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Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Carlisle United  
5 - 2
 Mansfield Town
Kennedy 13, Wyke 49, 62, 80 (pen), Lambe 90+5.
 
 Hoban 6, D.Rose 85
Attendance: 4822 (183 from Mansfield)
 
Date: 26 November 2016

STAGS DEFEND POORLY AND LOSE HEAVILY AT CARLISLE

Martin Shaw at Brunton Park

Mansfield Town fell to a 5-2 defeat at Carlisle in the first away game under Steve Evans this afternoon. After going ahead early on through a Pat Hoban header from 6 yards from a corner, the Stags conceded three headed goals from crosses to find themselves 3-1 down. The first goal was a cross following a short corner that found Jason Kennedy completely unmarked in the middle to head in from 6 yards. From the video it is hard to tell who lost his marker as no-one was near Kennedy. Awful marking. For the second goal, Charlie Wyke got goalside of Krystian Pearce to loop a header over Shearer. For the third goal, Wyke rose above Lee Collins to head home. It was poor defending for all three goals that left the Stags shell-shocked and you just can’t defend like that and expect to win football matches. To compound matters, the referee awarded Carlisle a soft penalty for handball which looked harsh in real time and just as harsh looking at the video, and Wyke converted underneath Shearer to complete his hat-trick and make it 4-1. Mansfield pulled it back to 4-2 when Danny Rose fired home from 7 yards via a deflection after Green did well to knock down a Hemmings cross. And Krystian Pearce should have made it 4-3 but somehow his close range shot was cleared off the line. Carlisle then made it 5-2 just before the final whistle when Reggie Lambe’s shot from the edge of the box, which appeared to be straight at Shearer, deflected off Benning and into the net. Carlisle deserved their win and go to the top of the league. They look a very good side, but the Stags have to defend a lot better than this, both in the middle and stopping crosses coming in. Mansfield have 10 days to work on the training ground and clearly a lot of focus will go on the defence after this showing, before the next game, also at Brunton Park, in the Checkatrade Trophy. The Stags are two points outside the play-offs in a tightly contested mid-table.

The game went ahead after a midday pitch inspection following an overnight frost. However from what I observed looking at the pitch from the touchline at pitchside at 1.30 it should never have been in doubt.

Carlisle came into the game having won their last 7 games at home in all competitions under former Stags manager Keith Curle. The Stags were on a high having won the first two games under new manager Steve Evans.

Mansfield made one change from Tuesday, with club captain Lee Collins returning to the side after injury, and Ashley Hemmings dropping to the bench. Collins came in at centre half, Bennett moved to right back and Mitch Rose moved into midfield. Collins took over from Clements as captain. The Stags set up with a 4-1-4-1 formation with McGuire in front of the back four, and from right to left in midfield: Mitch Rose, Clements, Gobern and Green. So Green on the left side of midfield, with Hoban on his own up front. Carlisle were unchanged from the team which drew at Grimsby on Tuesday. Reggie Lambe, who left the Stags in the summer, had started his first game since September on Tuesday, and thus kept his place in the side. Former Stag Michael Raynes was in the centre of defence, while Derek Asamoah, who played for the Stags under Keith Curle 12 years ago, was on the bench. Carlisle lined up in a 4-5-1 formation with highly rated Charlie Wyke on his own up front.

The Stags made a bright start and were ahead on 6 minutes. Hoban was brought down just outside the area on the left. Clements drove the free kick into the wall and behind for a corner, though our video evidence shows that the keeper actually stopped it going behind and the officials got that wrong. Clements took the corner himself, from the left. It was into the middle where Hoban headed home from 6 yards. Hoban’s 4th goal of the season.

On 10 minutes, Hoban, full of confidence, tried a shot from 35 yards, it was low but lacked pace and straight at the keeper.

Carlisle were level on 13 minutes. Gobern gave the ball away, and Benning conceded a free kick 30 yards out in a central position. Grainger struck the free kick well and Shearer did well to push wide for a corner, low to his left. The corner, from the right, was taken short, to Nicky Adams, who curled in a cross that found Jason Kennedy completely unmarked in the middle to head in from 6 yards. From the video it is hard to tell who lost his marker as no-one was near Kennedy. Awful marking. The cross and goal came right in front of the Stags fans who would have been shocked at the poor defending.

On 15 minutes, Kennedy went down in the area. It didn’t look a penalty but it did look like the referee was giving one, until he produced a yellow card for Kennedy for diving, and indicated a free kick the other way.

On 17 minutes, a low cross from the right by Adams again, Kennedy was unmarked again, but scuffed his shot straight at Shearer. Poor marking again.

