Season 22/23 Stagsnet Match Report
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Newport County
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Mansfield Town
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Wildig 85.
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Boateng 24, Gale 73
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Attendance: 3,575 (200 from Mansfield)
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Date: 18 April 2023
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STAGS WIN AT NEWPORT AS GALE COMES OF AGE & STAGS EQUAL CLUB RECORD
Martin Shaw at Rodney Parade Mansfield Town won 2-1 at Newport County last night to maintain high hopes of finishing in a play-off position. With Salford City beating Hartlepool 2-0 at home, the Stags actually dropped down to 8th on goal difference (by one goal), but have a game in hand on Salford, with 4 games to go. The Stags also cut the gap to Bradford to 2 points, and to Carlisle and Stockport to 3 points (with a game in hand), but the gap to 3rd placed Stevenage remains at 7 points. Stevenage come to Mansfield on Saturday in another massive game. The win was Mansfield’s 11th away from home this season, equalling the club record number of away wins in the Football League: 11 (set in 1974/75 and 1976/77). The club record including non-league seasons is 13 away wins set in the Conference winning season 2012/13, and with only one away game left, the Stags cannot equal that, but could still set a new club record in the Football League. The Stags were good value for the win, with Hiram Boateng scoring his 3rd goal in 4 games, having not scored before that this season. James Gale replaced the injured Jordan Bowery after 68 minutes, and scored his first league goal after 73 minutes, a stunning effort, and he was so unlucky not to make it 3-0 after 83 minutes with another stunning effort that cracked against the post. This was the night he really came of age. Newport pulled a goal back after 86 minutes, but Mansfield held out for a deserved victory. Mansfield were down to the bare bones again and further injuries during the game to Bowery and McLaughlin (again, but a different injury) meant that Mansfield finished the night with 10 injured players (Oates, Clarke, Maris, Reed, Danny Johnson, Bowery, McLaughlin, Swan, Hartigan, O’Toole). The remaining players are putting in an incredible shift. Mansfield were unchanged from the side that drew at Grimsby. One change on the bench, Danny Johnson didn’t travel with a tight hamstring, and he was replaced by youth teamer Taylor Anderson. Newport, managed by former Stags manager Graham Coughlan, who has done a good job at Newport pulling them away from the relegation zone to just below mid-table, were able freshen up their side, making four changes from their side that beat Hartlepool. The Rodney Parade pitch is perfect these days, having had a lot of money spent on it by the Welsh Rugby Union. After 6 minutes, a good clearance by Perch as a cross came in, though the offside flag was up. Four minutes later, Perch was in the action again, rescuing Kilgour after a rare mistake from Kilgour. And on 14 minutes, great defending from Hewitt as Charlie McNeil, on loan from Manchester United, pushed forward. Two minutes later, more good defending from Perch, rescuing Hewitt. The first shot of the match came after 17 minutes as McNeil fired 2 yards over the bar from 18 yards after a Mickey Demetriou long throw. Newport went close after 17 minutes. A Demetriou long throw was headed away by Kilgour, straight back to Demetriou, who lifted the ball back high into the middle, Will Evans nipped in behind the Stags defence and tried to flick the ball past Pym, but Pym got something on it to turn the shot onto the roof of the net. Good keeping from Pym. From the resulting corner from the right taken by Evans, high beyond the far post, Demetriou looped a header back across goal, and with Pym, and Quinn on his line, watching it, it hit the top of the bar and went over. I think Pym had it covered. Mansfield took the lead after 24 minutes with their first shot. Callum Johnson’s throw-in was to Bowery, with his back to goal on the right of the area, level with the edge of the six yard box. Bowery held off his marker and lifted the ball over his shoulder into the path of Boateng who showed quick feet to get past Priestley Farquharson, and fire under the keeper from 4 yards. The ball deflected off underside of the keeper and into the bottom left corner of the net. No goals all season for Boateng, then 3 in 4 games. Hewitt was booked after 25 minutes. A little bit like Boateng and his goals, no yellow cards in the league for Hewitt, then 3 in 4 games! Demetriou brought down Hewitt 25 yards from goal after 30 minutes and picked up a yellow card. Boateng chipped the free kick into the box and Kilgour headed wide. At the other end, McNeil tried a chip from 40 yards with Pym off his line, but it was easily caught by Pym. On 34 minutes, Akins did well to take the ball out to the left, then cut back inside, and squared the ball for Hewitt for a shot from 17 yards. Hewitt side-footed his shot and the keeper made a comfortable save low to his right. It was a soft shot from Hewitt from a good chance, and he probably should have belted it. At the other end after 36 minutes, Keillor-Dunn cleared after McNeil pulled the ball back from