Season 23/24 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Port Vale
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Devine 50.
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Attendance: 7,432 (1644 from Port Vale)
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Date: 31 October 2023
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STAGS OUT OF CARABAO CUP IN 4TH ROUND
Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town were beaten 1-0 by Port Vale at the One Call Stadium last night to exit the Carabao Cup at the 4th round stage, and miss out on a place in the quarter-finals. It was only the second time the Stags had reached the 4th round of the League Cup in the club’s history, the first time being in 1975, when they beat Wolves and then lost to Manchester City in the quarter-finals at Maine Road. The defeat also ended Mansfield’s unbeaten start in league and cup this season, which lasted 19 games, and they were until last night the only EFL or Premier League club to be unbeaten this season in all competitions. That was in itself a magnificent achievement to get to the 31st October unbeaten. It also meant that Mansfield didn’t beat the club record league and cup games unbeaten in all competitions, which was 20, set in 1976, and which was equalled on Saturday against Walsall (including the last game of last season). Nigel Clough was disappointed with that, as he was very keen to beat it, not just equal it. The Stags will still have the chance to beat the club record unbeaten in the league over the coming weeks. Port Vale were the better side and deserved to go through. The Stags were below par, and caused some of their own problems on the night. Vale played very well and confidently, belying their recent league form of 6 defeats and 2 draws in 8 games in League One. Alfie Devine and Ollie Arblaster, both 19 and on loan from the Premier League, were both excellent, as was Tom Sang, Funso Ojo, and Uche Ikpeazu. The Stags midfield was below the standards it has set itself this season, while up front Mansfield missed Lucas Akins hugely. Akins was injured on Saturday against Walsall and Nigel Clough said "He's got a small fracture just below his eye. We're hoping he'll have an operation and may just miss Saturday and Salford if all goes well." Akins is a big miss. The good news is that Oates is coming back from injury. He came on for the last half hour against Vale, and will probably come on against Wrexham in the FA Cup on Saturday. He is lined up to start next Tuesday in the EFL Trophy against Everton U21. McLaughlin also came on as a late sub and is also lined up to start next Tuesday in the EFL Trophy against Everton U21. Flint and Brunt were probably Mansfield’s best players on the night. Flint was the sponsors’ man of the match. He said in interview that it should have been Brunt. Alfie Devine scored the only goal of the game, after 50 minutes. He ran from inside his own half and fired into the bottom right corner of the net from 28 yards. The shot went over Pym’s left hand and maybe the Stags keeper could have done better. Nigel Clough said he was a bit disappointed by the way it went in. Vale had the best chances of the night. After 22 minutes, Sang crossed from the right and Arblaster volleyed against the left post. Mansfield’s best chance of the first half came after 31 minutes when Reed crossed from the right, Keillor-Dunn acrobatically volleyed goalwards and keeper Ripley made a brilliant save to turn it over the bar. In the second half, Pym turned a shot from James Plant wide at his near post on 61 minutes, after Ikpeazu’s cross had hit the top of the bar, and from the resulting corner Jesse Debrah headed straight at Pym. The closest Mansfield came was when Oates ran at goal after 69 minutes but just overran it slightly giving keeper Ripley chance to come out and save Oates’s shot from close range. The Stags threw Flint up front for the last 7 minutes plus stoppage time, but couldn’t create good chances to equalise with Gale wasting three good positions in stoppage time. So Port Vale went through and deservedly so. Mansfield had wanted to get one over Vale, feeling that they owed them one for the defeat at Wembley in the play-off final. But it wasn’t to be, and Vale fans taunted the Stags fans after the game, including “Unbeaten run, you’re having a laugh”. The officiating was diabolical (more in the detailed report to follow), but that can’t be and isn’t used as an excuse for the defeat. On to the next game, at home to Wrexham in the FA Cup on Saturday night (7.45 pm). There is no live streaming of FA Cup games on iFollow, though we will have full match commentary as always. The game is live on S4C TV (Sky channel 134, Virgin media channel 164, also on BBC iPlayer, with a choice of Welsh or English commentary), and on overseas TV. The Stags receive an amount between £35k and £50k for the TV coverage (my estimate, this has not been announced). DETAILED REPORT : Mansfield made