Archived News from March 2003
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`GIVE ME 5` PLEA FROM CURLE / APPEAL ON RED CARDS
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STAGS APPEAL ON RED CARDS
Evening Post, 04 March 2003 Mansfield Town manager Keith Curle today revealed both he and Rhys Day would be appealing against their dismissals in Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Oldham. Day saw a straight red for an aerial challenge on Tony Carss in the 56th minute and Curle was then sent off for the first time in four-and-a-half years following a foul on Wayne Andrews in injury time. However, the club have decided to pay the £475 fee and appeal to the league about referee Paul Taylor's decisions. As it stands, both players would face three-match bans, which would count them out of the forthcoming matches against Swindon Town, Huddersfield Town and Cardiff. But, even if Day's offence was reduced to a yellow card, he would still miss the game against Andy King's side as he was booked in the first half. Curle said: "We have had a look at the video and taken advice on the situation and we have decided to make an appeal. I thought both decisions were extremely harsh." However, Curle said he will not be fining himself or Day if their pleas go unheard. He said: "I would only fine the players if they were booked for dissent or raised their arms, or did something stupid like that. "But I am not going to punish Rhys for going for the ball and I will be treating myself the same." Stags will also be helping Oldham's David Eyres, who was also sent off in the same game after an off-the-ball incident that injured Craig Disley. The Stags midfielder will be writing a letter to the league to say that the incident was merely a tangle of legs. Curle said: "Craig said on Saturday that it seemed to just be one of those things and Oldham have asked if he will support their lad's case. "He has agreed to do that and Oldham have pointed out that they still have games to play against sides at the bottom, so they can help us out." 'GIVE ME FIVE' IS PLEA FROM CURLE Evening Post, 04 March 2003 With nine points separating the bottom 11 teams in Division Two, Mansfield boss Keith Curle has set his target to avoid the drop, telling his players they need five wins from their remaining 12 games to give themselves a fighting chance. He is unconcerned about who his team beat, as long as they reach that target and he sees tonight's game against Luton Town as an ideal opportunity to record their first win in four games, following their 3-2 victory over Notts County and set the ball rolling. The Stags begin the evening two points behind the current occupants of the last safe place, Port Vale, whose trip to Notts County is one match in a full programme of Division Two clashes. The team in between, Stockport County, who have 34 points to Stags' 33, are at home to Chesterfield. Curle said: "We have sat the lads down and told them that we need to win five games to give ourselves a fighting chance of staying up. "I don't care where those points come from, as long as we get there and, of course, winning our next five games would be fantastic. "Obviously, as far as I am concerned, the sooner it happens the better." A victory over the Hatters, who find themselves just a point from a play-off place after gaining promotion from Division Three with the Stags last season, would give the Stags their first double of the season after they beat Joe Kinnear's side 3-2 at Kenilworth Road in September. But both sides will be without key players. Craig Disley will be absent from the Stags midfield after being injured in Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Oldham and the towering Steve Howard will be missing from Luton's front line after picking up a knee injury in the 2-1 defeat at Notts County. But Curle believes his side can gain a decent result, if they show the endeavour they displayed against the Latics and they receive great support from the crowd. He said: "I don't think we played like a team in the bottom four and we didn't allow Oldham to play like a top-four team. All the credit for that has to go to the players. "We have to build on that and it is noticeable that the better we play, the louder the support, so we will have to look to create a good atmosphere." Curle will be pitting his wits against the manager who decided to sell him to Manchester City for £2.5million in 1991. He said: "Joe is another one of my ex-managers and it seems like we come up against one every other week. "I have got a lot of respect for him and he is a nice bloke. "He is a very confident person and I have got a lot of time for him." Kinnear, meanwhile, recognises that the Stags are a genuine threat after his side lost 4-2 at Field Mill during their promotion push last season. He said: "Mansfield are the most attack-minded side in the league. "They do go for you, there is no question about that. They play with two out-and-out wingers in Lawrence and Corden and two strikers through the middle in Christie - who is a handful - and Junior Mendes. "It will not be an easy match but we are intent on getting something out of it. "Keith is still a good player at 39 and I had him at Wimbledon for a number of years. "But, if they have a good day and everything goes well for them then they are a good side." MANSFIELD (probable): Welch, Doane, Curle, Day, Eaton, Lawrence, Curtis, Williamson, Corden, Mendes, Christie. Subs: A White, J White, Mitchell, Hassell, Gadsby. |
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