Season 17/18 Stagsnet Match Report
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Vitoria de Setubal FC
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Mansfield Town
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Nuno Valente 77
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Attendance: app 250 (app 200 from Mansfield), my estimates
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Date: 7 July 2018
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Martin Shaw at Guia Futebal Clube, Albufeira
Mansfield Town started their pre-season matches with a very useful workout against Portugese top flight side Vitoria de Setubal FC (Vitoria FC) at Guia Futebal Clube in the Algarve this morning. Vitoria, who play their home matches 220km north of Guia, had been on a pre-season training just over the border in Spain and had been due to play a Spanish club, but when that Spanish club pulled out, it was agreed just a few days before the game they would play Mansfield, who themselves had been due to play Dundee. Vitoria, who play Benfica next week in a pre-season tournament, sent their first team, and the quality of some of their football was evident to see. Vitoria played some good stuff in the opening half an hour especially with tricky no.10, Brazilian Eber Bessa causing the Stags all kinds of problems, including hitting the post, and then winning a penalty for a foul by Conrad Logan. Bessa though blotted his copybook firing the resulting spot kick well over the bar to the amusement of Stags fans. Mansfield’s best moment of the first half came when Otis Khan superbly got past two defenders on the left and his low cross was turned goalwards by Craig Davies, only for the Vitoria keeper to make a save from close range at his near post. Mansfield changed their entire eleven at half time while Vitoria made fewer changes. The second half saw Mansfield more in evidence as an attacking threat, and could have been in front when Calum Butcher’s shot from a tight angle was saved by the keeper. Then Lee Angol made a powerful run forward despite having his shirt pulled back, following a nice ball from Jordan Graham, and Angol’s low shot was saved. Good pace and power from Angol nevertheless. Vitoria scored the only goal of the game on 77 minutes. Jacob Mellis gave away a free kick 23 yards from goal. No.3 Nuno Valente, who apparently has a termination clause in his contract worth five million euros, stepped up and curled a superb free kick into the right of the net, with Stags keeper Bobby Olejnik motionless. Mansfield’s best chance to equalise came from Olejnik’s long kick forward which was nearly turned goalwards by young Jordan Graham in the area but he couldn’t quite connect. So it ended 1-0 to Vitoria FC, and a deserved victory for the Portugese side, who were clearly from a higher standard of football. However for Mansfield this was a really useful workout. There were plenty of impressive performances. In the first half, Matt Preston really stood out at the back with a dominant display at centre half. There was also great play by Otis Khan in setting up a good chance for Craig Davies. In the second half, Krystian Pearce and Hayden White did well in the defence, and Omari Sterling-James and Jacob Mellis impressed in midfield. Several youngsters on show for Mansfield, Henri Wilder did not look out of place in defence in the first half, while in the second half Jordan Graham up front showed tremendous power and strength for one so young, and might be one to look out for this season. He was already on the bench last season of course. Mansfield Town 1st half team (3-5-2): Conrad Logan; Nathan Cameron (on trial), Matt Preston (new signing from Swindon), Henri Wilder (youngster); Nyle Blake (youngster), Alex MacDonald, Neal Bishop (new signing from Scunthorpe), Otis Khan (new signing from Yeovil), CJ Hamilton; Tyler Walker (season loan from Forest), Craig Davies (new signing from Oldham). 2nd half team (3-5-2): Bobby Olejnik; Hayden White, Krystian Pearce, Lewis Gibbens (youngster); Omari Sterling-James, Will Atkinson, Calum Butcher, Jacob Mellis, Mal Benning; Lee Angol, Jordan Graham (youngster). On the pre-season training trip but did not play: David Mirfin, Danny Rose (both injured), Paul Anderson (unclear if injured, but at the game). Not on the pre-season trip: Zander Diamond, Paul Digby (both transfer listed). There was no team sheet of Vitoria players, so I have to describe most of them by their number, other than a couple of players who can be identified from the Vitoria FC website report of the game. The Stags turned out in their usual home kit of amber and blue. The home kit will be unchanged this season from last season. Conrad Logan and Bobby Olejnik played in their usual goalkeeping kit of green and black. Vitoria also played in green and black, indeed exactly the same shades of green and black, and the colour clash would not have been allowed in a league game in England. The game was played in a nice