Archived News from November 2015
|
GREEN ROARS BACK TO END GOAL DROUGHT
|
 |
|
Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 3 - 1 Hartlepool United Green 24, 81, Yussuf 57. Adams OG 37 Attendance: 3031 (358 from Hartlepool) Date: 21 November 2015 Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town roared back from a five game goal drought to beat Hartlepool United 3-1 this afternoon. Matt Green scored two of the goals to end his own run of eight games without a goal, and Adi Yussuf scored the other, an absolute screamer just two minutes after coming on as substitute. It was just what the Stags deserved for a dominant performance. Mansfield took the lead on 24 minutes, when Nathan Thomas put in a great cross from the left and Green scored from close range. The relief around the One Call Stadium was palpable. Hartlepool had earlier brought a great save from Brian Jensen who tipped a shot onto the crossbar, but were level out of the blue on 37 minutes when a free kick from the halfway line was headed away by Pearce, it hit Adams on the back and rebounded into the net. Mansfield were deservedly back in front on 57 minutes when Adi Yussuf fired into the top right corner of the net from 20 yards. The Stags sealed the game on 81 minutes with great play from Yussuf who slid the ball forward to Green and Green fired under the keeper from 6 yards. Several fine performances from Mansfield players, with Nathan Thomas in particular terrorising the Hartlepool defence, running at them time after time, getting in behind and putting in crosses. Yussuf changed the game with his goal and his assist for the third. At the back, Krystian Pearce had a terrific game, as did Ryan Tafazolli, and Blair Adams was very solid against the impressive Kal Naismith. It’s a year to the day since Adam Murray took over as caretaker manager and he can celebrate it with his side sixth in the table. Quite a turnaround from last season. The Stags can now look forward to the visit of Exeter City on Tuesday. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ---------------- The Sun, 23Nov15 
------------------------------------ Saturday, 21st November 2015: Mansfield Town 3, Hartlepool United 1 chad.co.uk report by John Lomas Mansfield Town’s agonising five game wait for a win or a goal was finally ended this afternoon as they saw off Hartlepool United 3-1 at One Call Stadium, with Matt Green bagging a brace. Green ended the drought after 474 minutes with a brave finish in the 24th minute. Read more: http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/saturday-21st-november-2015-mansfield-town-3-hartlepool-united-1-1-7583649#ixzz3sA8tbgUu An unlucky Krystian Pearce own goal then put Hartlepool back into the game on 37 minutes. But sub Adi Yussuf netted a scorcher within three minutes of coming on in the 55th minute before Green secured the points nine minutes from the end. Stags created many chances on a freezing cold afternoon and could have had this one safe before the break. But United did rattle the home woodwork at 0-0 and again near the end as they plugged away. It was revealed skipper Nicky Hunt will miss the next two months with a hamstring injury ahead of today’s game and Adam Chapman took over the captain’s armband. The side showed four changes from the team beaten 2-0 in the FA Cup replay at Oldham in midweek with Brian Jensen back in goal on place of Scott Shearer, Mitch Rose taking over at right back in place of Lee Collins, and in midfield Chris Clements replacing Jamie McGuire, Craig Westcarr for Jack Thomas and Reggie Lambe for Matty Blair. Hartlepool won a free kick 20 yards into the home half on three minutes from which Naismith tried a cheeky long range dipper that sailed well over. Twice in the early stages Adams had to tidy up threats from Bingham. But on 11 minutes from a left wing cross, Pearce missed his header and Bingham flicked the ball goalwards which Jensen did well to tip against his crossbar. But after 15 minutes Mansfield settled into their task and a great low cross from the left by Nathan Thomas zipped across the box with Westcarr just unable to turn it home. Then Rose cut into the box from the right and let fly with a rising shot that flew over. A minute later and Green was a whisker from ending the goal drought as he slid in but just failed to make contact with a great teasing Nathan Thomas ball to the far post. On 22 minutes Tafazolli couldn’t get direction on his header from home corner number two, but Rose retrieved it on the right and got it back into the middle where Westcarr bundled a poor finish wide from 10 yards. This was much better from the home side and that elusive goal finally came after a weary 47-minute wait. Nathan Thomas curled in an enticing low cross from the left and Green slid in to beat keeper Carson to it by a fraction and managed to touch it home as they collided. It