Season 16/17 Stagsnet Match Report
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Crawley Town
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Mansfield Town
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Cox 34, Roberts 55.
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D.Rose 12, Whiteman 23.
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Attendance: 2635 (387 from Mansfield)
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Date: 6 May 2017
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STAGS THROW AWAY 2 GOAL LEAD AND MISS OUT ON PLAY-OFFS
Martin Shaw at the Broadfield Stadium Mansfield Town drew 2-2 in the final game of the season at Crawley Town to finish outside the play-offs in what turned into a disappointing day. The Stags needed results to go their way elsewhere but most importantly needed to win themselves and were unable to do that despite a tremendous performance in the opening 30 minutes. The Stags were ahead on 12 minutes when Joel Byrom knocked the ball forward into the area, Danny Rose controlled with one touch and fired into the bottom right corner of the net from 12 yards. The Stags had great chances to increase the lead as Ben Whiteman headed over a golden chance unmarked from 10 yards from Alfie Potter’s fine cross, then Matt Green teed up Whiteman for a low shot that the keeper saved well low down, before the Stags deservedly went further ahead on 23 minutes. Ben Whiteman ran forward from inside his own half and with runners either side distracting defenders, Whiteman kept going before firing a precision shot in off the left post from the edge of the D. The Stags had chances to go 3-0 up as Hayden White crossed from the right and Mal Benning volleyed wide of the left post in what might have been a carbon copy of his blinder against Newport last season, then Potter pulled the ball back from the byline on the left to Green who turned well in the area to create space for himself and his low shot was saved by the keeper with his legs. It was as good a half hour as we’ve seen from the Stags with 6 great chances created with Potter, MacDonald, Whiteman, Byrom, Danny Rose and Green so lively going forward tearing Crawley to shreds and the game should have been out of sight. But one piece of sloppy defending on 34 minutes completely changed the momentum of the game. Andre Blackman crossed from the left, and Dean Cox was allowed all the time he wanted to control the ball 12 yards from goal, and fire into the left corner of the net. So sloppy from Mansfield. Mansfield could have re-established the two goal lead as MacDonald teed up Whiteman for a low-cross shot which was just wide of the left post as Green slid in to try to turn it home. As good as the first half was, the second half was a massive disappointment. Crawley were level on 55 minutes from a corner. Steve Evans felt it should not have been a corner as MacDonald did superbly to block a cross from Boldewijn, and the ball ricocheted back off Boldewijn and out. From the video, it’s hard to tell if, when the ball struck Boldewijn again, it was already out for a corner or not. The corner from the right was taken short to Jordan Roberts who fired a magnificent shot just inside the right post from just outside the area. That was a high quality goal. After that it was Crawley who came closer to taking all three points as Whiteman did well to clear off the line from Jimmy Smith’s header, Kean saved well with his legs from the excellent James Collins, who surely should be playing in a better side than Crawley, Kean saved well again with his legs as Collins got to a near post corner before Bennett, and then Collins fired against the inside of the post and out again. Mansfield had done very little going forward in the second half, but could have regained the lead as George Taft fired over from a good position, then Krystian Pearce sent a thumping header just wide from a MacDonald corner. It finished 2-2 which was a disappointing finale. As it turned out, Carlisle and Blackpool, who occupied the final two play-offs spots at the start of the day, both won anyway, so whatever Mansfield or any of the other chasing pack had done, would have counted for nothing. Mansfield finish 4 points outside the play-offs in 12th place. Nevertheless it’s been a really exciting second half of the season as Mansfield took the chase for the play-offs to the final day, and undoubtedly a roller-coaster, just as Steve Evans predicted it would be when he came in. After the game Steve Evans said that he wants to be fighting for a top 3 place next season rather than fighting for a top 7 place. Evans has a meeting with John and Carolyn Radford on Tuesday to talk about plans for next season and he said that providing that meeting goes well he will move forward with meetings with the current players on Wednesday and move forward with bringing in some better quality players for next season. Evans has so far just had one January transfer window to improve the squad. I fully expect that Evans, with his track record, will bring in some even higher quality players and I think we will be in for a really exciting season next season. Danny Rose’s goal was his 10th goal of the season, and Ben Whiteman’s was his 7th goal of the season. They finished 2nd and 3rd in the top scorers list behind Matt Green with 13 goals. Mansfield made two changes from the side that lost to Portsmouth: Potter replaced Lee Collins, Green replaced