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Archived News from September 2013

COX, CLUCAS AND JUSTIN EDINBURGH REACTION
12th September 2013 20:40




Stags boss Cox ‘disappointed’ not to take all three points in Newport bruiser
CHAD.co.uk by John Lomas

Although Mansfield Town picked up a superb away point in today’s 1-1 ill-tempered draw at Newport County, manager Paul Cox admitted a sense of disappointment that they had not taken all three points.

http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/stags-boss-cox-disappointed-not-to-take-all-three-points-in-newport-bruiser-1-6027471

“I have mixed feelings on the result,” he said.

“We had some good chances in that first half, so to come in 1-0 down felt a bit strange.

“Before the game, coming away here, some supporters were telling me Newport were out bogey side, so we would been happy to take a point.

“But we worked hard, our defence looked solid and I thought we were worth more than a point.”

Stags fell behind in the first half to slack marking from a corner that let Chris Zebrowski have a free header before Sam Clucas levelled after the break.

“We are usually very strong at set pieces for and against,” said Cox. “Ritchie Sutton has held his hands up - he is an honest boy. Not many get the better of him in those situations.

“But I was pleased with the lads. Newport are a good side and are going to be hard to beat here on their own ground.

“It’s early days yet but I think this group of boys can get better. They are learning all the time.”

Cox was unhappy with some of the decisions of referee Dave Phillips who sent off Lee Minshull 15 minutes from time for an elbow in the face of Martin Riley but evened it up five minutes later when he showed Matt Rhead a second yellow card for what seemed a routine foul.

“I have to be careful what I say, but some of the decisions the referee made were surprising, though, for me, they do have the hardest job in football.

“It was a competitive game and I though Matt Rhead was being manhandled throughout. Yet, being a big boy, some referees think it’s not a foul when players plough into the back of him.

“Once he had sent their lad off I thought he definitely wanted to even things up.

“I thought theirs was a straight red. Lee Minshull is a good player, very competitive and only he knows if it was intentional. But the rules say if you lead with your arm then that’s going to happen.

“Riley will have a headache in the morning. I told him I had played on with worse than that and I think he took that as a challenge,” smiled Cox.

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VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23909921

Newport County manager Justin Edinburgh told BBC Radio Wales:
"I'm disappointed, not with the effort and commitment as I never doubt that from my players, but I didn't think we were brave enough or good enough in possession of the ball and that's probably the worst we've played for a long time
"Everyone got caught up in the physical side of the game and... we were 100 miles an hour and trying to get in with one pass, but I can't criticise them for the way they competed.
"It was a heated game, there was one or two incidents that were let go where I thought that if they were dealt with early on then the game wouldn't have got a little bit out of control."

Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox told BBC Radio Nottingham:
"I thought we were unlucky not to come away with all three points from the chances we had in the first half alone. If we had taken two or three of the chances we created in the first half we would have been out of sight.
"But it's a tough place to come. We would have probably taken a point before the game but I just feel we were probably worth a little bit more.
"I think we are getting better at a lot of things. The players are building a belief and spirit and we were resolute throughout the game. Alan Marriott has only had one save to make apart from the goal.
"But we found a goalkeeper in inspired form. If we just had a bit of luck up top we could have got all three points."

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Stags striker Sam Clucas sets 15-goal target after netting again in Newport draw
chad.co.uk

Sam Clucas set himself a 15-goal target for the season as he bagged his second in as many games in Mansfield Town’s fine 1-1 draw at Newport County.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/stags-striker-sam-clucas-sets-15-goal-target-after-netting-again-in-newport-draw-1-6027546?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Clucas arrived at Mansfield as a winger but has enjoyed life up front in recent games.

“Playing up front is nothing new for me and I did play there when I was young,” he said. “I enjoy it up there and I know players like Matt Rhead or Calvin Andrew are going to win the majority of their headers for me.

“I scored 10 goals for Hereford last season and I want to beat that, so playing up front I want to score 15 at least.”

Clucas might have scored at least another, only to see keeper Lenny Pidgeley make a superb save.

“I was disappointed in myself,” he said. “I was angry at half-time as I want to score as many as I can.

“I was over the moon to get one, but it’s a team game and we were disappointed not to come away with all three points in the end.

“The boys were disappointed with all the chances we created and Alan Marriott had nothing to do. We just need to be more ruthless in front of goal.

“But we did show great character to come from 1-0 down. We are on a good run now and we have a solid base to build on.?The game finished with 10 men apiece after Lee Minshull’s 75th minute straight red card for an elbow on Martin Riley was followed five minutes later by a tame second yellow for Matt Rhead for a late tackle.

“Newport’s was a definite red card. ‘Riles’ looks like he’s giving birth on his head - he’s got a big bump there.

“I think the referee then wanted to even it up with the crowd on his back. As soon as Rheady dived in it gave him the perfect opportunity.

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Mansfield Town man Sam Clucas sets goal target
Nottingham Post

SAM Clucas bagged his second goal in as many games to help Mansfield Town claim a point at Newport County - then immediately set himself a target of 15 for the season.

http://www.nottinghampost.com/story-19774262-detail/story.html?

The winger-cum-striker reportedly attracted interest from neighbours Nottingham Forest in the summer before he had even kicked a ball for the Stags.

