Season 22/23 Stagsnet Match Report
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Northampton Town
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Mansfield Town
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Hoskins pen 28 mins.
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Quinn sent off 66
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Attendance: 6,301 (1,039 from Mansfield)
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Date: 14 March 2023
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STAGS BEATEN AT NORTHAMPTON WITH QUINN SENT OFF AND McLAUGHLIN INJURED
Martin Shaw at Sixfields Mansfield Town were beaten 1-0 at Northampton last night with the only goal of the game being a penalty after 28 minutes when Sam Hoskins scored after Christy Pym had brought down Louis Appere. Mansfield were then hampered by the sending off of Stephen Quinn after 66 minutes for a stupid challenge on the halfway line. And to make matters worse, Stephen McLaughlin who was returning after a long lay-off with an ankle injury and being eased back into the game for the final 25 minutes, got a bad whack on his ankle, and had to go off again and is likely to be out for a while longer, though that is not yet confirmed. It was a very bad night all round, with Northampton moving 8 points clear of the Stags, and the Stags 9 points behind 3rd place Carlisle. Indeed the Stags remain outside the play-off places, a point behind Salford with two games in hand. The Stags are 5 points behind 5th placed Stockport with 2 games in hand and visit Edgeley Park on Saturday in what will be another very big game. The Stags came into the game in good form, with 4 wins out of 5, and there was a boost with McLaughlin and Oates back from injury on the bench. The starting XI was as expected, being the side that started the second half at AFC Wimbledon, apart from Pym returning from sickness in goal in place of Flinders. The Stags were without 7 players due to injury, and with McLaughlin and Oates not fit enough to start that made a total of 9. However Northampton were without 10 players, 8 due to injury, 1 suspended, and 1 (Pinnock, the long throw specialist) still in hospital with his partner after having a baby on Monday. The game was fairly low on quality from both sides. There were a few chances for either side in the opening stages. Bowery headed wide from an Akins cross. Keillor-Dunn was gifted the ball but couldn’t find Danny Johnson in the middle with his cross. Akins headed wide from the resulting corner. Danny Johnson shot just wide from 23 yards. At the other end, a Hoskins shot from 28 yards gave Pym an easy save. Then Kilgour did well to block after a Hoskins break forward. The only goal of the game came after 28 minutes. Wallace lost the ball just inside his own half, dispossessed by Appere. Jack Sowerby took a few steps forward and threaded a fine ball through the Stags defence for Appere to run in behind Kilgour and Perch to put him 1-on-1 with Pym. Appere knocked the ball past Pym and was clipped by the outstretched right leg of Pym and went down. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Some Stags fans behind the goal thought that Appere dived, but the video shows he was caught by Pym’s leg and it was a penalty. Pym was booked for the foul. Hoskins buried the penalty in the bottom right corner. Pym went the right way, but couldn’t quite get to it. I don’t think Pym was badly at fault for the foul, he was more or less in the right position, made an attempt to get the ball and didn’t quite get it, though of course he could have done better. Wallace was certainly at fault for losing the ball. Wallace was immediately substituted, having earlier been harshly booked, and then lost the ball in the build up to the penalty. He was replaced by Boateng. There was controversy after 35 minutes when the Stags should have had a penalty of their own. Ollie Clarke nipped in to win the ball 25 yards from goal, ran in to the area in a 1-on-1 with keeper Lee Burge, lifted the ball over the keeper, and was caught by the keeper sending him to the ground. The ball rolled just wide of the left post. It was actually a similar incident to the penalty at the other end, with Clarke getting to the ball just before the keeper and being clipped. Anywhere else on the pitch, the referee would clearly have given a free kick, and had VAR been in place, a penalty would surely have been awarded. But despite huge appeals, the referee just gave a goal kick. Poor refereeing. Danny Johnson had another chance before the break when he headed down a Quinn cross but the keeper saved on his line. Into the second half, Kilgour did well to block as Hoskins broke forward. Then Pym gifted the ball away and Kilgour did well to rescue him. McLaughlin and Oates were introduced after 64 minutes. But two minutes later, madness from Quinn saw the Stags reduced to 10 men. Quinn broke forward following a corner and was deliberately bundled over by Kieron Bowie near the halfway line. A clear foul, but the hapless referee gave nothing. The red mist descended on Quinn and he dived in on a rash challenge on Bowie on the halfway line, in front of the dugouts. It was a ridiculous challenge and