Season 23/24 Stagsnet Match Report
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Colchester United
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Mansfield Town
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Taylor 30.
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Keillor-Dunn 90
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Attendance: 3,740 (460 from Mansfield)
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Date: 16 September 2023
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STAGS RESCUE POINT AT COLCHESTER
Martin Shaw at the JobServe Community Stadium Mansfield Town rescued a point with an equaliser from Davis Keillor-Dunn in the last minute at Colchester United this afternoon. The Stags hadn’t played very well, and Colchester had deservedly led since the 30th minute when Joe Taylor put them in front. Mansfield were sloppy through much of the game, creating very few clearcut chances, and it looked like the Stags would lose their tag as the only EFL club to be unbeaten this season in all competitions. But then with 10 seconds of the 90 minutes left, Aden Flint, who had been thrown up front, headed down a Lewis Brunt ball into the box, and Keillor-Dunn pounced, smashing an unstoppable shot into the top left corner of the net from 15 yards. It was Keillor-Dunn’s 7th goal of the season, in 8 league games. In my opinion, this was the first time the Stags had got more from a game than they deserved in the league this season, having only drawn at Crewe, Doncaster and Grimsby, in games they should have won. The Stags were without George Maris through injury, though a scan of his knee showed only bruising not serious damage, so he will only be out for a week or two, which is very good news. He was replaced by Hiram Boateng. Callum Johnson was back from injury on the bench and came on in the second half. Colchester took the lead after 30 minutes. Lewis Brunt brought the ball out of defence, but lost it, allowing Arthur Read to thread a ball forward for Joe Taylor, on loan from Luton, to move into the space vacated by Brunt, and smash a powerful shot under Christy Pym from 12 yards. I don’t think Pym could do much about it given the ferocity of the shot, but Brunt can’t be losing the ball there, and he did similar at Accrington last week but got away with it. Joe Taylor had threatened twice in the five minutes before the goal, as he got away from Brunt in the area and fired in a shot with the outside of his right boot from six yards that Pym saved above his head. Then Taylor got into the area on the left again and fired goalwards from a tight angle but Pym did well to make himself big and narrow the angle, saving with his legs. After the goal, striker Samson Tovide, who had a good game for Colchester, got away from Brunt, turned and shot wide from 14 yards. Mansfield’s best chances of the first half came after 6 minutes when Hiram Boateng’s corner was dummied by Aaron Lewis giving Louis Reed a free shot from 22 yards but he blasted it high over the bar. That came after a comedy moment when Boateng kicked the corner flag instead of the ball, but because he didn’t touch the ball he got another go at taking the corner! And the other good chance for the Stags came on 23 minutes when Brunt did well to find James Gale on the right in the area, Gale thrashed a cross-shot across the face of goal and Keillor-Dunn couldn’t turn it in at the far post. Into the second half, Will Swan replaced Gale. The Stags had a chance after 53 minutes, when Lewis threaded a nice ball forward for Keillor-Dunn in the area, Keillor-Dunn turned and got in a shot from 12 yards that brought a save from the keeper. Then Keillor-Dunn headed over the bar from 6 yards from a Jordan Bowery cross. That was a rare cross from Bowery. Both he and Macdonald didn’t get in enough crosses and both were replaced in the second half. Baily Cargill came on after 60 minutes. Aden Flint was pushed up front, in a move that was a surprise to me but turned out to be a very good move that paid off. Flint was pushed over in the area by Mandela Egbo after 63 minutes. I thought that could have been a penalty but the referee wasn’t interested. Cargill was straight into the action with a series of good tackles and blocks as Colchester had several breaks into the Stags half. Nigel Clough thought that Mansfield should have had