the byline. Perch was booked for a foul on McNeil after 38 minutes. No complaints. Moments later, Pym did well to catch a free kick. After 45 minutes, Demetriou played into the area to James Waite, who turned one way then the other, and fired well wide. After 45+4 minutes, from a Keillor-Dunn corner, Perch’s shot was blocked by Scot Bennett, the ball looped up, Perch tried another shot missed the ball and caught Bennett. It was a foul, but not a bookable offence in my opinion. The referee ignored Newport’s attempts to get Perch sent off for a second booking. Graham Coughlan called it a “stonewall red card” after the game, which it plainly wasn’t. Some referees would have given a yellow card, but it was far from stonewall. Mansfield ahead at the break. The game probably deserved to be 0-0, but the Stags in front from Boateng’s neat finish. Half time 0-1 With Perch on a booking, having committed another foul, and having played 90 minutes on Saturday at the age of 37, it was sensible to replace him at half time, with Harbottle available again after his concussion. Quinn took over from Perch as captain. After 47 minutes, Akins turned a fired a pea-roller of a shot straight to the keeper. Keillor-Dunn did well to turn and find a yard to send in a shot, but it was wide, after 50 minutes. After 56 minutes, great play from Akins to set Bowery away, but he wasted his cross. Good defending from Harbottle after 59 minutes, mopping up at the back. Pym made a brilliant save to keep Mansfield in front after 60 minutes. Following yet another Demetriou long throw-in, substitute Aaron Wildig crossed from the right, Evans met it 11 yards out with a low shot and Pym made a brilliant save, getting down to his right with his right arm. As the ball ran loose, Harbottle did well to clear. Following the resulting corner, Wildig chipped into the area, Cameron Norman chested down and volleyed well wide from 15 yards. Wildig chipped a free kick into the Stags box after 63 minutes, Pym went to claim it, the ball appeared to be knocked out of his grasp by Farquharson, and Demetriou lifted the loose ball over the bar from a tight angle. Pym protested to the referee, who simply gave a goal kick. Bowery limped off after 68 minutes. Nigel Clough said after the game: “Jordan Bowery - tight hamstring. This is the thing when you’re playing every single minute of every single game.” Bowery was replaced by Gale. Nathan Moriah-Welsh fired wide from 30 yards for Newport after 71 minutes. Mansfield made it 2-0 after 73 minutes. The move started with a Newport corner. Gale headed it away. Boateng nicked the ball off Aaron Lewis on the edge of the area and surged forward over the half way line. He played out to Gale who was in front of him to his left. A lovely little flick from Gale took him past Moriah-Welsh, to the edge of the area, Gale then cut inside McNeil before curling a shot into the bottom right corner of the net from 16 yards. A simply stunning goal from Gale, his first ever Football League goal, to add to his goal in the EFL Trophy, and a great time to score it. McLaughlin replaced Boateng after 80 minutes. McLaughlin came on after 89 minutes at Grimsby and the idea was to give him a few more minutes than that this time. McLaughlin went into midfield (note that whilst McLaughlin has mostly played at left back and left wing-back for Mansfield, he has played in midfield at other clubs). After 83 minutes, another stunning piece of play from Gale and it was so nearly 3-0. Harbottle chipped a free kick towards the edge of the area from just inside his own half, Akins superbly chested down, and Gale curled a sweet left footed shot from 22 yards, which cannoned back off the left post with the keeper nowhere near it. Wow, what an effort from Gale, and so unlucky. Wallace blocked a 25 yards shot from Wildig after 84 minutes. And Newport pulled a goal back to make it 1-2 after 85 minutes. Moriah-Welsh fed Lewis on the right touchline. Lewis curled in a cross across the edge of the six yard box and Wildig headed down and into the net from 6 yards at the far post. Harbottle, who otherwise played very well, could perhaps have done better and prevented Wildig’s header. That changed the complexion. The Stags could have been 3-0 ahead, but instead it was 2-1. Keillor-Dunn was booked for a foul after 89minutes. Disaster for McLaughlin as he was forced to limp off after 90 minutes, having been whacked. McLaughlin was returning from an ankle injury, but this time it was a different injury. Clough said after the game: “it’s not his ankle, that’s the good news. The bad news is it’s his knee but we’re not sure how serious. He’s in a fair bit of discomfort. It doesn't look too good." On came Jason Law. After 90+1 minutes, Newport wanted a penalty. Yet another Demetriou long throw-in, Quinn headed it away, Law tried to clear further and the ball bounced up and hit his arm/shoulder. The camera angle isn’t perfect to judge whether it should have been a penalty. It looks like it hit him high on the arm, and then he tried to pull his arm away. I asked Jason after the game if it should have been a penalty. He showed me where it hit, at the top of the arm, where a short sleeve shirt would finish, which is right on the boundary between arm (where it would be handball) and shoulder (where it would not). Anyway, the officials decided it wasn’t a penalty. They probably took into account