the referee immediately produced a red card, the correct decision. Not the first time Quinn has let his team down in such a situation. Quinn will miss the next 3 games. The Stags down to ten men for the final 24 minutes plus stoppage time. A chance for Oates after 74 minutes when he pushed forward on the right, cut inside and fired goalwards, but the keeper made a save on his line. A fully match sharp and firing Oates might have buried the chance. After that the Stags weren’t really able to create any further chances to equalise and it was the home side who had several chances to seal the game with Hoskins firing over the bar and Pym making a good save from Bowie. But there was another blow for the Stags when McLaughlin was fouled on his ankle, and eventually had to limp off. Incidentally the referee didn’t even give a free kick for the challenge on him. We’ll have to wait and see how long McLaughlin will be out for now. A very bad night for the Stags. On to Stockport on Saturday and another big game. DETAILED REPORT : Mansfield made two changes from the side that started at AFC Wimbledon: Pym returning from sickness in goal in place of Flinders, and Danny Johnson came in for Callum Johnson, as happened at half time at Wimbledon. So the outfield 10 was the same as started the second half at Wimbledon, with the same formation: Akins at right wing-back, Bowery at left wing-back, Wallace in front of the back three. Keillor-Dunn and Danny Johnson up front. McLaughlin and Oates were back from injury on the bench, not fit enough to start. The Stags were therefore without 9 players (available to start) due to injury: McLaughlin and Oates, on the bench Hewitt, had been considered 50/50 at best to play; hopefully available for Stockport game Maris, can't do explosive sprinting, taking it day-by-day Reed, no return imminent, hoping running this week with a view to back in training within a couple of weeks Callum Johnson, out for a few weeks Swan, under Forest care, maybe a chance of being back for the last few games of the season Hartigan and O’Toole out for the season Northampton were without 10 players: 8 due to injury (Magloire, Fox, Hylton, Koiki, McWilliams, Harrup, Eppiah, Odimayo), 1 suspended (McGowan) , and 1 (Pinnock, the long throw specialist) still in hospital with his partner after having a baby on Monday. Northampton started with Max Dyche, son of Sean Dyche, in central defence. Jack Sowerby was fit after going off injured in their last game at Hartlepool. The first action of the game saw Wallace booked after 4 minutes. He slid in to tackle Will Hondermarck. The referee immediately produced a yellow card. A very poor decision, Wallace got the ball, it wasn’t dangerous play, it wasn’t even a foul. The resulting free kick taken by Marc Leonard was headed on by Appere and easily caught by Pym. A minute later the first chance for the Stags. Danny Johnson won the ball from Hoskins, Clarke found Akins on the right wing, Akins chipped a cross into the middle and Bowery headed well wide. At the other end, a Hoskins shot from 28 yards gave Pym an easy save after 9 minutes. Keillor-Dunn was gifted the ball by Max Dyche after 10 minutes, but with his cross he couldn’t find Danny Johnson who had found a yard of space in the middle. Akins got above Dyche but headed wide from the resulting corner taken by Keillor-Dunn. Then after 12 minutes, Hoskins broke forward as Hondermarck lifted the ball over Kilgour. Perch held Hoskins at bay until Kilgour got back in time to block Hoskins’ shot. Clarke did brilliantly to win the ball after 15 minutes, he got to the byline, but wasted his cross, putting it behind for a goal kick Danny Johnson shot just wide from 23 yards after 24 minutes, having created a yard of space for himself. The only goal of the game came after 28 minutes. Wallace lost the ball just inside his own half, dispossessed by Appere. Jack Sowerby took a few steps forward and threaded a fine ball through the Stags defence for Appere to run in behind Kilgour and Perch to put him 1-on-1 with Pym. Appere knocked the ball past Pym and was clipped by the outstretched right leg of Pym and went down. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Some Stags fans behind the goal thought that Appere dived, but the video shows he was caught by Pym’s leg and it was a penalty. Pym was booked for the foul. Hoskins buried the penalty in the bottom right corner. Pym went the right way, but couldn’t quite get to it. I don’t think Pym was badly at fault for the foul, he was more or less in the right position, made an attempt to get the ball and didn’t quite get it, though of course he could have done better. Wallace was certainly at fault for losing the ball. Wallace was immediately substituted, having earlier been harshly booked, and then lost the ball in the build up to the penalty. He was replaced by Boateng. Pym did well to catch a cross on the half hour. There was controversy after 35 minutes when the Stags should have had a penalty of their own. Ollie Clarke nipped in to win the ball 25 yards from goal, ran in to the area in a 1-on-1 with keeper Lee Burge, lifted the ball over the keeper, and was caught by the keeper sending him to the ground. The ball rolled