Archived News from January 2016
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STRENGTHENED STAGS BACK TO WINNING WAYS
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Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 2 - 1 Stevenage Clements 42, Baxendale 65. Gnanduillet 90+5 Attendance: 3126 (112 from Stevenage) Date: 9 January 2016 Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town roared back to winning ways with two very well-taken goals, from Chris Clements and new loan signing James Baxendale. The game was already won when Stevenage scored a consolation in the 5th minute of stoppage time. The Stags were back looking solid with return of Nicky Hunt and Ryan Tafazolli in defence, and thus a return to three-quarters of the defence that started the season so well. There was also a strengthening of the squad with the loan signing of Baxendale from Walsall which was announced 90 minutes before kick off. Stevenage had been the better side in the opening 25 minutes, with Michael Tonge hitting the post from a 22 yard free kick. But the Stags had gradually worked their way into the game and took the lead on 42 minutes when Clements was brought down by Franks on the edge of the area right in front of goal. Video evidence shows the foul was actually on the line, so the referee made the correct call. Clements took the free kick himself and fired into the top left corner, his second goal from a free-kick in consecutive games. Another superb goal. The goal gave the Stags confidence and they doubled the lead on 65 minutes when James Baxendale, whose loan signing from Walsall was announced 90 minutes before kick off, curled a wonderful shot into the bottom right corner from 20 yards after a lay-off from Matt Green. The Stags had chances to score more, but with four minutes of stoppage time signalled, Gnanduillet scored a consolation for Stevenage on 90+5 minutes when he fired home from close range after Jensen had saved his first effort. So an important win for Mansfield after three draws and a defeat in the past 4 games, and we’re back up to 8th, one point behind the play-offs. Before the game, a rallying call from manager Adam Murray in a pre-recorded message broadcast over the tannoy, that seemed to received well by most... listen to it here. FULL REPORT IN MATCH CENTRE ----------------------------------- Saturday, 9th January 2016: Mansfield Town 2, Stevenage 1 chad.co.uk report by Stephen Thirkill Mansfield Town pushed themselves back into the play-off reckoning with a 2-1 win over struggling Stevenage. Goals from Chris Clements and debutant James Baxendale capped a fine win to end a run of four without a win. Read more: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/saturday-9th-january-2016-mansfield-town-2-stevenage-1-1-7665616#ixzz3wqRxVWlK Stags took the lead when Clements curled a free-kick home from the edge of the box on 42 minutes. It capped a good first half for Stags which saw Clements and Westcarr go close. Stevenage’s best chance of the half came when Michael Tonge hit the post with a curling effort from 20 yards. Tonge wasted a good chance to level when he headed Rohdell Gordon’s corner wide on the hour mark. Chris Day kept the visitors in it a minute later when he blocked Craig Westcarr’s strike with his legs. But there was nothing he could do when Baxendale fired a perfectly placed effort past him from 20 yards on 65 minutes. Armand Gnanduillet hit a consolation goal for the visitors from eight yards with the last kick of the game. Mansfield started brightly with new signing James Baxendale fluffing a good chance to put them ahead on 10 minutes when he tamely fired at Chris Day after finding space in the box. Stevenage were inches away from going in front two minutes later when Michael Tonge cracked a superb free-kick against the post. Matt Green rifled an effort straight at Day from just outside the box after a good surging run on 17 minutes. Stevenage’s lack of cutting edge was exposed on 21 minutes when they made a real hash of a two on one break from the halfway line. With the lone defender back pedalling, Rohdell Gordon elected to go himself instead of slotting in Charloe Lee and the chance went begging. Chris Clements came close to breaking the deadlock when his dipping header was alertly tipped over the bar by Day on 26 minutes. Westcarr seemed certain to score seconds later after Baxendale laid the ball into his path, But, as he prepared to pull the trigger, Connor Ogilvie made a late lunging tackle to put him off his stride and get a vital block in. Stags finally took the lead on 42 minutes when Chris Clements sweetly curled a free-kick past Day into the top right corner. It was a beautiful hit from the free-kick specialist and a carbon copy of his effort against Accrington Stanley the previous week. Green nearly made it two after he pounced on a defensive blunder before seeing his shot blocked at the near post by the foot of day on 54 minutes. Westcarr’s shot was blocked for a corner by Tonge a minute later, before sub Reggie Lambe fired a long-range effort over as Mansfield turned up the pressure. Tonge headed wide at the back post on the hour mark after Gordon’s put over a dangerous cross. It looked like Stags had doubled their lead a minute later when Westcarr got goalbound and fires a shot through Day’s legs. But Day took the sting off the shot with the inside of his legs, before pouncing on a loose ball. Baxendale capped an impressive debut when he gave Stags breathing space after he threaded the ball inside Day’s post from 20 yards on 65 minutes to cap a fine spell of Mansfield pressure. Stevenage once again had their goalkeeper to thank for keeping the score down when he did well to beat a Lambe header away with 79 minutes gone. He was at best again on the stroke of full-time when he beat away a stinging effort from Reggie Lambe as Mansfield ended the game strongly. Mansfield Town (4-2-3-1): Jensen, Hunt, Pearce, Tafazolli, Adams, Clements, Chapman, Westcarr, (Rose 69), J. Thomas (Lambe 45), Baxendale (Blair 