Archived News from December 2009
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STAGS BLOWN AWAY BY SUPERB BRODIE
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Blue Square Premier
York City 3 - 0 Mansfield Town Brodie 21, 47 pen, Gash 81. Jones sent off 46 Attendance: 4587 (642 from Mansfield) Date: 26 December 2009 Report by: Martin Shaw at Bootham Crescent Below par Mansfield Town were swept away by a rampant York City side that was on a fabulous run of 9 wins and a draw from 10 games. The Blue Square Premier's top scorer Richard Brodie was too hot for the Stags to handle, scoring the first following an uncharacteristic Alan Marriott error, then winning a penalty after muscling past Luke Jones with Jones being sent off in the process. Brodie converted the penalty himself, and then superbly set up substitute Michael Gash for the third. A bad day for the Stags who dropped out of the play-off zone and not much reward for the fabulous 642 travelling fans, but a wonderful day for York who were rewarded for the excellent work of their fans clearing the pitch of deep snow in the morning. Stagsnet player ratings now in the Match centre Man of the match: Gary Silk -------------- York 3 Stags 0, Saturday 26th December CHAD.co.uk, 26 December 2009, By John Lomas IN-FORM York City underlined their promotion potential with a 10th win in 11 unbeaten games as they swept 10 men Mansfield aside at Kitkat Crescent on Boxing Day afternoon. http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/York-3-Stags-0-Saturday.5939651.jp? The game only went ahead after a morning pitch inspection thanks to an army of home fans who cleared the field of its blanket of snow. But Mansfield must have wished they hadn't bothered as 22-goal hotshot Richard Brodie punished a rare Alan Marriott mistake to put City ahead in the first half. But Stags' Boxing Day quickly went downhill on the restart as Luke Jones, as the last man, was sent off for bringing down the irrepressible Brodie who buried the penalty before sub Michael Gash made it 3-0 late on to drop out of the promotion ply-off spots into sixth place. Stags rarely troubled home keeper Michael Ingham and now Monday's clash with Cambridge suddenly looks a much bigger game at Field Mill where Mansfield have failed to win in their last five outings. Stags made three changes as boss David Holdsworth went with an attacking 4-4-1-1 formation. Rob Duffy missed out after illness though was on the bench with Louis Briscoe and Ollie Hotchkiss also left out. In came Kyle Perry, Gary Silk and Luke Jones, with Michael Brough pushed into midfield. The game only survived after an early morning pitch inspection followed by an army of York fans turning up to help clear snow off the field. York included Luke Graham who recently moved to the Minstermen from Mansfield. Stags almost took the lead inside 30 seconds as Burgess chipped a neat ball down the left to Challinor in space who drilled in a low ball that was cleared right in front of goal before Brough drilled the loose ball over. There was controversy on seven minutes as Garner's backheader fell a little short and Marriott had to head to the edge of his box where Rankine lunged at him and the ball. The home fans wanted a free kick for handball outside the area but the referee decided the lunge was a foul and gave Stags the free kick. Burgess put in two fine crosses to the far post for the visitors, the second of which was headed wide by Perry. Silk had to head a dangerous Lawless cross clear after Brodie kept the ball in play with an intelligent backheel as York tried to make some inroads. Then Lawless pulled a 20 yard shot well wide after the referee continued play when it seemed Garner had handled. Garner did well to beat Carruthers to a Lawless cross to concede a corner as City created more danger. Brodie and the home fans were angry when he managed to get goalside of Heckingbottom but was halted by an offside flag. However, Stags were undone by a rare error from Marriott on 21 minutes. Stags failed to clear a right wing free kick and when the ball was hooked in again from the left, Marriott came for the ball but was nowhere near it as he found himself left stranded with Brodie finally forcing the bouncing ball over the line with a close range header into the unguarded net. Mackin was too high from York's third corner as the home side began to look the part. Players clashed after Brodie went down following a collision with Burgess but the referee was unimpressed and the cards stayed in his pocket. Lawless was high and wide with a cross-cum-shot as York remained on top. Having been penalised for a succession of free kicks, there were big cheers from the home fans when Stags were finally shown a yellow card two minutes from the break after Somner tripped Lawless. Perry and McGurk were booked in stoppage time after tussling while waiting for a Mansfield free kick which was eventually cleared to leave the Minstermen on top at the break. Stags quickly needed to find a way back into the game and introduced Williams and Hotchkiss in place of Morris and Brough for the second half. But disaster struck within two minutes of the restart. The muscular Brodier wrestled himself goalside of Jones who had looked like he might get there first and Jones had little option but to bring him down. As the York man was clear the red card was inevitable and Brodie added salt to the wounds as he confidently buried the penalty kick to leave the 10 men with a mountain to climb. With Somner moving back into the centre of Mansfield's defence, York surged forward and Brodie did well to turn on the by-line before rifling across the face of goal. Challinor's name was added to the book for his late challenge on Lawless on 55 minutes. Brodie, desperate for his hat-trick, wasn't far wide from 25 yards. Burgess lifted a half chance over on 64 minutes after Perry had laid the ball towards him. Brodie continued to hunt for his triple as he turned outside the box and fired over the far angle. On 67 minutes Stags' last throw of the dice saw Speight replace Burgess. Silk was very late on the lively Brodie on 71 minutes to earn a yellow card. Rankine's free kick took a deflection but Marriott was down well to block. A Williams corner was cleared from almost on the line while Graham headed too high from another home corner as we entered the last 15 minutes. Stags almost clawed one back when Williams swapped passes with Speight before poking just wide