Archived News from October 2021
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STAGS BEATEN AT EXETER AFTER TAKING THE LEAD
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Exeter City 2 - 1 Mansfield Town Dieng 61, Jay 83. Hawkins 50 Attendance: 4,329 (191 from Mansfield) Date: 23 October 2021 Martin Shaw at St James Park Mansfield Town were beaten 2-1 by Exeter City at St James Park this afternoon after taking the lead early in the second half. The Stags only had themselves to blame. The game turned in a minute on the hour mark. With the Stags leading 1-0, they had a good opportunity to make it 2-0 but completely fluffed it and didn’t even get a shot away. Within 60 seconds, Exeter had equalised and the game was turned around. Exeter then won it with a goal seven minutes from time. The defeat sees the Stags drop into the relegation zone, a point behind each of Oldham and Carlisle who drew today. Exeter meanwhile move up to 4th. It is not a comfortable position to be in, and the Stags are 12 games without a win in the league. The Stags have a difficult game against 8th placed Tranmere next week, and then a run of games against what I would call some of the weaker sides in Stevenage, Scunthorpe, Sutton, Crawley, and Carlisle, where the Stags need to go on a run of better results and start to pull away from the relegation zone. Just when you thought Mansfield’s injury and suspension woes were easing, they got worse again as both full backs from Tuesday night’s game against Port Vale were ruled out through injury for this game, Elliott Hewitt and Stephen McLaughlin. That was particularly frustrating as McLaughlin had re-established his impressive link-up play with Stephen Quinn down the left hand side on Tuesday following Quinn’s return from 6 games out through suspension, and that had made an enormous difference to the overall performance level. In came James Clarke and Ryan Burke. With James Perch out for the season, Kellan Gordon still out with injury, and Will Forrester still not match fit having recovered from injury and then had a chest infection, manager Nigel Clough moved to bring in John Joe O’Toole before the game to provide a bit more experience in central defence (or he can also play in midfield). O’Toole had been training with two other League Two clubs and Clough moved to bring him in when he became available. O’Toole was on the bench today, as was Forrester, and Clough is hoping both can play in a midweek U23 game at Wigan. (The date of that game, to be played at Wigan’s training ground, is still not decided, as it is currently scheduled for Thursday night, but Clough wants it played on Wednesday so that players playing would be recovered enough to potentially play next Saturday). The first half was a tight affair, not high on entertainment, but the Stags were solid defensively and 0-0 was the right scoreline. The Stags had the best chance as Harry Charsley crossed left-footed from the right to the far post where Jordan Bowery got up well and headed inches wide of the left post. Nigel Clough put his head in his hands. The keeper wouldn’t have got there if the header had been the other side of the post and Bowery should have scored. Bowery had another chance a minute later as good play from George Lapslie set him away into the area but the ball was taken off his toe before he got a shot in. The other chance for the Stags in the first half fell to Charsley as Stephen Quinn played the ball inside to him and his shot from the edge of the area was straight at the keeper. Exeter had just one chance in the first half as James Clarke and Ollie Clarke lost the ball between them on the halfway line, Archie Collins set Matt Jay away to the edge of the Stags area and his low shot took a little deflection off Farrend Rawson and was saved by Nathan Bishop at full stretch. Into the second half, and Exeter went close after 47 minutes as Sam Nombe played inside to Matt Jay. Jay created a yard of space for himself on the edge of the area and his shot towards the bottom right corner of the net was well saved by Bishop, turning it away. The Stags took the lead after 50 minutes. A free kick 35 yards from goal, left of centre, was floated beautifully by Quinn towards the far post where Hawkins rose highest and headed perfectly into the bottom left corner of the net from 12 yards for his 4th goal of the season. A high quality goal from a set piece, the Stags need more of those! The Stags had a great opportunity to make it 2-0 after 60 minutes but didn’t even get a shot away. Rhys Oates won the ball on