Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Plymouth Argyle
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Hemmings 58.
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Slew 14, Fox 80
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Attendance: 2318 (439 from Plymouth)
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Date: 5 November 2016
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GOOD PERFORMANCE BUT STAGS OUT OF FA CUP
Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town put in a good performance against high flying Plymouth Argyle but were beaten 2-1 to exit the FA Cup in the first round. You have to go back nearly 9 years, to January 2008, against Brighton at the Withdean Stadium, for the last time Mansfield defeated a football league club in the FA Cup. And that run continued today, but it could so easily have ended, as the Stags had more than enough good chances to have won the game. Plymouth arrived on a superb run, unbeaten for 13 games, with 11 wins and 2 draws, including of course the 2-0 win over the Stags at Home Park in August, when Mansfield were completely outplayed, mostly by midfielder Graham Carey. Today was a totally different game as Mansfield gave at least as good as they got. Plymouth found themselves 1-0 ahead at the break with their only chance of the first half, and that came from a Mansfield free kick well inside the Plymouth half. From that Stags free kick, Jordan Slew picked the ball up well inside his own half, and ran fully 70 yards with Jamie McGuire unable to catch him, before firing past Brian Jensen in the Stags goal. The Stags meanwhile went close five times in the first half, as Matt Green was put through on goal by a brilliant ball from James Baxendale and fired straight at the keeper, Baxendale brought a good save from the keeper who tipped just wide from a curling shot from the left, Ashley Hemmings fired in a fine shot from 25 yards which the keeper just about pushed wide, Mitch Rose fired wide from 20 yards, and a cross from Chris Clements from the right was caught by the wind, completely misjudged and missed by the keeper, and nearly ended up creeping in at the far post. Good applause for Mansfield at the break. It was, however, the 11th first half out of 11 this season at home in which the Stags have failed to score. The second half continued in the same vein. Hemmings knocked a good chance over the bar before Mansfield were deservedly level on 58 minutes as Hemmings emphatically belted a shot into the top right corner of the net from 8 yards and celebrated with a double somersault. It was his first goal for Mansfield. Then twice more he came close as he sent a shot straight at the keeper, before he fired in a great shot from 22 yards that looked destined for the corner of the net until the keeper tipped it onto the post. So unlucky for Hemmings. Mansfield had a goal disallowed for offside on 79 minutes through Green, but were hit by a sucker punch on 80 minutes as David Fox fired home for the visitors from the 16 yards. The goal was highly controversial as there was a blatant handball by Songo’o in the build-up, badly missed by the officials but not by our pitchside video footage, and then Jamie McGuire appeared to be wrestled to the ground off the ball just before the ball was put into the net but that incident is missed by both the main camera and our pitchside footage. The Stags were unable to find another equaliser and it was gutting to lose. Tough to take for Mansfield, but at least the players were rightly applauded off the pitch for a good performance. Some good performances from Mansfield players, particularly pleasing the see from the midfield, with Jamie McGuire, Chris Clements, Ashley Hemmings, and James Baxendale all contributing plenty to the game. Before the game there was a minute’s silence in memory of the fallen, and the Last Post was performed beautifully in total silence. Adam Murray made five changes to the side that lost to Stevenage last week in a performance that was badly lacking in quality. Loan pair Alex Iacovitti and Kyle Howkins were unavailable. Iacovitti surprisingly was not allowed to play by Nottingham Forest under the terms of the loan deal despite being on loan for the full season, while Howkins had not trained all week following a family bereavement. Hoban and Hurst were left out. In came McGuire, Mitch Rose, Hemmings and Baxendale. Finally Jensen replaced Shearer in goal. There’s not much in it in my opinion between Jensen and Shearer, both capable keepers at this level, and Jensen was back for his first game since Leyton Orient at the end of August. Baxendale was in for his second start of the season, his first being against Doncaster in the EFL Trophy. Hoban was unlucky to miss out, a victim of Murray returning to a formation with attacking midfielders behind Matt Green. It was a 4-2-3-1 formation, with McGuire and Clements behind Mitch Rose, Baxendale and Hemmings, who were in turn behind Green. Plymouth also played in their preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, including the outstanding Graham Carey in the 3 behind front man Jimmy Spencer (though Carey was to have a game where he was kept quiet today). Murray is a manager under pressure from home fans and took the unusual step of inviting 20 fans to meet him individually during the week in an open office session. Feedback from those fans seems to have been mostly positive and Murray told me he’d found the meetings very good. It was a windy day. The wind was behind the Stags in the first half, and seemed to drop slightly for the second half. Mansfield started brightly. Two corners in the opening 5 minutes. A great chance for Mansfield to grab an early lead on 7 minutes. A fine incisive ball threaded forward by Baxendale into the path of Green, who from the edge of the area fired straight at the keeper. The Stags were looking