just wide of the left post. It was actually a similar incident to the penalty at the other end, with Clarke getting to the ball just before the keeper and being clipped. Anywhere else on the pitch, the referee would clearly have given a free kick, and had VAR been in place, a penalty would surely have been awarded. But despite huge appeals, the referee just gave a goal kick. Poor refereeing. Harbottle shot well wide from 25 yards after 42 minutes after good approach play from the Stags. Danny Johnson had another chance after 43 minutes when he headed down a Quinn cross but the keeper saved on his line. At the other end, Dyche shot high and wide from 20 yards after 45+1 minutes. Northampton 1-0 ahead at the break, but there had been nothing in the game, that had generally been low on quality. The Stags had had more good chances. There had been two penalty shouts, one was given for Northampton, one wasn’t given for Mansfield. Half time 1-0 Into the second half and on 47 minutes Kilgour did well to block as Hoskins broke forward, set away by Appere. No chances for either side in the next 15 minutes with the game continuing to be low on quality. On 50 minutes though Northampton boss Jon Brady was booked. According to the Northampton Chronicle & Echo report, it was his fifth yellow card of the season. The newspaper report continues that: afterwards he revealed what that was for. "I respect Mansfield but every time you are on a breakaway against them, they scythe you down,” Brady said. "It's brutal what they do and it's game after game and I think it's very disappointing that the referees don't knuckle down on it. Everyone knows it. That's what I was hugely disappointed about - the physicality of their challenges - so I had a point to make to the officials because I didn't think they were dealing with it properly.” Nonsense really. Ollie Clarke has it in him, but didn’t in this game. Wallace does too, and again didn’t in this game (the “foul” he was booked for, was not a foul if Brady bothers to watch it back). After 63 minutes, Pym gifted the ball away and Kilgour did well to rescue him. McLaughlin and Oates were introduced after 64 minutes. They replaced Keillor-Dunn and Danny Johnson. Bowery switched to right wing-back. Akins went up front with Oates. After 65 minutes, a shot from Ryan Haynes from 32 yards was deflected for a corner. After 66 minutes, madness from Quinn saw the Stags reduced to 10 men. Quinn broke forward following the corner and was deliberately bundled over by Kieron Bowie near the halfway line. A clear foul, but the hapless referee gave nothing. The red mist descended on Quinn and he dived in on a rash challenge on Bowie on the halfway line, in front of the dugouts. It was a ridiculous challenge and the referee immediately produced a red card, the correct decision. Not the first time Quinn has let his team down in such a situation. Quinn will miss the next 3 games. Northampton boss Brady, on a yellow card, tried to square up to Quinn. Leonard grabbed Quinn by the throat. Clough ushered Quinn down the tunnel. Brady and Leonard went unpunished. The Stags down to ten men for the final 24 minutes plus stoppage time. The Stags re-organised: Perch moved to right back, Harbottle and Kilgour in central defence, McLaughlin at left back. Akins on the right of midfield, Bowery on the left. Oates up front on his own, in a 4-4-1 formation. A chance for Oates after 74 minutes as he nicked the ball off Dyche, cut inside Guthrie, and fired goalwards left footed from 14 yards, but the keeper made a save on his line, low to his left. A fully match sharp and firing Oates might have buried the chance. Oates could have passed to Bowery who was unmarked in the area on the left. And there was another blow for the Stags when McLaughlin was fouled on his ankle by Hondermarck after 72 minutes, and eventually had to limp off after 82 minutes. Incidentally the referee didn’t even give a free kick for the challenge on him. We’ll have to wait and see how long McLaughlin will be out for now. Law replaced McLaughlin. He went to left wing-back. Bowery went to right wing-back. Harbottle, Kilgour and Perch in central defence, as the Stags reverted to three at the back. The Stags weren’t really able to create any further chances to equalise and it was the home side who had several chances to seal the game. After 76 minutes, Hoskins fired over the bar from 12 yards after Lintott pulled the ball back to him. A good clearance from Harbottle 4 minutes later. Then sub Tete Yengi fired over the bar from 12 yards after 85 minutes. Pym made a good save from Bowie after 90 minutes as Bowie pushed forward down the left and Pym pushed away his shot. Finally sub D'Margio Wright-Phillips (grandson of Ian Wright) fired into the side netting from a tight angle after 90+3 minutes. There was one double half-chance for the Stags, on 86 minutes. Law lifted a good ball forward for Oates to run on to. Oates pulled the ball back into the middle from the left. It was cleared but the Stags recycled the ball, Law cut inside from the left and shot goalwards from 20 yards, but it was blocked by Jon Guthrie. Law was booked after 88 minutes. Once again, from the video, it wasn’t even a foul let alone a yellow card as Lintott went down by the byline. A very bad night for the Stags, with the damaging defeat, the impending suspension for Quinn, and the likely absence of McLaughlin. Not a good performance from the Stags. No-one played particularly well, though no-one was awful, Quinn’s stupidity aside. Man of the match: no-one played well, though not many were poor (see ratings below) Here’s a running tally of various stats this season: Goals (league and cup): Swan 9, Akins 7, Lapslie 7, Harbottle 5, Hawkins 5, Maris 5, Clarke 4, Oates 4, Bowery 3, Keillor-Dunn 3, Kilgour 3, Gale 1, Gordon 1, D.Johnson 1, Hewitt 1, McLaughlin 1, Quinn 1. 