the halfway line, burst forward and set Bowery away in space into the area. Bowery had a chance to shoot on his left foot from 16 yards, but chose to try and get the ball on to his right foot and was dispossessed by Josh Key. That was dreadful from Bowery and he was replaced a few minutes later. Within 60 seconds, Exeter were level. Matt Jay crossed from the left, Hawkins and Rawson both rose to try to head the ball away against Nombe, Timothy Dieng and Padraig Amond. Hawkins won the header, but as the ball squirted away to the byline, both Hawkins and Rawson fell to the deck. Amond retrieved the ball from the byline and crossed into the six yard box over Bishop where Dieng was now unmarked to head into the empty net. Nigel Clough said after the game: "I thought we were a bit unlucky with the first goal. Oli Hawkins has headed it on to Faz Rawson and they've both ended up on the floor momentarily. We thought it was going to go out for a corner, and the lad's just chipped it back in and he's headed it in to an empty net. A bit unfortunate that ball could have rebounded anywhere, we won the first header." The Stags had a chance to regain the lead after 74 minutes, as Quinn won the ball, and a brilliant piece of footwork from Oates got him away from Collins and in to the area on the left, but he fired wide from 10 yards, into the Stags fans behind the goal rather than into the net. Instead it was Exeter who took the lead after 83 minutes. Archie Collins did very well on the right to get away from Burke and put in a fine cross from the byline beyond the far post, the ball sailed over James Clarke and Matt Jay headed unmarked into the bottom left corner of the net. James Clarke otherwise had a good game and is a highly promising player in my opinion, but this was a big and important mistake, poorly positioned allowing the cross to go over him and leave Jay unmarked, and it is a big area for improvement for him as we have seen him do this before. Burke could have also done better to stop the cross coming in. The Stags brought on Danny Johnson and Tyrese Sinclair, and put Oli Hawkins up front and had one chance to equalise with a free kick from Quinn in an identical position to the one that led to the goal. But this time it was headed away. With the Stags leaving big gaps at the back looking for the equaliser, Sam Nombe had two chances to get a third goal, after 90+3 and 90+5 minutes but couldn’t take either of them as Exeter saw the game out to take the three points. The Stags had only themselves to blame. The next game is against Tranmere next Saturday. Mansfield will be without George Lapslie, who will be suspended for one game after picking up his 5th booking of the season today. George Maris will be fit though, having returned from being out with concussion and come on as substitute here. Meanwhile, the Stags need to be able to free Oli Hawkins from central defensive duties as he is badly needed up front in my opinion. To do that, two of Forrester, O’Toole, Hewitt and Gordon need to be available I think. We’ll see if they will be. Hopefully McLaughlin will also be back from injury to continue his link-up with Quinn down the left. DETAILED REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE --------------------------- SAT 23 OCT 2021, LEAGUE TWO Exeter City 2-1 Mansfield Town Dieng (61'minutes), Jay (83'minutes) Hawkins (50'minutes) Assists Amond (61'minutes), Collins (83'minutes) Quinn (50'minutes) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58936180 Report supplied by PA Media. Exeter made it a club record 14 games unbeaten in all competitions as they came from behind to beat Mansfield. It took until the half hour mark for either side to fashion a chance and that was when Harry Charsley fired tamely at home goalkeeper Cameron Dawson from 18 yards. Exeter responded with Matt Jay seeing his shot deflect into the arms of Nathan Bishop, while Jordan Bowery headed just wide for the Stags. Bishop made a fine save to deny Jay at the start of the second half but Mansfield went in front on 50 minutes when Ollie Hawkins rose highest to head in Stephen Quinn's free-kick. Exeter struck back 11 minutes later when substitute Padraig Amond delivered a perfect cross for Tim Dieng to head home from close range and Jay put Exeter in front on 83 minutes when Archie Collins crossed to the back post and the City captain headed just inside the upright. Sam Nombe could have finished things off but was denied by some desperate last-ditch defending on two occasions - and then hit the post in stoppage time - as Exeter