Season 17/18 Stagsnet Match Report
|
|
|
||
|
Notts County
|
|
Mansfield Town
|
||
|
Hawkridge 36.
|
Hemmings pen 90+9
|
|||
|
Attendance: 12,514 (4164 from Mansfield)
|
||||
|
Date: 17 March 2018
|
||||
|
HEMMINGS PENALTY RESCUES CRUCIAL POINT IN ATROCIOUS CONDITIONS
Martin Shaw at Meadow Lane Mansfield Town rescued a draw from the jaws of defeat at Meadow Lane in a dramatic finish to the huge Nottinghamshire derby with Notts County this lunchtime. It was a game Mansfield could ill afford to lose as a Notts County victory would have moved them six points ahead of Mansfield albeit having played a game more. But a Notts County win looked in the bag for the home side with the allotted 7 minutes of stoppage time already been played at the end of the game. Then a Mal Benning corner was cleared by defender Matt Tootle as far as Alex MacDonald on the edge of the area and his header down struck Lewis Alessandra on his outstretched arm half a yard inside the area. It looked a penalty and the referee duly pointed to the spot. Up stepped Kane Hemmings to fire a tremendous penalty low and hard into the bottom left corner of the net and keeper Adam Collin had no chance of saving it despite diving the right way. It sent the 4,164 travelling Stags fans into raptures. In atrocious conditions and with regular blizzards sometimes covering the pitch in snow, the game was almost as poor as the conditions with neither side able to play good football, and hardly any good goalscoring chances for either side. Notts County had taken the lead after 36 minutes when a corner from the right was headed against the bar by Shola Ameobi, the ball ballooned into the air and former Stag Terry Hawkridge bundled it in from close range. Really poor defending from Mansfield allowing the header from Ameobi and then not clearing the ball as it ballooned into the air. The corner immediately followed a tremendous save by Conrad Logan, who denied Ameobi with his legs as Ameobi was found in acres of space inside the area by Jorge Grant. The rest of the first half was forgettable, aside from the atrocious weather conditions. The Stags were finally able to show a bit of quality going forward in the final 15 minutes of the game, as Danny Rose fired just wide of the right post, Rhys Bennett headed wide, and then Alex MacDonald powered a great header towards the top corner bringing a super save from the keeper tipping it over for a corner. The Stags won the penalty from that corner, and deserved the equaliser having finally come good near the end. The tremendous following from Mansfield was finally rewarded for turning out in huge numbers. Indeed Mansfield’s away support of 4,164 was their highest at an away game since 5,500 Stags fans at Newcastle in January 2006 in the FA Cup (beating 4,047 at Meadow Lane in March 2007, and not including the FA Trophy at Wembley of course). It was the highest Stags following for any away league game since away attendances started being quoted as official figures in 2002. So Mansfield extend the recent record of only losing once to Notts County in the league in the last 16 games between the two sides, stretching back to 1998. It was Mansfield’s 4th 1-1 draw on the trot, but this one felt very different to the previous three. The Stags remain 3 points behind 3rd placed Notts County with a game in hand, but are also 3 points behind 4th placed Wycombe, who have played the same number of games as Mansfield. The match was once again played for the Matt Salmon trophy in memory of the young physio, who died earlier in the season, aged 25, and represented both clubs. Stags boss David Flitcroft made three changes to the side that drew with Colchester. Hayden White and Joel Byrom dropped to the bench, while Zander Diamond was out through injury. In came Will Atkinson, Adam King and Rhys Bennett. Atkinson came into the right side of midfield, with Paul Anderson moving back to right back. King came in for Byrom in a straight swap in midfield. Bennett returned from suspension. Alfie Potter was still not able to come back into the 18. Ricky Miller replaced Jimmy Spencer on the bench. Jacob Mellis was also not fit enough to play. It was David Flitcroft’s first away game as Stags new manager. The game was played in a strong swirling wind