post to steer home a superb low finish.

Somner swapped passes with Duffy before slicing an ambitious long range effort well wide.

There was danger at the other end when Taylor crossed t the near post and Atkin whipped a first time finish wide.

However, Stags were flying high with a second goal on 12 minutes. Speight won the ball from Baker on the edge of the box and fed Istead in the box. He crossed hard and low from the right and Duffy applied the coolest of first time finishes from eight yards.

A rising drive from Speight from 25 yards only just beat the crossbar on 16 minutes.

A minute later Marriott made a superb save to preserve that two-goal cushion. Brown's shot from outside the box took two deflections and broke perfectly for Taylor with only the keeper to beat. But Marriott spread his body well to make a crucial block when it seemed the Borough striker must score.

Great footwork from Duffy saw him sidestep a defender and cue up Somner whose fierce shot was blocked by Austin.

On 25 minutes Stags came so close as Duffy headed a Heckingbottom free kick across the box and Speight met it with a close range header that rattled the home crossbar.

Eastbourne put three corners and a succession of balls into the Mansfield box but Marriott dealt confidently with them.

But he was back in action on 31 minutes to make a block at his near post after Atkin had turned well to get his shot away.

Duffy blazed over what could have been goal of the season a minute later as Perry laid the ball back for Istead whose cross was struck on the volley but well over.

A free kick two minutes later saw Duffy unable to connect with an overhead effort after keeper Jordan had just managed to fist the initial free kick away from above the head of Perry.

Taylor pulled another good opportunity wide on 37 minutes after Brown's shot cannoned off a defender and fell invitingly for him once again.

Atkin almost pulled one back almost immediately as he met Smith's right wing cross with a header that beat Marriott but finished wide of the angle.

Atkin again came close with a far post header that came off Perry for a corner and left the Stags striker needing treatment. Perry was off the field for the corner when it came over from the left and was met by a looping Taylor header that brought a great tip-over by Marriott at the last minute.

Atkin needed treatment after being caught by a stretching Jones' studs as half-time approached.

Silk got in a good block to stop Brown's low blast testing Marriott in stoppage time.

Speight got in a tangle with Jenkins right on the whistle and Jenkins went down after the ball had gone with the assistant referee waving his flag. But as the officials and Jenkins left the field it appeared no action would be taken against the Mansfield striker.

But it was revealed he had been booked by referee Marvin Thompson who had to be replaced through injury by an assistant for the second half.

There was also a tannoy plea for any qualified person in the stadium to come forward and take over fourth official duties.
Elphick also replaced Baker for the home side for the second half.

Borough might have had a penalty three minutes after the restart as Crabb raced down the left, beating two opponents with his pace and as he reached the by-line seemed to be bundled over by Heckingbottom's challenge. But replacement referee Mr A. Neil's first big decision went in Mansfield's favour.

Taylor was well wide from 20 yards in Borough's next raid.

Then Duffy was booked for getting in the way of a home free kick on 53 minutes.

Jordan comfortably caught Mansfield's first corner of the afternoon on 58 minutes.

Marriott was always safely behind Crabb's curling free kick from 20 yards as we passed the two-thirds stage of the game.

Enver-Marum joined the action in place of Taylor on 64 minutes and within four minutes had pulled one back with a huge slice of fortune.

Atkin flicked the ball on for Enver-Marum to control on the right hand edge of the box. He pulled over a cross which somehow sailed over Marriott from the tightest of angles and under the far corner of the crossbar into the net.

Perry went down with what seemed to be cramp and it was decided to bring him off and give a debut to new boy Dobson for the last 19 minutes.

Williams also got on in the 80th minute – eventually – after the electronic board broke and it took longer than expected to get a message to Istead that he was coming off.

Dobson almost marked his debut with a goal as he cut inside after a good run down the right but rifled just wide of the left hand post.

Goalscorer Enver-Marum was then not far wide of the far post from 25 yards for Eastbourne as we entered four minutes of time added on.

Jones had to leave the field for treatment to a cut eye and, as he waited to get back on, then Duffy went down. It seemed Sturrock would replace him but Duffy eventually soldiered on.

We eventually entered a seventh minute of stoppage time and the final whistle saw Duffy again go down injured and remain down and require yet more lengthy treatment as the other players left the field.

EASTBOURNE: Jordan; Austin, Pullan, Baker (Elphick ht), Jenkins; Smith, P. Armstrong, Brown, Crabb; Atkin, Taylor (Enver-Marum 64). Subs not used: Knowles, Smart, Johnson.

STAGS: Marriott; Silk, Jones, Garner, Heckingbottom; Mills, Somner, Istead (Williams 80); Speight, Duffy, Perry (Dobson 76). Subs not used: Eley, Armstrong, Sturrock.

REFEREE: Marvin Thompson of Middlesex.

ATTENDANCE: 1,207

 

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