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Archived News from February 2021

CLOUGH AND SIMON WEAVER REACTION
26th February 2021 21:26


Manager analyses Harrogate loss
mansfieldtown.net, Tuesday 23rd February 2021

Stags’ boss Nigel Clough has offered his thoughts on this evening’s 1-0 defeat away to Harrogate Town.

Aaron Martin’s goal early in the second-half was enough to decide what was a scrappy affair at the EnviroVent Stadium.

The Mansfield Town manager says the nature in which the Stags conceded the game’s only goal - just seconds after the restart - was ‘criminal.’

“The goal we gave away is absolutely criminal and you’re not going to get anything from matches if you give goals away like that,” the boss told iFollow Stags.

“Ten seconds after half-time, from the kick-off, we haven’t been disappointed that much in the last three months. The centre halves have both failed to do their jobs and clear the ball.

“But to give the game away as we did tonight, we are bitterly, bitterly disappointed.

“[We had] four or five [opportunities], right from early on. Ollie Clarke ran through the middle one-on-one and the goalkeeper has made a good save.

https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2021/february/nigel-clough-post-harrogate/

“Faz Rawson should score from a corner with his header, and Ollie had another couple of good situations. That was our opportunity to go and get a goal in the first-half.

“When you come out in the second-half, you want to continue that, but to give them a goal as we did - you saw exactly what happened at our stadium a few months ago, when they get 1-0 up they work unbelievably hard to stop you then.

“It’s just giving the goal away as we did. If someone goes round us and sticks one in the top corner, we hold our hands up. But we’ve gifted the game away tonight.

“I’ve learned that we are where we are in the league for a reason. The task is still the same - survive this season, and build for next season.”

Nigel Clough discussed the changes he made in the second-half, whilst also conceding that his side did not do ‘enough’ to win the game tonight.

“We just tried to shake something loose and go with something a little different. We went with the two up top with a 4-4-2 and then went with three-at-the-back when Ty [Sinclair] came on.

“But I just don’t think we did enough to go and win the game tonight.

“I don’t know if we’re feeling sorry for ourselves after the last two defeats, but we don’t want to revert time and go back to how we were three or four months ago. It’s very important we don’t do that.

“The break that we had - we talked about losing the momentum - that, without a doubt, has affected us. Three defeats on the spin is very, very difficult to take.”

There was also a comment on the versatile Jason Law, who made his first league start for the Stags this evening.

“I think he did alright,” added the boss. “The surface is very tricky, it was very sandy out there and very firm, which is unusual when we’ve been on a boggy pitch.

“It was difficult for him, but I think he did alright. He had a good 30 minutes on Saturday and he did well tonight.”

iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the manager’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later this evening.

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What Simon Weaver said to his Harrogate Town players at half-time to inspire victory over Mansfield Town
harrogateadvertiser.co.uk, By Rhys Howell, Tuesday 23rd February 2021

Simon Weaver revealed that he delivered a "few brutal home truths" during his half-time team-talk as Harrogate Town beat Mansfield Town 1-0 at Wetherby Road.

The Sulphurites chief was not impressed with what he saw during the opening 45 minutes of Tuesday night's League Two clash, with his players second-best to the visiting Stags all over the field.

Weaver stopped short of giving his players the hairdryer treatment, but admitted that he didn't pull any punches in getting his point across at the interval.

And, whatever was said certainly seemed to have the desired effect, with Aaron Martin volleying home what proved to the game's only goal just 10 seconds after the re-start.

https://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/sport/football/what-simon-weaver-said-to-his-harrogate-town-players-at-half-time-to-inspire-victory-over-mansfield-town-3144879

"I wasn't happy with the first-half performance, but the players weren't happy with themselves," Weaver revealed.

"We came in and we were all a bit flat from the performance. We were nowhere near it. Everyone had to give themselves a shake. There were a few brutal home truths without me ranting and raving.

"We had a frank chat at half-time. It wasn't a screaming match but it was 'come on, we are better than this at both sides of the game'.

"I didn't have to raise my voice once it was just. a case of 'what are we doing here? We can't play at it. We can't turn up when we want. We can't get away with turning up and producing a flat performance' - which is what it was in the first-half.

"They're a good honest group and you can address them honestly and there's no dissent from that because they all understood that we needed to do more. We are fighting and scrapping for every point.

"We had to earn the right to play. We had to start being a bit more aggressive, physically and not being second best, which at times we were. But, we really did respond well, and that is what I wanted from what we said at half-time - a reaction."

Match-winner Martin was one of those players who had been on the receiving at half-time and Weaver was particularly pleased with his centre-forward's response.

"It was great technique from him to volley home," the Harrogate boss said of the decisive goal.

"I'm really pleased for him because it was a sure-fire way to get back in the good books after what I said to him at half-time.

"I think he deserved that for his reaction."

Victory lifts Town two places and up to 13th in the League Two standings ahead of Saturday's home showdown with Grimsby.

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Simon Weaver "couldn't be prouder" of Harrogate Town's attitude during second half of win over Mansfield Town
harrogateadvertiser.co.uk, By Rhys Howell, Tuesday 23rd February 2021

Simon Weaver said he "couldn't be prouder" of the attitude displayed by his players in the second half of Tuesday night's League Two success over Mansfield Town.

The Sulphurites were below-par all over the field during an opening period which the visiting Stags had the better of, home custodian James Belshaw making two good saves from Ollie Clarke to keep his side on level terms.

But, a sweetly-struck volley by Aaron Martin just 10 seconds after the interval put Town in the ascendancy and paved the way for a much-improved 45 minutes of football.

"I was delighted with the response after quite a dour first half where we just weren't at it," Weaver reflected.

https://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/sport/football/simon-weaver-couldnt-be-prouder-of-harrogate-towns-attitude-during-second-half-of-win-over-mansfield-town-3144790

"But, the important thing is that we weren't losing. We hung on in there, we played better in the second half and we found a way to win the game, which is so important at this level.

"We had to be a bit more physical, we had to earn the right to play and show a bit more class - and I think we showed our true colours second half.

"It wasn't a perfect performance but the attitude second half was pretty much perfect for me. There was a lot of hard graft. Everyone contributed.

"We really did respond well and we showed a massive desire to get the three points, so I couldn't be prouder of the second-half display - and that's what you want as a manager."

Martin's decisive 46th-minute goal arrived after strike partner Josh March pressured Mansfield centre-half Ryan Sweeney into a poor defensive header inside his own penalty area.

Thus, Weaver praised both of his centre-forwards for their contribution to the game's decisive moment, while also hailing his team's ability to see another game out from a winning position.

"It was a great centre-forward's finish, but both Aaron Martin and Josh March have contributed," he added.

"Their centre-half was put in two minds. Josh gambled, he made the sort of run I'm always willing the strikers to make and the ball has come off the top of their lad's head.

"As soon as Aaron hit it I thought 'back of the net', and I'm delighted for him. It's great technique from him to volley home and it was great for the team to have that boost of the goal so early in the second half and to be a winning position.

"We scored a fantastic goal and then had something to hold on to, but it wasn't just about that, we played a lot more football and showed what we're about.

"It's been a case of so far, so good in terms of what we've done when we've gone 1-0 up in games and that is really important. You have to have that trait if you're serious about being a proper Football League club."

Victory for Town lifts them up two places to 13th in the League Two standings.

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