Season 20/21 Stagsnet Match Report
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Colchester United
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Mansfield Town
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Harriott 39, Nouble 89.
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Smith OG 4, Perch 81
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Attendance: behind closed doors
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Date: 14 February 2021
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STAGS PEGGED BACK TWICE TO DRAW AT COLCHESTER
Martin Shaw at the Jobserve Community Stadium Mansfield Town drew 2-2 at Colchester this afternoon in an even game on another difficult pitch that was bone hard in very cold conditions. The Stags led twice but were pegged back both times with Colchester grabbing a point in the 89th minute. The game had been put back from Saturday to Sunday because the pitch had been frozen. It was still frozen in some places a couple of hours before kick-off today but the groundstaff did a good job in getting it just about playable by 3pm and the referee was happy for the game to go ahead. The Stags were gifted the lead after just 4 minutes when George Maris’s free kick from the right was headed down by Ryan Sweeney and Colchester defender Tommy Smith, in trying to clear at full stretch, only succeeded in turning the ball into his own net. In a first half of very few chances, the Stags had the ball in the net again after 18 minutes but Jamie Reid was adjudged offside. A great ball forward from Maris set Reid away in the box and he beat the keeper with a clinical finish. From the video replay, it was a marginal decision and we don’t have the right angle to conclude definitively, but Reid looks at worst level with left back Josh Doherty when Maris played the ball and the Stags appear to have been unlucky with that decision. At the other end Frank Nouble, who broke Hayden White’s leg with a terrible challenge in Mansfield’s last visit to this stadium, fired into the side netting from a tight angle on the left. Colchester equalised after 39 minutes after Ryan Sweeney headed away a ball into the box, Miles Welch-Hayes squared the loose ball to Callum Harriott on the edge of the box and he was not closed down, firing into the bottom left corner of the net from 16 yards. Disappointing that no Stags player got close enough to Harriott to prevent him getting his shot away. The second half again saw very few chances until Mansfield grabbed the lead after 81 minutes with a well-worked goal. James Perch, back in the side because of an injury to Kellan Gordon, cut in from the right and laid a good ball forward to Jamie Reid who got to the byline on the right before pulling the ball back to Perch who swept the ball into the net from 6 yards. Great play between Perch and Reid for Perch’s second goal of the season. Colchester equalised though for a second time after 89 minutes. Substitute Aramide Oteh crossed low from the left into Nouble in the box. Nouble controlled brilliantly and dribbled around Farrend Rawson before shooting goalwards from a tight angle on the left. The shot took a deflection off Rawson as he tried to block the shot which helped it loop over Aidan Stone into the net. It was brilliant play by Nouble aided by a bit of luck with the deflection. Into 4 minutes of stoppage time and it was Colchester now pushing for the winner. In the final minute of stoppage time, substitute Noah Chilvers’ shot from 25 yards seemed to be heading for the top corner before Stone made a fine save to push it away for a corner. Stone then did very well to catch that resulting corner. Overall, I think a draw was a fair result. Mansfield got a bit of luck with the opening goal, were then a bit unlucky to have a goal disallowed, and Colchester had a bit of luck that Nouble’s shot took a deflection for the equaliser. It was a difficult pitch, and the game had very few chances. Farrend Rawson and Ryan Sweeney played well at the back, though Rawson could have done better for the second equaliser, Aidan Stone did well with that fine late save and then catch from the corner having had no chance with the two goals, George Maris was perhaps the pick of the midfield including a great ball forward for Jamie Reid’s disallowed effort, and Reid himself did well upfront, with a great assist for James Perch’s goal and unlucky that his goal was disallowed. The Stags keep their unbeaten run going, now standing at 8 games, and have still lost just twice in the 15 league games played under Nigel Clough. The Stags are in mid-table, 8 points behind the play-off places, 10 points behind the top 3, and 11 points above the relegation zone. The next game is on Wednesday at home to Bolton with the unusual kick-off time of 5pm. Hopefully the game will go ahead at the third time of asking! Please join us if you can on iFollow Stags from 4.50pm. DETAILED REPORT: When I arrived at the ground at 1pm, 2 hours before kick off, the game was still very much in doubt. The referee was monitoring how the pitch was slowly improving as the temperature had risen from below freezing at it had been for several days, to 3 degrees. The groundstaff were busy with two areas of the pitch in particular, hacking away at ice to break it up, and then finally sweep it away. The home club did a great job overall in getting the game on in very difficult circumstances. Mansfield made two changes from the side that drew at Walsall. George Lapslie is out for about 4 weeks with a hamstring injury. He was replaced as expected by Ollie Clarke. Kellan Gordon also missed out with a knee injury (he felt discomfort in training this week and there was some swelling at the back of his knee). He should not be out for long. In came James Perch at right back. There was also no Oli Sarkic on the bench due to a thigh injury which he felt in training this week. Again he should not be out for long. Corey O’Keeffe, Aaron O’Driscoll and James Clarke came into the squad on the bench. Nigel Clough had said immediately after transfer deadline day that if any of the 3 strikers got injured and he needed a striker on the bench he would promote Nathan Caine from the academy to the matchday squad, but he didn’t do that for reasons unknown. I mentioned in my report on the Walsall game that the transfer window had been generally good for the Stags but I think the Stags had left themselves one short in the striker department and I think this was demonstrated with today’s substitutes bench. Colchester came into the game in a bad run of form, no wins in the previous 10 league games, with 5 draws and 5 defeats. However they were welcoming back some important players from injury and suspension. For example, Harry Pell was back from a 3 games suspension. And Tom Lapslie, elder brother of George Lapslie, was playing just