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Archived News from January 2011

STAGS HUMILIATED AGAIN
17th January 2011 12:51


Blue Square Bet Premier

Mansfield Town 2 - 5 Fleetwood Town
Murray 37, Foster 73. Duffy sent off 45+3. Vieira 45, 57, 60, Seddon 49, McGuire 62.

Attendance: 1,725 (53 from Fleetwood)

Date: 11 January 2011

Another humiliating defeat for Mansfield under Duncan Russell as high flying Fleetwood knocked in 5 goals in 17 minutes at Field Mill. The Stags have now conceded 43 league goals this season, though are the league's top scorers with 47. - Martin

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Vieira hat-trick seals dramatic win

http://www.fleetwoodtoday.co.uk/sport/football/fleetwood-town/vieira_hat_trick_seals_dramatic_win_1_2920035

Mansfield Town 2 Fleetwood Town 5

Magno Vieira's first Fleetwood hat-trick helped Town pull off one of the most dramatic victories in their history and jump to fourth in the Blue Square Bet Premier.

Town's four defeats to date in the top flight of non-league football have all been followed by victories and they bounced back from Saturday's setback at Forest Green by completing a double over the Stags.

Micky Mellon's men came back from behind at Field Mill to make it eight goals in two games – five of them by Brazilian Vieira – against a side playing in the Football League three seasons ago.

Rob Duffy's sending off just before half-time was crucial, but how Town exploited it with a magnificent team performance to begin the second half of their league campaign in style.

Jekyll and Hyde Mansfield went into the game full of confidence following Saturday's 3-1 win at Eastbourne, whereas injury deprived Mellon of Junior Brown, Paul Linwood, Jamie Milligan and Jamie Mullan.

Alan Wright replaced Brown at left-back, while Sean Clancy made his first start since November in place of Ian Craney in midfield.

As Mellon looked for more creativity and better service for record signing George Donnelly, making his second start, Gareth Seddon switched flanks to the right.

Saturday scorer Keigan Parker, the ex-Blackpool striker, started for Mansfield as top scorer Paul Connor was dropped to the bench.

Clancy had the first opportunity in only the second minute and Vieira's shot cleared keeper Kevin Pilkington's bar six minutes later.

Mansfield too looked dangerous coming forward but Town remained steadfast and threatening, Seddon racing into the area to tee up the lively Clancy, who fired wide on 24 minutes.

But it was the home side who took the lead when Ryan Williams pressurised the defence and delivered a looping cross which skipper Adam Murray headed in for his third of the season on 37 minutes.

The game exploded into life just before half-time. With seconds on the clock, Town forced a corner on the left and Anthony Barry found Vieira, who beat four defenders to connect with a perfect header.

There was still time before the interval for Donnelly to be denied his first Town goal, when his close-range shot was tipped on to the bar by Pilkington, and for Duffy to receive his marching orders for elbowing Wright.

Fleetwood started the second half with a purple patch of four goals in 14 minutes that turned the game on its head.

It started when Seddon's well-executed near-post volley put Town in front three minutes in.

Jamie McGuire was booked on 56 minutes for a challenge on Williams but within a minute Vieira pounced fo a left-foot finish.

His third of the night and 16th of the season followed in the 59th minute, when the Brazilian linked well with Seddon to crash home – a fine all-round hat-trick comprising a header and left and right-foot shots.

Town were relentlessly piling forward, with Shaun Beeley constantly dangerous as he attacked from right-back.

Mansfield were stunned and their vocal supporters left them in no doubt as to their feelings.

Town were not finished, however, and McGuire swept home Beeley's cross in the 62nd minute as Town hit five for the first time this season. It was the combative midfielder's second strike of the campaign.

Mansfield rallied and scored a consolation second in the 74th minute, when Steve Foster rose to head in direct from a corner.

Town were denied a sixth when McGuire supplied Seddon. The striker finished well only to be called back because of an offside flag.

Vieira left the field acknowledging the Cod Army, giving Danny Rowe a well-earned debut following his two goals for the Reserves in the previous night's hammering of Formby.

Fleetwood ended the game in total control, indulging in lengthy passing sequences, and the final whistle spared Mansfield further embarrassment.

