Archived News from August 2016
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STAGS FRUSTRATED IN DRAW WITH CHELTENHAM
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 1 - 1 Cheltenham Town M.Rose 49. O'Shaughnessy 79. Attendance: 2884 (211 from Cheltenham) Date: 13 August 2016 STAGS FRUSTRATED IN DRAW WITH CHELTENHAM Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town drew their first home league game of the season with newly promoted Cheltenham Town at Field Mill this afternoon. After a quiet first half, the Stags had gone in front after 49 minutes with an outstanding piece of play by Matt Green on the left touchline, leaving two defenders for dead with a wonderful turn, and squaring for Mitch Rose to side-foot home from 8 yards, for his second goal in 4 days. Green had a couple of chances to extend the lead, but Cheltenham were level after 79 minutes with a wonder goal from Finland international centre half Dan O'Shaughnessy who fired in a thunderous drive from 30 yards that moved in the air and beat Scott Shearer for his first senior goal. It would be easy to criticise Shearer for being beaten from 30 yards but I think movement in the air makes it difficult for a keeper. Eight minutes of time were added on and it was Cheltenham who went closer to winning it, when Lee Collins blocked an effort from Dan Holman and Danny Wright scuffed the rebound wide of a more or less empty net. The first half had seen few attempts on goal for either side, and with one great save from each keeper, with Shearer saving superbly from Harry Pell, and Green denied by a great save from Russel Griffiths. In the end, a fair result in my opinion. Mansfield weren’t at their best, and Cheltenham look a decent side, who ought to finish at least in mid-table. No side has won both their games in League Two, and Mansfield are one of 9 sides to have 4 points, which represents a good start. Yeovil are another of those sides with 4 points and visit Field Mill on Tuesday in what I expect to be another close game. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ----------------------------- MATCH REPORT: Mansfield Town 1-1 Cheltenham Town by John Lomas, chad.co.uk, Saturday 13 August 2016 Finnish international Daniel O’Shaughnessy rescued a point out of nowhere for visiting Cheltenham with a 30-yard rocket finish ten minutes from time as Mansfield Town were held 1-1 in this afternoon’s opening home League Two fixture. In warm sunshine, the sides had battled out an unexciting first half with Harry Pell missing the best chance for the visitors. But, after Mitch Rose had notched his second goal of the week four minutes into the second-half, the visitors threatened rarely and Mansfield must have thought they were about to win their first home game to build on that opening victory at Newport. But it wasn’t to be as O’Shaughessy smashed in the sort of goal more regularly seen on Match of the Day to spoil Stags’ day. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/match-report-mansfield-town-1-1-cheltenham-town-1-8067705 The leveller rocked the Stags who were lucky not to then lose it as the visitors produced a grandstand finish. Mansfield made four changes as Adam Chapman, James Baxendale, CJ Hamilton and Ashley Hemmings dropped to the bench from the side which lost 3-1 at home to Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Cup in midweek. In came Kyle Howkins and George Taft to form a formidable 6ft 5ins central defensive barrier with Kevan Hurst restored to midfield and Danny Rose up front. That meant there was one change from last weekend’s opening day win at Newport with Howkins replacing Chapman. Stags also included new signing, experienced striker Darius Henderson, on the bench for the first time. Danny Rose and Hurst caught the eye as did the two central defenders, who dealt with most of the Robins’ aerial threat with their direct football. Cheltenham, newly promoted as Conference champions, included former Stags defender James Jennings. Cheltenham tried to take the game straight to the Stags, but Mansfield responded with some good pressure that yielded two successive corners. Neither keeper was tested in the early stages and the first real goal attempt came on 18 minutes when Danny Rose flicked a backheader wide from Bennett’s floated ball into the box. But the Robins should have gone ahead on 22 minutes through poor home marking. Waters launched a cross long from the right and Pell was left unmarked to power a header at goal from six yards which Shearer did superbly well to get a hand to and turn round his left hand post. Taft had to block a low effort from Morgan-Smith as the Robins flooded the box when Stags failed to clear the ball with the visitors continuing to edge the possession. On 32 minutes Green battled well for the ball and managed to get away a decent low shot from 20 yards that Griffiths had to dive to his right to turn round the post. A Bennett clearance then sent Danny Rose on a run which saw him control the ball, turn a defender and shoot at the keeper from wide on the right. Shearer was then behind a bundled far post shot from Holman on 43 minutes from a long cross from the left. The game needed a goal - and got it within four minutes of the restart. It was created by Green on the left as he turned superbly between Parslow and Suliman and left them in his wake before squaring an inviting pass to his right to Rose who buried the ball from 12 yards with a crisp low finish. Griffiths was behind a low Green shot from 16 yards soon after. On 61 minutes the visitors made a double change as Cranston and Barthram replaced Waters and Jennings. Green had a shot deflect just over shortly afterwards before Danny Rose was booked for kicking the ball away on 64 minutes. Shearer