Archived News from October 2018
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STAGS HAMMER FOUR PAST COBBLERS
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 4 - 0 Northampton Town Eksnik 5, Rose 58, 87, Hamilton 82. Attendance: 4550 (485 from Northampton) Date: 29 September 2018 Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town got back to winning ways with a convincing 4-0 against Northampton Town at the One Call Stadium this afternoon. The Stags were fired on their way after just 5 minutes by a sensational solo goal from Timi Elsnik, on his first league start for Mansfield, who ran from the edge of his own box, following a Northampton corner, all the way to the edge of the other box, before firing low across the keeper into the bottom right corner of the net. It might turn out to be the best goal of the season in the league for Mansfield, and rival the sixth goal against Accrington in the League Cup, for overall goal of the season. Elsnik nearly put the Stags further in front at the end of the first when his shot towards the top corner was tipped over by the keeper. And from the resulting corner Matt Preston’s powerful header was blocked on the line by the keeper. Bobby Olejnik made a good save moments earlier keeping out a shot from van Veen. After recent games where the Stags have been pegged back from single goal leads, a second goal would be crucial, and it came on 58 minutes. Danny Rose charged down a clearance from Leon Barnett on the Stags right, the ball rebounded to keeper David Cornell, whose clearance was also charged down by Rose, and Rose then rolled the ball into the empty net from a tight angle on the right hand side. A reward for perseverance from Rose. The Stags sealed the win on 82 minutes, with great play on the right hand side involving sub Will Atkinson, Rose and CJ Hamilton. Rose laid the ball inside to Hamilton, who fired low left-footed under the keeper from a tight angle, and from about the same position that Rose had scored. The icing on the cake came on 87 minutes when Hamilton made a good run down the right and crossed into the middle, where Rose fired into the net from 11 yards. Not the best connection on Rose’s shot but it was enough to go into the net. A very good performance from the Stags with Rose back to his best, scoring twice and setting up another, and Elsnik also having a very good game, with that sensational goal, and going close to another goal. Northampton were woeful, and their fans let them know what they thought at the end of the game. A big win for the Stags who need to follow this up against Oldham on Tuesday. Mansfield made one change from the side that drew at Cambridge. Alex MacDonald picked up a knee injury in the game at Cambridge (though finished the game). He will have an operation on Tuesday and is set to be out for six weeks. In came Timi Elsnik in his place, for his first league start for the Stags, on loan from Derby for the season. Hayden White was still out with an ankle injury. Craig Davies was back in the squad and on the bench after injury. Jacob Mellis served the final game of his three match suspension. The Stags lined up in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Elsnik alongside Bishop in front of the defence, and Khan in a floating role behind Walker and Rose. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ------------------------ Match report: Mansfield Town 4-0 Northampton Town chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Saturday 29 September 2018 Mansfield Town cruised to three much-needed points with a comfortable 4-0 win over Northampton Town at the One Call Stadium this afternoon. Stags grabbed a fifth minute lead through a brilliant solo effort by Timi Elsnik. Too often this season they have let a lead slip, but today they were dominant after the break and could have ended up with many more than the three they added through Rose (57 and 87 minutes) and CJ Hamilton on 82 minutes. The first half was a poor spectacle, but Stags boss David Flitcroft will be delighted to see his side up a gear after the break to dispatch a poor Cobblers side, who still have only one win all season. Join WWF Now To Help Protect Our Planet From plastic in our oceans to the killing of elephants for their tusks. In so many ways our planet is suffering but together we can make a difference Promoted by WWF Mansfield were without midfield dynamo Alex MacDonald. He picked up a knee injury last weekend and has been told he will need an operation that will sideline him for the next six weeks. Derby County loanee Elsnik replaced him to make his first League Two start for the Stags. Striker Craig Davies had shrugged off a hamstring injury to make the bench. The visitors made one change with Billy Waters replacing Matt Crooks, who had picked up a knee injury . Mansfield made a positive start and Bishop picked out Rose with a fourth minutes cross, but the striker’s header lacked power and direction. On five minutes the visitors won