Delighted manager Mellon said: “I want to make sure the lads receive the proper pat on the back for the performance and the victory. People can be quick to jump all over them when things don't work out. We approach games properly and learn from defeats.

“Let's get things into perspective. When Fleetwood Town come to somewhere like Mansfield Town and win, the team deserve an unbelievable about of credit. To come here and win by such a margin against a former League team is unbelievable, make no mistake.

After a 'Stag night' that they will never forget, Town have a blank weekend ahead of Tuesday's visit of table-topping AFC Wimbledon.

DAVID MITCHELL

Mansfield: Pilkington, Silk, Sandwith, Foster, Naylor, Nix (Istead 85), Williams (Medley 58), Cain, Murray, Duffy, Parker (Connor 58); subs not used: Collett, Stonehouse

Fleetwood: Davies, Beeley, Wright (Connors 71), McNulty Gregan, Barry, Clancy, McGuire, Vieira (Rowe 81), Seddon, Donnelly; subs not used: Hurst, Pond, Thorpe

Referee: M Amphlett; Attendance: 1,725

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Evening Post Match report: Mansfield Town 2 Fleetwood Town 5
A NEW Mansfield Town club shop is opening its doors today on the market place but there is unlikely to be much call for replica strips with Rob Duffy's name and number on the back after events at Field Mill last night.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/mansfieldtown/mansfieldtownnews/Match-report-Mansfield-Town-2-Fleetwood-Town-5/article-3090520-detail/article.html?

The Welsh striker committed footballing suicide and, with it, effectively condemned Mansfield to their fifth home defeat in their last seven matches.

Already reeling from the concession of an equaliser to Adam Murray's opening strike, the Stags almost conceded a second but for a fantastic save by Kevin Pilkington.

What they needed was to get back in the dressing room and regroup, ready to go again in the second 45.

So it was nothing short of lunacy from Duffy that saw him elbow Alan Wright in the face in the fourth minute of stoppage time to reduce the hosts to ten men.

Unbelievably, it was Mansfield's sixth red card of the season – and those who had seen any of the previous five knew the game was realistically up from that point. What they did not realise was just how bad it would get.

The Stags hung on desperately for a point at Gateshead in October after Adam Smith had seen red.

But on the other four occasions – Steve Foster at Luton and Forest Green, Rhys Day at home to Crawley and Keigan Parker at Newport – they were made to pay by way of defeat.

And Fleetwood ruthlessly ensured this time was no different. In fact, they made it much more embarrassing than those other matches.

Manager Duncan Russell vowed after the 7-2 loss to Grimsby game that Mansfield would never crumble so abysmally again.

So even though Duffy's dismissal was the catalyst, he could not be blamed for the rest of the team's subsequent collapse.

It was so easy for the Cod Army in the second half that it looked as if they would score every time they attacked and brought chants from the stands of "You don't know what you're doing," directed towards Russell, and "You're not fit to wear the shirt," towards the players.

Just to rub it in, the chief architect of Mansfield's defeat was Magno Vieira, the former Ebbsfleet striker they tried to sign in the summer.

He was on target twice when Fleetwood thumped Mansfield 3-0 at Highbury back in August.

And he was once again the star of the show to go one better and bag a hat-trick in what was a meek Mansfield surrender.

There was little sign of what was to come after a fairly uneventful first half hour.

Fleetwood had the first effort at goal with Sean Clancy's long-range drive coming back off the left stanchion behind the goal.

Soon after, Murray played an inch-perfect ball inside the full-back for Ashley Cain to latch onto but he played a disappointing ball across the face of goal when he might have been better off shooting.

Mansfield seemed to be lacking inspiration, but suddenly took the lead when RyanWilliams played a superb diagonal pass over the visiting defence for Parker. His shot was saved Scott Davies but Murray nodded home the rebound for his third in five games.

But the lead was short-lived as Vieira got in front of his marker at the near post to glance home Anthony Barry's corner.

After George Donnelly had been brilliantly denied by Pilkington, Duffy's moment of madness left Mansfield with a massively uphill task.

And it took only four minutes for the visitors to make their numerical advantage tell after the restart as Jamie McGuire's right-wing cross was guided just inside the left-hand post by Gareth Seddon.

