Archived News from September 2018
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STAGS DRAW AGAIN, AFTER LATE DEFLECTED EQUALISER
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Cambridge United 1 - 1 Mansfield Town Preston OG 88. Rose 26. Attendance: 3909 (475 from Mansfield) Date: 22 September 2018 Martin Shaw at the Abbey Stadium Mansfield Town drew for the fifth time in 8 league games this season at Cambridge United this afternoon to remain in the bottom half of the table. The Stags led after 26 minutes when Danny Rose flicked on Bobby Olejnik’s long kick, the Cambridge defence made a mess of clearing it in the area, and defender Jake Carroll headed across goal where Rose was the quickest to react and sweep the ball under keeper David Forde from 8 yards. A poacher’s goal from Rose, his first in the league this season, indeed his first in the league under David Flitcroft. Rose should have done better earlier, on 21 minutes, when he headed into the side netting, causing David Flitcroft to put his head in his hands, and then super play by Rose on 24 minutes, to set up a chance for Tyler Walker, but Walker fired wide. Cambridge’s best two chances of the first half came when former Stag Reggie Lambe’s shot was half-saved by Bobby Olejnik and Ryan Sweeney cleared off the line, and earlier when Olejnik made a super save on 19 minutes from Barry Corr’s powerful header. The Stags however were good value for the lead at the break against a poor Cambridge side, with the home fans on the back of the players, but then turning their ire towards the referee and Stags players who they felt were feigning injury. In the second half, Neal Bishop fired just wide from 25 yards, and Preston’s header was clawed away just inside the post by the keeper. Then on 55 minutes, a superb acrobatic effort from Rose clipped the top of the bar. On 61 minutes Bishop headed over after great play from Walker, and Alex MacDonald fired just over the bar from 25 yards. With Mansfield not having killed the game off, Cambridge started to get a foothold, and Olejnik made a great save from sub Azeez on 76 minutes. Olejnik also made a couple of good catches from crosses and a couple of good punches away. The Stags were not keeping the ball though, and Cambridge were putting the Stags under some pressure, albeit without giving Olejnik further saves to make. On 87 minutes, a heart-stopping moment as a shot from George Maris deflected off Preston, leaving Olejnik wrong-footed but it went just wide of the post. It would have been a fluke but it looked like the Stags had got away with it. Unbelievably, a minute later, another shot from Maris, from 20 yards, which was going a couple of yards wide, was again deflected, off Preston again, and flew like a rocket into the very top corner of the net giving Olejnik no chance at all. The Abbey Stadium exploded, not able to believe their good fortune, as the shot should have ended up in the stand. By the way, because Maris’s shot was heading well wide, it is an own goal, not Maris’s goal as reported elsewhere. It could have got worse for the Stags as Lambe shot straight at Olejnik in stoppage time and sub O’Neill shot wide from 20 yards with the home side’s tails up. Absolutely gutting for the Stags. However it was a poor last 25 minutes from Mansfield, who conceded possession too often against a poor Cambridge side and allowed them back into the game. The equaliser was a huge fluke for Cambridge which robbed the Stags of the points, but Mansfield have to be better than this, and especially against one of the poorer sides in the league, put the game to bed. After the game David Flitcroft said he thought Cambridge deserved a point. I think that is generous towards Cambridge who were totally lacking in quality, and were let back into the game by a Stags side that didn’t do enough to earn the victory. That said, the Stags would still have won the game but for the hugely deflected goal. For the second time this season (Macclesfield being the first), the Stags have failed to beat a side who I predict will be towards the bottom of the table come the end of the season. The Stags need to improve if they are going to turn this season into a promotion push. -------------------------- MATCH REPORT: Cambridge United 1-1 Mansfield Town - Stags hit by late equaliser chad.co.uk, 22 September 2018 George Maris’ agonising late equaliser saw Mansfield’s wait for a first league win away from home continue. Danny Rose marked his return to the Stags’ starting line-up with his first league goal since February. The 24-year-old marksman was the Stags’ leading goal scorer in all competitions last season, but has been primarily used off the bench so far this term. But his 26th-minute opener ensured the Stags extended their unbeaten run against Cambridge United to seven games, with Maris popping up with two minutes left to steal a point at the Abbey Stadium. Manager David Flitcroft named two changes after last weekend’s defeat to high-flying Exeter City. Malving Benning and scorer Rose came in with Hayden White and Calum Butcher the duo to depart. It was