Season 19/20 Stagsnet Match Report
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Plymouth Argyle
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Mansfield Town
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Canavan 43, Sarcevic pen 61, Hardie 90+1.
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Cook 66
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Attendance: 10,523 (246 from Mansfield)
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Date: 18 January 2020
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STAGS MISS GLORIOUS CHANCES AND GIFT GOALS TO LOSE AT PLYMOUTH
Martin Shaw at Home Park Mansfield Town were beaten 3-1 at in-form Plymouth Argyle this afternoon. Once again, the Stags played really quite well between both boxes, but missed a host of glorious chances, and then gifted Plymouth goals to fall to another bitterly disappointing defeat. After the game, Plymouth boss Ryan Lowe said: “Mansfield were good, one of the few sides to really get in behind this season. They will probably feel hard done by that they haven’t gone in two or three goals up at half-time but I’ve been in that same situation as well, when we couldn’t hit a barn door.” The Stags could have been ahead after 35 seconds as Nicky Maynard teed up Alex MacDonald to cross from the right and CJ Hamilton’s header was blocked low down on his line by the Argyle keeper. After 5 minutes, Neal Bishop chipped a ball forward for Maynard to run on to. Maynard got away from his marker Bakinson, and with just the keeper to beat, tried to lift the ball over the keeper but didn’t get enough on it and the keeper beat away his effort. Then after 18 minutes, Maynard fed Danny Rose, who played a perfect ball forward into the path of Hamilton who was also through 1-on-1 with just the keeper to beat, but pulled his shot wide of the right post. Ryan Lowe was going ballistic on the touchline, while Graham Coughlan prowled about, surely happy with the approach play but frustrated with missing these chance. After 22 minutes, MacDonald made a great run down the right and slid a low ball across for Hamilton who fired wide from another great position. Plymouth had created nothing until the 23rd minute when Bakinson cracked a brilliant shot from 22 yards against the right post. Huge controversy after 36 minutes. Krystian Pearce played the ball forward from the centre circle for Hamilton to run onto and again he was through 1-on-1 with the keeper. Hamilton tried to take the ball around the keeper just inside the area and went down. In real time I thought it was a penalty. But referee Trevor Kettle booked Hamilton for diving. The video footage from the main camera and our pitchside camera is inconclusive, but in my opinion it should have been a penalty. Having failed to convert so many glorious chances, it was Plymouth who took the lead two minutes before half time. Hayden White fouled Luke Jephcott outside the area on the Plymouth left. And George Cooper’s free kick to the far post saw centre half Niall Canavan rise above Bishop to head home. Poor defending from Bishop. Into the second half, and perhaps an even better chance for Mansfield to score as Hamilton did superbly on the left to pull the ball back to Mal Benning, who in turn teed up Maynard, unmarked, to shoot from 14 yards. Maynard beat the keeper but his low side-footed shot was superbly blocked on the line by Gary Sawyer. A great block, but Maynard has to be burying that chance. To compound matters, Mansfield conceded the most ridiculous of penalties after 61 minutes. Joe Edwards was running away from goal towards the corner flag when Matt Preston heavily barged him over from behind. It was a ridiculous, clumsy challenge that gave the referee a decision to make, and the referee decided it was a penalty. You could argue it was just a shoulder barge, but I’m not going to, it was just a terrible error and one that was punished. The Stags players also didn’t contest the decision but instead looked at Preston in exasperation. Since Coughlan came in, and earlier in the season too, Preston has been making too many costly errors and it would now have to be seen as a surprise if he remains in the side next week. Antoni Sarcevic stepped up and buried the penalty into the top left corner. Preston was close to making amends at the other end after 64 minutes when he headed a coat of paint wide of the right post from Benning’s free kick. And Mansfield did pull a goal back in remarkable fashion. Having missed so many glorious chances, the goal came out of the blue as Andy Cook, who had been on as substitute for exactly 16 seconds, received a throw-in from James Clarke, chested it down, and on the turn fired a speculative shot from the edge of the area on the right over the keeper and in off the underside of the bar. A moment of brilliance from Cook. The Stags created some half-chances to equalise, but not any more glorious chances. After 86 minutes, Bakinson fired a shot from distance against the top of the bar. And then in a moment of horrible irony, Plymouth made it 3-1 after 90+1 minutes. After Mansfield had wasted three 1-on-1 chances in the first half, Plymouth sub Hardie ran onto a long low ball forward and was through 1-on-1 with Olejnik, and fired through Olejnik’s legs into the net. All very disheartening. Such a lot of good football played by Mansfield but it counts for nothing if you defend like this, and have done for much of the season, and miss glorious chance as well. I thought manager Coughlan got the tactics spot on today, creating a glut of chances and stopping Plymouth from playing their normal