Season 17/18 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Accrington Stanley
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Benning sent off 13.
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Conneely 60
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Attendance: 5053 (543 from Accrington)
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Date: 30 March 2018
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10-MAN STAGS SHOW SPIRIT BUT FALL TO ACCRINGTON
Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town were beaten 1-0 at home by Accrington Stanley, who go top of the league by three points with two games in hand and now appear certainties for automatic promotion. For the Stags, it was the second defeat in succession, after only six defeats in the whole of the season prior to that. But this was a much more spirited performance than the atrocious defeat at Forest Green last week. The Stags started on the front foot, but were rocked by a straight red card for Mal Benning after just 13 minutes. Benning fouled former Stag Billy Kee, Benning was high with his left boot, and his studs were showing as he caught Kee. The referee did not see the incident, but sent off Benning on the advice of his linesman. From the video, the decision looks reasonable and there would be no chance of a successful appeal. Manager David Flitcroft agreed with the decision after the game, and said that Benning would be fined for his rash challenge. Accrington were right on top, but Mansfield regrouped for the final 15 minutes of the half, playing some fine football and could have been ahead by the break, with Rhys Bennett heading a great chance towards the roof of the net where it was tipped over by the keeper, that coming after he’d sent another header wide, and Kane Hemmings firing well wide after great play from Lee Angol to set up a chance. Early in the second, Mansfield’s best chance to open the scoring came through a brilliant move down the right, with Alex MacDonald back-heeling to Hayden White, whose cross from the right was knocked wide in front of goal by Hemmings. Accrington had looked dangerous from corners with James Dunne getting in a couple of headers, and they took the lead on 60 minutes, when Sean McConville’s corner from the right was headed home unmarked by Seamus Conneely, giving Conrad Logan no chance. Conneely had lost his marker CJ Hamilton, and it was a costly error. The Stags worked extremely hard in the final 30 minutes to try to find an equaliser but despite getting the ball into the box at regular intervals, couldn’t find the killer touch. The Stags players were given for a good reception by the home fans at the final whistle, the fans appreciated how hard the team worked. However the sending-off of Benning, and the poor marking for the goal, were extremely costly. Mansfield drop out of the play-off positions, one point behind 7th placed Lincoln with 7 games to go. No win in the last 6 games means Mansfield are now 8 points behind 3rd placed Wycombe. The Stags go to high flying Luton on Monday. Then the final 6 games of the season are all against teams in the bottom half of the table. Still all to play for and Mansfield have a great chance of making the play-offs, even if automatic promotion looks very difficult now. Mansfield’s hoodoo against Accrington stood at 13 games without a win in the league since Accrington reformed as a club. And so it increases to 14 games after today’s game. Manager Flitcroft, in his Wednesday press conference, talked about the reasons for changing to a 4-3-3 formation at Forest Green, and said he would switch back to 4-4-2 at home. As promised, he did so. Krystian Pearce was suspended and was replaced by Zander Diamond, who was returning from injury. Danny Rose was out with the ligament injury he picked up at Forest Green. He was replaced by CJ Hamilton. Finally Jacob Mellis returned from injury, and replaced Joel Byrom in midfield, with Byrom dropping to the bench. Mansfield started with a 4-4-2 formation, with Hamilton reinstated in his familiar left wing role. Lee Angol and Kane Hemmings were together up front. Johnny Hunt returned to the bench (effectively replacing Pearce in the 18), as did Jack Thomas who has returned from loan at Tamworth. Still no Alfie Potter in the 18, and no confirmation on whether he is still injured, though we assume he is. Accrington made one change to the side that beat Forest Green in their last game, with Ben Richards-Everton replacing Janoi Donacien at left back. Accrington arrived on an incredible run, having won 12 out of their previous 14 games. Mansfield were looking to get off to a fast start, and did exactly that with Hamilton crossing into the six-yard box inside the opening 45 seconds and Atkinson sliding in but unable to turn the ball goalwards. Then with just 1 minute and 30 seconds on the clock, Angol controlled a high ball from Diamond, turned on the edge of the area and his shot was turned over the bar by the keeper. The