Archived News from September 2018
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SUPER STAGS MISS CHANCES TO FORCE A SHOCK AT WBA
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Carabao Cup (English Football League Cup) - Round 2
West Bromwich Albion 2 - 1 Mansfield Town Leko 26, Edwards 75. Bishop 69. Attendance: 10,574 (1183 from Mansfield) Date: 28 August 2018 Martin Shaw at the Hawthorns Mansfield Town produced a super performance at the Hawthorns last night to come close to forcing a shock in nearly knocking out West Bromwich Albion, who were relegated from the Premier League last season. Although West Brom made ten changes from their side that lost at Middlesbrough on Friday, this was still a strong Championship side and the Stags should have at least taken it to a penalty shoot-out. It was a night on which the Stags missed a hatful of chances. As early as the second minute, Craig Davies missed a glorious chance, when he chested down a great cross from CJ Hamilton and fired wide when it was easier to score. Just two minutes later, Otis Khan fired wide from a another Hamilton set-up. The Stags then went close on 18 minutes when Baggies keeper Boaz Myhill made a great save to prevent an own goal and Craig Davies’ follow-up was blocked. West Brom took the lead on 26 minutes with a good break as Oliver Burke found Jonathan Leko who rolled into the net. Bobby Olejnik had a good night with some fine saves, including a superb save 1-on-1 against Burke on 30 minutes. West Brom might have had a penalty on the stroke of half time when Leko rounded Olejnik and went down but the referee decided that Leko had dived and booked him. Olejnik then made two more fine saves early in the second half, firstly tipping over a bouncing shot from Adarabioyo then pushing a chip from Leko wide. Danny Rose replaced Craig Davies on 64 minutes and it was then that the Stags went into overdrive with Rose in inspired form. Within 36 seconds of coming on, Rose sent a sensational shot from 25 yards against the inside of the post but it somehow didn’t go in. Mansfield were deservedly level on 69 minutes as the excellent Neal Bishop side-footed into the right corner of the net from 25 yards giving Myhill no chance. A wonderful goal. The Stags fans were in tremendous voice and the Stags were all over West Brom as Rose volleyed over the bar on 74 minutes. I said in commentary that with Mansfield so much in control this was the moment to take the game. Sickeningly West Brom went straight to the other end against the run of play and scored a second goal, a classy finish from Kyle Edwards who cut into the area from the left and smashed past Olejnik. But the Stags were not done, far from it and produced a barnstorming finish, pummelling West Brom in extraordinary fashion. On 87 minutes, a great ball forward from Ryan Sweeney was superbly controlled by Rose in the area but Myhill saved Rose’s shot at point-blank range. Seconds later, Tyler Walker found Rose whose low shot was straight at the keeper. On 90 minutes, Stags young sub Jordan Graham somehow looped a shot wide from 6 yards, another glorious chance. On 90+2 minutes, Rose headed straight at the keeper. On 90+3 minutes, Olejnik came up for a corner, and had a chance to score as his shot was blocked, it finally came to Krystian Pearce who side-footed wide from 6 yards. How on earth did that not go in?!? It was an unbelievable finish to the game with West Brom completely and utterly on the ropes, but somehow they hung on to go through to round 3. It was wonderful entertainment and a night for the superb Stags following to remember in Premier League surroundings. The Stags fans chanted “one Johnnie Radford” and chanted “Danny Rose” and produced a super atmosphere. Rose was inspirational in his best performance since Steve Evans left. A couple of days until the transfer window closes and in my opinion Rose will be crucial if the Stags want to mount a promotion campaign, he should not be allowed to leave. If he does leave, there would have to be a top class replacement lined up. Back to the league on Saturday and the visit of Carlisle to the One Call Stadium, and if the Stags can recreate this sort of performance, then wins will surely follow. It was Mansfield’s first game at the Hawthorns since December 1992, nearly 26 years ago, a game in the third tier (now League One). FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ---------------------------- MATCH REPORT: Mansfield Town battle to the end in cup exit at West Brom chad.co.uk, Tuesday 28 August 2018 Mansfield Town’s 13-year wait to reach the third round of the EFL Cup went on after a battling 2-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion tonight. Veteran Neal Bishop’s bullet strike cancelled out Jon Leko’s first Baggies’ goal before Kyle Edwards sealed victory in the first game between the two clubs in 25 years. Manager David Flitcroft made two changes to the side which were held to their fourth successive league draw on Saturday. Youngster Lewis Gibbens and Alex MacDonald were named on the bench, with Will Atkinson and Calum Butcher coming in to the side at the Hawthorns. Defender Hayden White missed out once again with a tight hamstring. The spirited Stags were forced to bide their time as their Championship hosts dominated the ball. Shot stopper Bobby Olejnik pulled off a string of fine saves to keep the valiant visitors in the game. Flitcroft’s men had early chances to make their mark on the cup tie, with CJ Hamilton teeing up Craig Davies and Otis Khan - who both put efforts wide. Down the other end Ollie Burke, who joined the Baggies for £15 million last summer, fired wide from an acute angle. But Baggies’ Burke did wonderfully to leave Leko an easy tap in after 26 minutes. Minutes later Bobby Olejnik kept it at just the one with a superb one-on-one stop to deny Burke. After the break striker Kyle Edwards, who