with regular snow blizzards covering the pitch. The first half-chance of the game came on 6 minutes. Dickinson crossed from the left, and Stead miscued a header well wide. On 10 minutes, Logan punched the ball well out of his area and Liam Noble lobbed the ball back over him and over the bar from 25 yards. Had it gone in it would it would have been reminiscent of Calum Butcher’s debut goal at Carlisle. Mansfield’s first chance came on 14 minutes. King headed forward to Hemmings whose shot was deflected for a corner. On 25 minutes, a chance for MacDonald to cross to an unmarked Rose in the middle but a defender was just able to clear. On 32 minutes, a good turn by Rose just outside the area, and his left footed shot was easily saved. On 35 minutes, Hawkridge chipped a ball forward to the left for Grant to run on to. Ameobi was in an offside position but nowhere near the ball so the officials were correct to play on at that stage. Grant played the ball across the edge of the six yard area to Ameobi who controlled before sliding the ball towards the bottom right corner of the net, but Logan saved superbly with his legs. Dreadful defending from Mansfield who left Ameobi unmarked. UPDATE: later studying of the video shows that when Grant crossed to Ameobi, Ameobi was at that point offside, and should have been flagged offside. See image below 
From the resulting corner, Notts County were in front. Dickinson’s corner from the right to the far post was met by Ameobi who thundered a header against the bar. Some Stags fans thought Logan got a touch on it, but the video confirms that he didn’t. The ball ballooned into the air and former Stag Terry Hawkridge bundled it in from close range. Really poor defending from Mansfield allowing the header from Ameobi (he got away from his marker Pearce) and then not clearing the ball as it ballooned into the air (Anderson and MacDonald were in the best position to clear, but didn’t). An unsavoury moment on 39 minutes. MacDonald went down injured, Liam Noble put the ball out so he could get treatment. Mansfield refused to give the ball back to Notts County and launched an attack from the resulting throw-in. I have slated other teams for doing this in the past, including Graham Westley’s Stevenage, and in my opinion this was extremely poor sportsmanship from Mansfield which I hope I don’t witness again. There is an unwritten code of conduct in this area which teams generally observe. I cannot ever recall a Mansfield side doing this before under any previous manager. Soon afterwards, Anderson curled in a good cross from the right after Grant miskicked an attempted clearance, the cross was towards Hemmings but Ben Hall just got a little touch to head it away from Hemmings. So 1-0 to Notts County at the break. A terrible half of football in atrocious conditions. Mansfield created almost nothing, and at the back poor defending gifted Notts County three chances inside a minute, the final of which was taken. The Stags were guilty of attempting too many long balls forward to Rose, who won very little. Half time 1-0 On 50 minutes, a long free kick forward from Notts, Ameobi headed on, and great defending by Rose to put behind for a corner. Rose hurt himself in the process but was eventually ok to carry on. Atkinson was booked on 53 minutes for a sliding challenge. On 57 minutes, Stead played a low cross across the edge of the six yard box, missed by everyone. The Stags broke straight to the other end, Hemmings did superbly to win the ball on the left on the halfway line with sheer muscle. He embarked on a great run all the way into the area and sent in a left footed shot that the keeper turned into the side netting, though it was going wide of the left post anyway. On 60 minutes, Hamilton’s cross from the left was cleared to Anderson who fired just wide of the right post from 25 yards. Angol replaced King on 61 minutes. King had had a quiet game. Angol went up front, Hemmings slotted into right midfield (and later sometimes left midfield), Atkinson moved in to the centre, in what was still a 4-4-2 formation. On 63 minutes, Ameobi forced his way down the right past Benning, his ball in hit Pearce and went over Pearce’s own bar. On 70 minutes, MacDonald took a short throw-in on the left, got the