Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
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Yeovil Town
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Mansfield Town
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Attendance: 2766 (111 from Mansfield)
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Date: 28 February 2017
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STAGS MISS CHANCES TO DRAW AT YEOVIL AFTER SHEARER SURVIVES
Martin Shaw at Huish Park Mansfield Town were held 0-0 at Yeovil on Tuesday night in a game that based on chances created the Stags should have won comfortably. Yet it could have been very different if Stags keeper Scott Shearer had been sent off after just 6 minutes. Shearer’s initial clearance was poor, it was knocked back forward to Kevin Dawson, Shearer unwisely came out of his area, and as Dawson tried to lift the ball over him and goalwards, Shearer jumped up and saved with his hand fully 10 yards outside his own area. In my opinion it was a clear goalscoring opportunity as the ball seemed to be heading goalwards though I couldn’t say for sure if it would have gone in, and Shearer should have been sent off. He only received a yellow card. After the game the two managers had different opinions, Steve Evans agreed with the decision as he said Dawson’s ball over Shearer was going well wide. Yeovil manager Darren Way on the other hand felt it was the clearest of red cards. The Stags were on the back foot in the opening 20 minutes with Yeovil on top with Shearer making comfortable saves from the resulting free kick and later from a deflected shot from Alex Lawless. But the Stags completely dominated the remaining 70 minutes and should have won comfortably. On 32 minutes, Ben Whiteman sent a left footed volley just over the bar from a cross from Lee Collins. That was a good effort, but Whiteman then should have done better on 37 minutes when Alex MacDonald found him with a great ball and Whiteman’s effort lacked power straight at the keeper. The Stags should have been ahead on 55 minutes with an amazing triple miss. CJ Hamilton did very well to get to the byline and pull back to Whiteman, whose first shot from 12 yards was saved, the ball came back to him and his second shot was blocked, the ball came out to Byrom who blazed over. On 67 minutes, keeper Krysiak brilliantly saved Krystian Pearce’s powerful drive from 10 yards following Byrom’s corner. On 75 minutes, Pat Hoban headed wide from Byrom’s free kick. There were other chances too as the Stags poured forward but the game ended with Stags players collapsing on the floor in disappointment at not having won the game. A good performance from the Stags for the final 70 minutes but without that clinical finishing. Plenty of Stags players played well with Joel Byrom and Alex MacDonald perhaps the pick. Gutting not to win, but if the Stags continue to play like this, there is every chance of a win at Cheltenham on Saturday. That will be on a very poor pitch however and the Stags will have to find a way to play in those conditions. It was another windy day but the Stags coped with it the better than Yeovil. The pitch was like a bowling green, great credit to Yeovil. Mansfield made three changes from the side that started against Newport. Jake Kean was ruled out with the leg injury he picked up on Saturday and he is expected to be out for about 10-14 days (the injury is just bruising, and fortunately not worse). Scott Shearer continued in goal having come on as substitute on Saturday. Brian Jensen was therefore back on the bench. Hayden White returned from suspension. Lee Collins reverted from right back to midfield. Out went Jamie McGuire. Finally Alex MacDonald replaced Pat Hoban. It was a 4-4-1-1 formation with MacDonald playing just behind Shaq Coulthirst. Danny Rose again missed out with a slight hamstring injury and Matt Green missed out with a groin injury. Yeovil, who had drawn 8 of their previous 14 games, switched from 3 at the back with 2 wingbacks from their draw at Notts County, to a 4-4-2 formation. The Stags started slowly. Controversy on 6 minutes when Stags keeper Scott Shearer could have been sent off. Shearer’s initial clearance was poor, it was knocked back forward to Kevin Dawson, Shearer unwisely came out of his area, and as Dawson tried to lift the ball over him and goalwards, Shearer jumped up and saved with his hand fully 10 yards outside his own area. In my opinion it was a clear goalscoring opportunity as the ball seemed to be heading goalwards though I couldn’t say for sure if it would have gone in, and Shearer should have been sent off. He only received a yellow card. However you look at it, it was a moment of madness from Shearer to deliberately handle outside his box, and a massive let-off for Mansfield. The free kick, from just over 28 yards in a central position, was taken by Dolan and Shearer pushed away, low to his right. On 10 minutes, Benning put in a good tackle on Zoko. Then on 16 minutes, Mugabi shot well wide from 30 yards. On 21 minutes, Alex Lawless, who’s played against us before for Luton and Forest Green, fired in a shot from 30 yards which was deflected and Shearer saved one handed but fairly easily by his left post. It was a poor start from the Stags, who were on the back foot in those opening 20 minutes with Yeovil on top. On 22 minutes, MacDonald found Hamilton who pushed forward to the edge of the area, and fired well over the bar. On 30 minutes, White did well to win a free kick on the right just outside the area. Byrom’s free kick eventually came out to Hamilton who lobbed over the bar. On 32 minutes, Whiteman sent a left footed volley just over the bar from 16 yards from a cross from the left by Lee Collins. That was a good effort, but Whiteman then should have done better on 37 minutes when MacDonald found him with a great