Season 20/21 Stagsnet Match Report
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Exeter City
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Mansfield Town
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Attendance: behind closed doors
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Date: 5 April 2021
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SOLID STAGS EARN DRAW AT EXETER
Martin Shaw at St James Park A good solid performance from Mansfield Town earned a 0-0 draw at Exeter City this afternoon. Exeter are the top scorers in League Two but were restricted to only one real chance in the entire game when Aidan Stone had to make a good save at the end of the first half. It could easily have been a victory for the Stags who went close on a few occasions, and in my opinion the Stags did enough to argue that they would have deserved the victory if they could have got it. The Stags were on the front foot from the start and went within a whisker of opening the scoring inside the opening 2 minutes. Stephen Quinn cut inside Matt Jay on the left and curled a lovely ball into the middle. George Lapslie, with his back to goal near the penalty spot, turned and in one movement hooked a volley inches wide of the right post. It was a magnificent effort. After 22 minutes, good play from Lapslie with a ball inside from the right to Jordan Bowery who slid a super ball forward for Ollie Clarke who had surged into the box and Clarke’s shot was deflected wide of the left post, and not far away from falling kindly for Tyrese Sinclair, who incidentally had a very good game on his first league start. The resulting corner, taken by Sinclair, was headed out to Quinn who volleyed just over the bar from 20 yards, trying to recreate his stunning goal at Tranmere just over a week ago. Sinclair had the ball in the net after 29 minutes after Bowery had chested down but the whistle had already gone for a foul by Bowery. After 34 minutes, Stephen McLaughlin cut inside from the left touchline 30 yards out and made a great run into the area before firing a powerful low shot at goal which keeper Jokull Andresson got down low to parry away and there was no Stags player to pounce on the rebound before defender Tom Parkes cleared away. So four good chances for the Stags in the first half, not including the disallowed goal. Exeter had just one decent opportunity, and in came in stoppage time of the end of the first half, as Archie Collins got away from Lapslie on the right touchline and dinked a great high ball into the middle, Jack Sparkes attacked it, getting above James Perch and heading it down towards the bottom left corner of the net, but Stone got down quickly to make a really excellent save and push it away. Into the second half, and it was the Stags creating more of the chances. After 58 minutes, good play from Sinclair, then a fine ball forward from Quinn for Bowery to run on to, Bowery turned inside and from his cross, Ollie Clarke got in a header but it was well wide. Both Clarke and Lapslie had made good runs forward to try to get on the end of something. Exeter had brought on Randell Williams at half time. He is returning from a long term injury and is a fine player. After 70 minutes, he cut inside from the right and made his way inside trying to find space for a shot. He got past Ryan Sweeney but when he finally did get in a shot, Perch did well to get in a block. After 73 minutes, Quinn played a ball forward from the left, Exeter defender Pierce Sweeney slipped, allowing Sinclair a free run at goal from the left, and from a tight angle level with the edge of the six-yard box, Sinclair fired goalwards, but keeper Andresson was equal to it, blocking it away for a corner. Controversy after 80 minutes as Mansfield had claims for a penalty. A ricochet off Quinn as Matt Jay tried to clear, the ball ballooned forward into the box. Pierce Sweeney went to try and clear, but as he did so, Tyrese Sinclair got in front of him between Pierce Sweeney and the ball. I was a long way from it in real time, level with the edge of the penalty area at the far end, and could not tell if it was a penalty or not. From watching the video replay frame by frame (we only have the main camera footage), it seems that Sinclair gets to the ball first, but it’s difficult to tell if he is clipped by Pierce Sweeney or not as the view is obscured by another player Tom Parkes. So I think it’s impossible to tell from that angle if it should have been a penalty or not. The referee decided it was a dive by Sinclair and booked him. Nigel Clough was furious after the game saying that from his angle “It was stonewall and I looked straight across to their dugout, who were waiting for it to be given. Then the referee compounded it by booking Tyrese for diving, which was a staggering decision. He has gone clear of the back four and fouled from behind. Even the lad said to Ty he got away with one. It was a stonewall penalty.” After 87 minutes, Perch curled a cross into the area from the right, Quinn attacked it with a header from 14 yards but was well-wide. The Stags ended the game in stoppage time with successive corners but were unable to find the winner that their play probably deserved, at least in my opinion. Plenty of good performances throughout the side, indeed nobody had a bad game. Tyrese Sinclair was my pick for man of the match on his first league start and could have been the hero had that penalty been given and converted. Stephen Quinn also had a very good game indeed as did plenty of others. A word following the back-pass disasters from Friday, there was clearly a conscious plan not to back-pass today unless it was absolutely necessary. I did ask Nigel Clough about it after the game, and he told me that