Season 21/22 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Oldham Athletic
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Attendance: 4,526 (496 from Oldham)
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Date: 9 October 2021
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STAGS DRAW 0-0 WITH 2ND BOTTOM OLDHAM
Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town drew 0-0 with Oldham Athletic this afternoon in a poor game to leave both sides in the bottom four. Oldham had the better of the chances in the first half, and were unlucky after 40 minutes when Harrison McGahey fired against the bar from close range after Carl Piergianni headed down a corner. Then the Stags were indebted to keeper Nathan Bishop who made a good save from Piergianni firing through a crowd of players from 12 yards following a long throw. And then Bishop saved well again from Zak Dearnley’s shot from 14 yards with Davis Keillor-Dunn turning the rebound wide. If Oldham had the better of the chances in the first half, it was Mansfield who had the better of the chances in the second half. After 68 minutes, George Lapslie did well to win the ball 35 yards out, he backheeled the ball in to the path of Harry Charsley who took a touch before his shot from 17 yards was well-parried away by the keeper. Then after 80 minutes, Ryan Burke did well to win the ball on the left, Rhys Oates surged forward into the area and teed up Charsley whose shot from 12 yards was very well saved. The ball was recycled to Oates, whose goalbound shot was blocked. The Stags should have had a penalty in my opinion after 75 minutes. Lapslie nutmegged Jordan Clarke in the box and got himself goalside of Benny Couto, Couto made contact with him behind, and Lapslie went down. It was clumsy from Couto who couldn't possibly get the ball with Lapslie between him and the ball. The Oldham iFollow commentators next to me said in commentary that Couto was extremely lucky to get away with it. To make matters worse, the referee booked Lapslie for diving. I’ve watched the incident back from Matt the analyst’s footage from his camera in the West Stand on a big screen frame by frame, from behind the goal video footage from a groundhopper, and from the main camera footage from the Bishop Street gantry, and there was clearly contact from Couto on Lapslie. When we consider the penalties awarded to Barrow and Colchester against the Stags this season, the Stags are not getting much luck in this area. The first half was disrupted by a 13 minute stoppage for a bad injury to George Maris. Club doctor Dr Prabu was clearly concerned straight away. There was very good news after the game though that the injury is not as serious as feared. Nigel Clough said after the game that Maris was “sitting up in the treatment room. He got a very nasty whack in the side of his head and neck area. But he’s up, talking and okay. I don’t think he was actually knocked out. We don’t know how long he’s out for. We’ll just see how it settles in the next few days.” As if that wasn’t bad enough, Oli Hawkins was forced off at half time with injury. Hawkins has been Mansfield’s best player this season, alongside Nathan Bishop. Clough said after the game that he has a groin injury: “He felt his groin in the first-half. His groin hasn’t actually gone, it was just very sore. There is a slight strain in there, so even in these circumstances, we can’t afford to lose him for four or five games.” The Stags were already without, going into this game: Perch (out for the season), Gordon, Nartey, Stirk, all injured, and Quinn, Sinclair, Rawson, all suspended. Add to that George Cooper who came in at centre half on Tuesday and played very well before going off injured. And add to that Will Forrester, who was at least one piece of positive news, being on the bench today having arrived at the club on Friday after having done some rehabilitation and training at his parent club Stoke. He wasn’t ready to start the game today. Nigel Clough had said last week that he might arrange a friendly this week to get Forrester some game time, but told me after the game today that he would now not be risking getting further players injured in such a game having lost two more to injury today. So a disappointing draw. The Stags have now not won in 9 league games and sit fourth bottom. Before the season started I predicted that the Stags would finish in the top 7. That prediction isn’t looking very good now. However I think that things will improve when we get a few players back, and of course there is an opportunity to strengthen the squad in January. Despite the overall disappointment, there were some good performances today. James Clarke made his first start in the league this season at right back and played well. Elliott Hewitt had a good game at centre half. Stephen McLaughlin performed solidly at left back and then filling in at centre half. Nathan Bishop made two good saves. Keaton Ward came on as substitute and again did well, as he did on Tuesday, in midfield. But there were some disappointing performances as Danny Johnson and Jordan Bowery offered very little going forward and sub Rhys Oates not much more than that. Ollie Clarke also disappointed (but see comments in the detailed report). George Lapslie created one or