ball and Whiteman’s effort lacked power straight at the keeper. On 40 minutes, MacDonald found Coulthirst, who turned and shot wide from 22 yards. It lacked power and was ambitious from Coulthirst. White was booked for a foul on the halfway line on 44 minutes. On 45+1 minutes, a free kick for the Stags on the left level with the edge of the area. Unusually for a set piece, it was not taken by Byrom, and Whiteman clearly fancied the shot. Whiteman’s effort was held by the keeper Krysiak under his bar. 0-0 at half time and Yeovil had been the better side in the opening 20 minutes, but the Stags had grown into the game and were the better side in the second half of the first half. The talking point at half time was the yellow card for Shearer. I did not find anybody in the press box who thought it should have been anything other than a red card. Half time 0-0 On 47 minutes, Dolan did well to get to the edge of the area on the right and fired a left footed shot just over the bar. Coulthirst was booked on 52 minutes for catching the keeper as the keeper came out and headed away. McGuire replaced White on 54 minutes. White had been booked in the first half and this was probably a precaution against getting a second yellow as he did not appear to be carrying an injury, and nor did Steve Evans mention any injury afterwards. Collins switched to right back. McGuire moved in alongside Byrom as the Stags maintained the 4-4-1-1 formation. The Stags should have been ahead on 55 minutes with an amazing triple miss. Hamilton did very well to get to the byline and pull back to Whiteman, whose first shot from 12 yards was saved, the ball came back to him and his second shot was blocked by Mugabi, the ball came out to Byrom who blazed over. The Stags appealed for handball by Mugabi but it was hit so powerfully and his arm was by his side, so in my opinion it was not a penalty. On 58 minutes, great play between MacDonald and Collins on the right to win a free kick. MacDonald took this free kick, it came out to Coulthirst who shanked up in the air, and it was caught by the keeper. Hoban replaced MacDonald on 66 minutes and went up front alongside Coulthirst as Mansfield went 2 up front. MacDonald had had a very good game. On 67 minutes, keeper Krysiak brilliantly saved Krystian Pearce’s powerful drive from 10 yards following Byrom’s corner. On 69 minutes, a great tackle by Byrom on the edge of his own area. On 71 minutes, a rare Yeovil attack, a cross from the right and Eaves sent an overhead kick over the bar. The Stags were right on top. On 72 minutes, good play by Whiteman on the right, but his low cross-shot was saved by Krysiak. On 75 minutes, Hoban headed wide from Byrom’s free kick. Hoban did not head it cleanly, it seemed to come off his shoulder. Pearce put in a great tackle on the edge of his own area on 78 minutes. Potter replaced Coulthirst on 79 minutes. As with White, this was probably because Coulthirst was on a yellow card. On 86 minutes, Hamilton found Potter, and Potter fired in a shot but it was blocked. The Stags were pouring forward. On 90 minutes, Hamilton got into the box after brilliant play from Potter on the right hand side, but Hamilton couldn’t get in a shot then his cross was cleared. On 90+1 minutes, Bennett made a great tackle on Zoko. Then on 90+3 minutes, a mistake by Benning, and Eaves fired wide from 22 yards. The game ended with Stags players collapsing on the floor in disappointment at not having won the game. Two points dropped by Mansfield but an encouraging performance, and it could have all been very different if Shearer had been sent off on 6 minutes, which was an enormous let-off for the Stags. Man of the match: Joel Byrom and Alex MacDonald |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at Huish Park
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Line Up:
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(4-4-1-1)
Shearer 6 Whether or not he was, or should have been, sent off, it was a moment of madness to deliberately handle outside his box. Made one good save and one easy save. But, ultimately, he kept a clean sheet. White 6.5 Substituted early in the second half after a booking at the end of the first half. One good run forward to earn a free kick. Bennett 7 Great tackle on Zoko in the 2nd half. Solid game. Pearce 7 Great tackle on the edge of his own area. Benning 6.5 Good early tackle. Linked well with Hamilton on the left. Mistake in stoppage time gifted Yeovil a chance. Whiteman 7 After 3 indifferent performances, he looked much more on his game here. But he was left frustrated and it wasn’t his night in front of goal, unable to score with 5 efforts. Collins 7 Some good play going forward. Good cross for Whiteman’s volley. Byrom 8 Some good set pieces and looked very good in open play. One good tackle just outside his own box. Should have done better with a shot blazed over. Hamilton 7 Very good play to set up the triple chance in the 2nd half. A couple of chances in the 1st half. Good game. MacDonald 8 Some great approach play moving forward. Great play to set up Whiteman’s 2nd chance in the 1st half. Coulthirst 6 A couple of poor efforts at goal. |
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Sub Line Up:
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McGuire (for White, 54 mins) -
Hoban (for MacDonald, 66 mins) - Potter (for Coulthirst, 79 mins) - Subs not used: Jensen, Baxendale, Hemmings, Arquin. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-4-2): Krysiak; Shephard, Lacey, Mugabi, Dickson; Dawson, Lawless, Dolan, Whitfield (Goodship 81’); Zoko, Harrison (Eaves 61’). Subs not used: Maddison, James, Butcher, Akpa Akpro, Sowunmi.
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Referee:
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Christopher Sarginson
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