Archived News from March 2017
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STAGS BEATEN 2-0 AT COLCHESTER
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Colchester United 2 - 0 Mansfield Town Dickenson 20, Szmodics 28 Attendance: 2526 (172 from Mansfield) Date: 14 March 2017 STAGS BEATEN 2-0 AT COLCHESTER AND MISS ANOTHER HATFUL OF CHANCES Martin Shaw at the Weston Homes Community Stadium Mansfield Town drew another blank in front of goal despite creating plenty of chances, and fell to a 2-0 defeat in their first ever visit to the Weston Homes Community Stadium in Colchester this evening. It was Mansfield’s fourth game without a goal, incredible given the number of chances having been created in that period. The opening 20 minutes was very even with one good chance for either side as Rekeil Pyke fired just wide for Colchester and then Matt Green fired a great chance over from 7 yards with the goal at his mercy after a good move from the Stags involving Green himself, Alex MacDonald and Hayden White. Colchester took the lead after 20 minutes as the dangerous Brennan Dickensen cut inside from the left, past Hayden White, and fired right footed in off the right post. Brilliant from Dickensen, but not good enough defending from White who shouldn’t have allowed him to cut inside. On 28 minutes Colchester made it 2-0 as Dickensen played a great ball in from the left to Sammie Szmodics who found himself in space between Krystian Pearce and Rhys Bennett with time to turn and shoot past Shearer. A good goal from Colchester’s point of view but poor defending from Pearce and Bennett to give Szmodics so much room. No chance for Scott Shearer on either goal. A hammer blow for the Stags, Colchester now played with increased confidence and deserved to be ahead at the break. Dickensen had given White a torrid half and he was the pivotal player for Colchester. The second half was as one-sided as you will see, as the Stags completely dominated and penned Colchester in their half, but yet again they were unable to turn chances and possession into goals. On 48 minutes, Benning played a good 1-2 with Green and fired wide of the right post. A minute later Danny Rose nodded down to Green who dragged his shot wide from a great position. A terrible miss. On 58 minutes, Ben Whiteman volleyed wide of the right post. On 63 minutes, a double chance when it seemed the Stags had to score, as Bennett’s shot was brilliantly blocked on the line by the keeper, and then Green’s follow up shot was also brilliantly blocked on the line by the keeper. On 72 minutes, Whiteman’s shot was blocked on the line by Elokobi. Then late on, Green, now playing on the right of midfield, pulled the ball back to Benning, whose right foot shot from 12 yards was blocked on the line by Bonne, out to Coulthirst who fired over from 6 yards. So frustrating for Mansfield. The second half was a good display but if you don’t put the ball in the net it counts for nothing. Colchester were potent in the first half with a couple of fine pieces of play from their best player Brennan Dickensen, and the Stags defending in that first half was not good enough. Mansfield slip to 5 points outside the play-offs. With 9 games to go there is still everything to play for but Mansfield do need to bounce back and beat Carlisle on Saturday. The Stags need to keep up the level of performance from the second half here, and the first half against Plymouth, both of which have been good, but have to start finding the back of the net. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ------------------------------------- MATCH REPORT: More woe for Stags at Colchester chad.co.uk, by SPORTS REPORTER (Agency), Tuesday 14 March 2017 Mansfield Town’s dip in form continued with a disappointing 2-0 reverse at Colchester - a fourth game without a win or scoring a goal. The Stags’ play-off bid took another hit as they fell to a second straight defeat. They have now picked up just two points from their last four matches and sit 10th, five points off the pace. With Ashley Hemmings a surprise inclusion in place of CJ Hamilton, the opening half-hour proved rather disastrous for the Stags at the Weston Homes Community Stadium. