Season 19/20 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Grimsby Town
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Benning OG 66. Waterfall sent off 9.
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Attendance: 5840 (1337 from Grimsby)
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Date: 4 January 2020
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STAGS LOSE TO TEN MAN GRIMSBY
Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town were beaten 1-0 by a Grimsby Town side that played for more than 80 minutes with ten men at the One Call Stadium. Former Stags defender Luke Waterfall was sent off after just 9 minutes for a bad challenge on Jacob Mellis, as he flew in with feet off the ground. Remarkably it was the second time Waterfall has been sent off at Mansfield since leaving the club, the first was for throwing a bottle back into the crowd when playing for Lincoln City. The Stags gave a good example of how to play against ten men at Cambridge on New Year’s Day, but this performance couldn’t have been further from that as Mansfield were frustrated by a packed defence and rarely looked like breaking it down. In truth, the Stags were awful, lacking any quality in terms of creativity, providing width, or using the extra man to their advantage, and instead resorting to simply pumping balls into the box from distance which were easily cleared time and time again. To compound matters, the Stags gifted Grimsby a goal after 66 minutes which you’d expect to turn up on a Bloopers own goals compilation as Liam Gibson crossed from the left and Mal Benning inexplicably thundered the ball into his own net from 6 yards. Benning was facing his own net and simply smashed it hard into the roof of the net. It’s hard to work out what he was trying to do, but it was no laughing matter for Mansfield and was the only goal of the game. Mansfield didn’t create many chances but should have been ahead after 27 minutes when Danny Rose flicked a header into the path of Nicky Maynard who was through 1-on-1 with keeper James McKeown. Maynard shot from just inside the box and McKeown got a little touch on it to turn it a foot wide of the right post. Superb goalkeeping from McKeown but Maynard should have scored. In the second half, Mellis fired just over the bar from 18 yards, Benning stung the keeper’s arms with a powerful shot, and Maynard also fired just over the bar. But chances were too few and far between. When it looked like Mansfield had run out of ideas, they nearly rescued a point with almost the last kick of the game as Maynard fired a great shot from 30 yards over the keeper, who somehow managed to tip it over the bar. A dreadful performance from which no-one in the Stags side came out with any credit. There was no quality at all and Mansfield had no answer as to how to break down a side that packed its defence. It was bitterly disappointing for most the biggest crowd of the season, 5840. But the 1337 Grimsby fans, which was the biggest away following this season, couldn’t believe their luck having been gifted the three points, albeit they defended very resolutely, wanting to impress new manager Ian Holloway. Mansfield were unchanged from the side that won at Cambridge. It was surprising that manager Graham Coughlan didn’t freshen the side up, as he had said he would at Cambridge, with so many games in quick succession. Shaughnessy remained out with a hamstring injury, Gordon with a back injury, and Tomlinson also with injury. Afolayan has returned to West Ham at the end of his loan spell. No place for Sterling-James in the squad again, which would hint that he doesn’t feature in the manager’s plans, barring injury that we’re unaware of. Grimsby were without their three main strikers through injury: former Stag Matt Green who has a groin injury, James Hanson and Jordan Cook. Grimsby won their first game for three months on New Year’s Day, with new manager Ian Holloway watching from the stand. Today Holloway took charge for the first time. Grimsby had only scored 4 goals in their last 12 league games before today, but were gifted an all-important own goal here. Mansfield started on the front foot winning 4 corners in succession in the opening 6 minutes. MacDonald’s corner was headed just over the bar by a combination of Bishop and a defender. Rose won a corner. And Waterfall headed behind for a corner which was cleared. After 9 minutes, Luke Waterfall was sent off for a bad challenge on Mellis, as he flew in with feet off the ground. For 10 minutes after the red card, Mansfield were stroking the ball from side to side in their own half, with manager Coughlan clearly agitated on the touchline. Mansfield didn’t have their first shot at goal until the 25th minute when Benning shot straight at the keeper from 25 yards. The Stags should have been ahead after 27 minutes. Danny Rose flicked a header into the path of Maynard who was through 1-on-1 with keeper James McKeown. Maynard shot from just inside the box and McKeown got a little touch on it to turn it a foot wide of the right post. Superb goalkeeping from McKeown but Maynard should have scored. Brilliant control on the touchline by Hamilton after 28 minutes on the byline. Remarkable skill but it didn’t come to anything. Good defending by MacDonald after 30 minutes as he blocked a cross for a corner. White was booked for a foul on Ogbu after 30 minutes. Great play from Hamilton after 33 minutes to win a corner. A great move from Mansfield after 35 minutes with White and Maynard played a good 1-2 and White won a corner. Benning’s corner was cleared. A free kick for the Stags 30 yards out as Rose was smashed in the face by a flailing hand. Surprisingly no yellow card. And Mansfield wasted the free kick as Mellis laid it short to White who stumbled and just won a corner. It was Mansfield’s 8th corner of the first half but again came to nothing. White made a good run on the right after 45 minutes but his cross was cleared. Pearce was booked for a foul on Ogbu after 45+2 minutes. Grimsby had their first shot of the game after 45+4 minutes as Charles Vernam fired powerfully goalwards from 25 yards and Logan did well to push it away. Goalless at the break. Grimsby were defending deep and making it difficult for Mansfield who only once got in behind the defence as Maynard should have scored when through 1-on-1. 