brought a huge feeling of relief to Green, the players and the fans. Hartlepool almost had a quick reply, but a left wing free kick was too high for Bates to head in from close range. Thomas was ripping Hartlepool apart down the left and after his low shot was blocked, seconds later he drilled yet another low cross in front of goal with Green arriving just too late to capitalise. Thomas then leapt well to head the ball on for Westcarr down the left and yet another low cross to the far post saw a great chance go begging. On 33 minutes Naismith was well wide with a tame, low shot from 35 yards. But they came closer on 34 minutes as Tafazolli headed away as far as Gray, who lofted a volley over from 20 yards. And on 37 minutes a huge slice of fortune saw the North-East side go level. A long free kick from wide in the left sailed to the far post where Adams tried to head clear only to see the ball strike team mate Pearce and find the net past a helpless Jensen. Encouraged, the visitors forced their first two corners of the game before the breaks as the sides went in all square. Within nine minutes of the restart Thaomas had skinned the defence down the left yet again and once more drilled the ball hard and low across goal, no one able to get there, and the ball going for a goal kick. A minute later Stags threw on Yussuf for Westcarr. And within three minutes he had blasted Stags into a 58th minute lead. A long throw from the left came down for him 20 yards from goal and turned to blast an unstoppable finish into the top right corner before lengthy and ecstatic celebrations in from of the Ian Greaves Stand for his family. On 61 minutes Yussuf again troubled the statisticians as he was booked for a foul. Harrison joined him on 67 minutes for bodychecking Thomas as he tore easily past him. Thomas received rich applause as he was replaced by Blair on 73 minutes. There was a worry, with all three subs used, after Tafazolli stayed down after landing awkwardly. He was all right after treatment but tried to come back onto the field too soon and was booked for the offence. Stags finally put the game to bed on 81 minutes. A neat move just outside the box saw Collins find Yussuf in the box, who fed Green for a simple low slot home past Carson. Three minutes later Carroll almost gave Hartlepool a lifeline as his 20 yard free kick struck the near angle and bounced away. STAGS: Jensen, Rose, Pearce, Chapman (C), Clements, Green, Westcarr (Yussuf 55), N. Thomas (Blair 73), Tafazolli, Lambe (Collins 64), Adams. Subs not used: Shearer, J. Thomas, Fitzpatrick, McGuire. HARTLEPOOL: Carson, Magnay, Carroll, Harrison, Bates, Bingham, Oyenuga (Oates 57), Jackson, Gray, Mandron (Fenwick 70), Naismith. Subs not used: Walker, Bartlett, Featherstone, Jones, Smith. REFEREE: David Coote of Nottinghamshire. ATTENDANCE: 3,031 (358 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Nathan Thomas. ------------------- Second-half show costs Pools by Nick Loughlin http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/hartlepool/14095176.Mansfield_Town_3_Hartlepool_United_1/? HARTLEPOOL UNITED lost 3-1 at Mansfield Town - after a second-half disappointment. The Stags went into the game without a win in five, but they powered past Pools after the break. Home keeper Brian Jensen saved his side on 11 minutes, when Pools’ striker Mikael Mandron clipped a cross to goal and Jensen tipped it onto the bar. Nathan Thomas was a constant menace for the Stags on the left and his delivery from wide into the area was a threat. And they took the lead on 24 minutes - from a Thomas cross, Green beat keeper Travor Carson to the ball and popped it in from close range. But Pools levelled with a goal from nothing. A deep Jake Gray free-kick was headed away by Blair but it hit team-mate Kyrstian Pearce on the head and diverted into the net. In the second-half it was all Mansfield as they took the game to Pools. Substitute Adi Yussuf latched onto a ball on the edge of the area and creamed an unstoppable rising shot into the top corner of the net from 20 yards. Carson had no chance of saving such a wonder strike. And Green made sure on 81 minutes, latching onto a pass eight yards out and slotting home after the visiting defence was opened up. Pools’ Kai Naismith clipped the bar with a free-kick from 25 yards at the end. Pools boss Ronnie Moore moaned: “It’s so frustrating - it was like chalk and cheese in both halves. “We had to keep the ball better, move it better. We got back into the game at 1-1 and talked a good game at half-time. “The goals we gave away were disappointing - where’s the passion and desire out there? I’m not saying they aren’t trying, but they have to defend better when they have to. “My words at half time were that if ever there was a game to win away from home in the second-half then this was it.’’ ----------------------- |
Latest | November 2015