game, and Danny Mayor hardly had a kick all game. But first and foremost Coughlan needs his team to defend better. After the game, Coughlan said his options for the defence are either to get new defender or defenders in, or keep working on the training ground and hope the penny drops. I think it is clear that certainly one new central defender is needed. Matt Preston is in a very poor run of form, making too many errors at the back, and the manager needs reinforcements urgently in order to freshen things up. The Stags have won only one game in the last twelve, since October, and are sitting perilously just 5 points above the single relegation space. It’s a clear week on the training ground this week, then Mansfield have three games in a week: Bradford at home, then Oldham away and Carlisle at home. Bradford of course are near the top of the league, but Oldham and Carlisle are in the bottom 7 with the Stags and those two games look like enormous games that Mansfield really need to win. Plymouth, meanwhile, have won ten of their last thirteen games, to move level with 3rd placed Crewe. Mansfield made two changes to the side that lost 4-3 to Forest Green. Hayden White came back in for James Clarke. Krystian Pearce came back in for the injured Will Tomlinson. You need your big players playing in the team and White and Pearce are two of those. Before the game, manager Coughlan explained that Pearce had trained all week after being told he was free to leave a week ago and Coughlan was looking for players to step up to the plate. White returned to add more presence to the side according to Coughlan. But White has struggled with injury for the past year, and limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury in the second half here, which could be another hammer blow. There was a new addition to the squad in Harry Charsley, who signed yesterday, he met the players on the coach down to Plymouth having not yet trained with the squad, and was announced as a new signing before kick-off. Charsley was released by Everton earlier this month after having spent over 10 years with the club. He is a midfielder who could also fill in at full back. As he was released by Everton, he has signed as a free agent, until the end of the season. He played in the Leasing.com Trophy against Mansfield in August, forcing two saves from Aidan Stone and converting his penalty in the shoot-out. He also played against Mansfield in the same competition two years ago. Charsley came on as sub here at Plymouth 11 minutes from time, and did ok, showing he has two good feet. Tyrese Sinclair, now returned from his very successful loan spell at Radcliffe Borough, travelled with the squad but was not in the 18. He is an exciting talent and hopefully he will get a chance for some minutes on the pitch in the coming months. The Stags reverted to a 3-4-3 formation with a three pronged attack of Rose (right), Maynard (centre) and Hamilton (left) which certainly seemed to catch Plymouth cold, and should have won the game in the opening half. Manager Graham Coughlan was back at the club where he became a legend. He has returned as manager and coach numerous times however. DETAILED REPORT It was a beautiful sunny day in Devon. A big crowd was expectant of a Plymouth victory, having only lost two games at home this season. Meanwhile Mansfield’s record at Home Park is atrocious. The Stags could have been ahead after 35 seconds as Maynard teed up MacDonald to cross from the right and Hamilton’s header was blocked low down on his line by the Argyle keeper. After 5 minutes, Bishop chipped a ball forward for Maynard to run on to. Maynard got away from his marker Bakinson, and with just the keeper to beat, tried to lift the ball over the keeper but didn’t get enough on it and the keeper beat away his effort. Then after 18 minutes, Maynard fed Rose, who played a perfect ball forward into the path of Hamilton who was also through 1-on-1 with just the keeper to beat, but pulled his shot wide of the right post. Moments later, Benning fired miles wide from 25 yards. Ryan Lowe was going ballistic on the touchline, while Graham Coughlan prowled about, surely happy with the approach play but frustrated with missing these chance. After 22 minutes, MacDonald made a great run down the right and slid a low ball across for Hamilton who fired wide from another great position. Plymouth had created nothing until the 23rd minute when Bakinson cracked a brilliant shot from 22 yards against the right post. Moments later, Sarcevic shot wide of the left post. After 25 minutes, Edwards crossed from the right, and Jephcott headed wide from a difficult position. Huge controversy after 36 minutes. Pearce played the ball forward from the centre circle for Hamilton to run onto and again he was through 1-on-1 with the keeper. Hamilton tried to take the ball around the keeper just inside the area and went down. In real time I thought it was a penalty. But referee Trevor Kettle booked Hamilton for diving. The video footage from the main camera and our pitchside camera is inconclusive, but in my opinion it should have been a penalty. Having failed to convert so many glorious chances, it was Plymouth who took the lead two minutes before half time. White fouled Jephcott outside the area on the Plymouth left. And George Cooper’s free kick to the far post saw centre half Niall Canavan rise above Bishop to head home. Poor defending from Bishop. After 44 minutes a cross from White was cleared to Bishop who miscued a shot well wide. At the other end, Mayor had a shot blocked. Nearly calamity for Mansfield after 45+1 minutes