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Archived News from March 2021

GORDON ERRORS GIFT GAME TO BARROW
12th March 2021 0:17


English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Barrow 2 - 0 Mansfield Town
Brough 74, 77 Sweeney sent off 63
Attendance: behind closed doors

Date: 6 March 2021

Martin Shaw at Holker Street

Mansfield Town gifted Barrow a 2-0 victory at Holker Street this afternoon in a second half where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

The Stags started the game 11 points above Barrow, who were in the relegation zone and who had a game in hand on Mansfield, so winning the game and bouncing back from defeat at Bradford was important for Mansfield, but avoiding defeat was imperative.

The first half was not high on entertainment but the Stags had the better of it with Ollie Clarke heading over the bar from a fine Mal Benning cross, Jamie Reid wasting a great chance when his first touch let him down after a superb pass from Jordon Bowery, while Barrow just had one chance when Scott Quigley knocked over the bar from a Jamie Devitt free kick.

A minute into the second half, Ryan Sweeney was booked for tripping Josh Kay. Harry Charsley then went close when his fine 25 yard shot was tipped over the bar by keeper Joel Dixon.

But things started unravelling for the Stags after 63 minutes, when Sweeney was given a second yellow card and sent off for fouling Quigley and pulling his shirt.

Four minutes later, Aidan Stone limped off after making a clearance and according to Nigel Clough afterwards, he felt something in his knee. On came Marek Stech.

Barrow had a great chance to take the lead after 71 minutes. Patrick Brough got in behind Kellan Gordon on the left and pulled across to Jason Taylor who fired a shot wide of the right post.

After 73 minutes, Gordon came close to scoring at the other end when he cut inside and his left footed shot curled inches wide of the left post via a deflection. It was a good effort.

Seconds later, Gordon picked up a yellow card after he miscontrolled the ball and ended up fouling Kay.

It was to get much worse for Gordon after 74 minutes. A long ball forward from Tom Davies into the Stags half was chested down by Gordon who was facing his own goal. But Brough nipped in to take the ball off him and fire under Stech from 10 yards. It was a clanger from Gordon, and an absolute gift for Brough.

After 76 minutes, a chance to equalise as Mal Benning’s free kick from the left from 35 yards out was headed goalwards by Bowery and the keeper got down to his right to save on the line.

Unbelievably, the Stags gifted Barrow a second goal after 77 minutes. Brad Barry crossed from the right across the edge of the six-yard box, it should have been cleared by Gordon, but he completely missed it, gifting Brough the simplest of chances to knock into the net from six yards giving Stech no chance.

Four mistakes by Gordon the space of six minutes, two goals resulted, another good chance for Barrow was missed and he picked up a booking. He’ll surely never have a worse six minutes in his career. After the game Nigel Clough described the goals as “two inexcusable defensive errors”, and said that “Kellan Gordon giving the first goal away changed the game.”

Gordon was immediately substituted. Jordan Bowery also limped off but there is no information on his injury.

Jake Wright came on for his Stags debut. Keaton Ward also came on for his Stags debut having re-signed for the club yesterday until the end of the season. He was formerly with the Stags youth team, but signed for Barnsley in 2019. It was a difficult circumstance in which to come on, but Ward looked tidy.

Barrow had two chances to add further goals when Stech saved well from Quigley after 89 minutes and then again after 90+2 minutes.

A dreadful result for Mansfield, completely self-inflicted. In my opinion, Barrow had little to offer and demonstrated why they were in the bottom two, and that made defeat particularly disappointing. The game was gift-wrapped for Barrow. Nigel Clough summarised the game in one sentence afterwards: "We had a player sent off, our goalkeeper went off injured, and our right back gave two goals away."

Barrow move out of the relegation zone, and are 8 points behind the Stags with a game in hand. Bottom club Grimsby lost and remain 13 points behind the Stags. Second bottom Southend drew and they are also 8 points behind the Stags but have played a game more than Mansfield. There is work to do for the Stags to avoid the drop.

Leaders Cheltenham visit the One Call Stadium on Tuesday (kick-off 7pm). The Stags will be without Sweeney who will be suspended for one game. Lapslie is due back within the next week, whether he will make the Cheltenham remains to be seen, unlikely I would have thought, perhaps Crawley is more likely. Maris is a big miss and is out for a further 2.5 weeks. Hopefully Bowery’s injury is nothing serious after he limped off. Mansfield will need to produce a solid display, cutting out the errors which have dogged recent matches, while being better going forward. A repeat of the Morecambe game would be very welcome.

FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE

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SAT 06 MAR 2021, LEAGUE TWO
Barrow 2-0 Mansfield Town
Brough (74'minutes, 77'minutes)
Assists Barry (77'minutes)
Sweeney (Dismissed at63'minutes)

Match report supplied by PA Media.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56219849

Patrick Brough fired battling Barrow out of the League Two relegation zone with a welcome win over stuttering 10-man Mansfield.

Brough took full advantage of Ryan Sweeney's second-half sending off as he scored two goals in four minutes to get the Bluebirds back to winning ways at Holker Street.

Both sides squandered big chances before the break as home striker Scott Quigley poked over the bar from close range before Stags skipper Ollie Clarke headed over down the other end.

Barrow keeper Joel Dixon produced a super save to tip Harry Charsley's effort over after the break.

Sweeney was sent off in the 63rd minute for a second yellow card after bringing down Quigley.

Brough then made the most of a Mansfield mistake to open the scoring in the 74th minute.

Jordan Bowery forced Dixon into a good stop as the Stags searched for an instant equaliser.

But Brough put the game to bed with 13 minutes to go with an emphatic finish.