two things and should have been given that penalty, while Harry Charsley did ok and had a couple of efforts well-saved. The Stags are away to Northampton next week. Farrend Rawson will be back from suspension. Quinn and Sinclair still have one more game of their suspensions to serve. Hopefully Hawkins will be ok from his groin strain. I would partner Rawson with Hewitt at centre half, and James Clarke at right back, allowing Hawkins to go back up front if he’s fit. I’d guess it’s unlikely Maris will be fit for next week, so I would play Keaton Ward in front of the back four. DETAILED REPORT : Mansfield made two changes from the defeat to Barrow a week ago, with James Clarke coming in at right back for the suspended Farrend Rawson for his first league start of the season, Elliott Hewitt switching to centre half alongside Oli Hawkins. Danny Johnson came in up front for Rhys Oates, alongside Jordan Bowery. It was the diamond formation in midfield with Maris at the back, and Lapslie at the top. Will Forrester was on the bench for the first time having joined the club the day before after recovering from injury at his parent club Stoke. James Gale was on the bench again, as he was on Tuesday in the Papa John’s Trophy. Oldham included Carl Piergianni in central defence, who Nigel Clough tried to sign on transfer deadline day. After the game, Nigel Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham: "You saw Piergianni head the majority of balls out of his box today which is why we tried to sign him a couple of months ago." It was a pleasant, mostly sunny day. After 5 minutes, Johnson was brought down 25 yards out. McLaughlin’s low free kick was just beyond the far post with no-one on the end of it. A good move after 11 minutes as Maris slid the ball forward for McLaughlin to run on to, and his low ball in found Johnson who skewed his shot wide. Within seconds (on 11 minutes), James Clarke and Maris colliding near the halfway line. Maris went down and stayed down. Physio and Club doctor Dr Prabu ran on within 3 seconds of the incident as it was immediately obvious that Maris was badly hurt. Maris was given oxygen and stretchered off and there was a 13 minute stoppage. Good news afterwards that it seemed the injury is not as serious as feared. Oates replaced Maris (25 minutes on the clock). He went up front. Ollie Clarke dropped in front of the back four, Johnson went into the attacking midfield position. Charsley right midfield, Lapslie left midfield. Oates and Bowery up front. After 33 minutes, Oates pushed forward down the left, and played a very poor ball across to his right. Ollie Clarke was booked after 38 minutes for bringing down the tricky Bahamboula. Oldham had not ventured into the Stags box until 40 minutes were on the clock (so 27 minutes actually played). But they then dominated the 5 minutes plus 14 minutes of stoppage time in the remainder of the half. They were unlucky after 40 minutes when Harrison McGahey fired against the bar from close range after Carl Piergianni headed down a corner. After 43 minutes, Oates with his back to goal turned and fired so wide the ball went out for a throw-in, from a good position. Bahamboula fired well over the bar from 30 yards after 45+2 minutes. Then on 45+4 minutes, the Stags were indebted to keeper Nathan Bishop who made a good save from Piergianni firing through a crowd of players from 12 yards following a long throw. Two minutes later, Bishop saved well again from Dearnley’s shot from 14 yards with Keillor-Dunn turning the rebound wide. After 45+7 minutes, Oates teed up Johnson for a shot from the left from 16 yards. The keeper could only parry it. Charsley might have got to it first, and might have won a penalty if he’d got there before the keeper, but he slipped over. The second time he’d slipped over in the half. On 45+10 minutes, Keillor-Dunn fired straight at Bishop from 20 yards. Oldham with some glorious chances in the latter part of the half and the Stags were glad to hear the half time whistle and get in at 0-0. Half time 0-0 As if the injury news wasn’t bad enough, Oli Hawkins was forced off at half time with a groin injury. He was replaced by Ryan Burke. Burke went in at left back, McLaughlin switched to centre half. After 48 minutes, Keillor-Dunn on the turn fired over the bar. A brilliant tackle by Lapslie on Bahamboula after 55 minutes after the tricky winger got past James Clarke along the byline. Oldham had a succession of long throws from Couto but Oldham didn’t create any clearcut chances. Mansfield made a third change after 60 minutes. Keaton Ward replaced Ollie Clarke. Ward went into the defensive midfield position where he had so impressed on Tuesday night. Clough explained afterwards: "Ollie's being playing with a broken nose, so his breathing's not brilliant, he got a yellow card in the first half, and one thing that Ollie can't afford early is a yellow card because then he can't play his normal game, which is upsetting the opposition and getting his foot in. We had an extra sub as well, George Maris was a concussion sub, so we still had one more left at the end if necessary." After 61 minutes, Lapslie played forward to Oates who turned and fired wide. After 68 minutes, Lapslie did well to win the ball 35 yards out, he backheeled the ball in