Season 19/20 Stagsnet Match Report
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Carlisle United
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Mansfield Town
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Rose 29, Maynard 45+4
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Attendance: 4576 (292 from Mansfield)
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Date: 17 August 2019
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STAGS’ FIRST WIN OF SEASON AT CARLISLE
Martin Shaw at Brunton Park Mansfield Town picked up a much-needed first win of the season away to Carlisle United this afternoon with a terrific performance full of steel and determination. After three consecutive 2-2 draws, with poor defensive displays, having to come from behind each time and having a man sent off in both of the league games, the Stags were desperate for a clean sheet and to keep 11 men on the pitch. Boss John Dempster sacrificed a bit of flair, leaving CJ Hamilton and Otis Khan on the bench, and going for steel in midfield, selecting Neal Bishop, Will Tomlinson and Alex MacDonald, and it worked an absolute treat. The Stags scored twice in the first half, as Tomlinson crossed from the left to the far post where Danny Rose smashed a fabulous volley into the net from a tight angle. Great technique from Rose, who was continuing his return to form, and a great cross from Tomlinson. That came after 29 minutes, then 4 minutes into stoppage time at the end of the half, Hayden White chipped the ball forward from just inside his own half, Danny Rose headed inside to Nicky Maynard who sent a first time shot from the edge of the area into the bottom left corner of the net. A really good finish from Maynard, and a clever header inside from Rose, similar to his header to Khan in the Newport game from which Khan won the penalty. The build-up to the second goal left many, including me, perplexed. The referee had stopped play and it wasn’t clear why, and he then lectured Alex MacDonald and Krystian Pearce, before play restarted with White chipping the ball forward. At half time, I spoke to the Carlisle video analyst who told me that the ball had hit the referee, who had therefore stopped play according to the new rule this season, and restarted play dropping the ball for a Mansfield player, since Mansfield had last touched the ball. I had not spotted that the ball had touched the referee. So the rule was correctly applied, but Carlisle fans were already unhappy at the referee and at Mansfield players in equal measure mostly because they thought that Stags players had been play-acting, such as Will Tomlinson when he’d had the audacity to be kicked in the head by a Carlisle player. The build-up to the second goal didn’t improve their mood! Former Stag Nathan Thomas had been involved in creating a couple of shots for himself in the first half which were saved by Logan, while Logan also saved well from a shot from Harry McKirdy. The best chance for Carlisle came when Thomas crossed in from the right and McKirdy swept a first time shot over the bar from 10 yards. Into the second half, and the key question was: could the Stags keep a clean sheet? The answer was emphatically yes, in fact so well did the Stags keep Carlisle at bay that the home side didn’t even come close to scoring, with Logan not called upon, and no near misses. In the end, a very comfortable 2-0 win for Mansfield, and delight for the players and fans at the end, and of course for manager Dempster with his first win. Plenty of really good performances throughout the side. Danny Rose was just brilliant throughout, not only up front, but winning plenty of headers from Carlisle set pieces at the back. The defence of Hayden White, Krystian Pearce and Ryan Sweeney, plus wing-backs Kellan Gordon and Mal Benning, was right back on form, solid as a rock, and the midfield was full of steel. What was noticeable was just how many times Mansfield won the ball all over the park, and especially in midfield. A terrific away performance. The Stags are now at home to Leyton Orient on Tuesday. Get to the game if you possibly can, but if you can’t, you can watch the game on iFollow Stags for a match pass of £10. John Dempster started with a 3-5-2 formation. There were three changes from the league game against Morecambe and five changes from the cup game against Morecambe. From the league game, in came White, Sweeney and Tomlinson, for Preston, Hamilton and Khan. From the cup game, in came Bishop, Tomlinson, MacDonald, Maynard and Rose, for Smith, Donohue, Khan, Cook and Hamilton. With Hamilton and Khan not included, it was a selection of steel over flair. Andy Cook was not in the 18 and is out for 3-4 weeks with a knee injury picked up on Tuesday in the cup game. Mellis and Preston were out after being sent off against Newport and Morecambe