A killer third goal arrived in the 57th minute when Seddon's low ball in from the right was stroked nonchalantly into the left-hand corner by Vieira.

Just three minutes later he was celebrating again after Pilkington had once again denied Donnelly, but could do nothing from the close-range follow-up.

A fifth goal was not long in coming and again came down the right, this time Vieira turning provider for McGuire to smash home in acres of space.

Thankfully, the Stags restored some semblance of pride as Steve Foster steered home a Kyle Nix corner with his knee to pull a goal back.

The defence also somehow prevented Fleetwood from scoring again, with the help of a strike from Seddon disallowed for offside.

But regardless of the circumstances, this result once again underlined that Mansfield lack the quality to compete with the Blue Square Bet Premier's top sides.

No wonder the locals were restless.


Stags v Fleetwood match stats
Evening Post

Mansfield: Pilkington, Silk, Foster, Naylor, Sandwith, Cain, Nix (Istead 86), Murray, Williams (Medley 59), Duffy, Parker (Connor 59). Subs not used: Collett, Stonehouse.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/mansfieldtown/Stags-v-Fleetwood-match-stats/article-3090744-detail/article.html?

Fleetwood: Davies, Beeley, McNulty, Gregan, Wright (Connors 71), McGuire, Clancy, Barry, Vieira (Rowe 82), Donnelly, Seddon. Subs not used; Hurst, Pond, Thorp.

Referee: Marvyn Amplett (Kidderminster).

Attendance: 1,725 (53 visitors).

Goals:

Mansfield 2: Murray (38), Foster (74).

Fleetwood: 5 Vieira (45, 57 and 60), Seddon (49), McGuire (62).

Shots on target: Mansfield 2 Fleetwood 9.

Shots off target: Mansfield 2 Fleetwood 8.

Fouls: Mansfield 5 Fleetwood 8.

Corners: Mansfield 6 Fleetwood 5.

Offsides: Mansfield 1 Fleetwood 4.

Bookings:

Mansfield 0

Fleetwood 1 (McGuire, 56, foul on Williams).

Sendings off: Mansfield 1 (Duffy, 45+4, violent conduct)

Mansfield's man of the match: Kevin Pilkington. It could have been much worse but for the keeper's excellence, saving the Stags on several occasions amid a second half Fleetwood bombardment.

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mansfieldtown.net report: Paul Stephen reports from Field Mill

Stags suffered a fifth home defeat of the season tonight as Fleetwood showed off their play off credentials.

http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/MatchReport/0,,10325~54050,00.html?

Despite taking the lead in a closely fought first half performance, Rob Duffy's sending off on the stroke of half time changed the complexion of the game for the home side as four goals conceded in 13 second half minutes put the result beyond any doubt.

Striker Magno Vieira sparkled for the visitors with his well taken hattrick as The Cod Army racked up their fifth away win of the season.

As expected, Russ named an unchanged line up to the one that came away from Eastbourne with all the points just three days ago giving the 11 men the chance to register our first back to back wins in the BSBP since September.

The only switch came on the bench as Steven Istead replaced Gary Mills in the first of three consecutive matches to be played here at Field Mill over the next 10 days.

Fleetwood made the journey down from the North West looking to eradicate memories of their first defeat in nine games suffered at the hands of Forest Green on Saturday.

Record signing George Donnelly retained his place in attack alongside former Stags target Magno Vieira after making his debut at The New Lawn.

The Cod Army showed no signs of tiredness from their journey to the East Midlands and were out the traps quickly when Sean Clancy's 30 yard effort flew narrowly wide of the past inside the first two minutes.

Fleetwood boss Micky Mellon has raised some eyebrows by fielding a bold 4-3-3 formation away from home and his side looked full of confidence as Magno Vieira tried his luck from long range with eight minutes on the clock.

Ryan Williams was unlucky to get onto a useful through ball from the halfway line on 11 before Nix fluffed his shot from the edge of the box following a short corner from Stags.

It heralded a short burst of pressure from the home side as minutes later, Ashley Cain did well to retain possession down the right and float in an inviting cross to Rob Duffy. The five goal striker got a head to it in the middle of the box but a defender got the final touch and it looped up and over the bar.

