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An independent supporters' website dedicated to Mansfield Town FC
Season 20/21 Stagsnet Match Report
English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town  
3 - 3
 Crawley Town
Sweeney 4, Lapslie 72, Cook 90+3.
 
 Watters 49, 59, Dallison 54
Attendance: behind closed doors
 
Date: 5 December 2020

STAGS DRAW 3-3 WITH CRAWLEY IN EXTRAORDINARY GAME

Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill

Mansfield Town drew 3-3 with Crawley Town in an extraordinary game at the One Call Stadium this afternoon. It leaves the Stags still looking for the first home league win of the season.
The Stags were excellent in the first half and led 1-0 at the break thanks to a Ryan Sweeney goal from a corner after 4 minutes. But the Stags should have been further ahead and the Crawley assistant head coach Lee Bradbury admitted in post match interview that Crawley were lucky to be only 1-0 down and it could have been 3-0 at half time.
Midway through the half, George Lapslie had a triple chance as first his shot, set up by Jamie Reid, was saved low down by keeper Glenn Morris, then his follow-up shot was blocked after Harry Charsley recycled the ball, and finally Lapslie headed over the bar from Kellan Gordon’s cross. From that second Lapslie effort, the Stags claimed a penalty for handball, and Nigel Clough was adamant after the game that it should have been but I couldn’t tell from my position in the press box and the video is inconclusive. George Maris also had a golden chance, after 31 minutes, as Reid set him up for a shot which was well-saved by the keeper.
The Stags had 8 chances in that first half, 6 on target, with none for Crawley, and it was a very good performance, perhaps the best 45 minutes of the season.
I said at half time that the problem was that Crawley would be buoyed by being only 1-0 down at the break, and within 15 minutes of the start of the second half they were 3-1 up in an incredible turnaround.
Crawley brought on striker Max Watters at half time. In his first full season in professional football, he had already scored 10 goals before today and it was a big surprise to me that he didn’t start the game. And after 49 minutes Watters equalised. Ashley Nadesan backflicked the ball up and volleyed the ball forward with a wonderful pass for Watters to run on to, get in behind and outpace Kellan Gordon, and fire through Marek Stech’s legs from the edge of the area as Stech came out to narrow the angle. After the game, Nigel Clough said “I'm not sure whether Marek should have come for it again, similar to Colchester."
The Stags should have been back in front after 51 minutes, with brilliant play along the byline on the left from Jordan Bowery muscling his way past a defender to give Lapslie an open goal from 2 yards. It was fractionally behind Lapslie but he somehow put it over the bar. As Nigel Clough described it after the game, it was a sitter.
And on 54 minutes, the Stags were behind. A corner from the left was partially cleared up in the air by George Maris. As it came down, it bounced off Sweeney’s knee and fell kindly for Dallison to literally just swing a boot at it and somehow it flew into the left corner of the net. Nigel Clough described the goal as a fluke.
Worse was to follow as Crawley made it 3-1 after 59 minutes but this time it was a brilliant finish. Jake Hessenthaler lifted a long ball forward into the Stags half from his own half, and Watters ran on to it before lifting a shot over Stech on the volley from 23 yards. Stech wasn’t badly positioned, just outside his six yard box, and I would simply credit a wonderful finish from Watters. What a player he looks.
Astonishingly Crawley had turned it around and the Stags were shell-shocked.
Slowly the Stags began to get a foothold again and made it 2-3 after 72 minutes. Mal Benning’s cross from the left was headed back by Reid, and Lapslie volleyed into the net from 17 yards. A great finish from Lapslie.
The Stags were right back on top now and pushed for an equaliser. There was a great chance for Reid after 77 minutes as the keeper didn’t hold Ollie Clarke’s high cross, it fell for Reid and he knocked it over the bar. On 81 minutes, good play from Reid to find Gordon, Gordon crossed back in to Reid who shot into the side netting.
The Stags went even closer on 90+1 minutes as Lapslie’s goalbound shot was blocked and substitute Andy Cook fired the rebound wide of the left post when he looked likely to score.
The Stags kept going and did get the equaliser on 90+3 minutes when Lapslie headed Sweeney’s long ball forward into the path of Cook, who chested it down and on the volley from 22 yards lifted a great shot over the keeper who was only just off his line, with the aid of the slightest of deflections off defender Tony Craig. Whether it would have gone in without the deflection is impossible to say, but it was classic Cook getting a goal out of nothing as he did several times last season.
Incidentally, Cook spoke to club photographer Chris Holloway during half time. Chris said to him when you come on and score, make sure you do a slide towards me! Cook duly obliged and you’ll see the photo on the club’s social media and website!
Even after that goal, there was one last chance for Mansfield on 90+4 minutes as Cook headed wide of the right post from Benning’s cross.
So a draw, which was the least Mansfield deserved. In truth, the Stags deserved to win it comfortably in my opinion. 22 shots with 10 on target for the Stags, compared to 5 shots with 4 on target for Crawley tells its own story.
Nevertheless to come back from 3-1 down shows some bottle and fighting spirit, and whereas all season long the Stags have been plagued by conceding late goals, in the last 6 days at home they have scored a late winner against Dagenham in the cup, and a late equaliser today, which is altogether more enjoyable!
The draw does at least take the Stags up to 19th. No midweek game this week. The next game is at Grimsby next Saturday. Grimsby are level on points with the Stags but have two games in hand, one of which is at home to Newport on Tuesday.