another penalty when sub Ollie Clarke knocked the ball forward into the area and a defender moved his hand towards the ball to block it. Again the referee wasn’t interested. Colchester could have sealed the game after 84 minutes with a two-on-one break but Brunt did well to block John Akinde’s ball across. Then from the resulting corner, Akinde headed down and Lewis headed off the line. But with 10 seconds of the 90 minutes left, Mansfield equalised. Flint headed down a Brunt ball into the box from the halfway line, and Keillor-Dunn pounced, smashing an unstoppable left-footed shot into the top left corner of the net from 15 yards. Mansfield had a chance to win it after 90+5 minutes as Swan played inside to Lewis, and Lewis rifled a left footed chance goalwards but the keeper saved. It finished 1-1. It was a relief to get the draw. This was really the first time this season Mansfield have been poor. And that’s pretty impressive after 8 league games and 2 cup games. Nobody played particularly well as the Stags were sloppy. Pym did ok in goal with some good handling. Flint and Keillor-Dunn combined well on the goal. Baily Cargill really caught the eye with a fine half hour from the substitutes bench and in my opinion deserves to come into the starting XI next week. Credit to Colchester, who defended well, and broke forward dangerously. No midweek game, with the EFL Trophy game against Everton U21 moved to November. The next game is at home to Barrow next Saturday. Barrow have started the season well with 12 points from 7 games. The Stags though will hope to get back to winning ways. DETAILED REPORT : Mansfield made one change from the side that won at Accrington: the Stags were without George Maris through injury, though a scan of his knee showed only bruising not serious damage, so he will only be out for a week or two, which is very good news. He was replaced by Hiram Boateng. Callum Johnson was back from injury on the bench and came on in the second half. Macdonald, Bowery and Clarke, who were listed as doubts by Nigel Clough in his midweek press conference, were ok to take their place in the squad. O’Toole who went off with an injured ankle in the U21 game against Notts County during the week should be out for only a week. Colchester were unchanged from their win over Tranmere. They had made a poor start to the season, but then won two of their last three games. Owen Goodman, 19, on loan from Crystal Palace, is the youngest keeper in the EFL. Zach Mitchell in central defence, 18, is on loan from Charlton, and made his debut last week against Tranmere. Striker Joe Taylor is on loan from Luton. The average age of the side was just 22. It was a hot humid day, though not as hot as last week at Accrington. Wing-back Jayden Fevrier, left footed, but playing on the right, was attacking down the wing after 20 seconds. Then after 2 minutes, he was attacking again, cut inside, and Macdonald blocked his shot on the edge of the area. Mansfield’s first chance came after 6 minutes when Boateng’s corner was dummied by Lewis giving Louis Reed a free shot from 22 yards but he blasted it high over the bar. That came after a comedy moment when Boateng kicked the corner flag instead of the ball, but because he didn’t touch the ball he got another go at taking the corner! Then from another Boateng corner after 10 minutes, low to the edge of the box, Akins sent a left footed shot wide. A dangerous backpass from Macdonald after 11 minutes, and Pym was out quickly to clear. A great interception by Flint after 14 minutes. A minute later at the other end, Akins glanced a header wide from another Boateng corner. Then Boateng created a yard of space for a shot, but it was a pea-roller through to the keeper. Fevrier glided past Macdonald after 21 minutes, and his shot was blocked by Brunt. Flint tried his luck from 25 yards after 22 minutes, but his shot was high and wide after the defence opened up for him. A good chance for the Stags came on 23 minutes when Brunt did well to find James Gale on the right in the area, Gale thrashed a cross-shot across the face of goal and Keillor-Dunn couldn’t turn it in at the far post. Joe Taylor threatened twice after 26 and 27 minutes. First, he got away from Brunt in the area and fired in a shot with the outside of his right boot from six yards that Pym saved above his head. Then Taylor got into