ball back from Benning, cut inside, and his shot from an angle was deflected straight to the keeper. Benning was booked for a foul on 72 minutes. MacDonald pushed a Notts County player away in the aftermath and was lucky to escape without a booking himself. On 73 minutes, Hemmings on the left, tried to play inside to Angol but it didn’t quite come off as it was intercepted. However definite signs that Mansfield were starting to put things together, at last. On 81 minutes, Atkinson laid off a superb ball to Rose, just inside the area on the left. Rose took a touch to steady himself and fired across the keeper and just wide of the right post. At the other end on 83 minutes, Grant’s shot from the edge of the area was straight at Logan. On 85 minutes, MacDonald chipped in a cross from the left and Bennett headed wide of the right post. The Stags had two corners in quick succession, but both were cleared. MacDonald was booked on 88 minutes for a foul. 7 minutes of time were added on, for several long stoppages during the half. Digby replaced Anderson on 90+1 minutes, Anderson limping off. Atkinson moved to right back. On 90+7 minutes, from 35 yards out Digby curled a delicious ball into the area and on to MacDonald’s head. MacDonald arched his neck muscles and sent a great powerful header towards the top corner, bringing a super save from the keeper tipping it over for a corner. Despite being over the 7 minutes of stoppage time (7 minutes 15 seconds to be exact), the referee correctly continued to play on due to further stoppages in stoppage time (including two substitutions). The resulting corner, taken by Benning, was cleared by defender Matt Tootle as far as MacDonald on the edge of the area and his header down struck Alessandra on his outstretched arm half a yard inside the area. It looked a penalty and the referee duly pointed to the spot. Up stepped Hemmings to fire a tremendous penalty low and hard into the bottom left corner of the net and keeper Adam Collin had no chance of saving it despite diving the right way. It sent the 4,164 travelling Stags fans into raptures. There was barely time for the game to restart. So a late late equaliser from Mansfield, but one which was deserved for that last 15 minutes and the chances created. Man of the match: Kane Hemmings |
||||
|
Report by: Martin Shaw at Meadow Lane
|
||||
|
Line Up:
|
(4-4-2)
Logan 6.5 Tremendous save with his legs from Ameobi just before the Notts County goal. No chance with the goal. Anderson 5 Poor game by his own admission on twitter after the game. Pearce 7 Ameobi got away from him to head against the bar. Otherwise defended very well, including some good interceptions. Bennett 6.5 Defended ok. Benning 6.5 Did reasonably well down the left, and defended solidly. Atkinson 6.5 Superb set up for Rose’s chance in the second half. Otherwise not too effective. King 5.5 Quiet game. MacDonald 6.5 Worked hard even when things weren’t going his way. His frustration boiled over when he pushed a Notts County player away in the aftermath of the Benning booking and was lucky to escape without a booking himself. But determined to keep going, he put in a great header that was superbly saved on 90+7 minutes, and then won the crucial penalty seconds later with another header. Hamilton 6.5 Did ok down the left without being dynamic. Won some corners. Rose 6 Didn’t win much in the air. One great piece of defending. Good turn in the first half but shot straight at the keeper, one shot just wide in the second half. Hemmings 8 Buried the crucial penalty, with a tremendous low shot that no keeper could save. One great run and shot into the side netting. |
|
Sub Line Up:
|
Angol (for King, 61 mins) -.
Digby (for Anderson, 90+1 mins) - Super cross for MacDonald’s header which was tipped over. Subs not used: Olejnik, White, Byrom, Sterling-James, Miller. |
|
Opposition Line Up:
|
(4-4-2): Collin; Tootle, Duffy, Hall, Dickinson; Hawkridge (Alessandra 81), Hewitt, Noble (Smith 90+3), Grant; Ameobi, Stead. Subs not used: Fitzsimons, Virtue, Brisley, Husin, Jones.
|
|
Referee:
|
Andy Woolmer 7 Got the penalty spot on. Didn’t have the best of games before that. His assistant should have flagged Ameobi offside when Grant crossed for Ameobi’s shot that was saved by Logan.
|
|
|