Archived News from September 2016
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STAGS BEATEN AT HOME BY BARNET
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 0 - 1 Barnet Akinde 57 Attendance: 2523 (122 from Barnet) Date: 10 September 2016 Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town went down to a very disappointing 1-0 defeat at home at Barnet this afternoon. The only goal of the game came, very predictably, from a moment of real class from John Akinde who broke forward after the Stags needlessly gave the ball away just outside Barnet’s area, he got away from Krystian Pearce and produced a great finish over Scott Shearer. It was a goal that deserved to win the game. Aside from that it was pretty even, indeed Mansfield certainly had more chances to score, but desperately lacked quality in the Barnet half. The absence of Chris Clements is hurting Mansfield badly, and his most natural replacement Adam Chapman was also absent through injury, leaving the Stags with no-one to run the central midfield, sit on the ball calmly and provide that killer pass and moment of quality. The first half was very even and pretty entertaining. The Stags could have been in front on 12 minutes with a great chance for Mitch Rose, who chested down and blasted a shot goalwards from 8 yards which had goal written all over it, but it was blocked. Mansfield’s plans were hampered when George Taft limped off with a hamstring injury, the Stags’ third such injury of an injury ravaged season, and the Stags had to completely change formation. CJ Hamilton came on as substitute and had a good 20 minutes at the end of the first half, with the beating of his defender but the Stags were unable to convert a couple of chances. The Stags were getting on top in the opening stages of the second half and a great ball forward from the returning Danny Rose gave Matt Green a chance to lob the ball over the outrushing keeper but Green lobbed wide of the right post. Just as the Stags were on top, a sucker punch as Mitch Rose gave the ball away just outside the Barnet area, the impressive Gambin played the ball down the left, Akinde got away from Pearce and fired over Shearer into the net on 57 minutes. The Stags could have been level when Benning played a great ball down the left, Hamilton got to the byline and put a great cross onto Green’s head but Green could only head well wide of the right post. As the game wore on, the Stags pushed Barnet further and further back but Barnet defended well as the quality of balls into the box got worse and worse. The Stags had plenty of shots at goal from distance, almost all over the bar or wide of the target. The closest Mansfield came to an equaliser was on 84 minutes as Kevan Hurst did really well down the left and crossed for Henderson who headed down but the keeper saved well right on the goalline. A very disappointing result. A few good performances from Stags players as Alex Iacovitti did well on his debut, Lee Collins was solid in a defensive midfield role, Danny Rose did well on his return but crucially lacked match sharpness when he had a split second to pull the trigger in the box and hesitated, and CJ Hamilton showed glimpses with some good runs and a couple of good crosses but also showed his inconsistency. Perhaps most crucially though the Stags are missing that quality and calmness in the centre of midfield. Mansfield made three changes from the side that drew with Cambridge. Adam Chapman was absent with a groin injury picked up in training. He was replaced by Alex Iacovitti, on loan for the season from Nottingham Forest, who came in for his debut. Ashley Hemmings replaced Kevan Hurst. Danny Rose came in for Darius Henderson, and played with a face mask to protect the face injury he picked up against Doncaster in the EFL Trophy. Chris Clements might have been available for selection after his hamstring injury but his injury received a setback in training this week. The Stags started with Pearce, Taft and Iacovitti in central defence, Bennett and Benning at wing-back, Collins just behind Hemmings and Mitch Rose, and Danny Rose and Green up front. Once Taft went off injured, the wing-backs switched to full back, with Pearce and Iacovitti at centre half. Collins was in front of the back four, with Hemmings on the right, Mitch Rose in the middle, and CJ Hamilton on the left of midfield. Barnet included Luke Gambin, who played for Malta against Scotland last weekend and got sent off, so will miss Malta’s game at Wembley. That’s tough to take for the highly rated player. He scored an own goal in the game against Mansfield at the Hive last season, but impressed in the game at the One Call Stadium as substitute. And of course Barnet included John Akinde up front, so influential in both games against Mansfield this season. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE -------------------------------- MATCH REPORT: Mansfield Town 0 Barnet 1 chad.co.uk report by John Lomas, Saturday 10 September 2016 A second half John Akinde goal was enough to see Barnet to their first win at Mansfield Town in 16 years with a 1-0 victory this afternoon. As last weekend, there were few clear chances throughout the game, but the Bees netted from their first on-target shot from a breakaway on 57 minutes to punish a misplaced pass from Mitch Rose in the Barnet half. Matt Green did have an effort cleared off the line in the first half and Bees keeper Josh Vickers saved well from Mal Benning and Darius Henderson. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/match-report-mansfield-town-0-barnet-1-1-8118166 But, for all their promising approach play and the moving of players’ positions throughout, Mansfield simply didn’t create enough in the final third and there were boos at the end from disappointed home fans. Mansfield sprang a surprise when they announced striker Danny Rose would start the game today against Barnet. Rose suffered a fracture to his eye socket a week last Tuesday and was rated ‘highly unlikely’ to play today, but was named on the team sheet and wore a protective mask on the injury. He was electric for the first half-hour but did little after that. Also into the side for an impressive debut was Forest loanee defender Alex Iacovitti with Ashley Hemmings restored to midfield. Left out were Adam Chapman, suffering from a groin strain, Henderson and Kevan Hurst. Stags began well but on three minutes Taft let Akinde turn him on the right and his low cross was aimed for Batt, Shearer doing just enough to push it away before he could turn it home. Green then steamed into the Barnet box down the left on a counter attack. Vickers came out to meet him and made himself big, Green only able to lift the ball into the keeper’s frame and win a corner. There was brief concern after a high boot seemed to catch Danny Rose in the face near the protective mask, but he played on and didn’t appear hurt. Benning then put over a cross from the left which Mitch Rose controlled and got away a powerful shot that Nelson did well to block. Mitch Rose was booked on 14 minutes for a clumsy challenge on Batt. Stags suffered a blow on 22 minutes as Taft went down twice in a few minutes after heavy collisions with first Akinde and then Batt and had to limp off. Iacovitti moved across into the centre and Benning dropped back into the left of defence. Rose did well to flick a header on down the left for Hamilton and he drilled in a low cross that Vickers grabbed just ahead of Green. Stags continued to press and Hamilton did well to sneak between two defenders on the left and fire a shot that was deflected for a corner. After 36 minutes we finally had our first save by a keeper as Green nodded a tame header straight to Vickers from the corner. Two minutes later Vickers was down to his right to keep out a shot on the turn by Benning from just outside the box. From the corner Green headed downwards and Johnson was forced to head off the line inside the post. Hemmings was added to the book on 48 minutes for a late challenge on Akinde. Home fans were incensed when Akinde was late in on Shearer and the referee didn’t even speak to him. But the half ended goalless with Stags the happier of the two sides with the first 45 minutes’ action. Hemmings almost gave Stags a perfect start to the second half as within two minutes he launched a shot from 25 yards that just failed to dip in time. A minute later he tried his luck again, curling one over the far angle from a similar distance. On 53 minutes Barnet came close as Batt crossed long from the right and Gamin slid in late but couldn’t divert the ball on target. Stags broke upfield and Green tried a cheeky chip from the right which sailed over the bar. However, Barnet grabbed the lead on 57 minutes. It all stemmed from a loose pass from Mitch Rose that failed to reach Bennett. Barnet broke quickly and Gambin sent Akinde on his way down the left. He got into the box, went easily past Pearce and lifted a calm finish over Shearer inside the far post. On 61 minutes Hamilton put a good cross over from the left, finding Green who failed to make enough contact with his header as it span well wide. Hurst replaced Hemmings on 63 minutes as Stags tried to up the ante. Immediately he was wide with his first touch from a 25 yard free kick. Gambin was added to the book for dissent on 66 minutes as Barnet disputed a throw. Gambin then went down under a Hurst challenge on 69 minutes and his rolling around managed to get Hurst booked with home fans livid. He was then substituted by Campbell-Rice, though showed no ill effects of the