Coulthirst. A switch to a 4-4-2 formation with MacDonald on the right of midfield and Potter on the left. Crawley sacked manager Dermot Drummy during the week and appointed striker Matt Harrold as caretaker manager. Crawley included Lewis Young at right back, younger brother of Ashley Young, and Dean Cox who left Orient in September and hence was without a league club until the January transfer window. Steve Evans was returning to the club where he had so much success just a few years ago. He generally got a good reception, but when the game got feisty in the second half, some Crawley fans chanted “you fat bastard” at him in a way that was not as respectful of what he did for the club as it might have been. Nevertheless Evans seemed to take it in good spirit. On 7 minutes, Dean Cox chipped wide of the left post. On 8 minutes, Whiteman’s low cross didn’t reach Green. On 10 minutes, a ball forward to Green, who showed great strength to hold off the defender and turn the ball back to Pearce. Pearce was about to shoot and went down as he was tackled but the referee said no penalty. From the video, Jimmy Smith got the ball, despite Pearce’s protests. Moments later, MacDonald won the ball and moved forward down the left, cut inside onto his right foot and curled a shot well over the bar. The Stags were ahead on 12 minutes when Joel Byrom knocked the ball forward into the area, Danny Rose controlled with one touch and fired into the bottom right corner of the net from 12 yards. (footnote, I’d originally noted the goal as 11 minutes, but it was actually 11 minutes and 1 second from the video, which is officially 12 minutes). On 13 minutes, sharp play from Rose to win the ball, but the ball ran out of play. The Stags were looking lively going forward. On 17 minutes, a free kick from 28 yards by Jordan Roberts and a free header for Joe McNerney but he headed the ball the wrong way. Poor marking nonetheless. The Stags had a great chance to increase the lead on 19 minutes as Ben Whiteman headed over a golden chance unmarked from 10 yards from Alfie Potter’s fine cross Then on 20 minutes, Green teed up Whiteman for a low shot that the keeper saved well low down. The ball came to Potter who slipped over in the area and there were no appeals for a penalty as he went down. The Stags deservedly went further ahead on 23 minutes. Ben Whiteman ran forward from inside his own half and with runners either side distracting defenders, Whiteman kept going before firing a precision shot in off the left post from the edge of the D. The Stags had chances to go 3-0. Firstly on 26 minutes, Hayden White crossed from the right and Mal Benning volleyed wide of the left post in what might have been a carbon copy of his blinder against Newport last season Then on 30 minutes, Potter pulled the ball back from the byline on the left to Green who turned well in the area to create space for himself and his low shot was saved by the keeper with his legs. In between those chances on 29 minutes, Pearce was booked for a foul on James Collins. It was as good a half hour as we’ve seen from the Stags with 6 great chances created with Potter, MacDonald, Whiteman, Byrom, Danny Rose and Green so lively going forward tearing Crawley to shreds and the game should have been out of sight. On 32 minutes, Jordan Roberts crossed and a beautiful catch by Kean. But one piece of sloppy defending on 34 minutes completely changed the momentum of the game. Andre Blackman crossed from the left, and Dean Cox was allowed all the time he wanted to control the ball 12 yards from goal, and fire into the left corner of the net. So sloppy from Mansfield. On 36 minutes, Roberts got down the left and Benning did well to clear. Then on 37 minutes, a half-chance for Crawley as Whiteman cleared a ball across the 6 yard box. On 41 minutes, MacDonald did well to win a corner. From the corner, Danny Rose tried to shoot but wasn’t quick enough and the ball was cleared. Then another half chance for Danny Rose as he tried an acrobatic kick at goal, but connected with a defender and the referee awarded Crawley a free kick for dangerous play. Mansfield could have re-established the two goal lead on 44 minutes as MacDonald teed up Whiteman for a low-cross shot which was just wide of the left post as Green slid in to try to turn it home. A really bright first half from Mansfield going forward, but sloppiness at the back gave Crawley a way back into the game. Whiteman back to his best in that first half. The Stags were 9th in the live league table at half time, needing other results to turn their way as well as completing victory at Crawley. Half time 1-2 On 49 minutes, a quick throw from Crawley, and Bennett did well to clip the ball away for a corner. On 54 minutes, brilliant play from MacDonald to win the ball. But Crawley were level on 55 minutes from a corner. Steve Evans felt it should not have been a corner as MacDonald did superbly to block a cross from Boldewijn, and the ball ricocheted back off Boldewijn and out. From the video, it’s hard to tell if, when the ball struck Boldewijn again, it was already out for a corner or not. The corner from the right was taken short to Jordan Roberts who fired a magnificent shot just inside the right post from just outside the area. That was a high quality goal. On 57 minutes, White and Dean Cox went down as the ball ran loose to Jordan Roberts. As Roberts broke forward with the loose ball, White and Cox grappled with each other, the