DETAILED REPORT:

The Stags made one change to the side that won at Cambridge. Farrend Rawson came back into the side at the expense of Rollin Menayese. Menayese was very unlucky in my opinion after a very good performance at Cambridge. Rawson hadn’t been available to start as per Clough’s post match interview at Cambridge, though an injury or other reason wasn’t stated. Menayese dropped to the bench.

Crawley arrived in 13th place, 5 points ahead of the Stags, but not having won in their previous 5 league games, though they did win away to AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup last weekend. They made one change from the last game, a draw at Colchester on Tuesday, and it was a surprise as Max Watters, leading scorer with 10 goals and just named as PFA Player of the Month in League Two, dropped to the bench with Dannie Bulman replacing him.

It was a pleasant sunny day in Mansfield. However rain and snow on Friday hadn’t helped the pitch which was already described as boggy by Nigel Clough after recent home games. When the Crawley players first looked at the pitch as they arrived, one of them threw a ball up and it only bounced up a few inches.

The Stags scored after 4 minutes. A corner from Maris from the left reached Sweeney at the far post and Sweeney, having got goalside of his marker Jordan Tunnicliffe, was able to bundle the ball into the net from 4 yards.

After 8 minutes, a powerful shot from Maris was on target but blocked, after good play by Bowery. Four minutes later, good play by Clarke and Charsley, to Bowery on the left and his shot brought a good save from keeper Morris.

At the other end after 14 minutes, good tracking back by Maris to win the ball.

After 15 minutes, a good move ended with Charsley’s left footed shot from the edge of the area blocked. Two minutes later, good play by Bowery to win a corner. After 23 minutes at the other end, a great block by Maris on Bulman’s cross-shot from a tight angle.

Gordon put in a good cross after 24 minutes, but there was no-one at the far post.

After 25 minutes, Lapslie had a triple chance to score, as first his shot, set up by Reid, was saved low down by keeper Morris, then his follow-up shot was blocked after Charsley recycled the ball, and finally Lapslie headed over the bar from Gordon’s cross. From that second Lapslie effort, the Stags claimed a penalty for handball, and Nigel Clough was adamant after the game that it should have been but I couldn’t tell from my position in the press box and the video is inconclusive.

Maris also had a golden chance, after 31 minutes, as Reid set him up for a shot which was well-saved by the keeper.

At the other end after 36 minutes, Powell’s corner came back to him and he hit a powerful cross-shot through everybody and out for a throw-in level with the edge of the area on the far side.

Reid fired in a shot from 30 yards low and straight at the keeper after 38 minutes, after brilliant play by Lapslie to win the ball just outside his own area and then drive forward before feeding the ball to Reid. After 40 minutes, at the other end, a good header away by Sweeney.

Bowery powered forward a minute later and went around the keeper, but was driven wide, he laid back to Benning, whose cross shot was too close to the keeper. More good play by Lapslie after 42 minutes, but Gordon’s cross was cleared. Then on 45+1 minutes, Stech was out quickly to clear.