respectively. Donohue was not available for selection. James Clarke and Jason Law came onto the bench. Alistair Smith came on as substitute in the second half (after his good performance in the cup on Tuesday) for his football league debut. It was a sunny and windy day in Cumbria. The wind was behind Carlisle in the first half, but was quite light at that stage. It picked up markedly for the second half when it was behind the Stags, which was helpful for Mansfield. The first half-chance of the game came after 2 minutes as a Stags free kick came off Pearce straight to the keeper Adam Collin. After 7 minutes, Nathan Thomas, the former Stags left footed winger playing on the right wing, cut inside from the right and his shot from 25 yards was saved and nicely held by Logan. A minute later, diminutive winger Harry McKirdy, who’s caused the Stags problems before, broke forward but Sweeney defended well to put it behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, Pearce and Loft both ended up on the deck, on top of White, and the BBC Radio Cumbria commentator behind me was incandescent that there wasn’t a penalty given, but from the video it was six of one and half a dozen of the other, and no appeals from the players. White was left winded by being flattened. A minute later, Thomas cut inside from the right again, his shot was deflected but again Logan pouched it safely diving at his near post. After 13 minutes, McKirdy cut inside from the left, fired goalwards and Logan did well to parry the shot away. After 16 minutes, Maynard played out to Gordon on the right, Gordon slid a delicious ball across the corridor of uncertainty, to pinch a cricketing term, but no-one could get on the end of it and it ran just wide of the left post. McKirdy got past White after 20 minutes but White got back with a great tackle. Moments later, Bishop won the ball. Then Benning gave the ball away cheaply but immediately won it back superbly. The Stags were showing great steel. After 22 minutes, MacDonald won the ball, found Maynard, who found Rose, but Rose’s shot was blocked. A minute later, White did well to win the ball, he powered forward down the right but overhit his cross for a goal-kick. Carlisle were trying to get Thomas on the ball at every opportunity. After 26 minutes, a good move from Carlisle, they got the ball to Thomas who crossed in from the right and McKirdy swept a first time shot over the bar from 10 yards. The Stags were ahead after 29 minutes. Tomlinson crossed from the left to the far post where Danny Rose smashed a fabulous volley into the net from a tight angle. Great technique from Rose, and a great cross from Tomlinson. It was the first time the Stags had led this season, in the fourth league and cup game. After 30 minutes, a Thomas free kick was well-headed away by Rose. A superb tackle a minute later by Bishop on McKirdy, then two minutes after that a great tackle from Benning. There was a collision between the keeper and Rose, the referee stopped play with Rose down. The home fans were on their feet frothing at the mouth at both the referee and the Stags players. Pathetic really. It was a nasty collision. Thomas tried his luck from 30 yards after 40 minutes, but it was miles over the bar. After 44 minutes, Bishop was down with a head injury. The home fans went even more mad. I was reminded by a text into the commentary, of the Carlisle fans’ disgusting treatment of Matty Blair when he was down here a few years ago and spent nearly a year out of the game. I think that was one of the most shocking incidents of inappropriate crowd reaction in recent years, but they were doing their best to recreate it here. Into stoppage time at the end of the half, Iredale put a dangerous low ball into the box, and White did well to put it behind for a corner. The Stags scored a crucial second goal to make it 2-0 four minutes into stoppage time at the end of the half. White chipped the ball forward from just inside his own half, Rose headed inside to Maynard who sent a first time shot from the edge of the area into the bottom left corner of the net. A really good finish from Maynard, and a clever header inside from Rose, similar to his header to Khan in the Newport game from which Khan won the penalty. The build-up to the second goal left many, including me, perplexed. The referee had stopped play and it wasn’t clear why, and he then lectured Alex MacDonald and Krystian Pearce, before play restarted with White chipping the ball forward. At half time, I spoke to the Carlisle video analyst who told me that the ball had hit the referee, who had therefore stopped play according to the new rule this season, and restarted play dropping the ball for a Mansfield player, since Mansfield had last touched the ball. I had not spotted that the ball had touched the referee. So the rule was correctly applied, but Carlisle