Archived News from November 2021
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STAGS BACK TO WINNING WAYS AT CRAWLEY
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Crawley Town 1 - 2 Mansfield Town Tilley 47. Hawkins 24, Oates 72. Attendance: 1,824 (232 from Mansfield) Date: 27 November 2021 Martin Shaw at the Broadfield Stadium (People’s Pension Stadium) Mansfield Town got back to winning ways in West Sussex this afternoon with a 2-1 win at Crawley Town. The Stags thoroughly deserved the victory and should have won by a greater margin but in the end were grateful that the crossbar denied Crawley an equaliser 3 minutes into stoppage time. The first half was as one-sided as you will see. The Stags were 1-0 ahead at the break but should have been further ahead. The goal came after 24 minutes as Ryan Stirk chipped a super ball from about 32 yards out, into the area and Oli Hawkins, restored to the Stags’ forward line, nipped in behind the static defence to get his right boot on the ball and divert it past the keeper on the volley from 8 yards. A lovely goal. The Stags had had chances before the goal with Stirk’s on target shot blocked on the edge of the six-yard box, Elliott Hewitt’s shot blocked for a corner, and Stephen McLaughlin’s flick from a corner hitting Rhys Oates and trickling wide. Then after the goal, the Stags had a glut of chances as McLaughlin got behind the defence to the byline but with Oates in space in the middle, his cross was just too close to the keeper, then a shot from Oates from 25 yards was deflected into the path of George Lapslie, who turned in the area and fired straight at the keeper from 12 yards. Moments later Oates looked to be through on goal but lost control and the ball was knocked behind for a corner. Oates was back from injury and looking dangerous. By half time, Crawley had not had a single attempt at goal, on or off target. The Stags had had the wind behind them in the first half, but it had not been that strong early on before strengthening significantly as we approached half time. The wind was much stronger in the second half and Crawley had it behind them. Having not registered a shot in the first half Crawley equalised out of the blue after 47 minutes as James Tilley fired a blistering shot from 25 yards into the right corner of the net giving Nathan Bishop no chance. Tilley scored Crawley’s 92nd minute winner against the Stags here last season with another fine goal, but was sent out on loan to Conference South Dorking Wanderers earlier this season, so perhaps he only plays well against the Stags! The goal rocked the Stags for a moment, but they soon got right back on top. After 53 minutes, Hawkins played a great ball out to Hewitt on the right and his low cross into the middle just evaded Lapslie. Then from a Lapslie corner, McLaughlin’s glancing header was deflected over the bar. From the resulting corner, the ball came out to Farrend Rawson who fired well wide from 25 yards. Out of the blue, Crawley hit the woodwork on 62 minutes. Jake Hessenthaler’s cross-shot from level with the edge of the six yard box, just in from the right touchline, caught the wind and flew over Bishop and hit the right post. I’m not sure whether he intended to shoot. Regardless, the Stags were very relieved that it didn’t fly in to the net. Great play from the Stags on 65 minutes as Hawkins played the ball forward for Oates, he showed wonderful skill on the left, played it inside to Lapslie, who in turn teed up Hewitt, but Hewitt’s shot was awful, high and wide. However the Stags were deservedly back in front after 72 minutes. From 15 yards inside the Crawley half, just in from the left touchline, Hawkins played a sublime ball forward with the outside of his right boot for Oates to run on to in the area. Oates steadied himself to get his body sharp right and slid a side-footed shot past the keeper and just inside the right post from 14 yards. What a goal, what a pass and what a clinical finish. Oates celebrated right in front of the joyous Stags fans. Crawley pumped long balls forward with the wind but the Stags were resisting everything, with a three man central defence of Rawson, O’Toole and Forrester winning most in the air. The Stags should have sealed the game on 90+1 minutes. A long kick forward from Crawley keeper Glenn Morris was headed back into the Crawley half by McLaughlin, and this set sub Tyrese Sinclair through 1-on-1 with the keeper. But from 15 yards, with no defender on him, and just the keeper to beat, Sinclair hit the outside of the left post with his shot. Sinclair looked to the heavens in frustration. And on 90+3 minutes, the Stags were nearly made to pay for not only that miss, but for earlier ones too. Crawley sub Joel Lynch launched a long ball from the halfway line straight into the Stags box, it flew over O’Toole and Kwesi Appiah got up just high enough to glance his header over Bishop and against the bar. As the ball rebounded out, Reece Grego-Cox volleyed