{ the news }
 
An independent supporters' website dedicated to Mansfield Town FC
Archived News from January 2003

STAGS BEATEN AGAIN BY CREWE
2nd January 2003 20:35


Crewe Alexandra 2-0 Mansfield Town
Walton 60, Miles 90+6

Well it had to be 2-0 didn't it.
But the scoreline doesn't tell the story. Stags were tight at the back and created two guilt-edged chances as Disley and Christie missed sitters at 0-0.

Walton put Crewe ahead following a set piece on 60 minutes. Then Christie was sent off for two bookable offences but the second offence should never have been a booking. Stags pushed everyone forward for an equaliser and let Crewe attack with a five on one situation in the final minute and Crewe made it count to score a second.
-----------
Att: 6,931 (751 from Mansfield)

Pilkington
Gadsby
Curle
Day
Eaton
Lawrence
Williamson
Disley
Curtis
Corden
Christie

Subs:
Beardsley (for Lawrence, 66)
MacKenzie (for Disley, 74)
Bacon (for Gadsby, 81)
Subs not used: JWhite, JClarke.

Booked (Stags): Christie 24, Curtis 34, Gadsby 81, Williamson 90.
Sent off: Christie 65.

Referee: M.Pike, Cumbria (replaced by S.Bratt during first half)
----------
crewealex.net reported that the scouts attending today's game between Crewe Alexandra and Mansfield Town represented the following clubs:
ARSENAL, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR, CELTIC, CHESTERFIELD, NORTHAMPTON TOWN, WYCOMBE WANDERERS, BOURNEMOUTH.
----------
Match Statistics (Alex/Stags)
11 Goal Attempts 8
7 On target 2
4 Off target 6
0 Woodwork 1
7 Corners 0
11 Fouls 18
6 Offside 6
---------
Report fom ananova.co.uk:
Crewe substitute John Miles netted his first senior goal to help fire the Railwaymen to a 2-0 home win over 10-man Mansfield.
The former Liverpool trainee ran from deep before curling a shot past Kevin Pilkington in the 93rd minute (comment from Martin - 96th minute!) to seal victory.
Earlier, Dave Brammer's 60th-minute free-kick had bounced through to the far post where Dave Walton had time to chest down the ball and beat the goalkeeper from a tight angle.
Five minutes later, Iyseden Christie was sent off for his second bookable offence after catching Walton with an elbow.
Mansfield's only chance fell to Craig Disley in the 31st minute when Tom Curtis found space on the edge of the area to spin and shoot past Crewe goalkeeper Clayton Ince. The ball hit the post and rebounded to Disley, but the midfielder lifted his effort over the open goal from six yards.
Crewe's Steve Foster then flashed a header wide from Ben Rix's corner when well placed and Pilkington produced a top-class save in the 76th minute to touch David Vaughan's drive round the post.
---------
Stags improve, but Christie off as Crewe bogey strikes again
CHAD website
Bogey side Crewe Alexandra completed their fourth - but least impressive - win over Mansfield Town at Gresty Road this afternoon in a 2-0 success.
It took the Railwaymen an hour to break through the defence of a club they had beaten 5-0, 4-0 and 3-0 already this season and they did not seal the points until the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Stags came out of the game with much credit. But the controversial 65th minute dismissal of Iyseden Christie for a second bookable offence increases their striker worries with Christie now missing the local derby at Chesterfield on Saturday, 18th January and no guarantees that injured pair Andy White and Colin Larkin will be fit again by then.
With Christie as the lone striker down the centre and Wayne Corden and Liam Lawrence wide either side of him, Stags made life much more difficult for a Crewe side shorn of injured star strikers Dean Ashton and Rob Hulse.
And their injury problems increased when pacey winger Rodney Jack was stretchered off with a serious knee ligament injury near the end after treading on the ball.
It could all have been so different for Mansfield if Craig Disley had managed to get the ball into the empty net from five yards on 32 minutes.
But he snatched at the chance as the ball shot back to him off the post following Tom Curtis' low shot and somehow sent it over the bar.
Christie also had a great chance to put Mansfield ahead on 53 minutes when, with only the keeper to beat, he blazed over the angle from 15 yards.
Kenny Lunt, Jack and Steve Foster all wasted first half chances for the home side.
There was also a lengthy hold up after referee Mike Pike pulled a muscle and was replaced by fourth official Mr S. J. Bratt.
Bratt made a string of controversial decisions, blowing up for too many challenges and handing out six yellow cards, five to Mansfield, and the red to Christie.
Christie jumped with Foster and was given a second yellow, though few in the stadium were sure what for. Crewe later complained he had led with his elbow but that surely would have been a straight red if guilty.
Nevertheless, Stags refused to let the decision and going short-handed worry them and dominated the rest of the game for no reward.
Crewe's first goal on the hour was a sloppy one with no one clearing Kenny Lunt's free kick and Dave Walton allowed to get in a shot at the far post which he buried with precision.
Pilkington was bravely down at Jack's feet as he over ran the ball when he was going clear shortly afterwards. John Miles fired over while Pilkington also got down well to deny David Vaughan.
But otherwise it was Mansfield who were making all the running and Liam Lawrence volleyed just wide, Corden curled one just over and Disley flicked a header just too high at the near post.
In the end, Crewe broke quickly downfield as Stags were caught out throwing everyone forward deep into stoppage time and Miles fired a perfect finish across Pilkington and inside the far post.
Matt Gadsby did well at right back in place of Bobby Hassell who was injured in training the day before while Lee Williamson also made a return to midfield in place of injured striker Larkin.
Curle employed a back four, a midfield trio and two wide men who tried to provide Christie with ammunition as a 4-3-3 which worked well until Christie's dismissal.
With injuries starting to mount and the number of recent games taking its toll, Stags can now relax for a few days as they do not play again until a week on Saturday.
--------

 

Latest | January 2003