one change from the side that beat Walsall: Swan replaced Akins who was out with injury, see above. McLaughlin and Oates were in the squad, as was Cooper, with extra subs allowed in the Carabao Cup. Port Vale were able to bring back Uche Ikpeazu, Ollie Arblaster and Ben Garrity to strengthen their side. Nigel Clough said: “They probably had the strongest side they have had out for a few weeks.” Only three players started who started in the play-off final at Wembley: Bowery for Mansfield, Smith and Garrity for Port Vale. It was a foggy evening. The fog rolled in quite quickly around half an hour before kick-off. During the first half, you could not see beyond the Bishop Street stand from the West Stand. But it never got so bad that you could not see any part of the pitch. The game was broadcast live on overseas TV including ESPN in America, DAZN in Canada, beIN Sports in France and elsewhere. After 10 minutes, Arblaster made a run to the edge of the area and shot straight at Pym. Then Ikpeazu outmuscled Brunt along the byline but ran the ball out of play. A good break from the Stags after 12 minutes, Maris found Keillor-Dunn, into the area and his shot was blocked for a corner. At the other end on 14 minutes, a good cross from the impressive Sang from the right to Ojo who headed over the bar. Mansfield were causing their own problems after 19 minutes as Macdonald was dispossessed by Sang, he played a 1-2 with Garrity, and his shot from a tight angle was parried by Pym. After 22 minutes, Sang crossed from the right and Arblaster volleyed against the left post. Then Devine got into the area after 28 minutes and his shot was going wide before it deflected off Flint and further wide for a corner. Mansfield were creating their own problems again after 29 minutes as a crossfield pass from Maris to Bowery was really too high for him, but he rose and headed back into play, but only to Garrity who steamed forward into the area on the left, cut inside and his shot was poor, trickling through to Pym. Vale were right on top. Mansfield’s best chance of the first half came after 31 minutes when Reed crossed from the right, Keillor-Dunn acrobatically volleyed goalwards and keeper Ripley made a brilliant save to turn it over the bar. Good play from Lewis after 36 minutes to win the ball off Plant, and Maris set Swan away down the right, but his cross was straight to the keeper. On 37 minutes, Ikpeazu got to the byline and his cross was put behind for a corner by Bowery. Moments later, Flint did well to head a ball over his own bar. Then on 42 minutes, a good run from Garrity into the Stags box, and it was eventually cleared. Then Ikpeazu turned away from Brunt and fired over the bar from a tight angle. Nil nil at the break. Port Vale the better side, with more and better chances and one effort against the post. Keillor-Dunn went closest for the Stags. Half time 0-0 The only goal of the game, after 50 minutes. Alfie Devine, on loan from Spurs, ran from inside his own half and fired into the bottom right corner of the net from 28 yards. The shot went over Pym’s left hand and maybe the Stags keeper could have done better. Nigel Clough said he was a bit disappointed by the way it went in. Mansfield made a triple change after 59 minutes. Oates, Gale and Boateng replaced Swan, Maris and Clarke. Pym turned a shot from James Plant wide at his near post on 61 minutes, after Ikpeazu’s cross had hit the top of the bar. From the resulting corner Jesse Debrah headed straight at Pym. Great control by Gale from a long ball forward, but it came to nothing. Then on 64 minutes, Oates turned and shot, but it hit Gale and went wide. The closest Mansfield came to equalising was when Oates ran at goal after 69 minutes but just overran it slightly giving keeper Ripley chance to come out and save Oates’s shot from close range. Nigel Clough described it after the game: “Oatesy was inches away from getting us an equaliser. He just tried to dink it over the goalkeeper, but his touch took him half a yard too far.” A bizarre mistake by the officials after 69 minutes. Reed lifted the ball forward from the halfway line, Keillor-Dunn controlled it but was flagged offside by assistant referee Natalie Aspinall. However on the far side, Nathan Smith had grappled with Flint, and was playing Keillor-Dunn onside by literally 10 yards. Clearly the assistant referee simply didn’t see Smith, and on the replay on live TV coverage, appears to be apologising for her error. But how on earth the referee Thomas Bramall didn’t realise the error and simply overrule her was mind-bogglingly baffling. It was the most extreme error by officials I can ever remember. It was important, because Flint was unmarked and in a good position if Keillor-Dunn could have found him. Flint himself ran 30 yards across the pitch to berate the assistant referee, and was booked for doing so. Yellow cards are competition specific, and as the Stags are now out, the booking becomes irrelevant. At the other end, Brunt did well to block an Arblaster cross. After 79 minutes, Arblaster turned away from Reed towards the edge of the area and his shot was well-blocked by Brunt for a corner. McLaughlin replaced Macdonald after 83 minutes. Flint went up front on 83 minutes. Bowery to centre half. Lewis to right back. Vale were by now blatantly time-wasting. The referee hadn’t got a grip of it. But he was left with no choice but to book one of the subs who stopped a throw-in being taken. Cargill replaced Reed after 89 minutes and went into midfield. 