the game’s first corner, but it led to Stags grabbing the lead. Rose headed the corner away to Elsnik on the left and he simply broke away from box to box where he stroked a perfectly-placed low finish across keeper Cornell and in off the inside of the far post. Rose then set up Hamilton for a shot that deflected wide for the first home corner. On 17 minutes players from both sides clashed after Barnett caught Danny Rose in the head with what home players felt was an elbow, but, with home fans chanting ‘off’, the referee decided to only show a yellow card in the end. Mansfield were lucky on 24 minutes when Bishop was beaten by the bounce of the ball and Northampton broke away three on three, the ball finally rebounding off Foley in front of goal straight to a grateful Olejnik. Another Cobblers break saw good play from Waters to release Van Veen into space only for the visitors’ top scorer to send a powderpuff effort at Olejnik. Van Veen was then booked on 35 minutes for leaving a foot in as Sweeney went to clear down the left. In the first of two added minutes Olejnik finally had to make a real save as Van Veen broke into the left side of the box and, from a tight angle, made the keeper save with his feet. Then in the second of those minutes Rose cued up Elsnik for a fierce drive that was heading for the top corner until Cornell turned it over for a corner. From that Cornell then made a great reaction save to keep out Preston’s powerful close range header as Stags ended a scrappy half with their noses in front. On the restart Khan wasn’t too far over with a shot from almost 30 yards, and four minutes later he forced Cornell to tip over a 25 yard free kick. Taylor was lucky to stay on the field on 52 minutes after a foul on Rose, as the whistle went he dived into a tackle on Elsnik which looked worth more the yellow he was given. Walker forced a close range save from Cornell from a Pearce nod-down as the home side tried to turn the screw a minute later. On 56 minutes Elsnik whipped in a wicked ball with pace from the left that Walker was unable to turn on target from six yards before O’ Toole was booked for dissent. But the pressure was made to count on 57 minutes as Rose doubled Mansfield’s lead with his persistence. Never-say-die Rose initially won the ball wide on the right and, when it broke towards the keeper, he won the initial challenge with Cornell and then managed to steer the ball into the empty net from the tightest of angles. A deflected Walker cross saw Cornell gather but then collide with his far post and only just keep the ball from crossing the line. Barnett, already booked, was given a final warning for a shove on Rose that halted a possible home break, then Cornell had to get in the way of another Rose finish as the ball flew loose in the box. With 16 minutes to go Atkinson replaced Walker, going to right back as Stags switched to 4-4-2 with the pacey Hamilton pushed to right wing. Rose was too high with a first time finish from Hamilton’s first cross from his new position. Enjoying their afternoon now, the home side won three corners in a row, Bishop’s flicked header forcing a save from the second of them. The third goal came with eight minutes to go after tremendous possession work by Hamilton. He fed Rose who sent Hamilton into the box on the right and he somehow squeezed home a finish under the keeper at the near post. Benning was booked for time wasting on 85 minutes as he cleared the ball after the whistle had gone. It was then 4-0 on 87 minutes as Rose bundled home from 10 yards from a Hamilton cross from the right. Davies and Butcher were sent on for Khan and Elsnik near the end while Benning forced a late save with a long range free kick as Stags ended a splendid afternoon on the front foot. STAGS: Olejnik; Preston, Pearce, Sweeney; Hamilton, Bishop, Khan (Davies 88), Elsnik (Butcher 90+1), Benning; Rose, Walker (Atkinson 74). Subs: Logan, Gibbens, Sterling-James, Graham. NORTHAMPTON: Cornell, Buchanan, Odoffin, Barnett, Taylor, Hoskins, Foley, Van Veen (Williams HT), Bowditch (Bridge 67), Waters, O’Toole. Subs: Ward, Facey, Pierre, Turnbull, Pollock. REFEREE: Trevor Kettle of Rutland. ATTENDANCE: 4,550 (485 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Danny Rose. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/match-report-mansfield-town-4-0-northampton-town-1-9373102 ------------------ More misery for woeful Cobblers as ruthless Stags pile on the pain northamptonchron.co.uk, by JAMES HENEGHAN, Saturday 29 September 2018 Cobblers' dreadful season took another turn for the worse on Saturday afternoon when they dropped to 21st in Sky Bet League Two with a desperate 4-0 defeat at Mansfield Town. Mansfield's four goals, all of which were the result of poor defending, do not even account for several excellent saves made by goalkeeper David Cornell as Town were comprehensively outplayed and out-fought by their hosts on a truly abject afternoon at the One Call Stadium. https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/football/cobblers/more-misery-for-woeful-cobblers-as-ruthless-stags-pile-on-the-pain-1-8651818 It is barely even worth repeating what undid the Cobblers here because it has happened so many times in recent months, but once again hapless defending, little creativity and an alarming inability to respond to an early setback allowed the Stags to sweep to their biggest win of the season. Timi Elsnik's well-taken but poorly-defended opening goal on just five minutes set them on their way to victory before a rampant second-half performance left Cobblers to consider a very bleak future as Danny Rose scored twice and CJ Hamilton also netted. Mansfield were hardly in sparkling form themselves ahead of this game and yet the Cobblers were helpless to prevent them creating chance after chance as the midfield went missing and defenders regularly lost their men, leaving Cornell to single-handedly keep them in the game prior to the second-half onslaught. It previously seemed inconceivable that the Cobblers could sink any lower than their previous depths but they somehow managed it in Nottinghamshire where their inept performance will only ramp up the pressure on manager Dean Austin ahead of Tuesday's visit of Bury. Matt Crooks and Shaun McWilliams picked up knocks in training and therefore missed out on the trip north as Austin made one change with Billy Waters starting in place of Crooks on the right-wing. The other notable team news saw teenage midfielder Scott Pollock become the first player from the club's education programme to feature in the matchday squad after the 17-year-old took his place on the bench. Town's hopes of keeping a second consecutive clean sheet lasted just five minutes when Mansfield's first attack culminated in an all-too-soft opening goal. It stemmed from a Northampton corner as the home side cleared and the ball fell to Elsnik, who ran from one box to the other without any defender going near him before he cut inside and fizzed in a low shot that hit the far post and nestled into the net. The precision of Elsnik's finish didn't excuse the dreadful defending that led to it and Town's back four continued to look vulnerable whenever Mansfield got into the final third with CJ Hamilton threatening a second. Cobblers were mostly kept in check as an attacking force but a couple of chances came their way midway through the first-half when Sam Hoskins' cross cannoned off Sam Foley and fell kindly for goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik before Kevin van Veen's snap shot lacked power. A disjointed opening period ended with a flurry of activity as both goalkeepers were called into action. Olejnik was the first to make a save, blocking with his legs after van Veen had glided past two defenders and taken aim from an acute angle. The game then swung back up the other end where David Cornell kept Cobblers in the game ahead of half-time, tipping over Elsnik's venomous from the edge of the box before showing terrific reactions to keep out Matt Preston's close-range header in first-half stoppage-time. Andy Williams replaced van Veen at the break but still Mansfield had the better of the play with Otis Khan clipping the top of the net with a 20-yard attempt within 90 seconds of the restart. There was not much respite for Cornell either as he flinged himself to tip over Khan's free-kick and followed that by racing out to block at the feet of Tyler Walker, who then side-footed wide of the far post. By this point three Northampton players - Leon Barnett, Ash Taylor and van Veen - had gone into the book and John-Joe O'Toole then joined them for dissent as the wheels threatened to come off. And they did indeed come crashing off just shy of the hour-mark when Rose charged down Cornell's poor attempted clearance and the ball ricocheted nicely for the Stags striker to slide into the empty net. Walker should have killed the game off once and for all but he took too long when getting behind Town's back four, although in truth a Northampton comeback always appeared highly unlikely. Instead, Mansfield looked like adding to their lead as Cornell saved from Neal Bishop, and it was 3-0 soon enough as more weak tackling at the back allowed Hamilton to get free in the box and squeeze a shot in at the neat post eight minutes from time. There was still time for more damage, Rose scoring his second when wrong-footing Cornell in the latter stages as the Cobblers slumped to a truly harrowing away defeat. Mansfield: Olejnik, Benning, Preston, Pearce (c), Bishop, Khan (Davies 87), Sweeney, Walker (Atkinson 74), Elsnik (Butcher 90), Hamilton, Rose Subs not used: Logan, Sterling-James, Gibbens, Graham Cobblers: Cornell, Odoffin, Taylor (c), Barnett, Buchanan, Foley, O'Toole, Waters, Bowditch (Bridge 67), van Veen (Williams 45), Hoskins Subs not used: Ward, Facey, Pierre, Turnbull, Pollock Referee: Trevor Kettle Attendance: 4,050 Cobblers fans: 485 ---------------------- |
Latest | October 2018