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Archived News from March 2021

STAGS DRAW AT TRANMERE THANKS TO QUINN VOLLEY
30th March 2021 23:51


English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Tranmere Rovers 1 - 1 Mansfield Town
Woolery 45+3. Quinn 76
Attendance: behind closed doors

Date: 27 March 2021

Martin Shaw at Prenton Park

Mansfield Town ended a four game losing run away from home with a creditable 1-1 draw at Tranmere Rovers this afternoon. The point was enough to lift Tranmere into the automatic promotion places, while the Stags dropped a place to 19th.

Tranmere took the lead in stoppage time at the end of an even first half. But Mansfield deservedly equalised after 76 minutes when Stephen Quinn sent a sweetly struck volley into the right corner of the net from the edge of the box for his first goal for the club. In the past week, three Stags midfielders have scored their first goals for the club. In the end, the draw was certainly a fair result though both sides will reflect that they could have won it.

The Stags played some good football in the first half without troubling the Tranmere keeper. After 6 minutes Mal Benning got into a great position along the byline but didn’t make the most of it. After 16 minutes good play from Jamie Reid to get into the area but he shot wide.

A minute later, controversy as Reid was barged over in the area by George Ray who made no attempt to play the ball. It definitely came into the category of 'seen them given' though I could also understand why the referee might not do, arguing it was a shoulder charge. Nigel Clough told me after the game he thought it should have been a penalty and that anywhere else on the pitch the referee would have given a free-kick.

Tranmere went close after 20 minutes when Peter Clarke got way above Farrend Rawson to head just wide from a Liam Feeney corner. Harry Charsley and Jordan Bowery both had shots blocked while at the other end Woolery turned and shot straight at Aidan Stone. Benning again got into a great position on the byline after 33 minutes after very good play by Bowery but his low cross was straight to the keeper. Jason Law had a shot blocked by Peter Clarke after 35 minutes, before Peter Clarke again headed just wide at the other end from another excellent Feeney delivery, this time from a free kick. After 41 minutes Ali Crawford lifted a shot onto the roof of the net from 12 yards after Benning headed out another Feeney cross. Then after 44 minutes, Stephen Quinn started a good move but it ended with his soft shot straight to the keeper.

Tranmere took the lead 3 minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half. Former Stag Otis Khan, playing at right back, lifted a high ball into the Stags area from 40 yards out, Kellan Gordon stooped to head it away. His header away went only as far as Keiron Morris 30 yards from goal. With Gordon still on the ground, Morris immediately played the ball forward to Woolery, who Gordon had been marking and who was now unmarked. Woolery took one touch before smashing a powerful low shot past Stone from 15 yards. Whilst Woolery was left of centre, it certainly was not a tight angle and hence I don’t blame Stone for the goal. After the game Nigel Clough pointed the finger at Gordon who Clough said “decided to head it when it was about a foot off the floor instead of kicking it”.

Mansfield made a double change at half time taking off Jordan Bowery and George Maris both of whom looked tired according to Clough, and bringing on George Lapslie and Stephen McLaughlin. It was great to see Lapslie back. Lapslie was straight into the action playing a great diagonal ball to Charsley in the area but Charsley stumbled at the crucial moment and as he went down he got a bang to the head. He would later have to go off. After 49 minutes, a poor kick out from Stone was straight to Feeney who sent a shot straight back but just wide of the left post.

After 54 minutes, Quinn tried to lob the keeper but was well wide. He was just getting a sighter! A good chance for the home side a minute later as Woolery found Crawford who fired over the bar from 14 yards. Charsley had to go off after 57 minutes and he was replaced by Ollie Clarke.

Jay Spearing, who could have should have already been booked twice by the referee, was finally booked after 59 minutes. The referee really had a poor game.

The Stags had a golden chance to equaliser after 62 minutes. Great play by Ollie Clarke, receiving a throw-in from Gordon, turning away from his marker Crawford and firing a shot goalwards. It was blocked but fell perfectly into the path of Reid who fired inches wide from 6 yards. Reid really should have scored from there. And it was the sort of luck in the box Nigel Clough has been craving for when he has spoken recently that ricochets just don’t fall kindly in the box for the Stags.

Jason Law sent a powerful 25 yard shot straight at the keeper after 70 minutes. After 73 minutes, the Stags had another shout for a penalty as Quinn smashed a shot goalwards from 14 yards, it struck Khan on the arm, but the referee waved away the appeals. Quinn was furious. Once again, it could have been given. At the other end a minute later, another great free kick from Liam Feeney, and David Nugent, the experienced striker just on as substitute, headed just over the bar.