tackle as he walked round the pitch. Mansfield added to their attack with 15 minutes to go as Henderson came on for Mitch Rose. There was more anger as Campbell-Ryce grabbed the ball at a Stags free kick and held onto it, Collins wrestled the ball from him, but the referee’s cards stayed in his pocket. But Campbell-Ryce was booked on 82 minutes for a shove on Collins. A minute later Vickers got down well to make a good save from a Henderson header after Hurst had put the ball in from the left. However, time ran out on the Stags at the end as home fans vented their displeasure. STAGS: Shearer, Bennett, Benning, Collins, Pearce, Taft (Hamilton 22), Green, M. Rose (Henderson 73), Hemmings (Hurst 63), Iacovitti, D. Rose. Subs not used: Jensen, Hoban, Baxendale, McGuire. BARNET: Vickers, Johnson, N’Gala, Nelson, Weston, Akinde, Gambin (Campbell-Rice 70), Togwell, Batt (Akpa Akpro 59), Nicholls (Sesay 75), Vilhete. Subs not used: Stephens, Watson, Taylor, Tomlinson. REFEREE: Sebastian Stockbridge of Tyne & Wear. ATTENDANCE: 2,523 (122 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Lee Collins. ---------------------- Match Report: Mansfield Town 0-1 Barnet barnetfc.com, 10th September 2016 John Akinde secure three points for Barnet at Mansfield... John Akinde scored his 60th league goal for Barnet to give the Bees a 1-0 win at Mansfield Town in EFL League Two this afternoon - their first at the One Call Stadium in 16 years. The Bees' number nine got the game's only goal after 57 minutes, outmuscling Krystian Pearce and tucking beyond keeper Scott Shearer to score his 12th in his last 12 league outings. Read more at http://www.barnetfc.com/news/article/2016-17/match-report-mansfield-town-0-1-barnet-3299724.aspx#yP8Z2KtrB35xjSQx.99 And the victory was Barnet's first at Mansfield since April 2000 when Marlon King won it for the visitors. Martin Allen made two changes from the side which started the abandoned game at Newport County last weekend. Ben Tomlinson and Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro dropped to the bench. In came Luke Gambin and, making his first EFL League Two start of the season, Shaun Batt. And it was Batt who almost broke the deadlock after two minutes. Akinde scampered down the right and slid a low cross in for his strike partner who couldn't connect cleanly from close range. Mansfield had their first chance in the tenth minute. Mal Benning crossed from the left and the ball fell for Mitchell Rose inside the area. However, Bees skipper Michael Nelson did well to block the midfielder's strike. Both sides enjoyed territory thereafter but neither could really work the opposing goalkeeper until seven minutes before half time. On that occasion Mansfield's Benning brought a good stop out of Vickers who got down smartly to his right to push away the winger's firm strike. A minute later the Stags had a better chance but Matt Green's goal-bound header was blocked on the line by Elliott Johnson as the half ended goalless. It was the Bees who had the first chance of note after the restart, the lively Batt again involved for Allen's men. The forward darted between two defenders down the right-hand side and crossed to the back post where Gambin, on the stretch, stabbed just wide. But Barnet's next foray into the Mansfield half was rewarded with a goal which proved to be the winner. The Stags lost possession and the Bees broke forward with Akinde released down the left by Gambin. The burly forward skipped past former Barnet loanee Pearce before rolling under Shearer from an acute angle. Shortly after going in front Barnet made their first change, Jamal Campbell-Ryce replacing Batt. And the former Sheffield United winger went close immediately, earning a corner with a shot which was deflected wide. The Bees did well to limit Mansfield's threat after taking the lead and Josh Vickers had little to do in the Barnet goal. One of the few chances Vickers had to repel came when substitute Kevan Hurst crossed from the left for Darius Henderson who couldn't beat the Swansea City loanee with a firm header. Barnet controlled proceedings from there to clinch their second win of the campaign. The Bees are at home to Colchester United next Saturday. Barnet: Vickers; Vilhete, N'Gala, Nelson (c), Johnson; Nicholls (Sesay 74), Weston, Togwell, Gambin (Campbell-Ryce 70); Batt (Akpa Akpro 59), Akinde. Substitutes: Stephens (GK), Watson, H. Taylor, Tomlinson. Mansfield Town: Shearer; Bennett, Pearce, Taft (Hamilton 21), Iacovitti; Hemmings (Hurst 63), M. Rose (Henderson 72), Collins (c), Benning; Green, D. Rose. Substitutes: Jensen (GK), Hoban, Baxendale, McGuire. Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge. Attendance: 2,523 (122 Barnet fans). ------------------- |
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