innovative, and with the fans right behind them, there appeared to be real fire in the belly. On 13 minutes, Carey gave the ball away to Green, he knocked the ball into the middle, but it was eventually cleared. Against the run of play, Plymouth were ahead on 14 minutes. It started with a Mansfield free kick 35 yards from the Plymouth goal. Plymouth broke through Slew, who ran fully 70 yards, with McGuire unable to catch him, before slotting the ball past Jensen. A terrible goal to concede when Mansfield had so many bodies committed forward, rather like Stevenage’s goal last week through McKirdy. Credit to Slew though for a superb run and finish. Mansfield nearly had a freak equaliser on 22 minutes. Clements crossed left footed, from the right, the keeper came out to catch, it was caught by a gust of wind, flew over the keeper and dropped just the wrong side of the post. On 25 minutes Benning shot from the left, just wide of the left post, with the outside of his left foot. On 28 minutes, McGuire burst forward and won a free kick 29 yards out to the right of centre. Benning took it but straight into the keeper’s arms. On 30 minutes, a chance for Mitch Rose to shoot from 20 yards but he took an extra touch and the chance was gone. On 32 minutes, Baxendale curled a shot from 20 yards from the left, and the keeper just tipped it wide of the right post. Video evidence suggests it was going just wide anyway, but the keeper couldn’t take any chances. On 42 minutes, Hemmings fired in a great shot from 25 yards and the keeper just about pushed it wide of the right post. On 45 minutes, a good tackle by Hemmings on the edge of his own area, but then at the other end a terrible ball out for a goal kick. On 45+1 minutes, a good move from the Stags involving Benning, and Mitch Rose fired just wide from 20 yards. Good applause for the Stags at half time. Plymouth created just one chance but scored, and that started from a Stags free kick. The Stags meanwhile went close five times. Half time 0-1 On 46 minutes, Carey cut inside from the right and fired wide of the left post from 20 yards. Another good chance for the Stags on 52 minutes. Benning’s free kick from the edge of the centre circle, Bennett nodded down, and Hemmings knocked over the bar from 7 yards. At the other end on 53 minutes, Slew sent an effort well wide from the left. Then on 56 minutes, Benning gave the ball away, and Spencer turned and shot straight at Jensen. The Stags were deservedly level on 58 minutes. Baxendale fed the ball wide to Mitch Rose on the right. His high ball into the ball was flicked on by Green, and Hemmings took time to steady himself before hammering a volley into the top right corner of the net from 8 yards. Hemmings celebrated with a double somersault. On 62 minutes, Hemmings, buoyed by his goal, fired in another shot, this time from 28 yards, a good effort straight at the keeper. Then on 64 minutes, the Stags were unlucky not to be in front, a lead that would have been deserved. Green pushed forward, found Hemmings on his left, and Hemmings sent in a great shot from 22 yards that looked destined for the corner of the net until the keeper tipped it onto the post. So unlucky for Hemmings. It was now a great atmosphere provided by the home fans, hugely behind their team. A proper cup tie. On 67 minutes, Carey fired over the bar for Plymouth from the edge of the box. Jack Thomas replaced Mitch Rose on 72 minutes. On 74 minutes, Carey played a dangerous ball in and Benning did well to put out for a corner. Mansfield had a goal disallowed for offside on 79 minutes. Collins slid a ball forward for Bennett on the right. As Bennett crossed the ball into the middle the offside flag went up, Bennett’s ball found Green who slotted into the net. A combination of the main camera footage and our pitchside footage suggests that Bennett was indeed offside. But Mansfield were hit by a sucker punch on 80 minutes as David Fox fired home for the visitors from the 16 yards. The goal was highly controversial as there was a blatant handball by Songo’o in the build-up, badly missed by the officials but not by our pitchside video footage, and then Jamie McGuire appeared to be wrestled to the ground off the ball just before the ball was put into the net but that incident is missed by both the main camera and our pitchside footage. Henderson replaced Baxendale soon afterwards. On 82 minutes, Green crossed from the right, and Hemmings flashed a shot just wide of the right post. Then Bennett shot straight at the keeper from 25 yards on 84 minutes. On 87 minutes, Jack Thomas went down in the area, but it was no penalty (video evidence suggests there was no foul). Danny Rose replaced Collins on 87 minutes. Home fans were annoyed as Henderson was three times penalised for fouls as 4 minutes of injury time was added on. The last of the 3 was very clearly not a foul, harder to tell on the first 2. No more chances for the Stags as Plymouth expertly time-wasted to hang on to what they had. Applause from the gutted home fans at full time. So a good display from Mansfield. And real disappointment as a replay would have been the least the Stags deserved. But Mansfield need victories, and there is a chance to progress in the much-maligned EFL Trophy on Tuesday against Derby County’s U23 side at Pride Park. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the competition, and I’ve written extensively why I think several aspects are flawed, I expect Mansfield to take the game seriously and try to progress. FURTHER REFLECTIONS (MY WEEKLY BLOG FOR THE CHAD NEWSPAPER): MIDFIELD IMPRESSES BUT STAGS OUT OF FA CUP Mansfield Town bowed out of the FA Cup on Saturday but put in a really good performance against high flying Plymouth Argyle and that was some consolation. You have to go back nearly 9 years, to January 2008, against Brighton at the Withdean Stadium, for the last time Mansfield defeated a football league club in the FA Cup. But that run could so easily have ended, as the Stags had more than enough good chances to have won the game. Plymouth arrived on a superb run, unbeaten for 13 games, with 11 wins and 2 draws, including of course the 2-0 win over the Stags at Home Park in August. Plymouth found themselves 1-0 ahead at the break with their only chance of the first half, and that came from a Mansfield free kick well inside the Plymouth half. From that Stags free kick, Jordan Slew picked the ball up and ran fully 70 yards with Jamie McGuire unable to catch him, before firing past Brian Jensen in the Stags goal. The Stags meanwhile went close five times in the first half, as Matt Green was put through on goal by a brilliant ball from James Baxendale and fired straight at the keeper, Baxendale brought a good save from the keeper who tipped just wide from a curling shot from the left, Ashley Hemmings fired in a fine shot from 25 yards which the keeper just about pushed wide, Mitch Rose fired wide from 20 yards, and a cross from Chris Clements from the right was caught by the wind, completely misjudged and missed by the keeper, and nearly ended up creeping in at the far post. Good applause for Mansfield at the break. It was, however, the 11th first half out of 11 this season at home in which the Stags have failed to score. The second half continued in the same vein. Hemmings knocked a good chance over the bar before Mansfield were deservedly level as Hemmings emphatically belted a shot into the top right corner of the net from 8 yards and celebrated with a double somersault. It was his first goal for Mansfield. Then twice more he came close as he sent a shot straight at the keeper, before he fired in a great shot from 22 yards that looked destined for the corner of the net until the keeper tipped it onto the post. Mansfield were hit by a sucker punch on 80 minutes as David Fox fired home a winner for the visitors from the 16 yards. But the goal was highly controversial as there was a blatant handball by Songo’o in the build-up, badly missed by the officials but not by our pitchside video footage, and then Jamie McGuire appeared to be wrestled to the ground off the ball just before the ball was put into the net. The Stags were unable to find another equaliser and it was gutting to exit the competition. Tough to take for Mansfield, but at least the players were rightly applauded off the pitch. Plenty of good performances from Mansfield players, particularly pleasing to see from the midfield, with McGuire, Clements, Mitch Rose, Baxendale and Hemmings all contributing plenty to the game. McGuire added such much-needed leadership. Clements dictated much of the game from a deep midfield position. Mitch Rose provided a good cross for the goal. Baxendale was in for just his second start of the season and was very impressive in first half, though faded in the second half, perhaps not surprising with his lack of game time. And it was great to see Ashley Hemmings finally fulfilling the sort of form he showed previously for Dagenham. In total he had six decent shots on goal, including the goal, and bringing two fine saves from the keeper, one of which was tipped onto the post. Hopefully Hemmings can follow this performance up with a good run of form. Man of the match: Ashley Hemmings |
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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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(4-2-3-1)
Jensen 6 Didn’t really have a chance with either goal in my opinion. Otherwise didn’t have a shot to save other than one straight at him. Bennett 6 Defended ok. Had one shot on target and one header set up a Hemmings’ shot. Pearce 6 Did ok. One particularly good piece of defending. Collins 6 Did ok. Benning 6.5 Involved in some good moves. Some good defending. McGuire 7 Good game. But outpaced for the first goal and would be disappointed to be beaten, though Slew would have outpaced most Stags players with that run. Appeared to be wrestled to the ground off the ball in the build-up to the second goal, which certainly wasn’t his fault in my view. Clements 8 Very good. Dictated much of the game from a deep midfield position. M.Rose 7 Good cross for the goal. Fired one shot wide, but took too long when he had a chance of another shot. Baxendale 7 Very impressive first half. Though faded in the second half, perhaps not surprising with his lack of game time. Fine incisive ball threaded forward for Green’s early chance and involved in the build up to the goal. Hemmings 8 Great to see him finally fulfilling the sort of form he showed for Dagenham. Emphatic shot for his goal, unlucky when the keeper turned his fine shot onto the post, and turned another shot just wide. Had three other decent shots - in total six efforts and all were good. Hopefully he can follow this performance up with a good run of form. Green 6.5 Little flicked header helped for the goal. Good cross for one of Hemmings’ shots and set up another Hemmings shot. Should have done better with his early chance. |
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Sub Line Up:
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J.Thomas (for M.Rose, 72 mins) -
Henderson (for Baxendale, 81 mins) - D.Rose (for Collins, 87 mins) - Subs not used: Shearer, Hamilton, Hurst, Hoban. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-2-3-1): McCormick; Miller, Bulvitis, Bradley, Purrington; Songo’o, Fox; Slew (Ijaha 83), Tanner (Donaldson 61), Carey; Spencer. Subs not used: Goodwillie, Jervis, Osborne, Dorel.
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Referee:
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Dean Whitestone 5 Extraordinary gaff missing the blatant handball in the build-up to the winning goal. Plenty of poor decisions.
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