as Cooper’s cross was cleared by Sweeney against Preston and it ricocheted just past their own goal. At half time, the home fans were on their feet applauding their side off, having spent most of the first half berating them. Three 1-on-1’s for Mansfield who should have been ahead, by two or three goals according to Ryan Lowe after the game, but it was Plymouth who lead. Half time 1-0 After 50 minutes, Bakinson fed Moore who shot across Olejnik and wide of the left post. Disaster after 52 minutes as White limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury, which could be another hammer blow for him and for the club. On came James Clarke. An even better chance for Mansfield to score after 53 minutes as Hamilton did superbly on the left to pull the ball back to Mal Benning, who in turn teed up Maynard, unmarked, to shoot from 14 yards. Maynard beat the keeper but his low side-footed shot was superbly blocked on the line by Gary Sawyer. A great block, but Maynard has to be burying that chance. Sweeney was booked for protesting as the hapless referee Kettle awarded a free kick to Plymouth as MacDonald simply outmuscled Mayor. To compound matters, Mansfield conceded the most ridiculous of penalties after 61 minutes. Joe Edwards was running away from goal towards the corner flag when Matt Preston heavily barged him over from behind. It was a ridiculous, clumsy challenge that gave the referee a decision to make, and the referee decided it was a penalty. You could argue it was just a shoulder barge, but I’m not going to, it was just a terrible error and one that was punished. The Stags players also didn’t contest the decision but instead looked at Preston in exasperation. Since Coughlan came in, and earlier in the season too, Preston has been making too many costly errors and it would now have to be seen as a surprise if he remains in the side next week. Antoni Sarcevic stepped up and buried the penalty into the top left corner. Preston was close to making amends at the other end after 64 minutes when he headed a coat of paint wide of the right post from Benning’s free kick. Andy Cook replaced Rose after 66 minutes. Rose had a muscular injury according to manager Coughlan after the game. Mansfield pulled a goal back in remarkable fashion. Having missed so many glorious chances, the goal came out of the blue as Andy Cook, who had been on as substitute for exactly 16 seconds, received a throw-in from James Clarke, chested it down, and on the turn fired a speculative shot from the edge of the area on the right over the keeper and in off the underside of the bar. A moment of brilliance from Cook. After 71 minutes MacDonald did well to win the ball and sent Hamilton away but Hamilton’s low cross was deflected straight to the keeper. Two minutes later at the other end, Cooper crossed in low and Bishop cleared just wide of his own post. Then from a corner, Canavan glanced a header over the bar. Sweeney headed forward for Maynard whose snapshot was deflected for a corner after 76 minutes. Moments later at the other end, Sarcevic’s dipping shot was just over the bar from 25 yards. Harry Charsley came on for his debut after 79 minutes, replacing Bishop. After 80 minutes, brilliant control from Hamilton, but his cross-shot was over the bar. After 86 minutes, Bakinson fired a shot from distance against the top of the bar. And then in a moment of horrible irony, Plymouth made it 3-1 after 90+1 minutes. After Mansfield had wasted three 1-on-1 chances in the first half, Plymouth sub Hardie ran onto a long low ball forward and was through 1-on-1 with Olejnik, and fired through Olejnik’s legs into the net. The Stags badly need some wins. And quickly. |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at Home Park
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Line Up:
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(3-4-3)
Olejnik 6 Not at fault for the goals (albeit the 1-on-1 went through his legs). Didn’t have any other saves to make. Preston 4 Ridiculous, clumsy challenge to concede the totally unnecessary but costly penalty that infuriated the manager. Pearce 6.5 Did ok on his return to the side. Sweeney 6.5 Did ok. White 5.5 Conceded the free kick that led to the opening goal. Disaster as he limped off. MacDonald 7 Some good crosses and runs. Bishop 5 Poor defending for the opening goal. Benning 6.5 One good free kick and one good pull back for Maynard. Rose 7 Perfect ball to set up a 1-on-1 for Hamilton. Maynard 6.5 Very good in open play but missed two glorious chances. So 8 for the open play, 5 for the misses, equals 6.5 Hamilton 6.5 Should have been awarded a penalty. Caused Plymouth all kinds of problems, but missed too many chances. 8 for approach play, 5 for the misses, also equals 6.5 |
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Sub Line Up:
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Clarke (for White, 52 mins) -
Cook (for Rose, 66 mins) - Charsley (for Bishop, 79 mins) - Subs not used: Stone, Smith, Khan, Davies. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(3-1-4-2): Alex Palmer; Scott Wootton, Niall Canavan, Gary Sawyer; Tyreeq Bakinson; Joe Edwards, Antoni Sarcevic, Danny Mayor (Josh Grant 87 mins), George Cooper (Joel Grant 84 mins); Byron Moore, Luke Jephcott (Ryan Hardie 69 mins). Subs not used: Mike Cooper, Joe Riley, Conor Grant, Adam Randell.
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Referee:
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Trevor Kettle 5 Should have awarded Mansfield a penalty. Some other poor decisions.
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