Archived News from September 2017
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EVANS AND GARY JOHNSON REACTION
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Stags 'second best' at Cheltenham
mansfieldtown.net, Tuesday 26 September 2017 Stags' boss Steve Evans says he will take tonight's 3-0 defeat to Cheltenham Town 'on the chin' and work hard on the training ground before our next outing at One Call Stadium on Saturday. Three second half goals at the LCI Rail Stadium consigned Stags to their first defeat in seven matches as frontmen Brian Graham and Danny Wright and midfielder Joe Morrell struck for Gary Johnson's side. And the boss admitted his side weren't at their best against the Robins, but will work hard in the coming days to ensure there's a positive attitude in the camp ahead of Saturday's visit of Notts County. The Stags' gaffer said: "We didn't start well. They (Cheltenham) couldn't get out of their half for 20 minutes in the first half. We'll take it on the chin and go again. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2017/september/evans-post-chelt/ "They never turned up and wanted to be competitive. You've got to come to places like Whaddon Road and be competitive and that's what Cheltenham's about, that's how difficult it is to win here. "We're not going to make excuses, we'll go back on the training ground. "It's not an inquest but we'll pull it apart like we do when we win, it'll be no different. It's my job to make sure we have a positive attitude come the weekend." The Robins' second goal came after second half substitute Omari Sterling-James appeared to be fouled 25 yards from goal before Cheltenham midfielder Joe Morrell swept home the loose ball. And the gaffer is in no doubt that his side should have been awarded a free-kick in the build-up to the Robins' second goal. "I've seen it as you've just seen me look at the video. It's a foul. It's always going to be a competitive game, fair play to Cheltenham. We were second best, good luck to them. "We're a good side but we've let ourselves down tonight. That's all of us, staff and players, we take it collectively. We'll look again for Saturday." Supporters will be able to view the manager's post-match interview on iFollow Stags later this evening. -------------------- Evans slams referee but admits Stags were second best chad.co.uk, Tuesday 26 September 2017 Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans was unhappy with referee Brett Huxstable after being sent to the stand for dissent during tonight’s 3-0 defeat at Cheltenham Town. But Evans admitted his side had been second best all over the park after wasting chances to go ahead when in charge earlier on. “We didn’t start well. It took us 20 minutes to get a foothold in the game,” said Evans as his side’s six-game unbeaten run came to a juddering halt. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/evans-slams-referee-but-admits-stags-were-second-best-1-8774322 “When we did we were totally dominant and we had two big chances which we didn’t take. “They scored from a free kick that wasn’t a free kick. I am not making excuses but there was also a foul leading up to the second goal. “Everyone stopped. It was a foul and I raised that with the referee. “He is a poor referee - I’ve seen him a few times. “But we were poor tonight so there’s no way I’m looking at apportioning the blame towards the referee when we were as poor as we were. “There were three teams out there tonight. Cheltenham were very good and the other two were very poor.” He added: “We were second best all over the pitch for long spells tonight. If you are second best all over the pitch at any level of football you normally pay the price - and we’ve paid the price tonight.” It was only Stags’ second League Two defeat of the season and Evans said no one would get too down over the result as they prepared to face table-topping neighbours Notts County on Saturday. “We keep it on a level keel,” he said. “You didn’t see us getting overly excited when we won at Lincoln. “It will be a fiercely competitive local derby on Saturday. “We know we need to be much better - but I said that after the Cambridge win and after we beat Lincoln. “Promotion, if that is our aspiration, was never gained in a one-off. It’s about consistency. “We’ve lost tonight so let’s see if we can go another seven or eight without losing again.” --------------------- We can be proud of our football club tonight, says Cheltenham Town manager Gary Johnson after 3-0 win over Mansfield Town Evans' Stags thumped at Whaddon Road BY JON PALMER Gary Johnson described Cheltenham Town's 3-0 home win over Mansfield Town as a proud night for the club. Second half goals from Brian Graham, Joe Morrell and Danny Wright were enough to sink Steve Evans' Stags, although Cheltenham could easily have won by a greater margin. The result lifted the improving Robins to 16th in the League Two table ahead of Saturday's trip to Chesterfield, who were beaten 3-2 at home by Yeovil Town on Tuesday evening. "That was a great performance and when a manager puts a group of boys together he wants to see what his vision was," Johnson said. http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/can-proud-football-club-tonight-538558 "It’s taken us a few games to build it, but now they have confidence in themselves and each other. "We were up against a very uncompromising team, but in the end we demoralised them and everyone connected with the club will have enjoyed that and we can all go home proud." Graham scored his first goal for Cheltenham, and his first in English football, to put his team in front six minutes into the second half, nodding home Morrell's free-kick. Morrell curled in the second to cap a superb individual performance in the 70th minute and Wright, who had gone on from the bench, added the third with a calm finish after fellow substitute Jerell Sellars' pass. "I could have left Brian out with games on Saturday and Tuesday, but he was getting into dangerous areas and I didn’t want to burst his bubble by not keeping him out there," Johnson said. "Maybe I used a bit of experience and if you leave them in slightly longer, sometimes they get the goal they need and the season can change." Johnson feels his are now starting to show what they can do after a slow start to the season, with new arrivals added into the mix throughout August. "We wanted more than 11 points from 10 games, but this group has only been together for five or six really," he said. "Taylor Moore was magnificent and so was Joe Morrell and they are all respecting everyone else, which is where you want to be. "It was the most relentless performances so far this season because we put ourselves in an unassailable position and it’s fun when you get into that position. "We could send on quick players like Jerell and Freddie Hinds and then the opposition find it hard to break you down. "We were winning headers and tackles and when you are relentless and demoralise teams, you know you are going to have won the game and that's why those are two important words for us." ------- |
Latest | September 2017