8 corners and countless long throws all came to nothing. Half time 0-0 After 50 minutes, MacDonald got in two shots from inside the box but both were blocked. Cook replaced Bishop after 51 minutes. The Stags switched from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 with Cook, Rose and Maynard up front. A chance for Grimsby after 52 minutes. Clifton made a good run to the edge of the Stags box and sent a low right footed shot wide of the post. Mellis fired just over the bar from 18 yards after 54 minutes after Hamilton initially gave the ball away, then won it back and Maynard teed up Mellis. Stags boss Coughlan was booked after 59 minutes for trying to retrieve the ball from the Grimsby dugout. Benning stung the keeper’s arms with a powerful shot from the edge of the box after 60 minutes, the ball was then recycled into the box but the whistle went before the Stags could get in another shot. The Stags gifted Grimsby a goal after 66 minutes as Liam Gibson crossed from the left and Benning inexplicably thundered the ball into his own net from 6 yards. Benning was facing his own net and simply smashed it hard into the roof of the net. It’s hard to work out what he was trying to do. Clarke replaced White after 74 minutes. Coughlan said afterwards that White was exhausted. After 75 minutes, MacDonald volleyed straight at the keeper from 30 yards. After 79 minutes, Grimsby sub Akheem Rose fired just over the bar from the edge of the area. The Stags were getting worse and seemed to be completely out of ideas. Build-up was predictable and Grimsby dealt with it easily. Craig Davies replaced Rose after 86 minutes. Maynard fired just over the bar from 20 yards after 87 minutes after good play from Hamilton on the left who played the ball inside to him. Davies was booked after 90+1 minutes for pushing a player over after the whistle had gone. After 90+6 minutes, Mansfield nearly rescued a point with almost the last kick of the game as Maynard fired a great shot from 30 yards over the keeper, who somehow managed to tip it over the bar. A great effort and a brilliant save. So much frustration for everyone supporting the Stags, but credit to Grimsby for digging in under their new manager. Stags new manager Graham Coughlan has been saying for two weeks that he can’t wait for a clear week to get on the training ground. He’s now got that before the Stags face Forest Green at home next week. Just 5 points for Coughlan from his first 5 games in charge. The Stags are 9 points above the bottom place and 14 points outside the play-offs. It looks highly likely that the Stags will neither go up nor down this season. It also looks like it’s going to take Coughlan some time to turn this around but we believe he will do that eventually. Man of the match: no-one deserves a man of the match award. |
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Report by: Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill
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Line Up:
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(4-4-2)
Logan 6.5 Had little to do, but did it well. No chance with the goal. White 5.5 Didn’t get in many if any good crosses. Ran out of steam and was subbed. Preston 6 Didn’t make any defensive errors, as he has previously this season. Pearce 6 Unable to influence the game. Benning 4 Inexplicably thundered the ball into his own net for the only goal of the game. Put in some great crosses at Cambridge. But not here. MacDonald 5 Some good defending. Worked hard but created little and got worse as the game went on. Mellis 4.5 Part of a weak midfield. Didn’t play anywhere near enough positive balls forward that we expect from him. Bishop 4.5 Sat too deep after the sending off and had no influence on the forward play. Subbed early in the second half. Hamilton 5.5 Teed up shot for Maynard and did well in the build-up to shot for Mellis. One piece of brilliant skill on the touchline which didn’t come to anything. Mostly marked out of the game. Rose 4.5 One good flick-on to set up 1-on-1 for Maynard. Did little else. Maynard 5.5 Missed the 1-on-1 in the first half. He should have scored. Great shot in stoppage time tipped over the bar. One other shot just over the bar. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Cook (for Bishop, 51 mins) 4.5 Didn’t get into the game and won surprisingly few headers.
Clarke (for White, 74 mins) - Davies (for Rose, 86 mins) - Subs not used: Olejnik, Smith, Khan, Knowles. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-3-3): McKeown; Hendrie, Waterfall, Davis, Gibson (Whitehouse 80); Hessenthaler, Clifton, Robson; Ogbu (Ahkeem Rose 56), Vernam, Wright (Pollock 13). Subs not used: Russell, Öhman, Hewitt, Cardwell.
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Referee:
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James Oldham 7 Got the red card right. Good to see him issue two yellow cards for blatant time-wasting.
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