was booked for diving in the first half, timed his run to perfection before being thwarted by Olejnik. Just before the hour Olejnik was alert to race off his line and keep Leko’s chipped effort out as he dived at his feet. A minute after coming on Danny Rose almost changed the game by thundering a strike against the post after cutting inside to give himself space. Bishop made no mistake as he sweetly struck the first Stags’ goal against Albion. But hopes of a first third round tie since 2005 were dashed 15 minutes from time when Edwards smashed into the top corner. The Stags huffed and puffed at the end but couldn’t quite send the game to penalties. WEST BROM: Myhill, Mears, Adarabioyo, Dawson (Howkins, 72), Field, Townsend, Leko (Gayle, 77), Barry, Harper, Burke, Edwards (Barnes, 77). Unused subs: Bond, Rogers, Livermore, Brunt. STAGS: Olejnik, Sweeney, Pearce, Benning (Graham, 85), Atkinson, Bishop, Butcher (MacDonald, 53), Hamilton, Khan, Davies (Rose, 64), Walker. Unused subs: Logan, Gibbens, Mellis, Sterling-James. REFEREE: Steve Martin of Staffordshire. Read more at: https://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/football/match-report-mansfield-town-battle-to-the-end-in-cup-exit-at-west-brom-1-9323876 -------------------- Albion 2 Mansfield Town 1 https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2018/august/albion-2-mansfield-town-1-match-highlights/ FREE highlights from The Hawthorns as Albion advanced to Round Three of the Carabao Cup courtesy of a 2-1 win over Mansfield Town. iFollow subscribers can watch ten-minute extented highlights here. Jonathan Leko fired his maiden Baggies goal in the 26th minute, before Neal Bishop hit back for the visitors with a sublime strike. But Kyle Edwards - who also netted his first competitive goal - secured Darren Moore's young side safe passage to the next stage of the competition, with the draw being held on Thursday evening. Tyrone Mears made his Albion debut just hours after putting pen to paper on a short-term rolling contract, with Craig Dawson named in the XI for the first time this season. Moore also handed starts to goalscorers Leko and Edwards after impressive cameos in Round One against Luton Town. The matchwinner that night, Oliver Burke, led the line for the Baggies with 16-year-old striker Morgan Rogers named on the bench for the first time. But it was Mansfield who were first to threaten on a wet and windy Tuesday evening. Craig Davies spurned a gilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring for the visitors, blazing a half-volley wide of Boaz Myhill's goal from five yards. A front three of Leko, Edwards and Burke looked lively in the opening stages, with the former crafting a neat opening for the latter via a delicate through-ball. Dawson was spared blushes thanks to a fine reaction stop from Myhill after the Baggies defender's volleyed backpass went astray. But our experienced centre-half recovered to make a goal-saving block in a hectic Stags attack. It paid dividends, as just five minutes later Albion took the lead. And it was that front three who combined yet again to great effect. Edwards' clever outside-of-the-foot pass to Burke split the Mansfield defence before the Scotland international squared to Leko who slotted home into an empty net. It could have been two before the half-hour mark, Burke again causing problems. But he could only fire straight at keeper Robert Olejnik when put through one-on-one by Gareth Barry. Chances came and went for Albion in the second half; Dawson, Edwards and Leko failing to find the decisive touch. And, after surviving a scare from visitors' substitute Danny Rose, they were made to pay with 70 minutes on the clock, Neal Bishop curling a sumptuous effort into the top corner from 25 yards. Kyle Howkins was introduced for his Baggies bow, and he saw fellow academy graduate Edwards slam his side into an ultimately decisive lead just five minutes later. Albion again owed a debt of gratitude to Myhill who pulled off a crucial stop from Rose in the final stages, before Krystian Pearce missed the opportunity to force a penalty shootout with practically the last kick of the game. ALBION: Myhill; Mears, Adarabioyo, Dawson (Howkins 72), Field, Townsend; Edwards (Barnes 76), Harper, Barry (c), Leko (Gayle 76); Burke. Subs: Bond, Livermore, Brunt, Rogers. ----------------------- MANSFIELD WERE THE BETTER SIDE BUT ALBION SHOULD TAKE YOUTHFUL POSITIVES Written by: Paul Witherow https://wba.vitalfootball.co.uk/mansfield-were-the-better-side-but-albion-should-take-youthful-positives/ West Bromwich Albion head coach Darren Moore made a number of changes on Tuesday evening as we faced Mansfield Town in EFL Cup action. Hosting the League Two side at The Hawthorns for the second round affair, fans in attendance weren’t exactly treated to a spectacle but with the changes on offer, there were some positives that we should take from the game, namely the performance of the youngsters on display. Jonathan Leko and Kyle Edwards scored their first senior West Brom goals as we took our place in the third round with a 2-1 victory, but credit to Mansfield they more than made a game of it and it was a frantic end as they gave everything in search of a second leveller but we held out. It wasn’t what fans wanted given the differences in the pyramid levels, but given results elsewhere we avoided a banana skin and that’s sometimes all you can ask in the early rounds of Cup competitions. With recent signing Tyrone Mears making his debut at right-back, we also welcomed back Craig Dawson for his first appearance of the season and when it comes to his future after a summer of discontent we’ll have to see what happens before the loan deadline on Friday, but him at least being willing to get back on the pitch might count for something. -------------------- |
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