of the far post. Gash came on for Rankine on 79 minutes ands within two minutes had made it 3-0. Stags' defence backed off to allow Brodie to jink his way across the box from the left before he set up Gash for a crisp low finish past past Marriott from 16 yards. On 85 Brodie cut inside Silk and lashed a shot at goal which seemed to bounce past Marriott off Gash before Heckingbottom popped up to clear off the line. Perry miscued at the vital moment with three minutes to go as Stags looked desperately for a consolation. YORK: Ingham, Meredith, McGurk, Parslow, Lawless (Gall 83), Barrett, Rankine (Gash 79), Brodie, Mackin, Carruthers (Ferrell 83), Graham. Subs not used: Purkiss, Smith. STAGS: Marriott; Silk, Jones, Garner, Heckingbottom; Morris (Williams ht), Somner, Brough (Hotchkiss ht), Burgess (Speight 67); Challinor; Perry. Subs not used: Sandercombe, Duffy. REFEREE: Robert Madley of Ossett. ATTENDANCE: 4,587 (642 away). CAUTIONS: York – McGurk 45 ( +3), Mackin 86, Meredith 90 (+1), Brodie 90 (+3). Stags – Somner 43, Perry 45 (+3), Challinor 55 , Silk 71. DISMISSAL: Stags – Jones 47 (straight red – professional foul). ------------- Stags sunk by hot-shot Brodie Evening Post report MANSFIELD Town fans may have been wondering what all the fuss is about surrounding Richard Brodie. They know now, all right. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Stags-sunk-hot-shot-Brodie/article-1649572-detail/article.html? With 24-goals in all competitions to his name leading into this keenly-anticipated Boxing Day clash, the York City striker has blazed a trail to the top of the Blue Square Premier scoring charts. Stags supporters will have, no doubt, read about a player who has attracted the interest of Sheffield Wednesday, among others, with the January transfer window fast approaching. But at Kit Kat Crescent, they got to see at first hand just why the England C player has been so prolific in 2009-10. The Gateshead-born hit man – nicknamed the Angel of the North – led the visiting defence a merry dance with his intelligent off-the-ball channel running, on-the-ball strength and, or course clinical finishing. In partnership with Michael Rankine, a summer target for Stags boss David Holdsworth, they never gave the Mansfield defence a moment's peace. And Brodie's reward were his 17th and 18th goals in 21 Blue Square Premier appearances, which were no more than he deserved for an industrious performance. The York front two really made all the difference on the day – and could make all the difference to a Minstermen promotion push that is gathering pace. Their victory over the Stags was a 10th win from their last 11, matches with the other an FA Trophy draw when key players were rested against Hinckley United. It was, for David Holdsworth's men, a glimpse of what they have to be looking to emulate if they want to first secure a place in the play-offs and then challenge for a spot in League Two. On this occasion, they came up well short of that, though they can point to some mitigating circumstances. The principal one of those is the absence of the likes of Rob Duffy, Craig Armstrong and Blair Sturrock because of illness. There were several others who had not trained fully after going down and then recovering from the same bug, Another problem at present seems to be the integration of the new players signed in November. While the likes of Andy Burgess, Jon Challinor and Lee Morris have shown flashes of their undoubted ability, producing that consistently within the framework of the team is proving more elusive. However, it was elementary mistakes, plain and simple, that led to the first two goals – and consigned the Stags to their second consecutive defeat. Those errors would have made it difficult against any side at this level, let along one whose confidence was sky high. Mansfield were sent out in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Challinor playing just behind Kyle Perry in attack and Michael Brough pushed forward into midfield. Out went Louis Briscoe, Ollie Hotchkiss and Duffy as Luke Jones, Gary Silk and Kyle Perry returned. And they started superbly, fashioning a chance inside the first 30 seconds. Had Brough hit the target rather than driving over from the edge of the box, things might have been different. As it was, York went ahead in the 21st minute and never looked likely to relinquish their advantage. The breakthrough came from an innocuous-looking cross from the left that Alan Marriott came for but go nowhere near. Mansfield still had the chance to clear the danger but didn't as the ball bobbled around the box and the razor-sharp Brodie pounced to head home from close range. The remainder of the half was played out with few scoring opportunities and Holdsworth made his play for victory at half-time. He swapped Morris for Ryan Williams and the more creative Hotchkiss in a bid to win the game. But those plans went up in smoke in 90 seconds as the Stags conceded a penalty and were down to ten men. Luke Jones should have cleared but Brodie nipped in and was pulled back as he was about to pull the trigger. The referee really had no alternative but to show the red card and Brodie gleefully hammered home the spot-kick. As the second period wore on, Mansfield's followers began singing "There's only one Daryl Clare", no doubt in reference to the on-loan player's two goals for Gateshead while their team failed to muster a single shot on target. But it is unlikely he would have the ammunition to find the net on this occasion with Mansfield numerically disadvantaged and trailing by two goals. That scoreline was stretched to 3-0 by the end as substitute Michael Gash struck a sweet shot into the left-hand corner after Brodie had been allowed to advance unchallenged across the edge of the box. For York, it was a reward for the 80 to 100 fans who had turned up to clear the pitch of snow. For Mansfield, it was a defeat that dropped them out of the top five for the first time since the opening days of the season. What is important for the Stags now is what comes next. Today's home clash with Cambridge United is absolutely vital. Without a win in five at home, that is going to be no foregone conclusion against Martin Ling's side. But a return to form can be achieved. The Stags only have to look at Brodie for their inspiration. Last season he was sent out on loan to Barrow. This season, he can seemingly do no wrong. ----------- |
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