The Stags had 8 chances in that first half, 6 on target (that’s according to the Press Association statistics, though I made it 9 chances with 8 on target), with none for Crawley, and it was a very good performance, perhaps the best 45 minutes of the season.

Half time 1-0

I said at half time that the problem was that Crawley would be buoyed by being only 1-0 down at the break, and within 15 minutes of the start of the second half they were 3-1 up in an incredible turnaround.

Crawley brought on striker Max Watters at half time. In his first full season in professional football, he had already scored 10 goals before today and it was a big surprise to me that he didn’t start the game. But after the game, Lee Bradbury, Crawley’s assistant head coach explained that Watters had “not really had a pre-season, so we're building him up at the moment. Ideally we'd want him to play 90 minutes every game, but at the same time we don't want him breaking down."

After 47 minutes, a Crawley corner from the right from Powell was headed up by Bulman, and as the ball dropped, Bulman volleyed goalwards and Stech did well to block it on the line. A great save.

After 49 minutes Watters equalised. Gordon knocked the ball straight up in the air on the halfway line, Nadesan backflicked the ball up and volleyed the ball forward with a wonderful pass for Watters to run on to, get in behind and outpace Gordon, and fire through Stech’s legs from the edge of the area as Stech came out to narrow the angle. After the game, Nigel Clough said “I'm not sure whether Marek should have come for it again, similar to Colchester." It was a big blow for the Stags to be pegged-back, having been so much on top.

The Stags should have been back in front after 51 minutes, with brilliant play along the byline on the left from Bowery muscling his way past a defender to give Lapslie an open goal from 2 yards. It was fractionally behind Lapslie but he somehow put it over the bar. As Nigel Clough described it after the game, it was a sitter.

And on 54 minutes, the Stags were behind. A corner from the left was partially cleared up in the air by Maris. As it came down, it bounced off Sweeney’s knee and fell kindly for Dallison to literally just swing a boot at it and somehow it flew into the left corner of the net. Nigel Clough described the goal as a fluke.

After 57 minutes, Reid got to the edge of the Crawley area, and took his shot quickly but it was straight at the keeper.

Worse was to follow as Crawley made it 3-1 after 59 minutes but this time it was a brilliant finish. Hessenthaler lifted a long ball forward into the Stags half from his own half, and Watters ran on to it before lifting a shot over Stech on the volley from 23 yards. Stech wasn’t badly positioned, just outside his six yard box, and I would simply credit a wonderful finish from Watters. What a player he looks.

Astonishingly Crawley had turned it around and the Stags were shell-shocked.

After 62 minutes, Powell’s corner was headed high over the bar by Craig.

A minute later at the other end, a good cross from Reid and Tunnicliffe knocked it over his own bar.

Benning did well to intercept as Watters tried to cross for Nadeson after Benning himself had been outpaced by Watters.

The Stags made it 2-3 after 72 minutes. Benning’s cross from the left was headed back by Reid, and Lapslie volleyed into the net from 17 yards. What a great finish from Lapslie.

The Stags were right back on top now and pushed for an equaliser. There was a great chance for Reid after 77 minutes as the keeper didn’t hold Clarke’s high cross, it fell for Reid and he knocked it over the bar.

On 81 minutes, good play from Reid to find Gordon, Gordon crossed back in to Reid who shot into the side netting.

The Stags made their first change after 83 minutes as Maynard replaced Reid.

After 89 minutes, great play by Clarke to get into the area on the left but his cross-shot was terrible and over the bar.

Andy Cook replaced Maris after 90 minutes.

Seconds later, Maynard pushed forward on the right and slid a low ball across towards Bowery but it was intercepted for a corner by Tunnicliffe.

Following the resulting corner on 90+1 minutes, Lapslie’s goalbound shot was blocked by Powell and substitute Cook fired the rebound wide of the left post when he looked likely to score.

The Stags kept going and did get the equaliser on 90+3 minutes when Lapslie headed Sweeney’s long ball forward into the path of Cook, who chested it down and on the volley from 22 yards lifted a great shot over the keeper who was only just off his line, with the aid of the slightest of deflections off defender Craig. Whether it would have gone in without the deflection is impossible to say, but it was classic Cook getting a goal out of nothing as he did several times last season.
Incidentally, Cook spoke to club photographer Chris Holloway during half time. Chris said to him when you come on and score, make sure you do a slide towards me! Cook duly obliged and you’ll see the photo on the club’s social media and website!