little stadium with a capacity of about 600. Similar to plenty of non-league stadiums around England, though admittedly smaller than the Proact Stadium. It has been hot all week in Portugal though it was definitely cooler this morning at the time of kick-off (11.15am) than it was yesterday afternoon. Inside the opening ten seconds of the game, there was a terrible challenge from a Vitoria player on trialist Nathan Cameron, right in front of us. It should have been a yellow card, but the referee just gave a free kick. On 4 minutes, Vitoria no. 20 shot over the bar from 22 yards, the first chance of the game. Four minutes later, no.10 Eber Bessa cut inside and fired wide and over from 25 yards. Vitoria claimed for a penalty on 9 minutes when no.10 Eber Bessa went own in the box under a challenge from Nyle Blake following a cross from the right but the claims were rightly turned away. On 11 minutes, no.10 Eber Bessa and Alex MacDonald had to be separated as they squared up following another rumbustious challenge. Both players should have been booked but weren’t. Vitoria were unlucky not to take the lead on 12 minutes when the impressive no.10 Eber Bessa sent a low shot against the outside of the left post from 22 yards. On 16 minutes, Hamilton went down in the area but there was no foul and it would have been a soft penalty if given. The shots kept on coming for Vitoria. On 17 minutes, no. 20 fired just over the bar from 20 yards. On 18 minutes, the tough tackling continued as Neal Bishop went through the back of no.10 Eber Bessa, and again players squared up. Bishop eventually apologised, but no.10 Eber Bessa just pushed him away. Bishop should have been booked but wasn’t. Logan did well to come out quickly to claim a ball forward on 21 minutes. On 22 minutes, Hamilton played a good ball through to Davies but Davies was too slow to get there and it was put behind for a corner. MacDonald took the resulting corner high into the middle and trialist Nathan Cameron headed wide. Vitoria were gifted a penalty on 29 minutes as a back pass to Logan from trialist Cameron was left short and Logan brought down no.10 Eber Bessa as he tried to go round him. No.10 Eber Bessa stepped up to take the resulting penalty and fired well over the bar. As Stags fans chanted “you’re f**ing s**t”, Logan approached no.10 Eber Bessa laughing. On 32 minutes, no. 23 headed wide of the right post from a curling free kick 35 yards out. Good defending from Matt Preston on 36 minutes as Vitoria looked to unlock the Stags defence with tricky play. Meanwhile the physical battle between no.10 Eber Bessa and Alex MacDonald was continuing. The Stags best chance of the first half came on 40 minutes when Otis Khan superbly got past two defenders on the left and his low cross was turned goalwards by Craig Davies, only for the Vitoria keeper to make a save from close range at his near post. Then on 41 minutes, from Khan’s free kick from the left, Cameron fouled his man in the box as he tried to get in a header, not for the first time in the half. It was a spikey first half with plenty of bad challenges flying in from both sides. If the referee had booked the Vitoria player inside the first minute for the terrible challenge on Nathan Cameron, he might have prevented that from happening. Vitoria were much the better side in the opening 30 minutes showing their quality, hitting the post and winning a penalty, but the Stags came back into the game well in the final 15 minutes of the half with Khan creating a chance for Davies. Matt Preston really shone in defence with a fine performance. Up front, Tyler Walker and Craig Davies didn’t see much of the ball, though Davies did have that one effort on target. Trialist Nathan Cameron didn’t have the best of halves, but I would guess will be given more game time to prove his fitness and worth. Half time 0-0 The Stags changed their entire eleven at half time, while Vitoria just made one or two changes. A reminder of the Stags team for the second half (3-5-2): Bobby Olejnik; Hayden White, Krystian Pearce, Lewis Gibbens (youngster); Omari Sterling-James, Will Atkinson, Calum Butcher, Jacob Mellis, Mal Benning; Lee Angol, Jordan Graham (youngster). On 48 minutes, good defending from White and Pearce to snuff out a Vitoria attack. Then a minute later, good play from young Jordan Graham to win a free kick. But the free kick from Mellis was wasted, over everyone. A chance for Vitoria on 52 minutes. A free kick into the area reached no. 11 who cut inside and shot from a tight angle just wide of the right post. A chance for the Stags out of the blue on 54 minutes when a ball from Jordan Graham found Butcher in the area and, from a tight angle, his shot was saved by the keeper. Jordan Graham caught the eye again on 56 minutes showing great strength to hold on to the ball. The referee finally found his yellow cards, booking Butcher for a very late challenge on 59 minutes. From the resulting free kick, good defending by Pearce to clear. A