Archived News from April 2017
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STAGS WIN AT STEVENAGE TO STAY IN THE HUNT
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Stevenage 0 - 1 Mansfield Town Danny Rose 44 Attendance: 2765 (389 from Mansfield) Date: 22 April 2017 Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at Broadhall Way Mansfield Town won 1-0 at 5th placed Stevenage to move closer to the play-off zone with just two games to go in League Two. The vital goal came a minute before half time from Danny Rose, as Joel Byrom’s shot deflected up, Krystian Pearce headed forward, and Rhys Bennett knocked back out to Rose who volleyed into the roof of the net from 6 yards. That goal followed a shot from Rose that was deflected over the bar for a corner. Just 4 minutes earlier, Rose had gone close when his header from Byrom’s corner to the far post was cleared off the line. Stevenage had been on top through much of the first half but really only went close once when a Charlie Lee long throw from the right went over everyone and McKee at the far post fired into the side netting. The Stags had to deal with an aerial bombardment as Lee hurled massive throw after massive throw into the Stags box, but the defence, with Rhys Bennett and Krystian Pearce outstanding, dealt with everything. Up until Rose’s header cleared off the line, Mansfield had been disappointing going forward. The Stags had three glorious chances to seal the game in the second half. Firstly on 53 minutes, after some good play, Ben Whiteman’s left footed shot from the edge of the box was deflected, but with the keeper wrong-footed, the ball span wide of the right post for a corner. Then on 59 minutes, a cracking run from Alex MacDonald from inside his own half, he seemed to have lost the ball but won it back, then with just the keeper to beat, he tried to dink the ball over the keeper but got it all wrong and the chance was gone. And then on 69 minutes, Danny Rose broke forward into the box and as he shot goalwards, a defender slid in with a terrific clearance. Stevenage again put plenty of balls into the Stags box, through a number of puzzling free kicks awarded for very little, but the Stags defence stood rock solid and Stevenage failed to create a single presentable chance in the second half, apart from Ben Kennedy’s shot onto the roof of the net from the edge of the box. A very generous 7 minutes of time added on but the Stags were not to be thwarted and were soon to be celebrating a massive three points with the ecstatic 389 Stags fans behind the goal. Some really impressive performances for the Stags, especially in the back line again with Bennett and Pearce both excellent. So Mansfield are just one point off a play-off position with two games left, and it is a huge game now at home to already promoted Portsmouth next Saturday. If you can possibly get to the One Call Stadium, do so to cheer Mansfield on. Mansfield made one change to the side that drew with Luton. MacDonald came in for Potter. We predicted in our report of the Luton game that MacDonald would start here. Steve Evans explained that Charlie Lee in the Stevenage midfield could bully the Stags, but MacDonald would not be bullied. The formation was again three at the back, two wing-backs, three in midfield and two up front. Pat Hoban was back on the bench after having a minor knee operation with Steve Evans putting as many strikers as possible on the bench. Joel Byrom was returning to the club where he had a lot of success earlier in his career. Stevenage were without their three best players. Top scorer Matt Godden is out for the season, influential midfielder Ben Kennedy was returning from injury and on the bench, and Steven Schumacher out injured. It was a good time for Mansfield to play Stevenage therefore. Stevenage had won 8 home games on the bounce, before losing their last home game to Morecambe. It was a must-win game for Mansfield, as would be all three of the final games if the Stags were to reach the play-offs. The pitch was a little bit bobbly in places. It was a glorious day, mostly sunny and milder than billed by the weather forecasters. There was great news at lunchtime that the Stags youth team had won this morning to clinch their league title. A tremendous achievement. Congratulations to the team and all the management. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE --------------------------------- Mansfield Town keep play-off dreams alive chad.co.uk, by SPORTS REPORTER (Agency), report later withdrawn and replaced with Stagsnet report MANSFIELD pushed one step closer to the coveted top six as they beat play-off rivals Stevenage 1-0. Matt Rose bagged the only goal of the game as Steve Evan’s men moved just two points behind the play-off spots. Manager Evans made a solitary change to the side that drew against Luton Town as Alex MacDonald came in for Alfie Potter, whilst Pat Hoban returned to the bench after a six-week absence due to injury. Both teams wore black armbands as a sign of respect for former England defender Ugo Ehiogu, who tragically passed away on the eve of the match. The game was tentative early on as neither side wanted to hand their play-off rivals the initiative. And it was the Stags who had the first meaningful chance as Alex MacDonald’s curling free-kick went marginally wide after flicking the hosts’ wall. Eventual goalscorer Rose saw his bullet header scrambled