Even after that goal, there was one last chance for Mansfield on 90+4 minutes as Cook headed wide of the right post from Benning’s cross.

And so it finished 3-3. What a game! The Stags deserved to win it comfortably in my opinion. 22 shots with 10 on target for the Stags, compared to 5 shots with 4 on target for Crawley (Press Association stats) tells its own story. Nevertheless to come back from 3-1 down shows some bottle and fighting spirit, and whereas all season long the Stags have been plagued by conceding late goals, in the last 6 days at home they have scored a late winner against Dagenham in the cup, and a late equaliser today, which is altogether more enjoyable!

Man of the match: George Lapslie, scored a great goal. Also missed a sitter and had other chances.

AVERAGE PLAYER RATINGS:

By the way, with 20 league and cup games now played (PRIOR TO THIS GAME), here are my average player ratings:

Lapslie 6.95, Cook 6.85, Gordon 6.77, Charsley 6.75, O'Keeffe 6.75, Perch 6.61, Bowery 6.55, Maris 6.50, Maynard 6.45, Stech 6.44, Sweeney 6.42, McLaughlin 6.38, Benning 6.25, Rawson 6.18, Menayese 5.96.

Note: only ratings for players starting a game are included - ie. sub appearances not included.
Does not include the Crawley game.
Thanks to Pete Wright for his spreadsheet.

Meanwhile, on the Stagsnet messageboard, throughout the season, fans have been giving their player ratings for each game. Eggy has been working hard to collect this data and Pete Wright has again summarised. Here are the average player ratings from the fans (again, before the Crawley game):

Lapslie 6.99, Charsley 6.78, Gordon 6.73, Cook 6.72, O'Keeffe 6.53, Perch 6.40, Bowery 6.40, Maris 6.40, Maynard 6.39, Stech 6.26, Sweeney 6.22, McLaughlin 6.23, Rawson 6.22, Benning 6.20, Menayese 5.99.

Many thanks to Eggy and Pete for their hard work on this, and to all the fans who have entered their ratings. We’ll summarise again later in the season.



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



Line Up:
Stech 5.5 Came out to narrow the angle for the first Crawley goal, but as manager Clough said “I'm not sure whether Marek should have come for it again, similar to Colchester." Not at fault for the 2nd and 3rd goals in my opinion. One great save.
Gordon 6.5 Very good going forward with some fine crosses. But should have done better for the first Crawley goal.
Rawson 6 Did ok. Not at fault for the goals.
Sweeney 8 Very good game. Some good defending. Scored his second goal of the season in all competitions.
Benning 7 Some good crosses. Mostly defended well.
Charsley 6 Did ok.
O.Clarke 8 Very good game. According to the official match stats, he made seven successful dribbles, more than any other player in the division.
Lapslie 8.5 Several pieces of very good play. Scored a great goal. Also missed a sitter and had other chances.
Maris 8 An assist for Sweeney’s goal. Missed a golden chance. Some good tracking back and blocks.
Bowery 8 Great game on the left. Brilliant play to set up the sitter for Lapslie and a chance for Maris. Several other good pieces of play.
Reid 7 Set up Lapslie and Maris for good chances. Good game.
Sub Line Up:
Maynard (for Reid, 83 mins) -
Cook (for Maris, 90 mins) - A classic Cook goal out of nothing to rescue a point in injury time, having only come on in the final minute.
Subs not used: Stone, O’Driscoll, Menayese, O’Keeffe, Sinclair.
Opposition Line Up:
(5-3-2): Morris; Sesay, Tunnicliffe, Craig, Dallison, Tsaroulla (Watters 46’); Bulman (Matthews 74’), Hessenthaler, Powell; Nadesan (Frost 74’), Nichols (McNerney 90+2’). Subs not used: Nelson, Ashford, Galach.
Referee:
Chris Sarginson 7 Nigel Clough was adamant after the game that the Stags should have had a penalty, but I wasn’t convinced. The referee generally handled the game well in my opinion.


Season 20/21 Reports