firstly that the ball bounced up and hit him, and also probably took into account that it hit on the boundary between the shoulder and the arm. I think some referees would have given it though so in that respect a bit of luck for Mansfield. But of course Mansfield were denied a stonewall penalty in stoppage time at Grimsby on Saturday. Law was in the action again after 90+5 minutes, booked for a foul. 8 minutes of stoppage time had been added and after 90+8 Calum Kavanagh tried an overhead kick which was well wide. The Stags saw out stoppage time and were able to celebrate a huge 3 points. As the players and management celebrated with the visiting Stags fans after the game, manager Nigel Clough was pointing at the players, to indicate the phenomenal effort they have been putting in, down to the bare bones as they are, and that they deserve all the credit. The Stags deserved the win, having that extra quality going forward and in defence. I wouldn’t normally give my man of the match to a player only on for a quarter of the game, but I think this was James Gale’s night, his coming of age. The rest of the team were terrific too, great defending from Perch, Kilgour, Harbottle (aside from the goal), Hewitt. Wallace, Quinn and Boateng played well in midfield, with Boateng notching his goal. Akins was again excellent up front. Bowery played well until his injury, including an assist for Boateng’s goal. Newport relied heavily on long throw-ins from Demetriou, regularly taken 5 or 10 yards further forward than they should have been. When you go to Newport, instead of counting corners, you should count throw-ins. The Stags defended them very well. So, Mansfield are unbeaten in 8 games: 3 wins and 5 draws. Too many draws in that run, but least this was a win, and much-needed. The Stags, incidentally, have the same number of points as at the same stage last season, 69 points from 42 games. On to Saturday, and a huge game against Steve Evans’s Stevenage. Man of the match: James Gale Here’s a running tally of various stats this season: Goals (league and cup): Akins 9, Swan 9, Lapslie 7, Clarke 5, Harbottle 5, Hawkins 5, Keillor-Dunn 5, Maris 5, Oates 5, Bowery 4, Kilgour 4, Boateng 3, Gale 2, Quinn 2, Gordon 1, D.Johnson 1, Hewitt 1, McLaughlin 1. 1 OG Assists (league and cup): Hewitt 8, Lapslie 8, Quinn 8, Akins 7, Maris 5, Boateng 4, Gordon 4, Keillor-Dunn 3, McLaughlin 3, Bowery 2, Clarke 2, C.Johnson 2, Hartigan 2, Oates 2, Flinders 1, Hawkins 1, Law 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, Gale 1, Harbottle 6, Hartigan 1, Hawkins 4, Hewitt 3, Keillor-Dunn 2, D.Johnson 1, Lapslie 3, Law 3, Maris 5, McLaughlin 2, O’Toole 5, Oates 1, Perch 7, Pym 3, Quinn 9, Reed 1, Swan 2, Wallace 6. 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 Rodney Parade
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Line Up:
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(4-3-3)
Pym 8 Brilliant save in the second half from Evans. Good handling. C.Johnson 6.5 Did ok. Kilgour 8 Some great defending. One rare mistake in the first half. Perch 8 Three very good pieces of defending early on. With him on a booking by half time, and having committed another foul, and having played 90 minutes on Saturday at the age of 37, it was sensible to replace him at the break. Hewitt 8 Defended very well. Boateng 8.5 Scored his 3rd goal in 4 games, having not scored before that this season. And an assist for Gale’s goal. Wallace 8 Really solid in front of the back four. Quinn 8 Another good game. Incredible commitment to complete 90 minutes, after doing 89 against Grimsby. Bowery 7.5 Played well until going off with a tight hamstring. Good piece of play to assist Boateng’s goal. Akins 8.5 Excellent again up front. Set up Hewitt for a good chance, and chested down beautifully for Gale’s shot against the post. Keillor-Dunn 6.5 Did ok. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Harbottle (for Perch, 46 mins) 7 Some good defending, including an important clearance and some mopping up. Perhaps could have done better to prevent the goal.
Gale (for Bowery, 68 mins) 9 Scored his first league goal, a stunning effort, and he was so unlucky not to make it 3-0 with another stunning effort that cracked against the post. I wouldn’t normally give my man of the match to a player only on for a quarter of the game, but I think this was James Gale’s night, his coming of age. McLaughlin (for Boateng, 80 mins) - Disaster for him as he was forced to limp off, having been whacked. He was returning from an ankle injury, but this time it was a different injury, his knee. “It doesn't look too good", said Clough. Law (for McLaughlin, 90 mins) - Subs not used: Flinders, Taylor Anderson, McKeal Abdullah. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(3-4-1-2): Day; Drysdale (Baker, 45), Farquharson (Lewis, 68), Demetriou; Norman, Moriah-Welsh, Bennett (Wildig, 57), Evans; Waite (Bogle, 67); Kavanagh, McNeill. Subs not used: Townsend, Rai, Bowen.
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Referee:
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Thomas Kirk 6 Newport thought they should have had a penalty and a red card for Perch. As discussed in the report, I think both decisions were reasonable, though could have gone the other way, and fortunately for Mansfield were both in their favour.
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