even before Friday’s game he tells players not to pass back if they don’t need to. So a good draw for the Stags from a solid performance. In truth there have been too many draws this season, but as Nigel Clough regularly says, if you can’t win the game, make sure you don’t lose it. That is 18 draws in total this season. The club record for most draws in a season for Mansfield is 20 (set in 1971-72 and 1995-96). Two more draws in the final 6 games of the season would equal that. It’s not particularly a record you want to equal or beat, but it does tell part of the story of the season. A word on Nigel Clough’s record at Mansfield since he came in. Remember that in the 11 leagues games before he came in this season, Mansfield had not won a game and had just 7 points. Since he has come in, Mansfield have played 29 games, won 9, drawn 11, lost 9, points 38, goal difference zero. This is basically mid-table form, and very much better than what went before it, this season or last season. The Stags remain in 19th place with 6 games left. Bottom club Grimsby drew again, and remain 11 points behind Mansfield, although they have 7 games left. Second bottom Southend play tomorrow, away to Morecambe. They are 10 points behind Mansfield, also with 7 games left. Mansfield’s goal difference is more than 20 better than both of the bottom two so is effectively worth an extra point. The Stags play Newport on Friday night (kick-off 6pm). (UPDATE: Southend drew 1-1 at Morecambe on Tuesday evening. I watched the game on iFollow. It was a fair result. Southend played much better than they did against Carlisle on Saturday, another game I watched. Dieng put Southend in front after 18 minutes with a fine header from a great cross. Morecambe equalised through a brilliant volley from Stockton after 56 minutes. Southend are 9 points behind Mansfield with just 6 games left.) DETAILED REPORT: Mansfield made four changes from the side that gifted the game to Leyton Orient on Good Friday. Sweeney came in for Gordon (Perch switched to right back), McLaughlin came in for Benning, Ollie Clarke came in for Law, Sinclair came in for Reid. Nigel Clough explained why Gordon and Reid were dropped: “Reidy needed a rest and also as a consequence of his error on Friday. Kellan has made two errors [in the last two games]. Players have to understand that there is a consequence for errors that they make.” Jason Law has played 11 games on the trot and probably needed a rest. It was important to get Ollie Clarke back in the starting XI. It was Tyrese Sinclair’s first league start. It was a 4-4-2 formation with Sinclair alongside Bowery up front, and a diamond in midfield, with Maris in front of the back four, and Lapslie behind the front two, then Ollie Clarke on the right and Quinn on the left. When asked after the game if he is looking for the perfect starting XI between now and the end of the season, Clough laughed and replied “I don’t think we are going to find that between now and the end of the season. Hopefully a bit closer to it come August!” It was interesting that Exeter boss Matt Taylor made reference to the “difficult pitch” after the game. Mansfield have played on more difficult pitches than this for much of the season, certainly since Christmas. Indeed it looked one of the best in recent months. It was a sunny day in Devon. Warm enough in the sun but bitterly cold in the main stand in the shade. The Stags were on the front foot from the start and went within a whisker of opening the scoring inside the opening 2 minutes. Stephen Quinn cut inside Matt Jay on the left and curled a lovely ball into the middle. George Lapslie, with his back to goal near the penalty spot, turned and in one movement hooked a volley inches wide of the right post. It was a magnificent effort. Ollie Clarke was booked for a foul on Archie Collins after 4 minutes. An attempted clearance from Perch after 8 minutes was charged down by Sparkes. Sparkes’ low ball in was ahead of Bowman. Moments later a poor clearance by Stone. Both sides were making several unforced errors. Sinclair brought a foul from Tom Parkes after 20 minutes, which saw Parkes, a Sutton-in-Ashfield man, booked. After 22 minutes, good play from Lapslie with a ball inside from the right to Jordan Bowery who slid a super ball forward for Ollie Clarke who had surged into the box and Clarke’s shot was deflected wide of the left post, and not far away from falling kindly for Tyrese Sinclair, who incidentally had a very good game on his first league start. The resulting corner, taken by Sinclair, was headed out to Quinn who volleyed just over the bar from 20 yards, trying to recreate his stunning goal at Tranmere just over a week ago. Sinclair had the ball in the net after 29 minutes after Bowery had chested down but the whistle had already gone for a foul by Bowery. Two minutes later Quinn crossed beyond the far post and Perch fired well over the bar. Straight to the other end and Lewis Page sent a 25 yard shot well over the bar. After 34 minutes, Stephen McLaughlin cut inside from the left touchline 30 yards out and made a great run into the area before firing a powerful low shot at goal which keeper Jokull Andresson got down low to parry away and there was no Stags player to pounce on the rebound before defender Tom Parkes cleared away. Good defending by Ollie Clarke after 43 minutes. Exeter had just one decent opportunity in the first half, and it came after 45+2 minutes, as Archie Collins got away from Lapslie on the right touchline and dinked a great high ball into the middle, Jack Sparkes attacked it, getting above James Perch and heading it down towards the bottom left corner of the net, but Stone got down quickly to make a really excellent save and push it away. So, four