Archived News from February 2013
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GREEN GOAL AS STAGS WIN IN LAST MINUTE AGAIN!
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Blue Square Bet Premier
Lincoln City 0 - 1 Mansfield Town Green 90+2. Attendance: 2734 (1107 from Mansfield) Date: 26 February 2013 Martin Shaw at Sincil Bank Mansfield Town won with a last minute goal away from home for the second time in three days. It was an incredible finale with Matt Green turning home a Lindon Meikle knock down from just three yards for a classic poacher's goal, and then celebrating in style in front of the massive Stags following of over 1100 by holding the corner flag aloft. It was a magical moment as the Stags made it 8 wins from 9 games, and even more amazingly 7 away wins from 8 away games. In truth it was something of a smash and grab raid by Mansfield who didn't deserve to win the game and were far from their best. But that really doesn't matter - it's all about the three points. In the first half, Lincoln belied their league position and recent form, and seemed determined to get revenge for the FA Cup defeat in December creating numerous chances from open play and should have scored two or three goals, whereas the Stags created three chances from set pieces and crosses, with Luke Jones being denied by an incredible save from keeper Paul Farman, while Colin Daniel had a goal disallowed, for handball according to the referee. I've had another look at the disallowed goal on the match DVD and it looks as though it came off Daniel's chest, so he was unlucky there. Mansfield thought they should have had a penalty when Stevenson was brought down inside the area early in the second half but the referee and his assistant (who were terrible) gave a free kick outside the area. From the match DVD it appears to be just inside the area so again the Stags were unlucky there. After that it had 0-0 written all over it until Matt Green had the final word. The Stags will need to play better than this if the excellent run is to continue, but for now let's just enjoy another fabulous away day. Report on Wednesday Man of the match: Matt Green Stagsnet player ratings in the Match Centre ------------------------------------- Lincoln City 0-1 Mansfield Town, Tuesday 26th February CHAD report by John Lomas MATT Green's last gasp goal gave Mansfield Town a thrilling victory at struggling neighbours Lincoln City - which was enough to finally push Stags into the play-off spots at Sincil Bank. http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/lincoln-city-0-1-mansfield-town-tuesday-26th-february-1-5447900 Although not the best away display in Stags' superb recent run, it was still a seventh away win in eight trips and an eighth win in nine games overall. Green's winner in the second minute of stoppage time also meant Paul Cox's men had taken maximum points from three tricky away games in seven days to leap into fourth spot. Mansfield looked a little jaded after the euphoria of Saturday's win at Luton, when they also grabbed a late winner, and managerless City created the first half's best chances with Alan Power and Vadiane Oliver both inches wide. In an exciting first 45 minutes Matt Green had a header blocked on the line while John Dempster forced a good save from Paul Farman. The second half saw less chances. But Green buried the one that counted before Mansfield-born Imp Dan Gray was red-carded in stoppage time, and Mansfield can now look forward to the visit of bottom club Telford on Saturday. Murray sliced a hopeful 30-yard shot well wide from a half-cleared Jennings free kick in the first 50 seconds as Stags were the first to threaten, backed by a huge, noisy following from North Nottinghamshire. Nicolau then tested Marriott from distance, the keeper safely there. But a fourth minute break down the left should have produced the opening goal. Fofana provided the burst down the left and then rolled a pass inside to Power, who should have finished first time but took a touch, looked up and curled the ball just wide of the far post. Power then rolled a 25 yard free kick to Nicolay whose low shot was tamely wide. Jake Jones beat namesake Luke Jones on the edge of the box to get sight of goal only to see Jennings leap in the way to block his finish. There was more danger as Beevers conceded another free kick wide on the left of the box which Power sent right across the centre of the six yard box and wide of the far post with no getting a decisive touch. Green did superbly well to get to the left by-line and pull a low pass back to Stevenson, who was quickly closed down before he could capitalise. Jones' pass offered Daniel a shooting chance which took a deflection and looped dangerously across the City goal for a corner on 23 minutes. Jennings put the corner to the near post where Green's flicked header was blocked on the line. The ball came back out to Jennings whose ball in was flicked on towards Dempster whose close range header was superbly turned round by Farman. City cleared the second flag kick and broke quickly, Sheridan having two men free to his right as he drew the last defender and then squared to Oliver who, with only Marriott to beat, wastefully rolled his finish wide. Lincoln came close again when Miller's