Stags crowd were creating a great atmosphere. Accrington showed their quality on 5 minutes, when Scott Brown played a great ball forward for Kayden Jackson who broke into the area on the right and fired into the side netting. Then on 7 minutes, a good cross from McConville from the byline on the right, and Scott Brown’s shot from 16 yards was magnificently saved, one handed by Conrad Logan, as he was diving the other way. From the next corner, Dunne headed over. A game changing moment on 13 minutes with a straight red card for Mal Benning. Benning fouled former Stag Billy Kee, Benning was high with his left boot, and his studs were showing as he caught Kee. The referee did not see the incident, but sent off Benning on the advice of his linesman. From the video, the decision looks reasonable and there would be no chance of a successful appeal. Manager David Flitcroft agreed with the decision after the game, and said that Benning would be fined for his rash challenge. Benning will be suspended for 3 games. CJ Hamilton moved from left wing to left back as Mansfield switched to 4-3-2. The resulting free kick, from McConville was easily pushed away by Logan. A strange moment on 16 minutes. Callum Johnson crossed low from the right, the linesman clearly indicated that the ball did not go out of play. The Mansfield players stopped as the ball obviously did go out of play. The referee blew for a corner, over-ruling his linesman, at the same moment as Billy Kee was alive to the situation and knocked the ball into the net with the Stags players having stopped. On 19 minutes, from another McConville corner, Jackson’s close range shot was saved by Logan as he came out quickly, the ball came back to Kee and his shot was deflected wide by Diamond. On 21 minutes, an Accrington free kick a yard outside the box to the right of centre. McConville shot towards the far post and MacDonald headed behind for a corner. From that corner, Dunne sent a free header wide. On 22 minutes, Hamilton played a good ball forward, which was just put behind for a corner before MacDonald had a chance to nip in and get a shot in. Then from the resulting corner MacDonald crossed from the left, Angol headed across goal and Bennett headed wide. Logan’s long ball forward created havoc for Accrington on 24 minutes, as Mark Hughes sliced an attempted clearance, off his knee, it looped up and MacDonald was nearly able to get on the end of it, but the keeper was just able to claim. On 27 minutes, Hemmings seized on a loose ball and ran to the edge of the area on the left, but lost possession as he tried to cut inside. McConville was booked for two fouls in quick succession, on 31 minutes. The Stags should have been ahead on 33 minutes. Hamilton chipped a great free kick into the area from the halfway line, Diamond headed on, and Bennett headed towards the roof of the net, where the keeper tipped it over. Bennett should have scored. From the resulting corner, Diamond headed across goal, Hemmings flicked across and Angol volleyed over the bar. The Stags were playing really well with a great move after 36 minutes which came to nothing. Then another good move, as Angol did very well to set Hemmings away down the left, but Hemmings sent a wild shot well wide when he should have taken it further forward and shown more composure. The Stags had switched to 4-4-1 by this stage, with Hemmings on the left side of midfield. On 40 minutes, a wonderful ball from Mellis out to the right hand side to White, whose cross was caught by the keeper. Straight to the other end, and Clark’s left footed shot was well wide of the left post, in Accrington’s first attack for quite some while. Then Brown shot over the bar from 20 yards. On 44 minutes, an Accrington player went down in the box, but there was no foul. Angol broke quickly to the other end and Mellis won a corner. Following that corner, White sent a cross or a shot onto the roof of the net with the keeper backpedalling furiously. On 45+1 minutes, Conneely’s shot from 25 yards was deflected straight to Logan. So, 0-0 at the break. Mansfield had started well, but Accrington were right on top for a while either side of Mal Benning’s red card. However Mansfield then had a very good 15 or 20 minutes, putting Accrington under pressure. Half time 0-0 Stags assistant manager Ben Futcher was sent off at the end of the first half, and he spent the second half five seats to the right of me in the press box. Presumably he was sent off for something said to the officials. On 47 minutes, a McConville corner from the left found Dunne who headed straight at Logan. Mansfield’s best chance to open the scoring came on 50 minutes through a brilliant move down the right. MacDonald back-heeled to White, whose cross from the right was knocked wide in front of goal by Hemmings. Angol’s persistence created something from nothing on 53 minutes. He chased a lost cause, the keeper cleared the ball against him, the ball ballooned up in the air, and Angol had a sight