the area on the left again and fired goalwards from a tight angle but Pym did well to make himself big and narrow the angle, saving with his legs. Colchester took the lead after 30 minutes. Lewis Brunt brought the ball out of defence, but lost it, allowing Arthur Read to thread a ball forward for Joe Taylor, on loan from Luton, to move into the space vacated by Brunt, and smash a powerful shot under Christy Pym from 12 yards. I don’t think Pym could do much about it given the ferocity of the shot, but Brunt can’t be losing the ball there, and he did similar at Accrington last week but got away with it. Clough said after the game: “It was a blatant error from Lewis Brunt unfortunately. He’s read it well and he’s miscontrolled it on the halfway line and then lost the tussle and the tackle. Once you’ve miscontrolled it, don’t let your mistake cost you a goal. Don’t lose the ball. Obviously, we’re vulnerable once he does lose it but he’s a young player, learning.” Boateng drove another shot high and wide from the edge of the area after 33 minutes after good approach play from the Stags. A chance for Colchester after 35 minutes, a short corner was then chipped to the far post where Mitchell shot wide. On 36 minutes, striker Samson Tovide, who had a good game for Colchester, got away from Brunt, turned and shot wide from 14 yards. After 42 minutes, Gale won a free kick on the left. Lewis took it, over everyone, for a goal kick. The Stags 1-0 down at half time. Too many loose passes, giving the ball away. Mansfield’s worst half of the season. Half time 1-0 At the start of the second half, Will Swan replaced Gale. Gale had one good cross-shot but the ball hadn’t stuck with him. Clough admitted after the game, he couldn’t have equally taken off Akins or Keillor-Dunn. After 49 minutes, Tovide got away from Brunt, after a big punt forward, he turned and shot wide. The Stags had a chance after 53 minutes, when Lewis threaded a nice ball forward for Keillor-Dunn in the area, Keillor-Dunn turned and got in a shot from 12 yards that brought a save from the keeper. Then Keillor-Dunn headed over the bar from 6 yards from a Jordan Bowery cross on 59 minutes. That was a rare cross from Bowery. Both he and Macdonald didn’t get in enough crosses and both were to be replaced in the second half. Johnson returned from injury to replace Akins, and Cargill replaced Bowery, after 60 minutes. Johnson went to right back, Brunt (right) and Cargill (left) were at centre half. Flint was pushed up front, in a move that was a surprise to me but turned out to be a very good move that paid off. Flint was pushed over in the area by Mandela Egbo after 63 minutes. I thought that could have been a penalty but the referee wasn’t interested. Perhaps, given the threshold of fouls that the referee set, he was never going to give it. Reed was booked after 64 minutes for bringing down Tovide as he steamed forward. Cargill was straight into the action with a series of good tackles and blocks as Colchester had several breaks into the Stags half. On 65 minutes, Cargill, blocked a cross from Fevrier. On 68, another good run from Fevrier, and he was well-tackled by Cargill. An optical illusion for me on 69 minutes as a 30 yard shot from Arthur Read was deflected and I thought it was going to beat Pym, but actually it was an easy save for Pym. Clarke replaced Boateng after 71 minutes. Another great tackle from Cargill after 72 minutes on Joe Taylor. Cargill was booked after 73 minutes, bringing down Tovide as he headed for the byline. Good keeping from Pym after 76 minutes, diving at the feet of Taylor to claim the ball on the edge of his area. Mansfield might have had a penalty after 78 minutes. Flint headed a cross down, Clarke headed the ball forward in the area, and it struck the arm of Egbo. No appeals from the Mansfield players, but Clough was appealing for a penalty from the sidelines, and Clough mentioned in his post match interview he thought he should have been a penalty. I don’t think it was a penalty. Cargill won the ball again after 79 minutes. George Williams replaced Macdonald after 81 minutes. He went in at left back. After 82 minutes, Lewis squared for Swan, but completely missed his kick on the edge of the area. Colchester could have sealed the game after 84 minutes with a two-on-one break but Brunt did well to block John Akinde’s ball