long free kick was helped on to Power, who seemed to control with his hand but was allowed to get away a rasping volley over the bar which would have stood had it gone in. Stags had another let-off on the half-hour as another home counter-attack saw Power try to put Nicolau in one-on-one. Marriott raced out his box to make the tackle, but the ball rebounded off the striker and rolled agonisingly wide of the open goal. Mansfield were living precariously and Jake Jones hurried a decent shot just over from a half-clearance. On 32 minutes Daniel did have the ball in the home net, but the whistle had already gone after he was spotted handling to control the ball before applying his finish. A Beevers long throw was only cleared as far as Murray, who sent a header straight at Farman. The Imps won their first corner on 37 minutes, headed over by Beevers for a second, which was superbly claimed by Marriott. Dempster blocked Nicolau off the ball on a home break on 39 minutes and, once the ball was out of play, he was shown a yellow card. There was a hold-up when Beevers stayed down for treatment after a challenge with Power, but he was fit enough to return after a quick trip down the tunnel. So a lively first half ended goalless with City making the better chances and the happier of the sides going into the break. Seven minutes into the a much less frenetic second half, Lincoln conceded a free kick right on the right hand corner of the box which the visitors believed was inside, Jennings free kick poor and easily cleared leading to yet another worrying home counter which fizzled out. After the ball had struck Briscoe's hand, it was City's turn to be angry as he was allowed to go on only to strike his cross too powerfully to give Stevenson a chance of getting there. Sheridan led another break which, when halted, was lucky enough to see the ball drop back to him to volley over. Power's trip on Stevenson on 61 minutes earned him a caution, Demspster just unable to squeeze Jennings' free kick in at the far post. On 63 minutes Rhead took over from Stevenson to give Stags more muscle up front. Green went down under Garner's challenge in the box but a penalty always looked unlikely. The 65th minute saw a change on the wing for Mansfield as Meikle replaced Briscoe. Luke Jones brought down Jake Jones in a battle of the Jones' on 69 minutes to take the game's third booking. Power put a free kick into the Stags' box which Marriott came for only for Rhead to get there first and nod past the open goal as everyone held their breath for a moment, the ball bouncing for a corner. City had a couple of half-chances as Sheridan fired over the near angle from a tight position while Turnbull was too high with an attempted lob of Marriott. Farman then had to make a brave save to stop Dempster from close range as he tried to stab home a Rhead flick from Jennings' free kick. That encouraged Mansfield as they won two successive corners with no reward. Meikle went down on a break as the ball ran away from him and was rightly booked for the dive. Soon after Meikle fired a shot wide of the far post from the right. Five minutes of stoppage time were added. And in the second, hotshot Green struck to snatch the winner. Daniel, on the edge of the box, slipped the ball to Meikle to his right. He quickly fed Green who slipped the perfect finish past Farman from seven yards. That sparked wild scenes in the corner as Green held a corner flag aloft as he was mobbed by an overspill of celebrating supporters. In a sixth minute of stoppage time, there was uproar as Rhead was flattened by Gray who, after a consultation with the linesman was sent off to end a miserable night for the Imps ----------------------- Match report: Lincoln 0, Mansfield Town 1 Nottingham Post report by Stevie Roden PERFORMANCES of late from Mansfield Town have conjured up plenty of goals, plenty of drama and many points. They have served up reason to believe promotion was possible. But despite seven wins from their last eight games prior to making the trip to Lincoln last night, the Stags had failed to break into those play-off spots. That all changed when, ironically after an uninspiring and somewhat poor performance, Stags snatched victory at the death through Matt Green when he sealed a 1-0 win with a goal in the second minute of added time. The performance lacked a lot of the positive qualities of late, as they looked to be scraping their way to a goalless draw on a night when a more lethal opponent would have put them to the sword. Yet in the end, the Stags snatched a late, late win in front of more than a thousand ecstatic travelling fans as tempers boiled over with Lincoln substitute Dan Gray sent off for violent conduct. Boss Paul Cox named the same starting line-up and bench that beat Luton 3-2 at the weekend, with Anthony Howell failing to recover from a knee injury. It was no surprise, as his side were bang in form, unlike their hosts, who recently parted with manager David Holdsworth and are threatened with relegation. However, the Stags failed to get going in the opening 45 minutes and were thankful to go in at the break on level terms. Maybe Lincoln were still smarting from the fact Mansfield defeated them in the FA Cup this season, denying them that dream tie with