of goal from the left for a split second, but he missed his kick, attempting to volley it. Mellis was booked for bringing down Clark on 58 minutes. McConville took the resulting free kick and Dunne headed straight at Logan. Accrington had looked dangerous from corners and set pieces with those headers for Dunne, and they took the lead on 60 minutes, when McConville’s corner from the right was headed home unmarked by Seamus Conneely, from 7 yards out, giving Logan no chance. Conneely had lost his marker CJ Hamilton, and it was a costly error. On 62 minutes, a great cross from the right by White which the keeper flapped away. Diamond gave the ball away on 64 minutes, not the first time he’d done that. He looked a little rusty having returned from injury. On 66 minutes, Kee tried his luck from 30 yards, and fired well wide. Miller replaced Hemmings on 66 minutes, as the Stags reverted to two up front. On 71 minutes, a great ball from Atkinson out to White on the right, who won a corner. The Stags had had several corners, with Mellis taking them short to MacDonald who crossed in. This seemed a waste of player who could otherwise have been in the box, especially with the Stags already a man down. However Accrington did bring two players over towards the corner flag each time so it could be argued that it made the box less congested. Good play from Miller on 73 minutes, as he won the ball off Dunne, forced his way to the byline and crossed low but couldn’t find a Stags shirt in the middle. Two minutes later, a chance for the Stags as MacDonald’s long throw was headed down by Atkinson but just wouldn’t fall for a Stags shirt. The home fans were already incensed by the officials, who then missed a clear shirt pull by Clark, which should have been worthy of a yellow card. McConville found Richards-Everton overlapping on 81 minutes and he sent a poor shot into the side netting. On 82 minutes, Hamilton got to the byline, and pulled back into the middle for Angol who turned but didn’t get in a shot. There had been other occasions where Angol should have pulled the trigger and didn’t. On 85 minutes, Kee played the ball forward to Jackson in the area on the right, his low shot from a tight angle was half-stopped by Logan and Bennett completed the clearance. On 88 minutes, Angol squared to MacDonald who had a chance to shoot from 25 yards but completely missed his kick. Diamond was now up front. Only 2 minutes were added on, it should have been at least a minute more than that. White was booked for fouling Kee on 90+2 minutes, as Accrington wound the clock down, and White was frustrated. Boos at full time for the officials and the Accrington players from the Stags fans, who gave the home team a good reception for a spirited performance. A good shift from Mansfield. But the Stags have now taken just 4 points from the last 6 games, the last 5 of which have been under the new manager. On to Luton on Monday, where the Stags will need to play very well to get something from the game. Man of the match: Hayden White |
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Report by: Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill
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Line Up:
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(4-4-2)
Logan 7 No chance with the goal. One magnificent save early in the game. Otherwise some routine saves and no errors. White 8 Very good game. Some fine attacking down the right, with some good crosses. Diamond 6 Looked a little rusty having returned from injury. Gave the ball away a few times. Bennett 6.5 Defended solidly. Missed two good chances. Benning 5 Let his team down with the early red card. Atkinson 6.5 Some good passes. MacDonald 6 One or two good moments, but otherwise disappointing. Mellis 7 Decent game on return from injury with some good passes. Hamilton 6 Did pretty well out of position at left back, but lost his man for the goal. Angol 7 Worked incredibly hard and gave the defence some problems. Took too long to get in a shot on more than one occasion. Hemmings 6 Missed a good chance from White’s great cross. Poor shot in the first half when put through by Angol. |
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Sub Line Up:
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Miller (for Hemmings, 66 mins) Did quite well, a shame no chances fell to him.
Subs not used: Olejnik, Hunt, Digby, Anderson, Thomas, Byrom. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-4-2): Chapman; Johnson, Dunne, Hughes, Richards-Everton; Clark, Brown, Conneely, McConville; Kee, Jackson. Subs not used: Maxted, Nolan, Zanzala, Williams, Sousa, Rowan, Rodgers.
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Referee:
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Andy Haines 5 We think the officials got the red card correct. But plenty of poor decisions. Allowed a clear dive to go unpunished, and a clear shirt pull to go unpunished.
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