off the line by Jobi McAnuff as the Boro were forced to fight for their lives on the stroke of the break. But the former Bury man fired home his ninth time this term after Rhys Bennett headed the ball into the 23-year-old’s path in minute 45. Eight minutes after the restart Benjamin Whiteman’s strike deflected wide with Jamie Jones well beaten in the Boro goal. The visitors continued to bang on the door, but they could not quite grab the all important second to make things comfortable. And they were almost made to pay for their missed chances as Ben Kennedy’s audacious chip landed on the roof of Jake Kean’s goal. The Stags were made to withstand a barrage of balls into the box as seven minutes were added on at the end. However, they managed to hold on for a vital three points in the race for the top six. Stevenage: Jones, Henry (Tonge, 77), King, Wilkinson, Ogilive, McAnuff, Gorman, Lee, Pett, Hinds (Gray, 66), McKee (Kennedy, 55). Unused subs: Day, Franks, Ntlhe, Wells. Mansfield: Kean, Bennett, Pearce, Taft (Collins, 74), White, Byrom, Whiteman, MacDonald (McGuire, 88), Benning, Coulthirst, Rose (Green, 70). Unused subs: Jensen, Arquin, Potter, Hoban. Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire) Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-keep-play-off-dreams-alive-1-8506988 -------------- Stevenage looking over their shoulder as Stags lead the charge following victory at the Lamex the comet Danny Rose scored the only goal of a poor game to move the Stags up to eighth as they head the chasing pack that has the scent of Stevenage in their nostrils. Darren Sarll’s men remain in the last play-off place, seventh, on 66 points, but three sides are breathing over their shoulder just one point back. http://www.thecomet.net/stevenage-fc/stevenage-looking-over-their-shoulder-as-stags-lead-the-charge-following-victory-at-the-lamex-1-4986328 Carlisle dropped two points late on at Crawley and slipped to 10th, but with Wycombe Wanderer’s success over already-promoted Doncaster and Mansfield’s win at the Lamex the pressure is building. Today’s result leaves the club needing wins at both Yeovil Town next weekend and at home to Accrington Stanley on the last day of the season to ensure their promotion dream does not fade away, but without a win in their last four matches they’ll need to put this result behind them as quickly as possible and hope for better performances in the coming two games. There was a minute’s silence before the game in honour of Ugo Ehiogu, the former Aston Villa and England defender who was a regular at the Lamex with his Spurs U23 side, a team for which Boro loanee Connor Ogilvie was a squad member. Ogilvie started this match at left-back with Ronnie Henry returning on the right of the defence while intriguingly there was also a first start for academy product Mark McKee. Sarll said recently that the young forward could be the best young player the club has produced, and while at 18 he is still raw there were encouraging signs as he rattled wing-back Hayden White at times and had an early chance which he fired into the side netting. The teenager moved to the left as the first half progressed but he had began out right of the three players behind fellow teenager Kaylen Hinds, 19, a foul on whom led to an early free-kick that Dale Gorman struck straight at Mansfield keeper Jake Kean. Boro had the better of the early exchanges before the first half became something of a slog, which suited the visitors more. The visitors have quality in the forward areas, specifically in former Spurs academy player Shaquile Coulthirst, but it was Rose who caused Boro the bigger headache. Rose had an early sight of goal with a low, drilled shot that Jamie Jones got behind, but with just over seven minutes of the half to go he had a flurry of chances, putting away the third. His first, from a corner, saw his far-post effort scooped off the line by Jobi McAnuff. Moments later the striker was teed up by Coulthirst only to see his shot deflected off target, but when the corner came in it fell the way of Krystian Pearce whose shot was blocked and the rebound fell to Rose who fired it in for the lead just before the break. Early in the second half a mistake at the back from Boro invited more pressure, but Ben Whiteman’s deflected shot failed to catch out Jones as it trickled wide. And for Sarll that was enough, with McKee’s time coming to an end as Ben Kennedy entered the field of play. Not long afterwards he was joined by fellow substitute Jamie Gray, with the 18-year-old coming on for his debut to replace Hinds. Kennedy was quickly into his groove out on the right, and a nice move involving Henry saw the substitute attempt to chip Kean from the edge of the Mansfield box only to see his effort float onto the top of the netting. Stevenage were for the most part left frustrated by their guests though and unable to fashion any chances of note, even in the seven minutes the officials added on to the 90 as the Stags held on for all three points. Stevenage: Jones, Henry (Tonge 77), Ogilvie, Wilkinson, King, Gorman, Lee, McAnuff, Pett, Hinds, McKee (Kennedy 55). Subs: Day, Franks, Wells, Gray, Ntlhe. Mansfield Town: Kean, Bennett, Benning, Pearce, Taft (Collins 74), Byrom, Whiteman, MacDonald (McQuire 82), White, Rose (Green 70), Coulthirst. Subs: Jensen, Potter, Hoban, Arquin. Att: 2,765 --------------- |
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