Season 18/19 Stagsnet Match Report
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Mansfield Town
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Lincoln City
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Pearce 3.
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Akinde pen 75
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Attendance: 7177 (1603 from Lincoln)
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Date: 18 March 2019
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STAGS DRAW WITH LEADERS LINCOLN
Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town drew 1-1 with leaders Lincoln City in a top of the table clash in front of the Sky Sports cameras at the One Call Stadium last night. With no other games played on the night, the game certainly took centre stage for the footballing nation. The draw took the Stags back above MK Dons and into third place on goal difference, with just 8 games of the season left now. Mansfield took an early lead when Krystian Pearce headed in from Mal Benning’s corner. A fairly rare Stags goal from a corner in recent times, to add to Pearce’s goal from a corner against Macclesfield last month. The Stags were good value for the lead at half time and could have been further in front as Tyler Walker shot wide from a good position after a great move involving Neal Bishop, Jorge Grant and CJ Hamilton. The Stags could have had a penalty when Jorge Grant went down under a challenge from Michael O’Connor. Grant knocked the ball past O’Connor and went down over his outstretched leg, clipped on the boot. It certainly falls into the category of “seen them given” but Premier League referee Graham Scott decided that Grant had made too much of it, going down theatrically and booked Grant for diving. Mansfield a little unlucky there I think. At the other end, Michael Bostwick’s shot was blocked by his own man Harry Anderson on the line. The Stags were the better side in the first half, but Lincoln were the better side in the second half and picked up a point thanks to a penalty after 75 minutes. Harry Anderson nicked the ball past Conrad Logan who was coming out of his goal and clattered into Logan. It was an obvious penalty, but unnecessary from Mansfield’s point of view, as Logan got his timing all wrong with Anderson going nowhere. A mistake from the Stags keeper. John Akinde stepped up to take the penalty, and as he always does, waited for the keeper to move before rolling the ball into the opposite side of the net. Not many chances for either side in the second half, but Lincoln deserved their point. Really only one chance for Mansfield in the second half as Jorge Grant set CJ Hamilton away with a great ball forward, Hamilton powered forward into the area and forced a one-handed diving save from the keeper. Despite the lack of chances in the second half, it was quite a good game to showcase the Stags and League Two in general. A note on the excellent attendance. The attendance of 7177 was the biggest since the game with Chesterfield last season of 7525. This was the first time Mansfield had been live on Sky Sports since 2005, though Mansfield had of course had plenty of live games on other channels in the intervening period such as BT Sport, ESPN and BBC1; 21 games in fact in total. And it was the first time Mansfield had been live on TV in the Football League since 2000. A great moment at half time as John and Carolyn Radford got a wonderful reception from Stags fans, with news last week that they have made the final payment to Keith Haslam for the ground, with the Stags therefore now fully in control of their own destiny regarding the One Call Stadium. Huge thanks from the Stags fans. John said a few words, noting that he has achieved two of his three major objectives, getting the club back into the Football League from non-league, and getting the ground back, and now wants everyone to get right behind the manager and players to try to get the club into the Championship, via League One. Eight games to go then, and every one is going to be massive. Crewe are the visitors to the One Call Stadium on Saturday. Crewe will be full of confidence having put 6 past Crawley on Saturday. Perhaps the biggest positive from last night’s game was the return to action of Matt Preston and Ryan Sweeney following injury. As a result, the Stags defence looked a lot more assured. Preston, Sweeney and Pearce have of course formed a formidable back three for Mansfield this season, with the fewest goals conceded in League Two. The Stags made two changes to the side that drew at Crawley with Preston and Sweeney coming in, and Turner and MacDonald making way. It was a return to the 3-4-1-2 formation, with Jones and Benning at wing-back, and