to the path of Charsley who took a touch before his shot from 17 yards was well-parried away by the keeper. Credit to the referee for playing advantage as Lapslie was taken down as he backheeled the ball. The Stags should have had a penalty in my opinion after 75 minutes. Lapslie nutmegged Jordan Clarke in the box and got himself goalside of Benny Couto, Couto made contact with him behind, and Lapslie went down. It was clumsy from Couto who couldn't possibly get the ball with Lapslie between him and the ball. The Oldham iFollow commentators next to me said in commentary that Couto was extremely lucky to get away with it. To make matters worse, the referee booked Lapslie for diving. I’ve watched the incident back from Matt the analyst’s footage from his camera in the West Stand on a big screen frame by frame, from behind the goal video footage from a groundhopper, and from the main camera footage from the Bishop Street gantry, and there was clearly contact from Couto on Lapslie. Nigel Clough also thought it was a penalty, saying afterwards: "We're in a position where we've had penalties given against us this season. George Lapslie goes into the box, we think it's a penalty and he ends up being booked." After 79 minutes, Johnson teed up James Clarke for a left-footed shot from 22 yards which was wide via a deflection. The resulting corner from Charsley was poor. Then after 80 minutes, Burke did well to win the ball on the left, Oates surged forward into the area and teed up Charsley whose shot from 12 yards was very well saved. The ball was recycled to Oates, whose goalbound shot was blocked. After 88 minutes, a high cross from Burke from the left, Oates headed goalwards but it was an easy save for the keeper. Burke was booked for a foul on 90+2 minutes. So a 0-0 draw, just the Stags’ second clean sheet of the season. Oldham had the better of the chances in the first half, Mansfield had the better of the chances in the second half. Man of the match: James Clarke. James Clarke and Elliott Hewitt were the best two performers in my opinion. Clarke made a couple of errors but recovered well, and I’ll make him my man of the match on his first league start of the season and only his third league start since 2019. Here’s a running tally of various stats this season: Goals: Hawkins, Johnson 3, O.Clarke, Hewitt, Lapslie, Maris, Oates, Quinn 1 Assists: O.Clarke, McLaughlin, Oates 2, Hawkins, Johnson, Rawson, Sinclair, Quinn 1 (note: in the case of a penalty, the player who earns the penalty gets an assist. In the case of a solo goal, such as Maris against Newport, nobody gets an assist.) Average home league attendance: 4798 (average away fans: 622, average home fans 4181) (thank you to Paul Taylor for correcting my incorrect average attendance in the first version of this report) |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill
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Line Up:
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(4-4-2, diamond in midfield)
Bishop 7 Two good saves in the first half. J.Clarke 7.5 Made a couple of errors but recovered well, and was my man of the match on his first league start of the season and only his third league start since 2019. Hewitt 7.5 Good game at centre half winning plenty of headers. Hawkins 7 Had a good first half at centre half, though beaten once by Piergianni when McGahey hit the bar. Forced off at half time with a groin injury. McLaughlin 7 Performed solidly at left back and then filling in at centre half in the second half. Maris - Stretchered off with a head/neck injury after 11 minutes. Charsley 6.5 Did ok and had a couple of efforts well-saved. O.Clarke 6 Subbed after 60 minutes with Clough explaining: "Ollie's being playing with a broken nose, so his breathing's not brilliant, he got a yellow card in the first half, and one thing that Ollie can't afford early is a yellow card because then he can't play his normal game, which is upsetting the opposition and getting his foot in.” Lapslie 6.5 Created one or two things and should have been given that penalty. Johnson 5 Brought one save from the keeper, and won one free kick. Otherwise disappointing and offered very little going forward. Bowery 5 One good piece of play in the first half but otherwise hardly in the game. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Oates (for Maris, 25 mins) 5.5 Sent several efforts off target. Teed up shots for Johnson and Charsley.
Burke (for Hawkins, 46 mins) 6 Did well to win the ball in the build-up to a Charsley shot. Played the second half at left back. Ward (for O.Clarke, 61 mins) - Again did well, as he did on Tuesday, in midfield. Some good accurate passing, Subs not used: Shelvey, Forrester, Law, Gale. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(3-4-3): Leutwiler; Piergianni, McGahey, Jordan Clarke; Stobbs, Whelan, Bowden, Couto; Keillor-Dunn, Dearnley (Bettache 85), Bahamboula (Hope 85). Subs not used: Rogers, Fage Da Silva, Diarra, Sheehan.
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Referee:
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Craig Hicks 5 One big decision in the game and he got it wrong in my opinion, when the Stags should have had a penalty. One good advantage played.
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