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Archived News from September 2011

COX, MURRAY, ANDY SINTON REACTION
26th September 2011 14:57


post match video interview with Paul Cox --->

http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/FromTheBoss/0,,10325~2457629,00.html


post match audio interviews with Paul Cox and Andy Sinton--->

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14893642.stm

AFC Telford United manager Andy Sinton told BBC Radio Shropshire:

"In the first half an hour we were the better side, then they started to get into the ascendancy. Some times you've got to give the opposition credit, I thought Mansfield really penned us back second half and showed why they'd won five in a row.

"We've got a never-say-die attitude in our dressing room and that shone through again. It was a great finish and great move, Richard Davies did ever so well and Chris Sharp did what we brought him into the club to do.

"We got our rewards as a team. I think we've made a very good start."

Mansfield Town boss Paul Cox says the team and fans must ensure they retain a sense of perspective following the 1-1 home draw with AFC Telford on Tuesday.

The Stags would have gone top of the Blue Square Bet Premier table but were denied victory by a late equaliser.

Cox told BBC Radio Nottingham: "This is Mansfield Town, not Manchester United - we're not going to win every match.

"It shows how far we've come that when we draw a game at home we're as disappointed as we are."

He added: "It shows the mentality at the club is spot on.

"I can't expect this group of players to be brilliant every game. If they are we'll win the league by Christmas."

The draw means Mansfield have lost just once in 10 league games this season and are fifth in the table with 19 points.

Cox, who was appointed at the end of last season, lost won and drew three of his opening four league matches but a run of five consecutive wins propelled them to just a point behind all of the top four sides

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Cox pleased with Stags' reaction to late Telford equaliser
chad.co.uk

THE miserable looks on the faces of Mansfield Town's players and supporters alike after last night's 1-1 home draw with AFC Telford told manager Paul Cox the club is moving in the right direction.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/cox_pleased_with_stags_reaction_to_late_telford_equaliser_1_3792929

“We are eight unbeaten and have only lost one in 10 and, yet we have drawn a game at home and look at the disappointment,” he said after a late equaliser denied Stags the top spot they were about to take

“In a way that's a fantastic feeling as in means the mentality we are starting to breed here is spot-on. We want to win every game we play in. And we should have won it tonight.

“In the first half we were poor by our recent standards, though I must give credit to Telford too as they were probably the better side in the first half. They worked hard and grafted as teams coming here will do.

“But I got the response from the lads that I wanted in the second half and we had enough chances to have it won it by a few more. Their keeper, who is one of the better ones at this level, made some good saves.

“If we had held on another four minutes then it would have been a different story. It feels like a defeat, even though we drew. But it certainly isn't a crisis.

“You don't pick up any Championship medals in September and we are still nicely placed in fifth. I'd have taken that at this stage if you'd told me we'd be here before the season started.

“I know we were never going to win all 46 games or I would be England manager. So I won't be changing my philosophy even though I am annoyed we haven't won and the players are as disappointed as me.”

A mistake by Anthony Howell gave the ball away for Sharp's late equaliser and Cox said: “Individuals, by the law of averages, will have a bad day at the office now and again as will I. But no fingers are being pointed. We win together as a team and we lose together. It is a very tight dressing room

“We were unchanged again, but I don't think it was down to tiredness. They are very fit young men who don't want to lose their shirt.

“I don't expect tiredness to come into until Christmas or New Year. If I had changed the team and we'd have lost then I would have been hung! You are damned if you do and damned if you don't.

“I will have a good look at them over the rest of the week after they've had a day off tomorrow. I am now looking for a response on Saturday against Kidderminster.”

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Stags boss Cox: This shows how far we've come
Nottingham Post

PAUL Cox believes the disappointment around Field Mill last night after Mansfield Town were denied top spot in the Blue Square Bet Premier by a late AFC Telford United equaliser speaks volumes about how his team is progressing.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-13371345-detail/story.html

The Stags were heading for their sixth win on the spin thanks to Matt Green's second-half strike, only for Chris Sharp to level late on.

That brought a huge sense of let-down for all concerned of amber and blue persuasion.

But manager Cox said: "It shows how far we have come that, having lost one game in ten, we have drawn at home and everyone is as disappointed as they are.

"To me that shows our mentality is spot on because we want to win every game, especially at home.

"Of course I would like to see us top of the league, but you don't win championships in September and if we won every game then the league would be wrapped up by Christmas and I would be England manager.

"We can't expect to be brilliant every time but I still think we could have won by two or three goals but for their keeper and then everyone would look at it differently.

