Season 18/19 Stagsnet Match Report
|
|
|
||
|
Northampton Town
|
|
Mansfield Town
|
||
|
Foley 69.
|
Benning 12
|
|||
|
Attendance: 5905 (1465 from Mansfield)
|
||||
|
Date: 13 April 2019
|
||||
|
STAGS DRAW AT NORTHAMPTON
Martin Shaw at Sixfields Mansfield Town drew 1-1 at Northampton Town this afternoon in a poor game. The Stags were buoyed by an early goal direct from a corner on 12 minutes. Tyler Walker did well to win the corner. Mal Benning curled the corner from the right high towards the far post, Ryan Sweeney rose highest in the middle, but it went just over his head, and was already heading straight into the net even though it clipped the keeper’s leg as it went in. It was Benning’s third goal of the season. But the Stags failed to build on that, and conceded an absolute glut of corners and free kicks in dangerous positions. Eventually the Stags were unable to successfully defend all of those set pieces and Sam Foley headed home from a 69th minute corner to deservedly equalise for the Cobblers. Foley got in front of Matt Preston and in front of Conrad Logan to head in from 3 yards. After that, the Stags stepped up their attacking intent: Danny Rose headed wide from a corner, and then knocked over the bar from 8 yards after Ryan Sweeney headed down a Benning free kick. And with the final kick of the game, Jacob Mellis sent a free kick just over the bar. Mansfield also had a couple of shouts for a penalty, one for a push on Rose and one for a handball, though both looked as though they would have been soft. But the Stags did not do enough to deserve the win and a draw was a fair result. Neither goalkeeper had a difficult save to make during the game apart from the goals. Northampton’s other best chance came from a free kick as Aaron Pierre escaped from his marker Neal Bishop for a free header at the far post which he sent into the side netting. Overall the Stags conceded far too many set pieces and in the end paid the price, while at the other end were lacking in quality going forward until the later stages. A great following of 1465 from Mansfield did their best to encourage the side, but in the end just a point for the Stags when we wanted three. Wins for Bury, and Tranmere (who beat MK Dons), mean Mansfield are in third place, a point behind Bury, a point ahead of MK Dons and two ahead of Tranmere, with just four games to go. Morecambe come to the One Call Stadium on Good Friday. Get down there if you can to roar the team on! Mansfield made one change from the side that beat Cambridge last week. Ryan Sweeney replaced Ben Turner. Turner is out for two weeks with a calf strain and slight tear. Sweeney had replaced Turner at half time last week. No place in the starting line up for Jacob Mellis, who had changed the game against Cambridge with his creative quality. I would have started him here. With Turner out, Jason Law came on to the bench to provide a bit more defensive cover. Northampton are managed by former Stags manager Keith Curle. Timi Elsnik, who was at Mansfield on loan for the first half of the season, and is on loan at Northampton for the second half of the season, was on the bench and did not come on. Northampton had Daniel Powell up front, a player who Steve Evans was keen to sign when he was Mansfield manager. Northampton were on top in the opening 10 minutes. An early corner on 2 minutes, taken by Buchanan was headed harmlessly wide by Goode. A mistake by Sweeney on 5 minutes and to compound that he fouled Williams. The free kick, from the right, level with the penalty spot, was good from Buchanan to the far post where Aaron Pierre escaped from his marker Bishop and headed in the side netting. Then after 10 minutes, a cross from the right from Hoskins, and Sweeney sliced his clearance over his own bar. There was great noise from the Stags fans, and they had something to cheer after 12 minutes. Walker did well to win a corner. Benning curled the corner from the right high towards the far post, Sweeney rose highest in the middle, but it went just over his head, and was already heading straight into the net even though it clipped the keeper’s leg as it went in. It was Benning’s third goal of the season. Off the top of my head, I can’t remember the last time the Stags scored direct from a corner. UPDATE: thank you to Robbie for reminding me that the Stags scored direct from a corner at Gateshead in 2009. He remembers as he wrote the Stagsnet report! (see here). Two minutes later, Benning took a throw-in from the left to Walker, Walker cut inside and his shot was deflected off Pierre wide for a corner. Walker was trying to re-create his goal from Exeter. A mistake by Tomlinson on 18 minutes, Pollock pushed forward but over-ran the ball through to Logan. On 30 minutes, a corner from Pollock and a shot went well wide from Turnbull. Then 2 minutes later, another corner from Pollock was headed forward, Walker tried to clear but played an air-shot, and it ran through to Logan. Moments later at the other end, Walker tried a shot from 22 yards which was blocked. On 35 minutes, Powell was fouled by Benning after Sweeney didn’t clear the ball. The free kick from Buchanan was slid across