Late on, substitute keeper Marek Stech produced two fine saves to keep out Quigley.

Barrow climb above Southend, who drew at Oldham, on goal difference.


Match Stats
Home Team Barrow Away Team Mansfield
Possession Home 48% Away 52%
Shots Home 12 Away 6
Shots on Target Home 4 Away 2
Corners Home 0 Away 3

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Away day misery continues for Mansfield Town with defeat at Barrow
chad.co.uk, Saturday 6th March 2021

Mansfield Town’s troubles on the road continued with a third straight away defeat.

The stuttering Stags have failed to win any of their last five away from home.

Patrick Brough bagged a quick-fire second-half brace after Ryan Sweeney’s game-changing sending off at Holker Street.

https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/away-day-misery-continues-for-mansfield-town-with-defeat-at-barrow-3156994

And this latest disappointing defeat means Nigel Clough’s charges have won just one of their last eight.

More worryingly is the fact the goal-shy Stags have scored just once in their last 468 minutes of football.

Clough made a solitary change after losing at in-form Bradford last time out.

George Maris missed out with a groin problem with Harry Charsley his replacement and Clough was boosted after skipper Ollie Clarke’s red card was rescinded.

The Stags came close to an early opener when Jordan Bowery’s cross evaded Charsley at the back post.

And the visitors were fortunate Bleubirds’ striker Scott Quigley stabbed Jamie Devitt’s free-kick over the bar.

Down the other end Clarke squandered a big chance when he nodded Mal Benning’s cross over.

Jordan Bowery failed to fire home a rebound after stopper Joel Dixon did well to get down at Jamie Reid’s feet.

The Stags burst out of the blocks after the break as Charsley’s effort was superbly tipped over the bar by stopper Joel Dixon.

But their momentum was halted when Ryan Sweeney was shown a second yellow card for bringing down Quigley.

And to make matters worse number one Aidan Stone was replaced by Marek Stech after Stone was forced off injured.

Barrow took advantage of a Mansfield mistake as Brough slid home the opener in the 74th minute.

The Stags almost immediately restored parity when Bowery’s header forced Dixon into a fine save.

And the game was dead and buried when Brough smashed home a second with 13 minutes left.

Substitute keeper Marek Stech produced two late saves to keep out Scott Quigley.

Barrow: Dixon, Barry, Davies, Brough, Jones, Ntlhe, J Taylor, C Taylor (Beadling, 53), Kay (James, 84), Devitt, Quigley; Subs: Lillis, Eardley, Thomas, Banks.

Mansfield Town: Stone (Stech, 67), Benning, Sweeney, Rawson, Charsley (Perch, 64), O Clarke, Bowery (Sinclair, 79), Gordon (Wright, 79), Quinn (Ward, 79), Reid, Law; Subs: O’Keefe, J Clarke.

Referee: Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire)

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Barrow AFC get back to winning ways against Mansfield
North-West Mail, By George Lythgoe @GeorgeNWEM

UNLIKELY hero Patrick Brough bagged the first brace of his career as Barrow got back to winning ways against Mansfield.

The defender nabbed a quick-fire second-half double to propel the battling Bluebirds out of the relegation zone.

Ryan Sweeney was sent off before Brough ended his side’s two-game losing run with victory at Holker Street.

Rob Kelly’s side leapfrogged relegation rivals Grimsby on goal difference.

And most importantly the Bluebirds have a 20-goal sway over the misfiring Mariners.

https://www.nwemail.co.uk/sport/19141695.barrow-afc-get-back-winning-ways-mansfield/

Barrow have won two of their last four but have a tough spell ahead with trips to Walsall and Cheltenham.

Caretaker boss Kelly made a quartet of changes after losing against fellow Football League newbies Harrogate in mid week.

Chris Taylor and former Carlisle midfielder Jamie Devitt returned to the starting line-up after coming off the bench last time out.

Tom Davies and Josh Kay came back into the starting line-up after recovering from an injury and illness respectively.

And Devitt tried to make an instant impact but his audacious long-range strike flew wide of the mark.

Scott Quigley squandered the first glaring chance of the game.

The Bluebirds’ striker stabbed Devitt’s delightful delivery over the bar from six yards out.

Down the other end Ollie Clarke, who saw his mid-week red card rescinded, wasted a great chance when he nodded over the bar.

Stopper Joel Dixon did well to get down at Jamie Reid’s feet and the Bluebirds survived as Jordan Bowery failed to fire home the follow up.

The Bluebirds were indebted to Dixon for keeping the game goalless when he tipped Charsley’s ferocious effort over the bar.

But the hosts were gifted the advantage when Sweeney was given his marching orders for bringing down Quigley after the marksman turned his marker with 27 minutes remaining.

And then the visitor’s number one Aidan Stone was forced off injured.

The Bluebirds found space down the left but Jason Taylor fired wide after meeting Patrick Brough’s pin-point pass.

Nigel Clough’s charges threatened as Kellan Gordon’s effort was deflected wide.

And the man advantage eventually told as the hosts broke the deadlock with 16 minutes left.

Brough took advantage of a Mansfield mistake to slide home the opener.

And diving Dixon did brilliantly to maintain the goal advantage when he kept out Bowery’s header.

The Bluebirds put the game to bed as Brough blasted home his second in the 77th minute.

Quigley almost added gloss late on when his low drive was held by Stags’ substitute stopper Marek Stech after bullying his way into the box.

And the forward was once again frustrated in stoppage time with Brough unable to get on the end of the rebound to get a deserved hat-trick.

Final score: Barrow 2, Mansfield 0.

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