Mitch Rose shot well over the bar from the edge of the area on 20 minutes. Then on 22 minutes Carlisle gifted the ball to Hoban who pushed forward and shot wide from 22 yards.

The Stags were so close to retaking the lead on 28 minutes. Gobern shot from the edge of the area, it took a deflection, the keeper was beaten and it went inches wide of the right post. It looked in all the way.

Then Carlisle were within a whisker of scoring on 31 minutes. A free kick from 35 yards was curled into the Stags box, Raynes stole in behind the defence but couldn’t have seen it through a crowd of players though managed to get his boot on it and send it just wide of the left post.

On 36 minutes, Gobern shot wide from 35 yards, when he didn’t strike cleanly. At the other end on 38 minutes, the impressive Adams sent in a curling shot from 25 yards which Shearer saved and held.

Steve Evans on the sidelines was getting more and more annoyed that ball boys were drying the ball with a towel every time Carlisle had a throw-in but not doing so when the Stags had a throw-in. Clearly that’s not allowed as we know from a Stags home game a few years ago (I think from memory it was the game against Wrexham when Alan Marriott scored). Eventually the referee spoke to his 4th official who retrieved the towel from the ball boy on the near side. Meanwhile the home fans, clueless as to what was going on, cheered as they thought that the referee was telling Evans off, which he wasn’t.

Yet twice more before half time the ball boy on the other side was allowed to dry the ball with a towel for a Carlisle throw-in, and the officials then did nothing about it. Staggering incompetence from the officials.

On 44 minutes, Gobern crossed in, Mitch Rose nodded down and the keeper claimed in front of Hoban.

Mitch Rose was booked for a late tackle on 44 minutes.

Then on 45 minutes, Carlisle gifted the ball to Green, who forced his way into the area as defenders surrounded him, but his shot was blocked.

A fair score at half time, in such an open and entertaining game, with both defences looking poor. Encouraging though for the Stags that they were toe to toe with a side that had won 7 on the trot at home and flying high.

Half time 1-1

Carlisle went in front on 49 minutes. Adams crossed right footed from the left and Wyke got goalside of Pearce to loop a header over Shearer. Shearer and Collins complained to the referee, and Shearer was booked. I could not tell in real time what they were complaining about and still can’t after watching the video.

On 51 minutes, a free kick for the Stags level with the penalty spot just in from the left touchline. Clements curled it in, and Gobern headed over.

Hemmings replaced Gobern on 57 minutes. Green was now up front with Hoban, and Mitch Rose/Clements/Hemmings were left to right in midfield in a 4-1-3-2 formation.

A chance for the Stags to equalise on 58 minutes. Green crossed from the left to Clements who squared to Mitch Rose, who fired wide from the edge of the area where he was in space.

Kennedy, having been booked in the first half, and who’d then had a warning from the referee, committed another foul on 59 minutes, but the referee didn’t speak to him. He was later subbed as Curle protected him.

Carlisle made it 3-1 on 62 minutes, and it was yet more poor defending. Grainger crossed high from the left, and Wyke rose above Lee Collins to head home.

Danny Rose replaced Hoban on 69 minutes.

Danny Rose was straight into the action playing a ball to Green who sent a left footed shot well wide of the right post from 25 yards. Then on 71 minutes Danny Rose shot straight at the keeper and without power from the edge of the area.

On 75 minutes, a Clements corner from the left was headed up in the air and Pearce’s close range shot was blocked, but the whistle had already gone.

Carlisle made it 4-1 on 80 minutes. Miller lobbed a ball into the area from the right, McGuire, Bennett and Raynes rose for the ball. The referee blew his whistle, I thought it must be for offside with two Carlisle players coming back from an offside position. Unbelievably the hapless referee pointed to the spot for handball. It looked harsh and soft in real time and looks just as harsh looking at the video. Wyke converted the penalty more or less down the middle underneath Shearer to complete his hat-trick.

Baxendale replaced Mitch Rose on 81 minutes before play restarted.

On 82 minutes, Benning shot high and wide from 25 yards. He needs a goal for his confidence.

Then on 84 minutes, Benning sent in a high hanging cross which Green headed wide.

Mansfield pulled it back to 4-2 on 85 minutes, when Danny Rose fired home from 7 yards via a deflection after Green did well to knock down a Hemmings cross from the left.

It looked like just a consolation but Mansfield put Carlisle under pressure.

On 87 minutes, a free kick into the area and Pearce scuffed a shot.

Six minutes were added on, and Pearce should have made it 4-3 on 90+2 minutes, but somehow his close range shot was saved on the line by the keeper after a free kick from the left.

Carlisle then made it 5-2 on 90+5 minutes as McKee broke down the left from a Stags free kick that was cleared, and squared the ball across the edge of the area to Reggie Lambe, whose left footed shot appeared to be straight at Shearer, but deflected off Benning and into the net.