the edge of the area to Hoskins, whose shot was blocked. Seconds later the ball appeared to hit Sweeney on the hand in the area but it was certainly accidental and not a penalty. A great ball forward from Tomlinson after 41 minutes nearly set Hamilton away, but he still did well to win a corner. Benning’s corner to the far post skimmed off the top of Preston’s head for a goal kick. The Stags ahead at the break despite not playing particularly well. Northampton had won far too many corners and free kicks in dangerous positions. Daniel Powell was causing Sweeney a headache down the Northampton right. Half time 0-1 Preston was booked for a foul on Andy Williams just outside the area on the left on 51 minutes. On 56 minutes, persistence from Benning on the left as he forced his way into the area and hesitant defending nearly put Hamilton in, but Hamilton did win a corner. Good from Benning. From MacDonald’s corner, Preston headed down but it was blocked. Mellis replaced Tomlinson after 56 minutes. It had been scrappy from Mansfield and more creativity was certainly needed. Rose replaced Jones on 65 minutes. Hamilton switched to right wing back. The Stags had conceded an absolute glut of corners and free kicks in dangerous positions. Eventually they were unable to successfully defend all of those set pieces and Sam Foley headed home from a 69th minute corner from Pollock from the left to deservedly equalise for the Cobblers. Foley got in front of Preston and in front of Logan to head in from 3 yards. Both could have done better. MacDonald did well to win a corner after 72 minutes. Benning’s corner from the right to the far post was headed wide by Rose, who got up really well. Buchanan turned well on the edge of the area at the other end on 73 minutes, but his shot was weak and an easy save for Logan. Good play by Mellis to win a corner after 75 minutes. But the corner was wasted as the Stags conceded a free kick in the box. Rose slid in with a shot that blocked after 76 minutes, following a Benning free kick. A minute later Rose had a shout for a penalty. A ball forward to Rose in the area, he may have had a little push in the back from Pierre, but the referee gave a free kick the other way. I think a penalty would have been soft. A chance for the Stags to win it after 85 minutes as Rose knocked over the bar from 8 yards after Sweeney headed down a Benning free kick. It was awkward for Rose as the ball got up higher than he might have expected and he knocked it acrobatically over with his right boot. Another shout for a Stags penalty on 88 minutes as Walker’s cross hit Pierre’s arm. Pierre was just a couple of yards away from Walker. Pierre’s arm was well away from his body in an “unnatural position” and as such would almost certainly have been given as a penalty under VAR in the Champions League. From the pitchside video, we can see that the referee explains to Walker that Pierre’s arm was down by his side. It clearly wasn’t from the video replay. Three minutes of stoppage time was added on. In the fourth minute, Rose won a free kick 27 yards from goal in a central position. We needed Jorge Grant here, but he was still on the bench. Mellis took the free kick and fired just over the bar. Disappointing at full time but the Stags did not do enough to deserve the win and a draw was a fair result. Neither goalkeeper had a difficult save to make during the game apart from the goals. Man of the match: Mal Benning |
||||
|
Report by: Martin Shaw at Sixfields
|
||||
|
Line Up:
|
(3-5-2)
Logan 5.5 Foley got in front of Logan and Preston to head in from 3 yards for the goal, and both players could have done better. Preston 5.5 Foley got in front of Logan and Preston to head in from 3 yards for the goal, and both players could have done better. Pearce 6 Did ok. Sweeney 5.5 Struggled against Daniel Powell. Good header down for Rose’s chance. Jones 5.5 Little impact on the game. Tomlinson 5.5 One mistake in the first half allowed Pollock to push forward. One good ball forward for Hamilton to run on to. MacDonald 5.5 Created little. Bishop 5.5 Lost his man Pierre who headed into the side netting from a free kick. Benning 7 Great corner for the goal. Good free kick which led to Rose’s chance. Good game. Walker 5.5 Did well to win the corner that led to the goal. Quiet game. Hamilton 5.5 Good play to win one corner, but barely got into the game either up front or at wing-back. |
|
Sub Line Up:
|
Mellis (for Tomlinson, 56 mins) - Free kick over the bar with the final kick of the game.
Rose (for Jones, 65 mins) - Missed a great chance after 85 minutes. Later admitted he should have gone with his head rather than a volley. Subs not used: J.Smith, Atkinson, Jason Law, Grant, Hakeem. |
|
Opposition Line Up:
|
(4-4-2): David Cornell; Shay Facey, Charlie Goode, Aaron Pierre, David Buchanan (sub George Cox 89); Jordan Turnbull, Sam Foley, Sam Hoskins, Scott Pollock (sub John-Joe O'Toole 90); Daniel Powell (sub Junior Morias 82), Andy Williams. Subs not used: Luke Coddington, Dean Bowditch, Joe Powell, Timi Elsnik.
|
|
Referee:
|
Paul Marsden 6 Incorrectly ruled against Mansfield’s shout for a penalty on 88 minutes.
|
|
|