But he is concentrating on delivering the goods for manager Paul Cox and was in the right place to head home a 67th minute equaliser at Rodney Parade, canceling out Chris Zebrowski's first half opener.

Clucas and Mansfield had other chances as both sides ended with ten men - Matt Rhead seeing red for the visitors - but the 1-1 draw was nevertheless enough to ensure a fifth game unbeaten.

"I got ten last year and I want to beat that. If I carry on playing up front I want to get 15 at least," said the former Hereford man.

"I don't think I have ever scored a header in my career and now I've got two in two.

"I heard the speculation about Forest, but that's what it was - speculation - and it didn't affect me. I'm at Mansfield and hopefully I will be for the foreseeable future because I'm enjoying it.

"To further my career and get a big club interested then you have to keep putting it in. The manager is telling me what I need to improve on, which is what every player needs."

Cox was left with mixed feelings on the trip to South Wales and added: "Before the game, with them being our so-called bogey side, you'd have probably taken a point, but in the end I felt we had enough chances to win it.

"Defensively we looked rock solid, so to give someone a free header for the goal was frustrating, but Sutts (Ritchie Sutton) has put his hand up."

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http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newport-county-1---1-5851855?
By Steve Tucker

County boss Justin Edinburgh said: "I'm disappointed, not with the effort and commitment as I never doubt that from my players, but I didn't think we were brave enough or good enough in possession of the ball and that's probably the worst we've played for a long time

"Everyone got caught up in the physical side of the game and... we were 100 miles an hour and trying to get in with one pass, but I can't criticise them for the way they competed.

"It was a heated game, there was one or two incidents that were let go where I thought that if they were dealt with early on then the game wouldn't have got a little bit out of control."

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We were poor against Stags, admits Andrew Hughes
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/10662468._/?

NEWPORT County AFC defender Andrew Hughes felt the players let their standards slip in Saturday’s bad tempered draw with Mansfield Town.

The 21-year-old was the sponsors’ man of the match in the 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade but he admitted that the whole team was disappointed by their display.

And he disagreed with manager Justin Edinburgh over the red card shown to Exiles teammate Lee Minshull for an elbow on Martin Riley.

“It was disappointing for us. We should have got three points,” said Hughes. “We weren’t at the races and we are disappointed with the way we played.

“We can’t argue the red card, it was a blatant elbow, and we were down to ten men as well,” he added.

“Mins is an aggressive player but I don’t know if their player said something to him.”

Stags striker Matt Rhead was also sent off for two yellow cards after Sam Clucas had cancelled out Chris Zebroski’s first half opener for the hosts.

“Their red evened up the game but I think we just needed to get the ball down a bit more and slow down the game. We couldn’t do that,” said centre-back Hughes.

“Chris is on fire for us at the moment and hopefully he can keep the goals coming but the goal we conceded was from a set-piece and we didn’t defend it well enough.”

“It’s massive for us now,” he added. “We need to take three points from that game and get back to winning ways.”

Edinburgh’s view on the Minshull red card differed from Hughes’ and he defended the midfielder.

“I didn’t have a great view of it but I know 100 per cent that it wouldn’t have been intentional from Lee,” said the Exiles boss.

“It was a heated game and we got caught up in that. There wasn’t a lot of football played out there.

“It was probably a fair result but I didn’t think we were brave enough or good enough in possession of the ball and I think that’s the worst we’ve played for a long period of time.”

Minshull will be suspended for the next three games, at home to Morcambe, away to Exeter City and at home to Torquay United.

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We'll learn from Mansfield battle, says Lenny Pidgeley
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/10664653._/?

GOALKEEPER Lenny Pidgeley admits Newport County AFC will learn from Saturday’s dour home draw with Mansfield Town and is certain they will improve.

The 29-year-old former Chelsea stopper was County’s stand-out performer in the battle with the brutal Stags and he knows it wasn’t his side’s finest hour and a half.

He believes that the Exiles got caught up in the physical side of the game rather than playing the way they want to play.

“It was a disappointing performance. We didn’t really get the ball down and play our normal stuff,” he said.

“We played their style of football really, it was direct and they are physical team. When we did get the ball down they were on top of us.

“We got sucked into playing long ball,” he added. “When we’re at home we need to force the pressure, get the ball down and play at our tempo.

“We should be playing how we want to play at home and if we don’t lose away we’ll do well. That is what got us promoted and it should do us alright in the league above.”

Despite Saturday’s disappointment Pidgeley is certain that the team can only get better when the long injury list finally eases.

Manager Justin Edinburgh is currently without Aaron O’Connor, Max Porter, Byron Anthony and Andy Sandell, with Mike Flynn, Tony James and Ismail Yakubu not yet up to full fitness.

“We’re still undefeated at home and we've only lost once away,” said Pidgeley. “And that defeat at Northampton was probably the best we’ve played.

“We’re hard to beat and it’s a credit to us that we are doing so well with the amount of injuries we’ve got.

“There are probably five or six [injured] players looking to get into our starting XI and we haven’t even got enough senior players to fill the bench.

“We are still in there, still fighting and we’re working our socks off and ready for Morcambe on Saturday.

“Every game is vital and we need to get as many points as possible as soon as possible. We need to get to 50 points to stay in this league and then build on that.”

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Latest | September 2013