The Stags were level on 76 minutes. Good play from Gordon, cutting inside two players on the right, his cross came out to Quinn who headed it forward. Spearing headed the ball away but only as far as Quinn again and he volleyed it sweetly left footed into the right corner of the net from the edge of the area. What a way to score your first goal for the club!

Another poor kick from Stone after 79 minutes, Woolery pushed forward but McLaughlin blocked his shot. Stone has had a tendency for several poor kicks recently and this is an area of his game that needs improving. After 82 minutes, Khan crossed in from the right to Paul Lewis who hooked a shot straight at Stone from 8 yards. A minute into stoppage time, McLaughlin blocked a shot from Nugent on the edge of the box and that was the last chance for either side.

1-1 the final score then and certainly a fair result in my opinion. The Stags looked good for long parts of this game. Stephen Quinn was very good in midfield and scored a cracking goal. It was great see Lapslie and Ollie Clarke back in the second half and both looked good, Clarke really taking the game to the home defence. The midfield really looks strong for Mansfield, with Maris too, and with Jason Law who has been so good since coming into the side 11 games ago. This was yet another game though that highlighted what we already knew, that the Stags need to bring in a couple of quality strikers in the summer.

The draw was Mansfield’s 4th on the trot. And remarkably one more would equal the club record which is 5 consecutive draws, set in 1986 (thanks to Paul Taylor for pointing that out to me).

With Southend winning and Grimsby drawing, the gap to 2nd bottom Southend is down to 9 points with 8 games left (Mansfield have a much better goal difference though), while the gap to bottom club Grimsby is 12 points though Grimsby have a game in hand. There is still work for Mansfield to do.

At last Mansfield have a midweek off after 7 consecutive midweek games in a gruelling schedule. Leyton Orient are the visitors to the One Call Stadium on Friday afternoon (3pm kick-off).


Mansfield were unchanged from the side that played well in that draw with Forest Green on Tuesday. There was very good news with George Lapslie returning from injury to the bench, in place of Jake Wright.

Congratulations to Mal Benning who made his 250th appearance for the Stags in all competitions, and his 200th league start!

Tranmere started the day 4th in the table, having had a consistently good run since sacking manager Mike Jackson 10 games into the season, picking up 54 points in 27 games since that time, initially under caretaker manager Ian Dawes and then under Keith Hill. They welcomed back striker Kaiyne Woolery from injury. Striker James Vaughan is out through injury but they had experienced striker David Nugent, on loan from Preston, on the bench. Otis Khan, formerly of Mansfield started the game, having been converted to a right back by Keith Hill.

DETAILED REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE

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SAT 27 MAR 2021LEAGUE TWO
Tranmere Rovers 1-1 Mansfield Town
Woolery (45'+3minutes)
Quinn (76'minutes)
Assists
Morris (45'+3minutes)

Match report supplied by PA Media.
bbc.co.uk

Stephen Quinn's stunning volley denied promotion-chasing Tranmere victory over Mansfield.

Rovers winger Kaiyne Woolery struck the opener but Quinn rescued an important point for the Stags on Merseyside.

Tranmere captain Scott Davies was stretchered off in the 13th minute after falling awkwardly when claiming a cross under no pressure. Mansfield striker Jamie Reid was unable to test replacement goalkeeper Joe Murphy after carving out an opening.

Rovers soon began to threaten as Peter Clarke twice headed agonisingly wide of Aidan Stone's goal.

Woolery was set up by midfielder Kieron Morris and fired home a powerful low effort just before the half-time whistle to give the hosts a crucial advantage.

Ali Crawford blazed over from point-blank range as the hosts asserted their dominance after the break - but Burton loanee Quinn netted his first Mansfield goal in the 77th minute with a sensational dipping effort beyond the helpless Murphy.

The hosts threatened through Paul Lewis and Otis Khan but were held by Nigel Clough's resilient side.

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Superb Stephen Quinn strike secures Mansfield Town a point at Tranmere
chad.co.uk, by Agency reporter

Stephen Quinn’s super second-half volley secured Mansfield Town their fourth straight draw.

Nigel Clough turned the club’s fortunes around when he took the helm in November.

But the Stags have won just two games in 14 since the start of February.

https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/superb-stephen-quinn-strike-secures-mansfield-town-a-point-at-tranmere-3181093

Quinn’s fine volley secured a point after Kaiyne Woolery’s opener in an entertaining clash at Prenton Park.

Clough named an unchanged side after the goalless draw against promotion-chasing Forest Green on Tuesday night.