raced out his box on 68 minutes to clear ahead of Morgan-Smith, but the Robins’ striker flattened him as he did so and the keeper needed treatment but was able to continue. Hemmings came on for the impressive Danny Rose on 69 minutes, then on 73 minutes Mitch Rose fed Green into the right of the box and Griffiths had to beat away his powerful finish. At the other end Bennett put in a superb tackle before Morgan-Smith could get a finish away in a rare Robins threat. With 10 minutes to go, Stags looked to have this game in the bag. But the visitors then levelled with a bolt from the blue. Finnish international O’Shaughnessy let fly from 30 yards with an unstoppable shot that had Shearer clawing fresh air. Hurst saw a shot saved before he made way for Henderson’s debut in the penultimate minute. Eight minutes were added on and in the fourth of them, Stags were relieved to see Wright control and fire wide from 18 yards. Wright screwed another late chance wide as the Robins went all out for a winner. Even deeper into added time Hemmings was too high on the turn for Mansfield as the game ended in stalemate. STAGS: Shearer; Bennett, Taft, Howkins, Benning; Collins; Mitch Rose, Clements, Hurst (Henderson 89); Danny Rose (Hemmings 69), Green. Subs not used: Jensen, Chapman, Baxendale, Hamilton, McGuire. CHELTENHAM: Griffiths, Jennings (Cranston 61), Parslow, Pell, Waters (Barthram 61), Wright, Morgan-Smith, Whitehead (Rowe 78), O’Shaughnessy, Suliman, Holman. Subs not used: Kitscha, Hall, Lymn. REFEREE: John Busby of Oxfordshire. ATTENDANCE: 2,884 (211 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Kevan Hurst -------------------- Mansfield Town 1 Cheltenham Town 1 FULL TIME: Key moments from the One Call Stadium By James Young, August 13, 2016, gloucestershirelive.co.uk 19: Billy Waters breaks the offside trap to reach Easah Suliman's pass, but his cross is cleared with Danny Wright poised. 22: Waters is alert to a quickly-taken free-kick and while the Mansfield defence dithered his cross found Pell at the far post. But Scott Shearer produces an incredible save to deny the Robins midfielder. Read more at http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/mansfield-town-1-cheltenham-town-1-full-time-key-moments-from-the-one-call-stadium/story-29616128-detail/story.html?#dqI2LlJwOY30HlqL.99 29: Straight ball into the box causes havoc. Waters ghosts on to the ball and after a melee, Wright appears to be hauled down. Nothing is given, the ball rolls to Amari Morgan-Smith who has a shot hacked away by George Taft. 30: Two reckless challenges by James Jennings gives the Stags a chance to cross from the right. Mitchell Rose looks for Matt Green at the back post, but Easah Suliman clears. 32: Former Robins striker Matt Green works himself a shooting opportunity. His low drive is superbly turned around the post by Russell Griffiths, who tips the following inswinging corner over the top. 46: Good defending from Suliman, blocks Green when he looked poised to connect with Mitchell Rose's right-wing cross. 49: GOAL: Poor defending by Dan Parslow and Suliman on the Robins right allows Green a chance to run and cross to an unmarked Mitchell Rose, who taps home from six yards. 54: Sharp interplay between Danny Rose and Green at the edge of the box allows the latter a chance to shoot, but his effort is straight at Green. 61: After a worryingly-poor start to the second half, Gary Johnson decided to shuffle his pack. On came Jack Barthram and Jordan Cranston for James Jennings and Billy Waters. The team shape changed to 3-4-1-2 with Dan Holman behind Morgan-Smith and Wright. 69: Green races past a struggling Parslow onto a simple through ball and shoots, but Griffiths is equal to his effort and pushes it away. 70: Almost immediately Whitehead plays the through to Morgan-Smith who controls but Rhys Bennett recovers well to tackle well and deny the chance of a clear shot at goal. 77: Surging run by left-back Mal Benning down the left flank presents Green with another chance, but a combination of Parslow and Dan O'Shaughnessy block. 80: GOAL. From absolutely nothing, O'Shaughnessy strides forward and hammers a missile of a shot from long-range into the top corner. 81: Within a minute the Stags attempt to hit back. Kevan Hurst pops up in the right channel and hammers a shot towards goal but Griffiths saves well. 90+4: Danny Wright chests down a long pass from substitute Jordan Cranston and hammers towards goal, but his left-footed volley is off target. 90+5: Wright connects with Jack Barthram's deep cross at the far post, but under pressure he can only head over. 90+6: Dan Holman is given time to shoot at the edge of the area, his effort is blocked and the loose ball spins to Wright but he can't get a telling connection and it dribbles wide. 90+7: A rousing finish sees Barthram cross from the right, but both Wright and Morgan-Smith leave the ball for each other and the chance goes. 90+8: A pulsating period of injury time ends with Ashley Hemmings firing over the top from the edge of the box as the game ends 1-1 Mansfield Town: (4-1-3-2) S Shearer; R Bennett, K Howkins, G Taft, , M Benning; L Collins; M Rose, C Clements, K Hurst (D Henderson, 89); D Rose (A Hemmings, 69), M Green. Subs not used: B Jensen, A Chapman, J Baxendale, C Hamilton, J McGuire. Cheltenham Town: (4-4-2) R Griffiths; E Suliman, D Parslow, D O'Shaughnessy, J Jennings (J Cranston, 61); B Waters (J Barthram, 61), H Pell, D Whitehead (J Rowe, 78), A Morgan-Smith; D Holman, D Wright. Subs not used: C Kitscha, , A Hall, J Lymn. Referee: J Busby. Attendance: 2,884 (211 away) Star man: Russell Griffiths: Three key saves to keep his side in the game. ------------------------ |
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