fans were already unhappy at the referee and at Mansfield players in equal measure mostly because they thought that Stags players had been play-acting, such as Will Tomlinson when he’d had the audacity to be kicked in the head by a Carlisle player. The build-up to the second goal didn’t improve their mood! A remarkable end to the half. Half time 0-2 The wind was now stronger and behind the Stags. A bit of luck that for Mansfield. The Stags could have expected Carlisle to come out all guns blazing. But the Stags kept their shape and limited Carlisle to .. well .. nothing at all really. After 54 minutes, Thomas cut inside again and fired well wide of the right post. A chance for the Stags after 55 minutes, a blockbuster of a shot from MacDonald looked on target but was blocked. It came back to him, but he scuffed that wide of the right post. The Stags were close to a third goal after 58 minutes. A great run forward from Gordon, he curled a high ball to the far post, it looked perfect for Rose to head in, but Byron Webster did really well to head it behind for a corner. After 60 minutes, Benning’s free kick from the left touchline was into the middle, Sweeney looked favourite to get it but went down. The referee wasn’t interested as Sweeney claimed the penalty. The video footage is inconclusive. A great tackle by Sweeney after 62 minutes. Sweeney was booked after 67 minutes after mistiming a tackle on Thomas. The free kick was 30 yards from goal, and the Stags wall did its job blocking the resulting shot from Thomas. On 70 minutes, a Thomas corner was headed out by Rose, it came to Jones 28 yards out who sent a poor shot over the bar. Hamilton replaced Maynard after 72 minutes. Hamilton went up front. MacDonald played a great ball forward after 76 minutes, but it just ran away from Hamilton, perhaps assisted by the wind. White and Webster grappled with each other after a Carlisle free kick had been cleared, after 78 minutes. After consultation with his linesman, the referee booked both players. Hamilton did well to win a free kick after 80 minutes. The free kick was wasted. Alistair Smith replaced MacDonald after 86 minutes. MacDonald had had a fine game. It was Smith’s football league debut. A great block by Rose after 87 minutes from a shot by Carlisle sub Sorensen. Tomlinson was booked after 88 minutes for a foul on Bridge. Khan replaced Bishop after 89 minutes. Brilliant play by Rose after 90 minutes, to win the ball and send the Stags forward, then Hamilton won a throw-in as the Stags comfortably held on for victory. Great scenes at the end of the game as players, management and fans celebrated the win. Man of the match: Danny Rose |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at Brunton Park
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Line Up:
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(3-5-2)
Logan 7 Two good saves from Thomas and another from McKirdy in the first half. Not called upon the second half. White 8 Several good pieces of defending. Nice chip forward in the build-up to the second goal. Pearce 7 Solid game. Sweeney 7.5 Several good pieces of defending. Back to form after his poor game in the cup. Gordon 8 Very solid defending, and a couple of good crosses. MacDonald 7.5 Fine game. Tigerish in midfield. Bishop 7.5 Won the ball several times. He said recently that it takes him a few league games to really get going, and the signs are there that he is getting going now. Tomlinson 8 What a great cross for Rose’s goal. Benning 7 A couple of great tackles. Good free kick which Sweeney looked like he would get on the end of. Maynard 8 Really good finish for his goal. Developing a really good partnership with Rose. Rose 9 Brilliant throughout, not only up front, but winning plenty of headers from Carlisle set pieces at the back. His goal was a fabulous volley, and he set up Maynard’s goal with a clever header inside. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Hamilton (for Maynard, 72 mins) -
Smith (for MacDonald, 86 mins) - His football league debut Khan (for Bishop, 89 mins) - Subs not used: Stone, Clarke, Law, Sterling-James. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-5-1): Collin; Elliott, Webster, Knight-Percival; Iredale, Thomas (Hope 79), Jones, Scougall (Olomola 71), Bridge, McKirdy (Sorensen 56); Loft. Subs not used: Gray, Mellish, Branthwaite, Sagaf.
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Referee:
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Carl Boyeson 7 Upset the home fans, especially with the build-up to the Stags second goal, but he got it completely right according to the new rules. Rightly did not award a penalty for Carlisle. Can’t tell if he should have awarded a penalty for possible foul on Sweeney, video inconclusive. Handled the game well.
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