"The lads have had lots of plaudits and pats on the back but now I want to see a response from them against Kidderminster."

Meanwhile, Cox confirmed Fulham are not pursuing their interest in defender Tom Naylor, but says two other Championship clubs, one being Derby, are in the hunt.

"We are expecting an offer within the next 24 hours," he said. "I don't want to keep pushing him out on trial and it not coming to anything.

"If he does go out on trial again it would only be for two or three days and ideally we would like to agree a fee in advance."

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Stags skipper Murray: We should have seen that out
Nottingham Post

ADAM Murray admitted it felt like a defeat for Mansfield Town after they were pegged back to draw 1-1 with AFC Telford last night.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-13372264-detail/story.html

The Stags went in front with Matt Green's seventh of the season that followed an intense spell of pressure.

But they were undone by a late equaliser by United's Chris Sharp that left the Stags' fans, players and management alike disappointed.

"With the attitude we have now, we want to go out and win every game so to concede a goal in the sloppy fashion we did was really gutting," said skipper Murray, who battled on after almost coming off following a knock he picked up in the first half.

"We had started getting a little bit sloppy in the five minutes before that instead of staying solid and running the clock down in games like we have been doing.

"In the first half we weren't really at the races. We were a lot better in the second and we could have ended up winning by two or three goals.

"But if you don't, then you have to hang on to the one you have got and we didn't do that.

"It was Anthony (Howell) who gave the ball away, but people have to remember he has been magnificent for us so far this season. It could have been anyone who gave the ball away."

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Stags skipper Murray is still upbeat
Nottingham Post, Thursday, September 22, 2011

ADAM Murray insists Mansfield Town's players should not be too hard on themselves when analysing their 1-1 draw with AFC Telford.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-13378598-detail/story.html

The Stags looked to be heading for a sixth win on the trot and the top of the Blue Square Bet Premier table on Tuesday night, despite not being at their best.

But they conceded a late equaliser to give up a one-goal lead for the fourth time this season and dropped to fifth.

But skipper Murray is remaining upbeat ahead of Saturday's home clash with Kidderminster and wants his team-mates to do the same.

"You do look at the table and think what might have been – it would have been great to go top," he said.

"But you can also look at it from the point of view we are one point off the top and have had a good start to the season.

"There is a long way still to go and it makes no difference whether we are top or not at this stage.

"If we pick the bones out of Tuesday's game too much we could start thinking we are awful. We could go into Saturday's game having turned ourselves into a bad team.

"But that's not the case and we haven't even lost a game – we are still unbeaten in eight matches.

"We are not a team who is going to open teams up with 14 or 15 passes. We look a lot better when we are a little bit more direct and get the ball forward quicker."

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Sinton pleased as Bucks make point

http://www.telfordunited.com/editorial/news/261-sinton-pleased-as-bucks-make-point

Andy Sinton felt his side thoroughly deserved Chris Sharp's late equaliser which secured a valuable point against in-form Mansfield at Field Mill.

“I think we deserved that over the course of the night,” Sinton said. “I thought we started very brightly and for the first half-an-hour we were by far the better side. They started to get in the ascendency just before half-time but we've got a never-say-die attitude in our changing room and that shone through again.”

Sinton was especially pleased to see his troops hold their own against a team who had won five on the bounce. “Sometimes you have to give the opposition credit. Mansfield really penned us back in the second-half and showed why they're one of the favourites to finish in the top-five.” Indeed, Sinton also expressed a hope that his side will gain confidence from this result. “This point will give my players a lot of belief because Mansfield have rolled teams over five-in-a-row, scored a few goals in the process and you could see what they were all about tonight. Mansfield and Luton are probably as good as we've played, so it's no mean achievement to come here and get a point.”

Richard Davies and Chris Sharp combined for the equaliser whilst Ryan Young again starred with a series of fine saves. “Richard Davies did ever so well, Chris Sharp did what we brought him to the club to do with one chance, one goal and Ryan Young pulled off two or three really good saves,” Sinton said. However, the boss was keen to stress his pride in the overall team's performance. “The whole team were excellent tonight. We got our rewards as a team - it's not about one individual.”

The draw leaves the Bucks with twelve points from ten games, leaving Sinton to reflect on an encouraging start to life in the Blue Square Bet Premier. “People say we've made a steady start but I think we've made a very good start. I speak to people up and down the leagues who think we've made an excellent start having made that step up. There's a lot of work to do. Coming to places like this tells me what we need to aspire to, but credit to the lads tonight. They were brilliant."

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