good chances for the Stags in the first half, not including the disallowed goal, to just one for Exeter which brought that excellent save from Stone. Half time 0-0 Into the second half, and it was the Stags creating more of the chances again. After 50 minutes, Page was booked for cynically bringing down Quinn just inside the Exeter half. Page had attempted a back-pass, left it short and Quinn might have got on the end of it but there was some uncertainty so the referee couldn’t really produce a red card. After 58 minutes, good play from Sinclair, then a fine ball forward from Quinn for Bowery to run on to, Bowery turned inside and from his cross, Ollie Clarke got in a header but it was well wide. Both Clarke and Lapslie had made good runs forward to try to get on the end of something. Exeter had brought on Randell Williams at half time. He is returning from a long term injury and is a fine player. After 62 minutes, Maris had to make a good clearance as Williams pushed forward. After 70 minutes, Williams cut inside from the right and made his way inside trying to find space for a shot. He got past Ryan Sweeney but when he finally did get in a shot, Perch did well to get in a block. Two minutes after that, Clarke had to make a good tackle to stop Williams in full flow again. In between those moments, on 67 minutes, Sinclair went down in the area after Quinn crossed in but there was no foul. After 73 minutes, Quinn played a ball forward from the left, Exeter defender Pierce Sweeney slipped, allowing Sinclair a free run at goal from the left, and from a tight angle level with the edge of the six-yard box, Sinclair fired goalwards, but keeper Andresson was equal to it, blocking it away for a corner. After 75 minutes, Stone was out well to catch a free kick from Matt Jay. Controversy after 80 minutes as Mansfield had claims for a penalty. A ricochet off Quinn as Matt Jay tried to clear, the ball ballooned forward into the box. Pierce Sweeney went to try and clear, but as he did so, Tyrese Sinclair got in front of him between Pierce Sweeney and the ball. I was a long way from it in real time, level with the edge of the penalty area at the far end, and could not tell if it was a penalty or not. From watching the video replay frame by frame (we only have the main camera footage), it seems that Sinclair gets to the ball first, but it’s difficult to tell if he is clipped by Pierce Sweeney or not as the view is obscured by another player Tom Parkes. So I think it’s impossible to tell from that angle if it should have been a penalty or not. The referee decided it was a dive by Sinclair and booked him. Nigel Clough was furious after the game saying that from his angle “It was stonewall and I looked straight across to their dugout, who were waiting for it to be given. Then the referee compounded it by booking Tyrese for diving, which was a staggering decision. He has gone clear of the back four and fouled from behind. Even the lad said to Ty he got away with one. It was a stonewall penalty.” Reid replaced Sinclair after 83 minutes. After 85 minutes, Jay turned on the edge of the box and had a shot deflected for a corner. After 87 minutes, Perch curled a cross into the area from the right, Quinn attacked it with a header from 14 yards but was well-wide. The Stags ended the game in stoppage time with successive corners but were unable to find the winner that their play probably deserved, at least in my opinion. Man of the match: Tyrese Sinclair |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at St James Park
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Line Up:
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(4-4-2, diamond in midfield)
Stone 7.5 Really excellent save from Sparkes at the end of the first half. Nice catch from a free kick. One poor clearance. Perch 6 Allowed Sparkes to get above him for the header which was saved by Stone. One attempted clearance charged down. Very good block from Williams. Rawson 7.5 Good game winning plenty of headers. Sweeney 7.5 Lots of headers away and clearances. Was beaten by Williams before Williams’ shot was blocked by Perch. McLaughlin 7 Good run and shot which was parried by the keeper. Good game, though given a difficult time by Williams early in the second half. Maris 7.5 One good clearance. Kept Matt Jay quiet. O.Clarke 7.5 Some good surging runs and some good defensive work. Starting to look “somewhere near” back to his old self according to Nigel Clough. Quinn 8.5 Heavily involved and created plenty of chances. Lapslie 6 Magnificent effort in the opening two minutes. Allowed Collins to get away from him to cross for Sparkes’ header. Not at his best. Sinclair 8.5 Excellent game on his first league start. Lots of pieces of good play. A handful, winning free kicks, and could have been the hero if the penalty had been given. Bowery 7 Created a couple of chances for Clarke. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Reid (for Sinclair, 84 mins) -
Subs not used: Stech, Gordon, Benning, Charsley, Ward, Law. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-4-1-1) Jokull Andresson; Josh Key (Jake Caprice, 76), Pierce Sweeney, Tom Parkes, Lewis Page; Robbie Willmott (Ben Seymour, 83), Jake Taylor, Archie Collins, Jack Sparkes (Randell Williams, 46); Matt Jay; Ryan Bowman. Subs not used: Harry Lee, Nigel Atangana, Rory McArdle, Harry Kite.
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Referee:
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Carl Brook 6 Decided against giving the penalty and I haven’t seen footage which definitely says if he was right or wrong. I think the yellow card when Quinn was brought down just inside the Exeter half was probably right.
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