So 5-2 the final score and the final two goals were a bit harsh on Mansfield but the Stags have to defend better than they did for the first three goals. Ten days for Steve Evans and Paul Raynor to get the defending right on the training ground.

FURTHER REFLECTIONS (MY WEEKLY BLOG FOR THE CHAD NEWSPAPER):
STAGS HAVE TO DEFEND BETTER THAN AT CARLISLE
The first two games of the Steve Evans era had gone superbly for Mansfield, picking up wins against Crawley and Blackpool at the One Call Stadium last week. And going into Saturday’s game away at Carlisle, Mansfield had only conceded 20 goals in 18 games this season for one of the best defensive records in the league. But that record fell apart on Saturday as a very poor defensive showing saw Carlisle knock in 5 goals in a 5-2 defeat.
After Mansfield had taken an early lead, the first 3 Carlisle goals all came in similar fashion, with headed goals from crosses. The first goal was a cross following a short corner that found Jason Kennedy completely unmarked in the middle to head in from 6 yards. From the video it is hard to tell who lost his marker as no-one was near Kennedy. Simply awful marking. For the second goal, Charlie Wyke got goalside of Krystian Pearce to loop a header over Shearer. Then for the third goal, Wyke rose above the returning Lee Collins to head home. It was poor defending for all three goals that left the Stags shell-shocked and you just can’t defend like that and expect to win football matches.
To compound matters, the referee then awarded Carlisle a soft penalty for handball which looked harsh in real time and just as harsh looking at the video from two different angles. Wyke converted underneath Shearer to complete his hat-trick and make it 4-1.
Despite all that, Mansfield weren’t finished and pulled it back to 4-2 when Danny Rose fired home from 7 yards via a deflection after Matt Green did well to knock down an Ashley Hemmings cross. Krystian Pearce should have made it 4-3 but somehow his close range shot was saved on the line by the keeper.
But in stoppage time Carlisle scored again when Reggie Lambe’s shot from the edge of the box, which was tamely heading straight at Shearer, deflected off Benning and into the net.
Early in the game, Mansfield had taken the lead when Pat Hoban headed home from 6 yards from a fine Chris Clements corner for his 4th goal of the season.
Carlisle deserved their win and go to the top of the league. They look a very good side, but the Stags have to defend a lot better than they did, both in the middle and stopping crosses coming in.
Much work for Steve Evans and Paul Raynor on the training ground to get the defending right. Against Crawley and Blackpool, Rhys Bennett and Krystian Pearce formed a solid central defensive pairing with Mitch Rose filling in at right back. With Lee Collins returning from injury at Carlisle, Evans shifted Rhys Bennett to right back and Mitch Rose into midfield. Evans has made it clear he wants to give all players a chance before January so that he can assess them and it’s likely that Alex Iacovitti will get a game soon, on his return from suspension, and so will the other loanee Kyle Howkins once he recovers from a knee injury.

Man of the match: Chris Clements


Report by: Martin Shaw at Brunton Park



Line Up:
(4-1-4-1)
Shearer 6 Not at fault for any of the goals in my opinion. One good save.
Bennett 5 Too many crosses came in, from both sides.
Collins 4 Part of a very poor defence. Wyke rose above him for the 3rd goal.
Pearce 4 Wyke got goalside of him for the 2nd goal.
Benning 5 Too many crosses came in, from both sides.
McGuire 5 Didn’t provide much protection to the defence.
M.Rose 6 Missed a couple of decent chances.
Clements 7 Some good corners, including for the goal, and free kicks.
Gobern 5.5 Unlucky with one shot deflected just wide. Gave the ball away early in the build-up to the 1st goal.
Green 6 Good knock-down for Danny Rose to score. One shot blocked and a couple of efforts wide.
Hoban 6.5 Fox in the box for his goal. Sent a couple of ambitious efforts well wide.
Sub Line Up:
Hemmings (for Gobern, 57 mins) - Good cross for the 2nd goal.
D.Rose (for Hoban, 69 mins) - A second goal in successive games from the bench.
Baxendale (for M.Rose, 81 mins) -
Subs not used: Jensen, J.Thomas, Hamilton, Hurst.
Opposition Line Up:
(4-5-1): Gillespie; T.Miller, Raynes, Brisley, Grainger; Kennedy (McKee 70), Joyce, Jones, Lambe, Adams (Asamoah 84); Wyke (S.Miller 81). Subs not used: Crocombe, Atkinson, Ellis, Gillesphey.
Referee:
Seb Stockbridge 5 Poor game generally. Comical penalty awarded. Didn’t deal with towelgate efficiently.


Season 16/17 Reports