finished strongly and struggling Mansfield failed to trouble the Grecians. Match Stats Home Team Exeter Away Team Mansfield Possession Home 58% Away 42% Shots Home 14 Away 5 Shots on Target Home 4 Away 2 Corners Home 9 Away 1 Fouls Home 7 Away 13 ------------------- Exeter City come from behind to extend Mansfield Town’s winless run chad.co.uk, by Agency Oli Hawkins’ first goal in 10 games could not stop Mansfield Town’s winless league run stretching to 12 games at Exeter City this afternoon. The Stags defender rose highest to head the Stags into a 50th lead and put Mansfield on course for a first win since mid August. But Timothee Dieng headed Exeter level in the 61st minute before Matt Jay broke Mansfield hearts in the 83rd minute, leaving the visitors without a win in 14 games in all competitions. It left Nigel Clough’s side still desperately searching for a first win on the road this season. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/exeter-city-come-from-behind-to-extend-mansfield-towns-winless-run-3430602 Ollie Clarke produced a smart block to deny Lyle Taylor as Mansfield comfortably held their own in the opening stages. The Stags did suffer a momentary scare in the sixth minute after Clarke’s slip saw Owura Edwards race clear only for Farrend Rawson to come to the rescue with a crucial clearance. The visitors threatened in the 11th minute, James Clarke delivering a dangerous cross towards Jordan Bowery but Josh Key was in the right place to clear the danger. With precious few opportunities during the opening half an hour, a swift counter-attack by the visitors ended with Harry Charsley rolling a tame effort straight at Cameron Dawson. At the other end Jay burst forward only to see his deflected effort bring a sprawling save out of Nathan Bishop. The best chance of the half arrived in the 36th minute as Charsley swung over a cross from the right and Bowery rose highest to head narrowly wide. Seemingly fired up by a half-time team-talk, Exeter started the second half brightly and Jay forced Bishop into a smart save low down to his left. The let-off proved pivotal as the Stags went up the other end and took the lead. Stephen Quinn curled in an inviting free-kick and Hawkins found the bottom corner with an inch-perfect header. Bowery then wasted a chance to double the Stags’ lead just past the hour mark after sprinting clear only to dwell on the ball and allow Key to recover. Exeter used the let-off as motivation to haul themselves back into the game with a well-worked equaliser. Padraig Amond made an instant impact after coming off the bench, hooking a cross to the back post where Dieng sent a free header into the back of the net. Even worse was to follow when Archie Collins crossed for Jay to send a header past Bishop at the far post as Mansfield suffered that sinking feeling again. EXETER: Dawson, Key, Sweeney, Hartridge, Daniel, Collins, Dieng, Taylor (Amond 60), Edwards-Owura (Brown 65), Jay (Ray 90), Nombe. Subs not used: Brown, Caprice, Atangana, Coley. STAGS: Bishop, J Clarke, Rawson, Hawkins, Burke, Lapslie (Johnson 85), Charsley, O Clarke, Quinn (Sinclair 87), Bowery (Maris 63), Oats. Subs not used: Shelvey, Forrester, Law, O’Toole. REFEREE: Sam Purkiss. ATTENDANCE: 4,329. --------------------- Match Report: Exeter City 2 Mansfield Town 1 exetercityfc.co.uk, by Jed Penberthy Exeter City came from behind to extend the unbeaten run to 14 in all competitions as goals from Tim Dieng and Matt Jay saw off Mansfield Town. The Stags had taken the lead through Oli Hawkins shortly after the break but the Grecians responded well and Dieng nodded in the City equaliser ten minutes later. Matt Jay netted the winner with his own back-post header as the Grecians pick up their second victory on the trot. https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/2021/october/manfield-report/ Manager Matt Taylor tweaked the line-up from Tuesday’s win over Crawley. Owura Edwards, Tim Dieng and Colin Daniel all took their places on the hallowed St James Park turf come 3pm. Farrend Rawson had the first half sight on goal for the visitors. A high corner was met by the centre-half, but he didn’t get a clean connection. Mansfield didn’t look a team short of confidence. Neat play on the right allowed James Clarke to cross and without divine intervention from Pierce Sweeney, Jordan Bowery would have opened the scoring. Exeter had glimpses of brilliant in an otherwise slow half an hour. Matt Jay fizzed a ball across the box with Sam Nombe unable to make contact. For Town, Harry Charsley ensured Cam Dawson