8 minutes were added on. 9 were actually played because of an injury to Debrah. On 90+2 Gale got to the byline, but his cross was poor, straight to the keeper. On 90+9, Gale wasted possession shooting well wide from 25 yards. Then moments later, he wasting a good position for a cross, putting it over the bar. Very disappointing. In truth, we’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to lose, so long has it been (it was April the last defeat). Port Vale went through and deservedly so. They had several players who were excellent on the night, such as Alfie Devine, on loan from Spurs, and Ollie Arblaster, on loan from Sheffield United. Mansfield had wanted to get one over Vale, feeling that they owed them one for the defeat at Wembley in the play-off final. But it wasn’t to be, and Vale fans taunted the Stags fans after the game, including “Unbeaten run, you’re having a laugh”. The Stags will have to go again on Saturday. It won’t be easy. Wrexham have an advantage not having played in midweek. But the Stags are more than capable of overcoming that and bouncing back. Man of the match: Lewis Brunt Footnote: had the Stags got through, they would have drawn the only non-Premier League team in the quarter-finals, Middlesbrough. Running tally of various stats this season: Goals (league and cup): Keillor-Dunn 8, Akins 7, Maris 4, Oates 3, Flint 2, Gale 2, Reed 2, Bowery 1, Brunt 1, Cargill, Clarke 1, Johnson 1, Lewis 1, Swan 1. Assists (league and cup): Keillor-Dunn 8, Oates 4, Quinn 4, Swan 4, Flint 3, Clarke 2, Maris 2, Gale 2, Akins 1, Bowery 1, Macdonald 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 (including quotes from Nigel Clough): Kilgour (ruptured Achilles, return July), Hewitt (ACL, “on schedule for February time"), Quinn (nicked a ligament in side of knee, expected to be out until December), O’Toole ("had a scan and it was worse than we feared, he got a whack on the side of the calf against Notts County U21's on 14 Sept. Six weeks from the injury so that rules him out for most of October". No recent update), Akins ("he's got a small fracture just below his eye, we're hoping he'll have an operation and may just miss Saturday and Salford if all goes well"). yellow cards are competition specific, so not listed here for Carabao Cup as now out. |
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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)
Pym 6 Maybe could have done better with the goal. Nigel Clough said he was a bit disappointed by the way it went in. Good save from Plant in the second half. Bowery 6.5 Did ok. Flint 7 Good game. Sponsors’ man of the match but he said in interview that it should have been Brunt. Brunt 7 Good game, my man of the match, after a tricky start against Ikpeazu. Clough said after the game: “I thought the way he played belied his age and I thought he put in a very mature performance.” Macdonald 6 Lost the ball presenting a chance for Port Vale in the first half. Reed 6 Good cross for Keillor-Dunn’s chance but overall below the standards he has set himself this season. Lewis 6 Like the rest of the midfield, didn’t make enough of a mark on the game. Clarke 6 Didn’t make his mark on the game as he usually does. Subbed after an hour. Maris 6 A couple of good forward passes, but didn’t do enough. Subbed after an hour. Swan 6 Didn’t really get into the game. One cross straight to the keeper. Keillor-Dunn 7 Denied by a brilliant save in the first half. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Oates (for Swan, 59) - Great to see him back. One run at goal but just overran it slightly.
Gale (for Maris, 59) - Wasted three good positions in stoppage time. Boateng (for Clarke, 59) - McLaughlin (for Macdonald, 83) - Cargill (for Reed, 89) - Subs not used: Flinders, Williams, Johnson, Cooper. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(3-6-1): Connor Ripley; Jason Lowe, Jesse Debrah (Lewis Cass 90+1), Nathan Smith; Tom Sang, Ben Garrity, Alfie Devine, Funso Ojo, Ollie Arblaster, James Plant, Uche Ikpeazu (Ryan Loft, 63). Subs not used: Jayson Leutwiler, Gavin Massey, Tom Conlon, Jack Shorrock, Rhys Walters, Baylee Dipepa, Josh Thomas.
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Referee:
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Thomas Bramall 4 Stinker. The officiating was diabolical including the most extreme error by officials I can ever remember.
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