Grant playing behind the front two of Walker and Hamilton. Dropping out of the 18 were Will Atkinson and Zayn Hakeem. Lincoln had former Stags Matt Rhead and Lee Angol on the bench. The Stags were looking for a bright start to the game and got it with 3 minutes on the clock, taking the lead. Good play from Jones and Grant on the right to win a corner, with Grant’s cross deflected into the side-netting by Bostwick. Benning’s delivery from the resulting corner was superb and Pearce headed into the net from inside the six-yard box, just escaping from the clutches of his marker O’Hara. The ground was bouncing as the Stags fans were delirious. On 14minutes, Harry Anderson crossed in from the right for Lincoln, the ball squirmed up in the air as Preston tried to clear, and Pearce hooked the ball away off his own line. The Stags broke straight to the other end, and Lincoln keeper Gilks punched away a cross from Jones under pressure from Walker. Straight back to the other end, and Logan did well to catch Andrade’s cross from the left. A moment of controversy on 17 minutes as the Stags could have had a penalty when Jorge Grant went down under a challenge from Michael O’Connor. Grant knocked the ball past O’Connor and went down over his outstretched leg, clipped on the boot. It certainly falls into the category of “seen them given” but Premier League referee Graham Scott decided that Grant had made too much of it, going down theatrically and booked Grant for diving. Mansfield a little unlucky there I think. On 19 minutes, Andrade’s low shot from 30 yards was saved to his right by Logan. The Stags could have been further in front on 23 minutes as Walker shot wide from a good position after a great move involving Bishop, Grant and Hamilton. Grant was fouled 26 yards from goal after 29 minutes. Grant’s low shot from the free kick was poor though, weak and straight at the keeper along the ground. On 32 minutes, Benning’s corner from the right was headed over the bar by Bishop. Lincoln’s best chance of the half came on 35 minutes following a corner as Bostwick’s shot was blocked by his own man Harry Anderson on the line. Logan held a looping header on his line after 37 minutes. Great defending by Pearce against Akinde a minute later. Logan did well to hold Toffolo’s low cross after 42 minutes. Then a good tackle by Benning on Akinde on 45+1 minutes. The Stags were very good value for the lead at half time, having been the better side. Half time 1-0 The Stags started the second half well in the opening minutes. On 47 minutes, a low cross from Jones from the right, Grant back-flicked and it came off Bolger for a corner. Benning’s corner from the right was another good one, to the far post, where the keeper tipped it away with his fingertips. A chance for the Stags after 53 minutes. Grant set Hamilton away with a great ball forward, Hamilton powered forward into the area and forced a one-handed diving save from the keeper. From the resulting corner from the right, another good one from Benning, Sweeney headed wide. Danny Rowe sent a weak shot well wide on 56 minutes. Nearly a moment of calamity on 58 minutes. Logan had been faultless since returning to the side at Crawley, including for nearly an hour here, but he dropped a cross from the left at the feet of Anderson. Anderson had a chance to tap the ball into the empty net but Logan just got the ball back in time. A heart-stopping moment. MacDonald replaced Grant after 59 minutes. Grant was disappointed to be replaced. Justifiably so in my opinion, he had been at the heart of most of the good attacking the Stags had done with his creativity, including winning the corner for the goal, the incident where he could have won a penalty, a fine ball to set Hamilton away to set up Walker’s chance, and a great ball forward for Hamilton’s chance. On 62 minutes, a long free kick from Preston out to the left was superbly volleyed across the face of goal by Benning, and headed away to Mellis who volleyed goalwards from 19 yards. Mellis’s volley was blocked by O’Hara and looked like it was on target. Seconds later, Jones crossed from the right and Walker flicked wide. Andrade cut inside from the left after 66 minutes and shot wide of the left post. A great break from the Stags after 67 minutes, as Walker surged forward from well inside his own half to almost the edge of the area but ran into a crowd of players, when he had Hamilton free on his left. Logan did well to punch away Akinde’s lob across the face of goal after 69 minutes. Then came that decisive moment with the penalty to Lincoln after 75 minutes. Harry Anderson nicked the ball past Conrad Logan who was coming out of his goal and clattered into Logan. It was an obvious penalty, but unnecessary from Mansfield’s