was still awake with a tame side-foot from the edge. MJ similarly tested Nathan Bishop after Archie Collins had sent the striker through. Bowery had the best chance of the half, heading just wide from another Charsley cross. Josh Key saw a whipped ball from the right finger-tipped away as the initial 45 drew to a close. City’s second half response was much brighter than anything produced in in the opening exchanges. Nombe was given the chance to show his pace. After getting behind the Mansfield back line, he pulled the ball back to Jay who had to be denied with a smart stop by Bishop. Town survived the early City momentum and took the lead in the 50th minute. Pierce Sweeney was not allowed to return to the pitch to defend a Stags free kick. His physicality was clearly missing in the middle as Oli Hawkins headed home. City responded well to the goal and got on the front foot for the first time, finding themselves level. Podge Amond was introduced on the hour and immediately stamped his mark on the game. Amond kept the ball alive inside the Mansfield box and from the touchline picked out Tim Dieng unmarked at the far post, to head into an empty net. Jevani Brown’s return from injury almost found an assist himself. His corner was met by Nombe, but the striker could only send his header into the Big Bank. Rhys Oates had a great opportunity for the Stags on 73 minutes. The Mansfield man wriggled free of Alex Hartridge but sliced his effort wide. Key went close as we moved into the last 15 minutes. A mess of a corner bounced around the Town box. Brown recycled possession and looked for Key on the edge, but the right-backs shot was deflected on its way toward goal. Mansfield could barely get out their half and City made them pay with seven minutes to play. Pierce Sweeney played a long ball forward towards Brown. The number 20’s chest control was perfect and rolled Archie Collins in behind. Collins won the race to the ball and floated a delightful cross to Matt Jay at the far post who squeezed his header in the near post to out the Grecians 2-1 up. Sam Nombe got agonsingly close to extending his own form when he rounded Bishop in injury time but the defender got back to denycthe striker’s seventh in as many games. Nombe still pressed on and hit the post with the last kick of the game as City sealed the win in the club's 4000th Football League appearence. Exeter City: Dawson, Daniel, Hartridge, Sweeney, Key, Dieng, Collins, Taylor (Amond 60’), Edwards (Brown 65’), Jay (Ray 90’), Nombe Subs: Brown, Caprice, Atangana, Coley Manfield Town: Bishop, Rawson, Charsley, Clarke, Bowery (Maris 64’), Hawkins, Burke, Quinn, Oates (Sinclair 88’), Clarke, Lapslie (Johnson 85’) Subs: Shelvey, Maris, Johnson, Sinclair, Forrester, Law, O’Toole. Referee: Sam Purkiss Attendance: 4,329 (191 Away) ------------------------ Exeter City 2 Mansfield Town 1 - Matt Jay heads late winner for Grecians devonlive.com, By Daniel Clark, 23 OCT 2021 Goals from Tim Dieng and Matt Jay see Exeter City come from behind to make it 14 unbeaten Exeter City’s club record unbeaten run extended to 14 games after skipper Matt Jay scored late to make it back-to-back wins at home to Mansfield Town. The Grecians shaded an even first half with Owura Edwards misses the best of the chance just before the break, slipping at the crucial moment. It was costly, as Oli Hawkins headed home from a free-kick on 50 minutes to put the Stags ahead, but Tim Dieng equalised ten minutes later, nodding in from close range. Exeter pushed for a winner, and with seven minutes to go, Jay headed home to score for the fourth game running and to take his tally to nine for the season. The three points extended the unbeaten run to 14, and in League Two to 12, while it is now 15 at home without defeat as they rise to fourth in the table, while it is now 14 without a win for the Stags. https://www.devonlive.com/sport/football/match-reports/exeter-city-2-mansfield-town-6104520 Exeter City manager Matt Taylor made three changes from the side that beat Crawley Town on Tuesday night 3-1 which was a club record 13 unbeaten. In came Colin Daniel, Dieng and Edwards, with Jake Caprice, George Ray and Nigel Atangana all dropping to the bench, with City reverting to a back four. Jevani Brown, after a foot injury, was fit enough to be on the bench as well For Mansfield Town, Nigel Clough made two changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Port Vale on Tuesday, with two more defensive injuries making it six unavailable. James Clarke and Ryan Burke replaced the injured Elliot Hewitt