Liverpool. Whatever it was, they were more at it from the opening whistle. Stags keeper Alan Marriott, who spent a decade at Sincil Bank and is an Imps legend, was sent sprawling to his left as Alan Power fired a half volley that looked to be going in only to shave the far post and go behind. Power, who bagged two back in December when Lincoln drew 3-3 with the Stags in the FA Cup, again caused problems when his inswinging free-kick from the left carved its way through a sea of Mansfield players but nobody from the home side could find the vital touch to steer it on target. Finally Stags got on the front foot as Green got to the byline, pulled it back for Lee Stevenson but his initial hesitance cost him as when he got his shot away, Tom Miller was there to block from six yards out. Daniel saw a shot from distance deflected over by Scott Garner but it led to a corner midway through the half and James Jennings' inswinger was met by Green's glancing header but it was cleared by Garner. However, it came back to Jennings and a similar ball was flicked on to the back post where John Dempster rose to power a close-range header, but Paul Farman acrobatically turned it away with a great save. But Lincoln could have been in the lead seconds later as Jones poked the ball to his right to find Vadaine Oliver unmarked, with time, in a central position inside the Stags box but he was too causal, pulling it wide of the far post when he should have at least hit the target. It was a let off and they were to escape again when Power met a free-kick in the box, cushioned on his chest but from six yards out, drove his volley over the bar. Then Power threaded Oliver through on goal but Marriott raced out and bravely went in for the tackle and it was enough, as it led to the 20-yard effort ricocheting the wrong side of the post before Lincoln's Paul Turnbull fired over. Colin Daniel latched onto a mistake by Andrew Boyce, got the better of two central defenders and powered beyond Farman but the assistant's flag had gone up for a tug of the shirt by the Mansfield winger as the first-half ended goalless. After an uneventful opening to the second period, Lincoln's Jake Sheridan blazed one over before Mansfield's Jennings swung in a free-kick from deep and it evaded everyone before Jones pounced at the back post but could not turn it on goal. On 62 minutes, Matt Rhead came on to replace Stevenson and three minutes later Lindon Meikle came on for Louis Briscoe as Mansfield looked to find a breakthrough but with ten minutes left, after Sheridan had fired over again, his team-mate Turnbull cut inside from the left but curled his shot over. Mansfield did cause problems when Dempster was denied by a good save from Farman at the other end, after pouncing on a free -ick in the box. It was the two Stags substitutes that combined in the 87th minute as Rhead threaded Meikle in down the right of the box but he snapped at his shot and pulled it wide and Green forced a good save from Farman with a diving header, but the flag had gone up for offside. But in the second minute of added time Meikle's flick was met by Green and inside the six-yard box, he kept his cool to net the winner and fire his 16th goal of the season and his side into the play-off places. Then Gray went in late on Rhead and was sent off before the final whistle was blown. Man of the match: Matt Green. It was a night when nobody really shone in a Mansfield Town shirt but once again, the striker worked the line unselfishly all night, chasing down lost causes and got the ultimate reward with his last-gasp winner. Referee: Darren Handley (Lancashire). Stags fans claimed a penalty in the second period when Matt Green went down under a challenge from Andrew Boyce but the referee was right to wave play on. All in all, got the big decisions right. Attendance: 2,734 (1,107 away) Lincoln: Farman, Miller, Boyce, Garner, Nicolau, Turnbull (Larkin 90+5), Fofana (Gray, 64), J Jones (Smith, 89), Sheridan, Power, Oliver. Subs: Taylor, Preece. Mansfield: Marriott, Beevers, Dempster, L Jones, Jennings, Briscoe (Meikle, 65), Clements, Murray, Daniel, Stevenson (Rhead, 62), Green (Hutchinson, 90+4). Subs: Sutton, Wright. Other results: Alfreton 5 Hyde 1, Barrow 0 Wrexham 1, Braintree 2 Luton 0, Grimsby 3 Ebbsfleet 1, Nuneaton 0 Kidderminster 1, Stockport 2 Hereford 3, Tamworth 1 Cambridge 2, Woking 2 Forest Green Read more: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-18265682-detail/story.html#ixzz2M5ZS6YS3 Follow us: @thisisnottm on Twitter | ThisIsNottingham on Facebook ----------------- Lincoln City vs Mansfield: Stags late to the party Lincs Echo Mansfield left it late for the second game running as Matt Green struck the winner in the 1-0 victory over managerless Lincoln. Lindon Meikle scored in the dying moments to beat Luton at the weekend and Green repeated the trick to see off an Imps side who have now won just one of their last 12 games. The home side went within inches of breaking the deadlock early on when Mamadou Fofana got to the byline and pulled back for Alan Power, who steered a drive narrowly wide. In the second half John Dempster stabbed goalwards from James Jennings' free-kick but Paul Farman saved well down low. But just as it seemed the Stags missed their chance to move into the play-off places, Green pounced. Meikle won a header and Green got on the end of the knockdown to poke the ball home from close range in the stoppage-time. The Imps' evening was rounded off with Daniel Gray being shown a red card for violent conduct just before the final whistle Read more: http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/story-18258466-detail/story.html#ixzz2M5YuDnhW Follow us: @ThisisLincs on Twitter | ThisisLincolnshire on Facebook -------------------- Green breaks City hearts Read more: http://www.lincoln.