a fiercely contested affair on a rain-soaked afternoon at the Abbey Stadium. Shot stopper Bobby Olejnik produced a fine sprawling save to push Barry Corr’s effort wide. Down the other end Rose squandered a great chance to gift the visitors the lead when he headed into the side netting after being found by Alex MacDonald at the back post. But Rose was not to be denied for long with a sweetly struck half volley handing Flitcroft’s charges the lead after 26 minutes. Ryan Sweeney was on hand to keep the Stags ahead with a goal-line clearance to thwart Reggie Lambe. After the restart Neal Bishop blasted an effort wide, before Matt Preston forced David Forde into a good save at his near post. And Rose came close to doubling his tally as his acrobatic effort hit the bar. With 15 minutes left Olejnik pulled off a good reaction stop to keep out substitute Ade Azeez at the near post. Super defender Sweeney was in the right place at the right time once again to clear George Maris’ goal-bound effort. But Maris eventually got his reward as his deflected effort found the back of the net off the woodwork. Cambridge: Forde, Halliday, Taylor, John, Carroll, Deegan, Maris, Amoo (Lewis, 80), Brown (O’Neil, 90+2), Lambe, Corr (Azeez, 68). Unused subs: Iron, Osadebe, Taft, Davies. Mansfield: Olejnik, Preston, Pearce, Sweeney, Hamilton, Bishop, MacDonald, Benning, Khan (Elsnik, 76), Walker (Graham, 84), Rose. Unused subs: Logan, Gibbens, Butcher, Sterling-James, Atkinson. Referee: Nick Kinseley. Attendance: 3909 (475). Read more at: https://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/football/match-report-cambridge-united-1-1-mansfield-town-stags-hit-by-late-equaliser-1-9362137 -------------------------- MATCH REPORT | CAMBIDGE UNITED 1 MANSFIELD TOWN 1 https://www.cambridge-united.co.uk/news/2018/september/match-report-mansfield/ George Maris’ late cracker sealed a well-earned and hard fought point for Cambridge United, in an entertaining 1-1 draw against Mansfield Town at the Abbey Stadium in Sky Bet League Two. Two changes were made by Joe Dunne ahead of the fixture, with Barry Corr getting his first start of the season and Louis John moving back into the starting eleven. Corr came close to opening the scoring with the first clear opportunity of the game on 17 minutes, when the striker thumped a header from a George Maris delivery towards the bottom corner, only to see Mansfield keeper Bobby Olejnik display sharp reactions and palm the effort wide. The Stags danger man Danny Rose fired a warning sign to the U’s minutes later when he peeled away from his marker but slammed a header against the outside of the U’s net. However, he did find the target in the 24th minute, pouncing on a loose clearance inside the United 18 yard box to slide the ball beneath David Forde and earn the visitors the lead. The U’s rallied and looked to have a certain equaliser as Reggie Lambe smashed a firm effort on target on the half hour mark, but Olejnik managed to clip the edge of his glove to take the sting out the shot before Matt Preston hooked the ball off the Mansfield goal line. Lambe continued to be a bright spark for United and stabbed another effort marginally wide five minute before half time as the U’s finished the first half the stronger of the two side. Neal Bishop blasted a fierce shot six minutes after the break which had Forde scrambling to his right, which fizzed wide but saw the Stags threatening a second goal. Forde did get a hand to Matt Preston’s header minutes later to keep the U’s in the game, whilst Rose shaved the top of the United cross bar on 55 minutes with an acrobatic bicycle kick. However, United fought hard to remain in the game and largely dominated proceedings from the hour mark on wards. Jevani Brown flashed a half volley the wrong side of the near post, after further creative play by Lambe. Ade Azeez replaced Barry Corr on 65 minutes and hared clean through ten minutes later following a well weighted pass by Amoo, but the striker was denied by another superb stop from Olejnik. It looked as if that would be United’s best chance and the afternoon looked to have got away from United when a Maris long range effort wrong footed Olejnik, who had been solid for the Stags all game, but the ball bounced agonisingly past the target. However, the U’s refused to roll over and with mere minutes remaining of normal time, Maris leathered a sublime strike from 18 yards which deflected first off a Mansfield defender and then the inside of the post before bulging the net in front of a jubilant NRE. Liam O’Neil came close to a winner in the dying embers when he let fly on a half volley with his left foot that rattled the stanchion behind the goal. Cambridge United: Forde, Halliday, Taylor, John, Carroll, Deegan, Maris, Amoo (Lewis, 80 mins), Lambe, Brown, Corr (Azeez, 78 mins) Bookings: Halliday, Deegan Mansfield Town: Olejnik, Benning, Preston, Pearce, Bishop, MacDonald, Khan (Elsnik, 78 mins), Sweeney, Walker, Hamilton, Rose Bookings: MacDonald Attendance: 3,909 (475) Man of the Match: Reggie Lambe ----------------------- |
Latest | September 2018