1 OG Assists (league and cup): Lapslie 8, Quinn 6, Hewitt 5, Maris 5, Akins 4, Gordon 4, Boateng 3, Keillor-Dunn 3, McLaughlin 3, Clarke 2, C.Johnson 2, Hartigan 2, Bowery 1, Flinders 1, Hawkins 1, Law 1, Oates 1, Perch 1, Wallace 1 (notes on assists: in the case of a penalty, the player who earns the penalty gets an assist, such as Lapslie against AFC Wimbledon. In the case of a solo goal, such as Maris against Newport at home last season, nobody gets an assist. In the case of the scorer scoring from the rebound after a shot is saved or blocked, the player who had the shot saved gets an assist, such as Lapslie against Stockport. In the case of an own goal, the player who caused the own goal gets an assist, for example McLaughlin against Newport away last season where his shot was deflected in for an own goal. In the case of a cross that is headed away before the goal is scored, such as Clarke’s goal at Doncaster, nobody gets an assist.) Yellow cards (league only, alphabetical order): Boateng 1, Bowery 2, Clarke 8, Harbottle 6, Hartigan 1, Hawkins 4, Keillor-Dunn 1, D.Johnson 1, Lapslie 3, Law 2, Maris 5, McLaughlin 2, O’Toole 5, Oates 1, Perch 5, Pym 2, Quinn 7, Reed 1, Swan 2, Wallace 5. Red cards (league and cup): Boateng 1, Bowery 1, Maris 1, Perch, Quinn 1. (note: red cards count across competitions apart from Papa John’s Trophy; yellow cards are competition specific) (note: 5 yellow cards before the end of the 19th league game will result in a one match ban; 10 yellow cards before the end of the 37th league game will result in a two match ban; 15 yellow cards before the end of the 46th league game will result in a three match ban) |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at Sixfields
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Line Up:
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(3-5-2)
Pym 6 I don’t think he was badly at fault for the penalty, he was more or less in the right position, made an attempt to get the ball and didn’t quite get it, though of course he could have done better. Made a good save late on from Bowie. Harbottle 6 Did ok. One good clearance. Kilgour 6 Some good blocks. Appere got in behind him and Perch for the penalty. Perch 6 One good piece of defending. Appere got in behind him and Kilgour for the penalty. Akins 6 One good cross from right wing back. Clarke 6 Should have won a penalty when he lifted the ball over the keeper and was fouled. Wallace 5 Substituted after 28 minutes, having been harshly booked, and then lost the ball in the build up to the penalty. Quinn 4 Let his team down when he was sent off for a ridiculous challenge. Bowery 6 Did ok. Keillor-Dunn 5.5 Was gifted the ball and had a chance to cross for Danny Johnson but put in a poor cross. D.Johnson 6 Shot just wide from 23 yards after 24 minutes, having created a yard of space for himself. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Boateng (for Wallace, 28 mins) 5.5 Didn’t affect the game.
McLaughlin (for Keillor-Dunn, 64 mins) - Returning after a long lay-off with an ankle injury and being eased back into the game for the final 25 minutes, he got a bad whack on his ankle, and had to go off again and is likely to be out for a while longer, though that is not yet confirmed. Very disappointing for him and the Stags. Oates (for D.Johnson, 64 mins) - Great to see him back from injury. Had a chance when he nicked the ball off Dyche, cut inside, and fired goalwards, but the keeper made a save on his line. A fully match sharp and firing Oates might have buried the chance. He could have passed to Bowery who was unmarked in the area on the left. Law (for McLaughlin, 82 mins) - Good ball for Oates to run on to. One shot blocked. Harshly booked. Subs not used: Flinders, Taylor Anderson, Gale. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(5-2-2-1) Lee Burge; Harvey Lintott, Sam Sherring, Jon Guthrie, Max Dyche, Ryan Haynes (sub Tete Yengi 77); Marc Leonard, Jack Sowerby (sub D'Margio Wright-Phillips 83); Will Hondermarck, Sam Hoskins; Louis Appere (sub Kieron Bowie 59). Subs not used: Tom King, Paul Osew, Reuben Wyatt, Peter Abimbola.
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Referee:
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Geoff Eltringham 4 Hapless. Got the penalty for Northampton right and the red card for Quinn right. Got just about everything else wrong. Should have given Mansfield a penalty. The booking for Wallace was wrong, as was the booking for Law. Missed the foul on Quinn that led in to the red card.
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