across. Then from the resulting corner, Akinde headed down and Lewis headed off the line. But with 10 seconds of the 90 minutes left, Mansfield equalised. Flint headed down a Brunt ball into the box from the halfway line, and Keillor-Dunn pounced, smashing an unstoppable left-footed shot into the top left corner of the net from 15 yards. Flint dropped back into defence after the goal. Brunt moved into midfield. Mansfield had a chance to win it after 90+5 minutes as Swan played inside to Lewis, and Lewis rifled a left footed chance goalwards but the keeper saved. It finished 1-1. It was a relief to get the draw. Man of the match: Keillor-Dunn Here’s a running tally of various stats this season: Goals (league and cup): Keillor-Dunn 7, Akins 3, Maris 3, Oates 3, Lewis 1, Reed 1. Assists (league and cup): Oates 4, Quinn 4, Keillor-Dunn 3, Bowery 1, Gale 1, Flint 1, Maris 1, Reed 1. (notes on assists: 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 at home two seasons ago, 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. In the case of an own goal, the player who caused the own goal gets an assist, for example McLaughlin against Newport away two seasons ago 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 last season, nobody gets an assist.) Injuries: Kilgour (ruptured Achilles, return July), Hewitt (ACL, return April), Quinn (nicked a ligament in side of knee, out for 3-4 months), Oates (ruptured ankle ligaments, out for 2-3 months), McLaughlin (knee, return mid-late Oct), Maris (knee, “bruising, no serious damage, out for probably a week or two”), O’Toole (ankle, injured in U21 game against Notts Co, out for a week). Yellow cards (league only, alphabetical order): Boateng 1, Cargill 2, Clarke 1, Gale 1, Johnson 1, Keillor-Dunn 1, Kilgour 1, Lewis 1, Macdonald 1, Maris 1, Quinn 1, Reed 3, Swan 1. Red cards (league and cup): Macdonald 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 the JobServe Community Stadium
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Line Up:
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(4-4-2, diamond in midfield)
Pym 7 Some good handling, and a couple of good saves. Couldn’t do much about the goal given the ferocity of the shot. Bowery 6 One good cross, but he didn’t get in enough crosses and was replaced in the second half. Flint 7 Important assist for the goal having been thrown up front for the last half an hour. Might have had a penalty too. Brunt 5.5 As Nigel Clough described it, a “blatant error” for the goal. Allowed Taylor and Tovide to get away on other occasions too. Ended the game well with an important block, and then crossed in for Flint to head down for the Stags goal. Macdonald 6 Like Bowery, didn’t get in enough crosses and was replaced in the second half. Reed 6 Didn’t control the game as he often does. Lewis 7 Pick of a disappointing midfield. Important header off the line. Boateng 6 Didn’t have a good game. Keillor-Dunn 7.5 The hero and another great goal, his 7th goal in 8 games. Gale 6 Subbed at half time. Had one good cross-shot but the ball hadn’t stuck with him. Clough admitted after the game, he couldn’t have equally taken off Akins or Keillor-Dunn at half time. Akins 6 Did little. Subbed after 60 minutes. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Swan (for Gale, 46) 6 Started well with a couple of good runs. Did ok. But missed his kick when he had a chance, reflecting his lack of confidence in front of goal.
Johnson (for Akins, 60) - Came on at right back. Got into some good positions, but didn’t put in good crosses. Cargill (for Bowery, 60) - Really caught the eye with a fine half hour from the substitutes bench and in my opinion deserves to come into the starting XI next week. Clarke (for Boateng, 71) - Williams (for Macdonald, 81) - Subs not used: Flinders, Cooper. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(3-5-2): Goodman; Egbo, Mitchell, Hall; Fevrier, Read, McGeehan (sub Mingi, 60), Chilvers, Kazeem; Tovide (sub Akinde, 81), Taylor (sub Ihionvien, 81). Subs not used: Bandeira, Smith, Nelson, Thomas.
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Referee:
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Andy Davies 6 Turned down a couple of possible penalties. Given the threshold of fouls that he set, he was probably never going to give them.
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