his third game of the season after a knee and groin injury. Also Frank Nouble had rejoined the club on loan from Plymouth and played up front. Indeed the Colchester midfield of Pell, Lapslie, Kwame Poku, Courtney Senior, and Callum Harriott looks strong to me, with most having played very well against the Stags before, while Jevani Brown, who was on fire at the start of the season with 11 goals in the opening 16 league and cup games, couldn’t even make the 18 today. It was Mansfield’s first visit to the Community Stadium for more than 2 years with no game last season because of Covid. That last visit saw a 3-2 win coming from behind with Hayden White also breaking his leg. What a lot has happened in those 2 years! There was a slight wind. Colchester had it behind them in the first half, Mansfield had it behind them in the second half. The Stags were gifted the lead after just 4 minutes when George Maris’s free kick from the right was headed down by Ryan Sweeney and Colchester defender Tommy Smith, in trying to clear at full stretch, only succeeded in turning the ball into his own net. After 9 minutes, Jordan Bowery cut inside and fired high over the bar. Three minutes later, Jamie Reid did well to keep hold of the ball under pressure twice in quick succession, before firing wide from 28 yards. In a first half of very few chances, the Stags had the ball in the net again after 18 minutes but Jamie Reid was adjudged offside. A great ball forward from Maris set Reid away in the box and he beat the keeper with a clinical finish. From the video replay, it was a marginal decision and we don’t have the right angle to conclude definitively, but Reid looks at worst level with left back Josh Doherty when Maris played the ball and the Stags appear to have been unlucky with that decision. At the other end Frank Nouble fired into the side netting from a tight angle on the left after 23 minutes. Stone had his near post well covered. Colchester equalised after 39 minutes after Ryan Sweeney headed away a ball into the box, Miles Welch-Hayes squared the loose ball to Callum Harriott on the edge of the box and he was not closed down, firing into the bottom left corner of the net from 16 yards. Disappointing that no Stags player got close enough to Harriott to prevent him getting his shot away. All square at the break. A fairly even first half in a scrappy game on a difficult pitch. Half time 1-1 After 53 minutes, a rare mistake by Sweeney allowed Poku to push forward but it didn’t come to anything. At the other end after 57 minutes, Stephen McLaughlin fired wide of the left post from 25 yards. After 65 minutes, Reid slid a nice ball into the path of Bowery. Bowery slipped just outside the area and the chance was gone. The Stags appealed for a penalty but the replay confirms he simply lost his footing. Maris sent a free kick from 25 yards straight into the wall. After 77 minutes, an important challenge from Rawson on Poku as he was about to shoot. Harriott went down just outside the area after 79 minutes with Perch nearby. The referee ignored appeals for a free kick. The Stags made a change after 80 minutes as Benning replaced Quinn. Benning moved into the left side of midfield. The second half had seen very few chances until Mansfield grabbed the lead after 81 minutes with a well-worked goal. Bowery did well initially to win the ball. Perch cut in from the right and laid a good ball forward to Reid who got to the byline on the right before pulling the ball back to Perch who swept the ball into the net from 6 yards. Great play between Perch and Reid for Perch’s second goal of the season. Colchester equalised though for a second time after 89 minutes. Substitute Oteh crossed low from the left into Nouble in the box. Nouble controlled brilliantly and dribbled around Rawson before shooting goalwards from a tight angle on the left. The shot took a deflection off Rawson as he tried to block the shot which helped it loop over Aidan Stone into the net. It was brilliant play by Nouble aided by a bit of luck with the deflection. After the game, Nouble told BBC Essex: "I knew if I could shift it and get a shot in it could go in hopefully and it did. Yes [it did take a deflection], it took a little nick, but I leathered it and it was goalbound. My first goal back on my second spell here and I'm buzzing with that." Into 4 minutes of stoppage time and it was Colchester now pushing for the winner. In the final minute of stoppage time, substitute Noah Chilvers’ shot from 25 yards seemed to be heading for the top corner before Stone made a fine save to push it away for a corner. Stone then did very well to catch that resulting corner. So disappointing for the Stags to be pegged back with a minute remaining, but the unbeaten run continues, and in truth it was an even game in difficult conditions. Man of the match: Jamie Reid |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the Jobserve Community Stadium
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Line Up:
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(4-3-3)
Stone 7 Did well with that fine late save and then catch from the corner, having had no chance with the two goals. Perch 7 Super goal after the one-two with Reid. Rawson 7 Played well at the back winning lots of headers, though could have done better for the second equaliser. Sweeney 7 Played well, also winning lots of headers, added to several blocks on crosses. His header down in the box led to the early own goal. At the other end, his header away was followed by Harriott’s goal but I don’t think that was his fault. McLaughlin 6.5 One shot wide. Maris 7 Perhaps the pick of the midfield including a great ball forward for Reid’s disallowed effort. Good passing and won the ball plenty of times. Quinn 6.5 Did ok. O.Clarke 6.5 Not the dynamic performance he put in at Walsall, though did ok. Charsley 6.5 Worked very hard. Reid 7 Did well upfront, with a great assist for Perch’s goal and unlucky that his goal was disallowed. Bowery 6.5 Did well initially to win the ball in the build-up to Perch’s goal. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Benning (for Quinn, 80 mins) - Played on the left side of midfield.
Subs not used: Stech, O'Keeffe, J.Clarke, O'Driscoll, Law, Sinclair. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-2-3-1): George; Welch-Hayes, Eastman, Smith, Doherty (sub Clampin, 69); T.Lapslie (sub Chilvers, 80), Pell; Senior (sub Stevenson, 69), Poku (sub Oteh, 85), Harriott; Nouble. Subs not used: Gerken, Sowunmi, Wiredu.
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Referee:
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Chris Sarginson 7 Handled the game well, and did well to ensure it went ahead. His assistant let him down flagging for offside against Jamie Reid for the disallowed goal.
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