referee stopped play, despite Crawley having an attack well inside the Stags half, and both players were booked. From studying the video, both players deserved to be booked. On 60 minutes, James Collins forced into the Stags area on the right with brute strength holding off Bennett, and laid off to Cox fired wide under good pressure from White. Two minutes later, Collins got to the byline and his cross evaded Boldewijn. On 64 minutes, Whiteman did well to clear off the line from Jimmy Smith’s header following a free kick from the left. Coulthirst replaced Potter on 67 minutes. Green moved to right midfield, MacDonald to left midfield. On 68 minutes, Pearce was bullied off the ball by James Collins as a long ball went over the top, and Collins fired in a low shot and Kean saved well with his legs. Taft replaced White on 70 minutes. Bennett moved to right back. On 72 minutes, Kean saved well again with his legs as Collins got to a near post corner before Bennett. Moments later, Djalo fired out of the ground. On 75 minutes, Taft headed the ball out to Collins who sent a piledriver just wide from 30 yards. CJ Hamilton replaced Danny Rose on 75 minutes. Green went back up front and MacDonald moved back to right midfield. On 79 minutes, the Stags could have regained the lead as Taft fired over from a good position after the ball came out to him from a MacDonald corner from the right. The Stags players appealed for a penalty for handball by James Collins but the referee indicated that it hit his shoulder, and from the video that looked to be correct. On 83 minutes, James Collins fired against the inside of the post and out again from the right. That was very unlucky. Mansfield had done very little going forward in the second half, but could have won it on 85 minutes. Byrom lobbed the ball forward to MacDonald who couldn’t get in a shot, but won a corner. From the corner from the left by MacDonald, Pearce sent a thumping header just wide. That was close. On 88 minutes, MacDonald’s free kick from 23 yards, left of centre, was well over the bar. He’s put several free kicks like that over the bar. Neither side could force a winner and a draw was a fair result. Man of the match: Ben Whiteman PLAYER OF THE SEASON From my average player ratings across every league+cup game this season, my player of the season was Joel Byrom (average rating 7.02). Second and third respectively were Mitch Rose (6.89) and Ben Whiteman (6.85). Byrom and Whiteman were pivotal in changing the team’s fortunes around from the start of January, and that is reflected in their average ratings. Note: only ratings for players starting a game are included - ie. sub appearances not included. Minimum 10 games started. Note that if only the games since the start of January are included, then Danny Rose shoots to the top (with an average of 7.07). Thanks to Pete Wright for his spreadsheet. Special mention to Rhys Bennett who ended the season as the first ever present Stags player in a season since goalkeeper Alan Marriott in 2009/2010, and the first ever present outfield player since Alex John-Baptiste in 2006/2007. Bennett was the CHAD Readers player of the season, the winner of the vote for player of the season on mansfieldtown.net, and the players’ player of the season. Krystian Pearce was the SSA player of the season and the Ollerton Stags player of the season. The manager Steve Evans’ player of the season was Ben Whiteman. |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the Broadfield Stadium
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Line Up:
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(4-4-2)
Kean 7 Two good saves with his legs from James Collins and one beautiful catch. Not at fault for either goal in my opinion. White 7 Defended well generally. Good cross for Benning’s shot. Rightly booked for tangling with Dean Cox. Bennett 6 Did ok, but a tough afternoon against the excellent James Collins who generally got the better of him. Pearce 6 Also had a tough game against James Collins. Nearly the hero late on with a header just wide. Benning 6.5 Defended ok. MacDonald 8 Lively, creative and hard-working. Shooting was poor, well off target. Whiteman 8 Back to his best in the first half, creative and with an excellent goal. Good clearance off the line in the second half. Missed a sitter with a header. Byrom 7 Good game particularly in the first half. Potter 7 Set up chances for Whiteman and Green in the first half. Disappeared in the second half before being subbed. D.Rose 7 Really fine goal. Green 6.5 Good first half setting up chances for Pearce and Whiteman. Forced keeper into one good save with his legs. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Coulthirst (for Potter, 67 mins) -
Taft (for White, 70 mins) - Hamilton (for D.Rose, 75 mins) - Subs not used: Jensen, Lee Collins, Lewis Collins, McGuire. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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Morris; Young, Connolly (Yorwerth 69), McNerney, Blackman; Boldewijn, Djalo (Harrold 90), Cox (Clifford 88), Smith, Roberts; James Collins. Unused subs: Mersin, Bawling, Tajbakhsh, Lelan.
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Referee:
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Carl Boyeson 7 Good at allowing play to continue and then going back to a previous foul after there was no advantage. Generally handled the game well.
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