The pace of Fleetwood's front three looked troublesome for Stags' back line from an early stage with Seddon, Donnelly and Vieira all testing the offside trap set for them at separate intervals but being flagged each time.

Seddon demonstrated his quick movement again on 23 by pulling away from Steve Foster in the area and teeing up Connelly for a shot which found the side netting.

A stagnant 15 minute spell was finally brought to life on 37 with an opening goal from Adam Murray. Ryan Williams was the original provider when his perfectly weighted diagonal ball across the area found Keigan Parker lurking at the far post. The Scotsman shot straight at Scott Davies in the visitors' net but fortunately Murray was on hand to nod the rebound into an empty net to hand Stags the advantage.

Fleetwood tried to respond quickly a won a corner with half time looming. Magno Vieira took the opportunity to ensure that the visitors would go into the break all square by making the most of lax marking and heading in Anthony Barry's corner from only two yards out at the near post.

There could have so easily have been a second for Fleetwood barely 60 seconds later when McGuire fired a low ball across the area from the right which found the outstretched foot of Donnelly just six yards out. Only Pilkington's reflexes kept the scores level as he got his finger tips to the £50,000 man's effort ensuring that it cannoned back off the underside of the bar to be whisked away to safety.

The action wasn't over there as stoppage time proved to be far more eventful than the rest of the half. Referee Marvin Amphlett adjudged Rob Duffy's high challenge on Fleetwood left back Alan Wright, in full view of the dugouts, to be illegal and gave him his marching orders for an alleged elbow as half time beckoned.

Stags went into the break knowing that they would now have to try and wrestle back the lead with just 10 men.

It became an uphill challenge just three minutes after the restart as Gareth Seddon made the scores 2-1 in Fleetwood's favour. A low cross from the right found the former Kettering forward darting between a number of yellow shirts 10 yards out and slightly to the right of goal where he took the ball round Foster and sidefooted it to Pilkington's right where it trickled into the bottom corner.

Ryan Williams was clattered with his back turned by Jamie McGuire, earning the midfielder a yellow card, before Seddon turned from goalscorer to provider on 57. Magno Vieira bagged his second of the night by timing his run to perfection and meeting Seddon's cross from the right flank on the edge of the box to power a shot low and hard to Pilkington's right

Russ responded by making the double substitution that he had been waiting some time to make throwing on top scorer Paul Connor and Luke Medley for Keigan Parker and Ryan Williams.

The newly introduced duo had barely entered the field of play when Fleetwood stretched their lead through a link up between Shaun Beeley and Vieira. The cross from the right fell to Connelly at the near post who was beaten to it by Stags' custodian Kevin Pilkington. The Luton loanee got a hand to it but could only deflect the ball into the path the onrushing Vieira, however, who secured his hattrick by netting from just six yards out.

A rampant Fleetwood were not satisfied with leaving the scores at 4-1 and grabbed a fourth goal in 13 hectic second half minutes when Jamie McGuire turned in yet another right wing cross on 61. Left back Kevin Sandwith was repeatedly being given torrid time by the pace of Seddon and Beeley with the former whipping over a cross to McGuire leaving him to simply steer the ball inside the post and past the helpless Pilkington.

With 15 minutes left on the clock. Stags tried to salvage some pride when Steve Foster made the scores 5-2. It came from a corner when the visitors failed to deal with Nix's set piece allowing it to drop to Stags' centre back who ran it over the line.

The four goal cushion was almost restored on 77 by Gareth Seddon who looked to have doubled his tally for the night with his chip over the increasingly busy Pilkington from inside the area. The impressive frontman received a through ball a yard or two behind Stags' back four and looked to have beaten the offside trap when lifting it into the goal but the flag was raised and the scores remained unchanged.

Three goal man Magno Vieira was with withdrawn with 10 minutes remaining to applause from both sets of fans before Duncan Russell opted to give Steven Istead a run out in place of Kyle Nix.

Four minutes injury time were signalled before The Cod Army could celebrate their second win over us this season and reclaiming fifth spot in the BSBP after temporarily dropping below play off rivals Wrexham on Saturday.

Attendance: 1,725 (53 away)

Sponsors' man of the match: Tom Naylor

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