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Season 20/21 Stagsnet Match Report
English Football League Trophy
Mansfield Town  
1 - 3
 Lincoln City
Menayese 72.
 
 Soule 31, Scully 49, Archibald 62.
Attendance: behind closed doors
 
Date: 6 October 2020

STAGS EASILY BEATEN BY LINCOLN IN EFL TROPHY

Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill

Mansfield Town were beaten 3-1 by Lincoln City at the One Call Stadium in the group stages of the EFL Trophy last night to continue the poor run of results that has seen the Stags fail to win any of the opening 7 league and cup games this season. Both sides were much changed from their last league game, but Mansfield put in a poor performance to be thoroughly outplayed by Lincoln. Lincoln are high on confidence after a tremendous start to the season and despite a much-changed side, it showed as they knocked the ball around neatly, led by their captain Jorge Grant, the former Stags player, who rarely wasted a pass.
The opening half hour of the game was unusual in that neither side created a single chance until the 29th minute. I can’t remember a game when there has been no chance for either side for such a long period. There was not a lot of excitement but Lincoln were certainly well on top in that period, dominating possession.
Lincoln took the lead after 31 minutes when Remy Howarth cut inside James Perch inside the area and fired goalwards. Aidan Stone saved at full stretch but could only push it straight into the path of Jamie Soule, who knocked the ball into the empty net with his knee from close range.
It stayed at 1-0 at half time as Kellan Gordon cleared off the line from a scuffed shot goalwards from Theo Archibald in the final minute of the half. Lincoln deserved their lead with the Stags doing nowhere near enough going forward.
Lincoln nearly increased the lead after 48 minutes as Ryan Sweeney gave the ball away needlessly just inside the Lincoln half and Anthony Scully was put clean through on goal but his shot was saved by Stone with his legs as Soule then put the rebound wide. But the Stags didn’t heed the lesson and within a minute Scully was in acres of space in the area on the right, with neither Mal Benning nor Sweeney anywhere near him, as he fired past Stone and in off the left post.
Lincoln made it 3-0 after 62 minutes with a comedy goal though no-one of a Stags persuasion was laughing. Scully’s long high ball forward from inside his own half was misjudged by Rollin Menayese, hit him on the head as he was looking the other way, and Archibald reacted quickest lifting the loose ball over the onrushing Stone from just inside the area and into the empty net. A calamitous goal.
The only positive of the night for Mansfield was that in the final 25 minutes, with the introduction of substitutes Nicky Maynard and Stephen McLaughlin, the Stags showed a lot more urgency and quality and started to create some reasonable chances. A great run from Maynard after 66 minutes earned a free kick 25 yards out. McLaughlin struck the free kick, it rebounded off the wall to Benning who struck a sweet right-footed shot which was brilliantly tipped just wide by the under-used Lincoln keeper Ethan Ross.
The Stags pulled a goal back after 72 minutes as Benning’s excellent corner from the right was headed into the net by Menayese from four yards. His second goal of the season. Then McLaughlin let fly from distance and his shot was tipped wide. Menayese could have scored again when he headed straight at the keeper from Gordon’s free kick. And the Stags had a double chance to score in the 89th minute as Gordon did well to break into the area and got the ball onto his left foot in space but his shot was blocked and then Harry Charsley did well to get to the byline and pulled back to Jamie Reid who scuffed his shot over the bar.
Whether the Stags’ improvement in the final quarter of the game was because of the urgency injected by substitutes Maynard and McLaughlin, or the change in formation from the manager’s normal 3-5-2 to 4-4-2, or the fact that Lincoln knew the game was already won, is hard to say, but overall Lincoln were worthy comfortable winners.
Very few positives for the Stags to take from this game. None of the players coming in really staked a claim for a place in the side in the league. Benning noticeably upped his game considerably after McLaughlin came on, possibly more comfortable in the changed formation or maybe spurred on by the direct competition for his place in the side. Substitutes Maynard and McLaughlin injected some urgency and quality. The defence was generally disappointing, and all over the pitch the Stags gave the ball away too often.

The Stags are out of the EFL Trophy though still have a group stage game to play against Scunthorpe, who are also out. There will still be £10,000 in prize money to play for in that game.

The Stags will now prepare for a big game in the league against Stevenage on Saturday. Stevenage were reprieved from relegation last season due to the demise of Macclesfield, and although they have made one or two good signings, the Stags will not have a better opportunity to get their first win of the season.


The Stags made 6 changes from the side that lost at Newport. O’Driscoll, Gordon, Benning, Charsley, Sinclair and Bowery, came in for Rawson, O’Keeffe, McLaughlin, Maris, Ollie Clarke and Maynard.

Lincoln arrived having won all four of their games in League One, and made 8 changes from their last league game. Jorge Grant was captain. Jamie Soule, just signed on loan from West Brom, was up front for his debut.

Lincoln were right on top in the opening stages. The Stags were barely in Lincoln’s half in the opening 10 minutes.

Lincoln remained on top but remarkably neither side created a single chance until the 29th minute. I can’t remember a game when there has been no chance for either side for such a long period. That first chance came when Jorge Grant shot wide from 22 yards.

At the other end a minute later, Charsley did well to win the ball, Sinclair pushed forward but fired high and wide from 22 yards. Moments later, O’Driscoll headed straight to the keeper from Benning’s free kick.

Lincoln took the lead after 31 minutes when Remy Howarth cut inside James Perch inside the area and fired goalwards. Aidan Stone saved at full stretch but could only push it straight into the path of Jamie Soule, who knocked the ball into the empty net with his knee from close range.

Theo Archibald fired well wide from 25 yards after 32 minutes.

Perch was booked for a sliding challenge after 34 minutes.