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/match-report-more-woe-for-stags-at-colchester-1-8438852 Joel Byrom missed a couple of half-chances for the visitors early on, but in the 20th minute the deadlock was broken by Colchester. Brennan Dickenson seized the moment, turning smartly in the Stags box before curling a beautiful strike into the bottom corner from 12 yards. It was something of a body blow for Steve Evans’ men, but worse was to follow only eight minutes later. This time Dickenson turned provider for Colchester, whipping in a terrific cross for Sammy Szmodics, who controlled tidily before curling another low effort past the despairing dive of Scott Shearer. There was then a let-off for the Stags when Szmodics stretched for, but just couldn’t reach, another tempting cross, this time from Drey Wright. The Stags came close as half-time approached, with Ashley Hemmings somehow finding some space as he bore down on goal, only to them smash into the side-netting from a tight angle. The Stags looked a different side in the opening stages of the second period. Matt Green came mighty close when firing a half-volley wide, while Rhys Bennett was twice denied in rapid succession by a superb double point-blank save from Colchester keeper Sam Walker. Back came the hosts, and Sean Murray thought he’d make it 3-0, only to see his effort whistle past the post when he really ought to have at least hit the target. The Stags’ best late opportunity fell to Krystian Pearce, who leapt well to meet Byrom’s cross, but headed wide. Attendance: 2,526 (172 away). (comment from Martin - woefully inaccurate report) ------------------ Brennan Dickenson inspires Colchester United to a home victory over the Stags by Carl Marston, greenun24.co.uk Colchester United 2 Mansfield Town 0 First-half goals by Brennan Dickenson and Sammie Szmodics boosted Colchester United’s play-off hopes, at the expense of promotion rivals Mansfield this evening. The Stags created the bulk of the scoring chances, but Steve Evans’ men endured a dire night in front of goal, with striker Matt Green the main culprit - he missed absolute sitters in each half. An in-form Dickenson broke the deadlock with a wonderful solo goal in the 20th minute. Dickenson latched onto Sean Murray’s pass and cut inside defender Hayden White before unleashing a low shot which flew into the net via the inside of the far post, giving keeper Scott Shearer no chance. http://www.greenun24.co.uk/colchester-united/brennan_dickenson_inspires_colchester_united_to_a_home_victory_over_the_stags_1_4931873 And Dickenson turned creator to double the U’s lead on 28 minutes. The U’s left wing-back, enjoying acres of space down the flank, picked out Szmodics inside the penalty area. Szmodics turned to lash home a low shot into the far corner of the net, from 10 yards out. It was Szmodics’ second goal in three appearances, since his long-awaited return from a foot injury, which had spanned four months. There was no way back for Mansfield, despite them completely dominating the second period. The U’s have now won eight of their last 10 home matches, a terrific effort. They handed a first start to Rekeil Pyke, the Huddersfield loanee playing up front with Chris Porter, in what was the only change to the side that were hammered 4-0 at home to Portsmouth on Saturday. Owen Garvan was the player to miss out - the central midfielder had been struggling with injury for a few weeks. The U’s nearly scored at both ends of the pitch inside the first few minutes. Matt Briggs volleyed narrowly wide of his own goal, after an intended clearance went awry, while at the right end of the pitch Szmodics saw his low shot squirm wide of target. Green spurned a great chance to break the deadlock for Mansfield on 14 minutes. The Stags leading scorer ballooned a shot over the bar, with the goal beckoning from just 10 yards out. Six minutes later and Dickenson showed Green how to finish, crashing a shot home via the inside of the far post for his 10th goal of the campaign. The Stags tried to respond quickly, but George Elokobi was in the right place to block Rhys Bennett’s angled drive in front of the near post, on 24 minutes. And the visitors’ task was made doubly difficult by Szmodics firing home on the turn, to put the U’s 2-0 up in the 28th minute, following more good work by Dickenson. Mansfield failed to threaten U’s keeper Sam Walker in the first half, and they were found wanting at the start of the second period as well. Left-back Malvind Bennning screwed a shot wide from an excellent position in the 47th minute, and just seconds later Green missed his second sitter of the night, blazing his shot high and wide from close-in. The visitors continued to press, but also continued to fluff their lines, despite several goalmouth scrambles, including a goal-saving double-block on the hour mark which featured a fine save from Walker. Squads COLCHESTER: Walker, James (sub Vincent-Young, 90), Elokobi, Briggs, Wright, Lapslie, Murray, Dickenson, Szmodics (sub Bonne, 81), Porter, Pyke (sub Wynter, 64). Unused subs: Barnes, Fosu, Kinsella, Edge. MANSFIELD: Shearer, Bennett, Pearce, Bennett, White, Collins (sub Hamilton, 46), Byrom, Whiteman, MacDonald (sub Coulthirst, 64), Hemmings (sub Rose, 46)Green. Unused subs: Jensen, Potter, Howkins, Arquin. Referee: Nicholas Kinseley (Essex) Attendance: 2,526 (172 away fans) ------------------- |
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