minute later at the other end, a great break by Sterling-James to win a corner. But the resulting corner from Benning was just over everyone. On 67 minutes, Mellis was gifted the ball by the keeper 30 yards out and for a split second, he had a chance for a shot over the keeper but he didn’t take it and the half chance was gone. On 68 minutes, a Vitoria free kick from the left was very well depended by Pearce. Lee Angol made a powerful run forward on 74 minutes despite having his shirt pulled back, following a nice ball from Jordan Graham, and Angol’s low shot was saved. Good pace and power from Angol nevertheless. A chance for Vitoria on 75 minutes. No. 21 crossed in and no. 9 escaped from his marker Lewis Gibbons and sent a free header wide. Vitoria scored the only goal of the game on 77 minutes. Jacob Mellis gave away a free kick 23 yards from goal. No.3 Nuno Valente, who apparently has a termination clause in his contract worth five million euros, stepped up and curled a superb free kick into the right of the net, with Stags keeper Bobby Olejnik motionless. It was a great free kick but I would like to have seen Olejnik at least attempt to save it. On 79 minutes, the Stags were gifted a corner by a goalkeeping error. Benning’s corner from the left was headed out as far as Atkinson who headed back towards the goal but wide and out for a goal kick. After all the poor challenges earlier in the game which had not received yellow cards, the referee surpassed himself with his idiocy in booking Mellis for taking a free kick too quickly on 80 minutes. A minute later, Sterling-James did well to snuff out a Vitoria quick break. The Stags nearly created an equaliser with a long kick forward by Olejnik on 84 minutes which bounced into the area and Jordan Graham was inches away from getting a connection which might have turned it into the net. A bad miss from Vitoria on 85 minutes as no. 8 crossed into the middle and no. 7 knocked over the bar from 5 yards. On 87 minutes, a great cross field ball from young Lewis Gibbens from the left found Sterling-James on the right. Sterling-James did superbly to get into a position to cross, but his cross was poor. A final chance for the Stags to equalise on 90+1 minutes but Benning’s free kick was too close to the keeper. A pretty good run out for the Stags. Disappointing to lose against anyone of course, but this was high quality opposition, and it was a great free kick which separated the sides. In the second half, Krystian Pearce and Hayden White did well in the defence, and Omari Sterling-James and Jacob Mellis impressed in midfield. It was young Jordan Graham who really caught the eye though with tremendous power and strength for one so young, and he might be one to look out for this season. Man of the match: Jordan Graham Finally, a word on the rest of the pre-season schedule. At present, only four games are considered first team games, these are the four games at the One Call Stadium, all against Championship sides (Derby in 11 days time, followed by Sheff Utd, Sheff Wed and Rotherham). However depending on game time needed by first team players before then, other games may be turned into first team games. The candidates for this are the games against Bradford Park Avenue on Thursday (12th July), and then three games all at the same time next Saturday (at Gainsborough, Hednesford and Retford United). But to repeat, at present, none of these are designated as first team games. |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at Guia Futebal Clube, Albufeira
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Line Up:
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Mansfield Town
1st half team (3-5-2): Conrad Logan; Nathan Cameron (on trial), Matt Preston (new signing from Swindon), Henri Wilder (youngster); Nyle Blake (youngster), Alex MacDonald, Neal Bishop (new signing from Scunthorpe), Otis Khan (new signing from Yeovil), CJ Hamilton; Tyler Walker (season loan from Forest), Craig Davies (new signing from Oldham). 2nd half team (3-5-2): Bobby Olejnik; Hayden White, Krystian Pearce, Lewis Gibbens (youngster); Omari Sterling-James, Will Atkinson, Calum Butcher, Jacob Mellis, Mal Benning; Lee Angol, Jordan Graham (youngster). |
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Sub Line Up:
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None
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Opposition Line Up:
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Cristiano, Mano, Vasco Fernandes, Pedro Pinto, Nuno Pinto, Semedo, Éber Bessa (no.10), Costinha, Alex Freitas, Leandro Resida and Allef. Subs: Artur Jorge, André Pedrosa, Victor Veloso, Valdu Té, Nuno Valente (no.3), Ruben Micael, Cascardo, André Sousa and Cortez.
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Referee:
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Let far too much go, which contributed to even more poor challenges in my opinion.
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