Bowery did well to win the ball after 35 minutes, he found Gordon, who drifted across from the right and shot straight at the keeper from 22 yards.

Tayo Edun shot into the side netting for Lincoln after 40 minutes. Then Archibald again shot high and wide three minutes later.

Kellan Gordon cleared off the line from a scuffed shot goalwards from Archibald in the final minute of the half.

Lincoln ahead 1-0 at the break and they deserved their lead with the Stags doing nowhere near enough going forward.

Half time 0-1

Lincoln nearly increased the lead after 48 minutes as Ryan Sweeney gave the ball away needlessly just inside the Lincoln half and Scully was put clean through on goal but his shot was saved by Stone with his legs as Soule then put the rebound wide.

But the Stags didn’t heed the lesson and within a minute Scully was in acres of space in the area on the right, with neither Benning nor Sweeney anywhere near him, as he fired past Stone and in off the left post. 2-0 to Lincoln.

Gordon was booked after 55 minutes for an off-the-ball skirmish with Tayo Edun who was also booked.

Reid headed just wide of the right post from Benning’s free kick from the right after 56 minutes.

The Stags made a triple change after 57 minutes. On came Smith, Maynard and McLaughlin, for Perch, Bowery, and Sinclair. The Stags switched from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2, with O’Driscoll at right back, Benning at left back, Gordon in right midfield, McLaughlin left midfield.

Immediately, Maynard headed down to McLaughlin, whose shot was blocked for a corner.

Lincoln made it 3-0 after 62 minutes with a comedy goal though no-one of a Stags persuasion was laughing. Scully’s long high ball forward from inside his own half was misjudged by Rollin Menayese, hit him on the head as he was looking the other way, and Archibald reacted quickest lifting the loose ball over the onrushing Stone from just inside the area and into the empty net. A calamitous goal.

A great run from Maynard after 66 minutes earned a free kick 25 yards out. McLaughlin struck the free kick, it rebounded off the wall to Benning who struck a sweet right-footed shot which was brilliantly tipped just wide by the under-used Lincoln keeper Ethan Ross. The resulting corner was a clever one, a short corner routine which reached Charsley who smashed a shot just wide.

The Stags pulled a goal back after 72 minutes as Benning’s excellent corner from the right was headed into the net by Menayese from four yards. His second goal of the season.

Then after 76 minutes, McLaughlin let fly from distance and his shot was tipped wide. Shortly afterwards, Reid did well to get a shot in which was over the bar.

Lincoln were on the back foot now, though the game was already won, but on 79 minutes, Soule fired over the bar via a deflection.

Menayese could have scored again on 83 minutes when he headed straight at the keeper from Gordon’s free kick.

And the Stags had a double chance to score in the 89th minute as Gordon did well to break into the area and got the ball onto his left foot in space but his shot was blocked, and then Charsley did well to get to the byline and pulled back to Reid who scuffed his shot over the bar.

Lincoln fully deserved this comfortable victory and they are through to the next round, along with Man City U21 each with a game to spare.

The Stags are clearly low on confidence due to a lack of wins, and this was a poor performance for 70 minutes by which time the game was lost. Those late goals conceded at Orient and Newport have been very demoralising for the team I think, and things could have been very different but for conceding those late goals, or indeed beating Tranmere, as we should have done. One win might change a lot, and it is to be hoped that it will come on Saturday against Stevenage.

Whether the Stags’ improvement in the final quarter of the game last night was because of the urgency injected by substitutes Maynard and McLaughlin, or the change in formation from the manager’s normal 3-5-2 to 4-4-2, or the fact that Lincoln knew the game was already won, is hard to say. I don’t think that 4-4-2 is per se a better formation than 3-5-2, but it might be worth switching to it given the improvement last night. The counter argument is that that formation would probably require O’Keeffe and Gordon to play on the right and Benning and McLaughlin on the left, and are Gordon and Benning in good enough form to warrant a place in the best starting XI at the moment? We’ll see what Graham Coughlan does on Saturday.

Man of the match: Nicky Maynard


Report by: Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill



Line Up:
(3-5-2)
Stone 6 Good save with his legs from Soule. Not at fault for the first goal when he pushed the ball into the path of Soule as it was all he could do to tip the ball away.
Menayese 6 Poor misjudgement for the comedy third goal. Made amends with his headed goal, his second of the season.
O’Driscoll 6 Did ok, at centre half and later switching to right back.
Sweeney 5 Gave the ball away needlessly in the build-up to Stone save with his legs. Left Scully in acres of space in for the second goal.
Gordon 6 Cleared off the line from a scuffed shot. Could have scored late on.
Perch 5 Had very little impact on the game, after his fine performance at Newport.
Sinclair 5 One shot which was off target. Didn’t grab his chance to force his way into the squad for a league game.
Charsley 6 Set up chances for Reid and Sinclair.
Benning 6 Noticeably upped his game considerably after McLaughlin came on with great corner for the goal, and a fine shot tipped wide. Like Sweeney, left Scully in acres of space in for the second goal.
Bowery 5 Offered little up front.
Reid 5.5 A couple of shots over the bar and a header wide.
Sub Line Up:
Smith (for Perch, 57 mins) 6
Maynard (for Bowery, 57 mins) 7 Injected urgency and quality.
McLaughlin (for Sinclair, 57 mins) 7 Got into the game quickly and made things happen.
Subs not used: Stech, O'Keeffe, Rawson, Maris.
Opposition Line Up:
(4-3-3): Ross; Anderson, Eyoma, Roughan, Edun (Cann, 90); McGrandles, Grant, Howarth; Scully, Soule, Archibald. Subs not used: Long, Montsma, Jones, Hopper.
Referee:
Ben Toner 7 Decent game.


Season 20/21 Reports