point of view, as Logan got his timing all wrong with Anderson going nowhere. A mistake from the Stags keeper. Akinde stepped up to take the penalty, and as he always does, waited for the keeper to move before rolling the ball into the opposite side of the net. Almost straight from the kick-off, Mellis chipped forward to MacDonald, who chested it forward but it ran through to the keeper. Moments after that, Mellis broke forward from the halfway line and shot wide of the left post from 28 yards. A minute after that, Benning’s free kick from the halfway line was headed goalwards by Pearce but an easy save for Lincoln keeper Gilks. Preston was booked for bringing down Andrade after 81 minutes. He took one for the team there, with Andrade breaking away. After 85 minutes, Andrade got into the area and his low shot was well-saved by Logan. A minute later, Eardley’s shot from 25 yards was miles over the bar. The Stags had run out of ideas going forward. A good tackle by Preston after 89 minutes to concede a corner. Logan did well to punch away a high cross a minute later. Tomlinson replaced Mellis after 90+3 minutes. 4 minutes added on. Well into the 5th minute, and the Stags had two throw-ins in an advanced position level with the edge of the Lincoln area but inexplicably didn’t throw bodies into the box. So the game finished 1-1, and ultimately disappointing to be held to the draw after leading so long. But Lincoln deserved their point, coming on strong in the second half as the Stags ran out of ideas going forward. Nevertheless this was a good advert for the Stags and for League Two in front of the watching nation. Man of the match: Krystian Pearce |
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Report by: Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill
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Line Up:
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(3-4-1-2)
Logan 5 Had been faultless since returning to the side at Crawley, including for nearly an hour here, but then dropped a cross at the feet of Anderson which he just got away with, and then got his timing all wrong with Anderson going nowhere to concede the critical penalty. Before that, made some good stops and catches from crosses. Preston 7 A huge positive to see him back in action after injury. Looked very solid. Pearce 8 Scored the goal. Some great defending including one clearance away from the line. Sweeney 7.5 Also great to see him back following concussion. Sky’s man of the match, had a really solid game. Jones 7.5 Several good crosses from the right, really good game, his best in a Stags shirt. Bishop 7.5 Another very fine game, winning tackles, fighting for everything. Mellis 6.5 One great volley that was blocked and looked on target, and a good ball forward for MacDonald. Benning 7 Some great corners, including for the goal, for Bishop’s header and for Sweeney’s header. Could have been more decisive in the Lincoln penalty incident. Grant 7 Subbed after 59 minutes but had been at the heart of most of the good attacking the Stags had done with his creativity, including winning the corner for the goal, the incident where he could have won a penalty, a fine ball to set Hamilton away to set up Walker’s chance, and a great ball forward for Hamilton’s chance. The Stags created very little after he went off. Walker 6 Shot wide from a good position in the first half and great surging run in the second half but ran into a crowd of players when Hamilton was in space. Hamilton 6.5 Great pull-back to set up Walker’s chance in the first half. Powered forward into the area in the second half and forced a one-handed diving save from the keeper. |
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Sub Line Up:
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MacDonald (for Grant, 59 mins) - Made little impact. Chested one ball forward but it ran through to the keeper.
Tomlinson (for Mellis, 90+3 mins) - Subs not used: Jordan Smith, Turner, Khan, Alistair Smith, Ajose. |
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Opposition Line Up:
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(4-2-3-1): Gilks; Eardley, Bostwick, Bolger, Toffolo; O’Connor (Pett 67), O’Hara; Anderson, Rowe, Andrade; Akinde (Rhead 90+4). Subs not used: Vickers, Wilson, McCartan, Frecklington, Angol.
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Referee:
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Graham Scott 6 Premier League referee who correctly called the Lincoln penalty, but decided that Grant had made too much of the foul on him in the area and booked him for diving. Mansfield a little unlucky there I think. Otherwise handled the game well.
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