and Stephan McLaughlin, while new signing John-Joe O’Toole was on the bench. It was the Grecians who started the better of the two sides, and inside the opening 90 seconds created a good chance. Josh Key strode forward, slipped in a ball to Kyle Taylor on the edge of the box who turned and got a shot away, but Oli Hawkins threw his body in the way to block it. Edwards was lively and saw a shot blocked behind for a corner, while Dieng’s header was narrowly diverted wide, as the Grecians started much the better of the two and came flying out of the traps, although needed an outstretched leg from Key to keep them level after a dangerous Clarke cross. For all City’s early threat, chances were few and far between, with final balls just dropping to the Stags, or crosses were overhit, while referee Sam Purkiss adjudged that a Taylor shot that struck an arm of a Stags defender wasn’t unnatural enough to award a penalty. Get the best stories about the things you love most curated by us and delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you love here Skipper Jay was next to threaten, looking to add to the three in three he had scored, but as he cut inside from the left, his low shot didn’t have enough pace on it and Nathan Bishop comfortably got down to make the save. But for all the dominance City had, it was Mansfield who had the best chance of the half. Harry Charsley found space wide on the right, swung in a deep cross, and Jordan Bowery rose highest at the far post, but from just six yards out, headed wide of Cameron Dawson’s goal. On the stroke of half-time though, the Grecians had an even better chance. Again Key created something from the right, his low cross was only palmed away by Bishop, but straight into the path of Edwards, but the on-loan Bristol City man slipped just as he tried to provide the crucial touch into the empty net. Attacking the Big Bank, City came out flying for the second half, and Sam Nombe and Jay combined well, but the skipper saw his curling effort well tipped around the post by the Manchester United loanee. Two minutes later, the Stags were ahead. After Pierce Sweeney fouled Rhys Oates in an aerial challenge, Stephen Quinn floated in a delightful free-kick, and at the back post, Hawkins leapt highest to power home a header into the corner of the net for his fourth goal of the season. Exeter responded by bringing on Padraig Amond for Taylor, and putting an extra man upfront, but almost immediately they could have been two down had Bowery done better when clean through on goal, but got the ball stuck under his feet and Key recovered the danger. And it instantly paid dividends as the Grecians deservedly levelled. Amond kept the ball alive in and around the box after a bit of a scramble, he clipped the ball to the far post, where Dieng was left completely unmarked, and the Frenchman nodded into the empty net for the equaliser and his fourth of the season. Brown replaced Edwards, as City went for the winner, and Nombe will feel he should have done better when heading over from a corner, while on the break, Rhys Oates, after skinning Archie Collins burst into the box, but Alex Hartridge forced the striker wide and he could only find the side netting. Key continued to maraud down the right wing and twice saw efforts that were heading for the corner deflected away, but on 83 minutes, the Grecians got the goal they deserved. Collins floated a cross in from the right, Jay peeled away from his marker, and his downward header went through the legs of Bishop. It was no less than City deserved and made it two wins in a row, with the skipper scoring for the fourth successive game, while Nombe should have made it seven in seven in stoppage time, but he slipped after rounding the goalkeeper. It mattered little, as City secured the 2-1 win. Up next for Exeter is a trip to Salford City next Saturday. Exeter City: (4-3-3) - Cameron Dawson, Josh Key, Pierce Sweeney, Alex Hartridge, Colin Daniel, Archie Collins, Tim Dieng, Kyle Taylor (Padraig Amond, 60), Owura Edwards (Jevani Brown, 64), Matt Jay (George Ray, 90), Sam Nombe, Subs: Scott Brown, Jake Caprice, Nigel Atangana, , Josh Coley, Mansfield Town: (4-3-3) - Nathan Bishop, James Clarke, Farrend Rawson, Oli Hawkins, Ryan Burke, Ollie Clarke, Harry Charsley, Stephen Quinn, George Lapslie (Danny Johnson, 85), Jordan Bowery (George Maris, 64), Rhys Oates (Tyrese Sinclair, 87) Subs: George Shelvey, William Forrester, Jason Law, John-Joe O’Toole Booking: Lapslie ----------------------- |
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