87), Green Subs not used: Shearer, Collins, Beardsley, Blair, McGuire Stevenage (4-4-1): Day, Henry, McCombe, Franks. Ogilvie, Gordon (Conlon 69), Pett, Tonge, McFadzean (Gnanduillet 57), Lee, Matt. Subs not used: Crowe, Hughes, Akinyemi, Johnson, Gorman. Chad man of the match: James Baxendale. Attendance: 3,126 (112). ----------------- Mansfield Town 2 Stevenage 1: MATCH REPORT: Stags close in on play-offs as toothless Boro fade Hertfordshire Mercury, January 09, 2016, By Alan Scott The Stags moved just a point outside the play-offs while Teddy Sheringham's Stevenage are still ominously looking in the other direction. Should Yeovil win their game in hand, Boro will be seven points outside the relegation places and very much in danger. Read more: http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/8203-Mansfield-Town-2-Stevenage-1-MATCH-REPORT/story-28490229-detail/story.html#ixzz3wqDSNeG6 Mansfield were good value for their three points today (Saturday January 9), while the visitors were toothless in attack, scoring their goal right at the very death. With the winless run stretching to five matches it doesn't get any easier for Stevenage as they go to leaders Plymouth Argyle next weekend. With several loan players' deals up, they did little to convince Sheringham to extend those contracts. Stevenage were unchanged from last week's game against Leyton Orient, with key players Dean Wells, Chris Whelpdale and Dean Parrett still out injured but set to return soon. Sheringham also persisted with Charlie Lee in the hole behind lone striker Jamille Matt as he resisted the temptation to bring in two-goal Armand Gnanduillet. There was just one change and that was on the bench. Dipo Akinyemi, recalled from a loan spell at Aldershot, came in for the injured Ben Kennedy. After a cagey start Boro were desperately unlucky not to take the lead after Lee won a cheap free-kick on the edge of the Mansfield box. Michael Tonge took the set-piece and curled it around the wall before it struck the right post with the Stags' 40-year-old ex-Burnley custodian Brian Jensen well beaten. Moments later Stevenage demanded a penalty when Lee's effort appeared to be handled in the box by a Mansfield player. But unlike Fraser Franks' handball last week, this was not given by the referee. Hearts were in mouths when a long ball from Mansfield saw Jamie McCombe and Chris Day whack into each other, but skipper Ronnie Henry reacted quickly to deny the lurking Stags striker Matt Green. With Day in goal for Boro, the two opposing keepers had a combined age of 81. Who says age is an obstacle, said the 43-year-old sports reporter? There was a storming run from Rohdell Gordon from his own half just close to the midway point of the first half. He was eventually felled just eight yards from goal but the referee David Webb waved away appeals for a spot-kick. The hosts were denied by a superb tip-over save from Day on 26 minutes. Stags skipper Nicky Hunt's ball was met by Chris Clements and his header was palmed over by the ageless Boro custodian. Moments later on-loan Walsall player James Baxendale, making his debut, broke and seemed certain to score but ran to the left of the goal before delivering a ball into the centre of the goal for Craig Westcarr. Fantastic defending from Connor Ogilvie prevented the Mansfield striker from firing home. With half-time rapidly approaching Clements drew a foul and it could not have been any closer to the penalty box. He took this himself from a central position and curled it superbly over the wall and into the top left corner to open the scoring. After a quiet start to the second half a mistake from McCombe let in Green. He tried to trick Day with a shot to the near post but the Boro custodian was alert as ever. The danger was not cleared and a long-range goalbound shot from Westcarr was superbly deflected over the bar by Fraser Franks. Gnanduillet finally came on near the hour as Sheringham went 4-4-2 in a bid to get a foothold in the match, with Callum McFadzean surprisingly sacrificed rather than Gordon, who still lacks an end product despite his endeavour. It was the hosts who looked more like scoring and when Ogilvie felled Westcarr Stevenage were fortunate not to concede a penalty. Day made himself big to deny the striker as he managed to keep himself upright and attempted to poke through the keeper's legs. Boro went close when Gordon's lob to the far post was met by Franks and he was inches away from heading home an equaliser after easily beating his man. The Stags finally grabbed a second on 65 minutes when Baxendale picked up the ball and twisted one way and another before firing a shot under Day and into the bottom right corner from just inside the box. On 79 minutes Stags sub Mitchell Rose should have added a third but Day made an outstanding save from point-blank range at his left post. Sub Tom Conlon's late curled effort which drifted inches over the bar was all Stevenage had to show for a bitterly disappointing second half. Right at the end Day superbly stopped Green's shot from 12 yards and he was one of the few Stevenage players to emerge from this disappointment with credit. With the very last kick of the game deep in injury time, Boro grabbed a consolation. Matt's strength got the ball to Gnanduillet. His first attempt was blocked but he stabbed the second into the roof of the net for his sixth Stevenage goal and third in two games. But the final whistle blew straight after the restart. Mansfield Tn: Jensen, Pearce, Chapman, Clements, Green, Westcarr (Rose 69), Tafazolli, Hunt, J Thomas (Lambe 46), Adams, Baxendale (Blair 88). Subs: Shearer, Rose, Collins, Beardsley, Blair, Lambe, McGuire. Yellow cards: Clements. Goals: Clements 42', Baxendale 65' Stevenage: Day, Henry, McCombe, Franks, Ogilvie, Tonge, Pett, Gordon (Conlon 69'), Lee, McFadzean (Gnanduillet), Matt. Subs: Crowe, Hughes, Johnson, Conlon, Gorman, Gnanduillet, Akinyemi. Goals: Gnanduillet 90 (+5). Att: 3126 (110 away fans). --------------- |
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