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=310714#ixzz2MBT6n18J Former US president James A Garfield once said, 'a pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck', but all Lincoln's pluck counted for nothing last night as they were sunk by an injury-time Matt Green as 'lucky' Mansfield performed a smash-and-grab raid at Sincil Bank to heartbreakingly steal all three points. A swashbuckling display from the Imps, which was full of heart, verve and fortitude, but unfortunately no end product in front of goal, should have earned Grant Brown's side at least a point as they bounced back from an awful display against Barrow to turn in a performance that gives hopes for the immediate future. Lincoln dominated for large periods and enjoyed a plentitude of chances, but were wasteful in the areas where it mattered, with ex-City stopper Alan Marriott barely having a save to make in the Stags goal. The returning Jake Sheridan, Alan Power, Vadaine Oliver and Paul Turnbull were all guilty of failing to work the keeper as Lincoln created chance after chance, while at the other end, Paul Farman produced three world-class saves to keep a rather subdued Mansfield at bay. City showed their intent early on when a lovely move down the left-hand side saw Mo Fofana break free and lay the ball off to Power whose instinctive effort curled just past Marriott's left-hand upright. Nicky Nicolau dragged a free-kick well wide, before Jake Jones saw an effort blocked by the desperate Stags defence. Power then whipped in a free-kick which evaded everyone in the box, before the visitors created their first opening when Green's header was cleared off the line. The danger was not gone, though, and as the ball came back in, defender John Dempster headed goalwards from inside the six-yard box, but Farman brilliantly stuck out his right hand to deflect the effort away, a save which would have the purists purring. Sheridan then found himself in space on the edge of the box and with City fans calling for him to shoot, he laid the ball off to Oliver, who wastefully fired an effort well wide under no pressure. Power then blazed an effort over, before Turnbull chanced his arm with the same result. Fans expecting City to roll over against the in-form Mansfield were pleasantly surprised as they really took the game to Paul Cox's men, who seemed surprised at their hosts endeavours. The dangerous Green was hardly given a kick by the central defensive pairing of Andrew Boyce and Scott Garner, while Power, Fofana and Turnbull were harrying and bullying their way through midfield - but all of City's hard work needed to be rewarded with a goal. Just before the break, Mansfield had a goal chalked off for a clear handball, spotted by the linesman, but that would have been a thoroughly undeserved lead as the high-flying Stags were clearly second best throughout the first period. With fears that City's chance had gone with the half-time break, they came out still on the front foot and Sheridan should have done better when well placed in the Stags box, but he fired over the bar, something he was to repeat later in the half. Rotund Stags sub Matt Rhead, then nearly made up for his late equaliser in the FA Cup clash at the Bank earlier in the season, by almost heading a clearance past his own keeper Marriott as the Imps kept up the pressure. The sight of City players attacking at will and surging forward in numbers was sight to behold, but without a clinical frontman on the pitch - both Jamie Taylor and Colin Larkin were dropped - there was no one available to get on the end of some free-flowing moves. Turnbull became the latest player to shoot over the bar, but Farman had to be alert to brilliantly block an Adam Murray effort and then dived superbly to his left to keep out another effort, although unbeknown to him the whistle had gone for a free-kick to City. Dan Gray had by this time replaced Fofana, who had taken a knock late in the first half and was taken off as a precautionary measure, but still City went in search of that elusive goal, with Power, Jones, Sheridan and Turnbull all getting forward to support lone frontman Oliver. But just as it looked as though the Imps' efforts were to be rewarded with a point, Mansfield broke forward and Green seized on Lindon Meikle's pass to slot past Farman and crush the morale of every City player and supporter in the stadium. Lincoln's woes were compounded when frustration got the better of Gray and he followed in on Rhead and was shown a straight red card. And despite nearly seven minutes of added-on time, the imps just could not find a route to goal and were left cursing their luck once more ------------------ |
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