Rovers’ shot-stopper Scott Davies was forced off injured after just 14 minutes.

Jamie Reid did well to storm his way into the box before firing wide of the mark, before huge shouts for a penalty were waved away when he went down in the box moments later.

Down the other end, Peter Clarke squandered a great effort when he nodded wide.

Farrend Rawson rose highest to meet Mal Benning’s cross, but failed to divert his effort on target.

And the visitors were let off when Woolery inexplicably missed the target from inside the box.

The hosts started to threaten just before the break as both Clarke and Ali Crawford saw efforts miss the mark.

And the pressure told in first-half stoppage time as Woolery first Keith Hill’s charges ahead.

Clough’s charges stormed out of the blocks after the restart as Kellan Gordon and Quinn both missed chances to restore parity.

And Reid squandered a glorious opportunity to level when his intercepted Clarke’s mis-placed past before agonisingly striking wide.

But Quinn made no mistake with 14 minutes left as his super strike set up a grandstand finish.

It was the hosts who came closest to a late winner as Aidan Stone produced a good save to keep out Paul Lewis after he met Stags’ old boy Otis Khan’s cross.

TRANMERE: Davies (Murphy, 14), Khan, Clarke, Ray, Macdonald, Crawford (Kirby (74), Spearing, Woolery, Morris (Nugent 74), Feeney, Lewis; Subs (not used): Ridehalgh, Nelson, Burton, Lloyd.

STAGS: Stone, Gordon, Rawson, Perch, Benning, Maris (Lapsie, 45) , Charsley (Clarke, 57), Quinn (Sweeney, 85), Law (Sinclair, 87) , Reid, Bowery (McLaughlin, 45); Subs (not used): Stech, Ward.

REF: Will Finnie.

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Report: Tranmere 1-1 Mansfield
https://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/news/2021/march/report-tranmere-1-1-mansfield/

A first half goal from Kaiyne Woolery was cancelled out by Stephen Quinn as Tranmere played out a 1-1 draw at home to Mansfield Town.

Rovers led going into the second half but a late equaliser made sure the points were shared at Prenton Park.

Tranmere saw George Ray and Woolery return to the starting line up for the game, with Ali Crawford also making a start for the hosts in midfield alongside the ever present Jay Spearing.

Rovers, who were wearing black arm bands in memory of former TRFC player and manager, Frank Worthington, who sadly passed away earlier this week, came up against a strong Mansfield team, which included former Premier League man James Perch.

In the tenth minute, captain Scott Davies went down with an injury and had to be stretched off, with Joe Murphy coming on in his place.

Soon after the restart, Woolery got goal side and hit a fierce shot at the goalkeeper, with Paul Lewis heading wide seconds later.

Tranmere were inches away from taking the lead as Peter Clarke climbed above the Mansfield defence to send a header just wide of the right-hand side.

A clever pass from Crawford picked out the run of Woolery, with his back to goal, he managed to turn to find space but sent his shot wide of the mark.

Rovers missed two great chances when Clarke once again headed wide and Crawford sent a volley onto the roof of the net from a Feeney cross.

In added time in the first half, Rovers pressure paid off as from 15 yards out, Woolery hit a fierce strike into the right hand corner, giving the Mansfield goalkeeper no chance.

A wonderful goal nearly started the second half when Feeney caught a bad clearance by the Stags custodian, but his half volley just crept wide.

Crawford couldn’t hit the target from inside the penalty box, a big chance after great play from Woolery and Keiron Morris.

Mansfield will have been frustrated not to have equalised in the 62nd minute when a deflection fell nicely for Jamie Reid to drive wide.

Jason Law had Mansfield’s next chance on the edge of the box in the 70th minute, but Murphy showed save hands for Rovers.

Rovers made a double change with Nya Kirby and David Nugent coming into the match, replacing Morris and Crawford, after a great performance by the outgoing duo.

As Kirby and Nugent entered the field of play in the 74th minute, with his first touch, the latter sent a header just over with his very first touch.

Mansfield grabbed an equaliser with 15 minutes to play as Quinn connected sweetly with a volley to make the score 1-1.

Lewis got on the end of a cross from the right as Tranmere looked to push for a second goal and regain the lead.

However, Tranmere couldn’t find the decisive winner but we moved into the automatic promotion places heading into the final matches of the campaign.

Tranmere: Davies (Murphy 11), Khan, Clarke, Ray, MacDonald, Spearing, Crawford (Kirby 73), Lewis, Morris (Nugent 73), Feeney, Woolery. Unused subs: Ridehalgh, Burton, Nelson, Lloyd.

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