it goalwards and O’Toole blocked the shot with his chest. That was the last action of the game. It would have been a travesty of justice if Crawley had equalised. Nonetheless it was a crucial bit of luck for the Stags that we weren’t getting during the run of 14 league and cup games without a win, that preceded this latest run of 6 wins in 7 league and cup games. Joy for the Stags players and the 232 delighted Stags fans at the end of the game. It was a richly deserved victory. After the game Crawley manager John Yems gave an interview to the Crawley club website which lasted less than 45 seconds and ended with him saying he would get himself arrested if he talked about the two goals his side conceded! He did go on to give a rather longer interview to BBC Sussex in which he conceded that his side deserved nothing from the game. I had removed my Stags woolly hat before approaching to listen to his interviews for fear of attracting attention to myself and eliciting some sort of comment from him! He is an unpredictably feisty character. Oli Hawkins, who had a superb game, with a well taken goal, and a sublime assist for the winner was booked today, his fifth booking of the season, and he will miss the next league game, against Carlisle a week on Tuesday. The Stags move up to 15th place, 7 points behind the play-offs, and a point behind the top half of the table. Only Forest Green and Mansfield have won as many as 4 of their last 5 league games. DETAILED REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ------------------------- SAT 27 NOV 2021, LEAGUE TWO Crawley Town 1-2 Mansfield Town Tilley (48'minutes) Hawkins (24'minutes), Oates (72'minutes) Assists Hessenthaler (48'minutes) Stirk (24'minutes), Hawkins (72'minutes) Match report supplied by PA Media. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59356878 A late goal from Rhys Oates gave Mansfield only their second away league win of the season with victory at inconsistent Crawley. Oates settled the issue 17 minutes from time after James Tilley had cancelled out Ollie Hawkins' first-half opener. The match marked the fourth anniversary of the death of former Crawley head coach Dermot Drummy, and there was a minute's applause before kick-off with John Yems' side wearing black armbands. Mansfield threatened early on when midfielder Ryan Stirk had a goal-bound shot deflected over the bar following a corner by the recalled George Lapslie. Stirk's superb ball into the box led to Hawkins giving Stags the lead on 24 minutes with his fifth goal of the season. The former Ipswich striker steered the ball home from close range and Crawley keeper Glenn Morris denied the visitors another moments later by diving to save a low shot from Stephen McLaughlin. Midfielder Tilley levelled with his second goal in three games just after the break, unleashing an unstoppable shot from 25 yards after Jake Hessenthaler's assist. Defender Elliott Hewitt sliced a great chance wide for Mansfield after Hessenthaler fired against the post at the other end with keeper Nathan Bishop beaten. A fine through ball from Hawkins allowed the recalled Oates to steer home his fourth goal of the season as the Stags regained the lead on 72 minutes. Crawley top scorer Kwesi Appiah almost rescued a point for the Reds in stoppage time but his header came back off the crossbar. Match Stats Home Team Crawley Away Team Mansfield Possession Home 50% Away 50% Shots Home 6 Away 10 Shots on Target Home 2 Away 3 Corners Home 3 Away 8 Fouls Home 8 Away 16 ---------------------- Rhys Oates returns to net the winner as Mansfield Town overcome Crawley chad.co.uk, by Agency, Saturday 27th November 2021 Rhys Oates celebrated his return to the Mansfield starting line-up with a composed winner at Crawley. Oates won the game with 17 minutes to go, registering his fourth goal of the season in fine style. Ahead of the game, Stags boss Nigel Clough opted to make four changes to his starting line-up following the defeat at Sutton last time out - a result which had following five straight wins in all competitions. George Maris, Jordan Bowery, Harry Charsley and Ollie Clarke were all dropped to the bench for long trip to West Sussex, with George Lapslie, Will Forrester, Farren Rawson and Oates - who had been out for a fortnight - all earning recalls. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/rhys-oates-returns-to-net-the-winner-as-mansfield-town-overcome-crawley-3474219 Once the action got under way, the Stags produced a hugely competent first-half performance and deservedly led at the interval. Oli Hawkins fired the visitors ahead in the 24th minutes when he bagged his fifth goal of the season. Ryan Stirk clipped in a precise cross for Hawkins, and he volleyed home superbly. In bitterly cold conditions, the Stags created an early opening when Stirk fired an opportunity narrowly off target. At the other end, Ashley Nadesan ought to have done better with his opportunity from inside the Stags’ box. After breaking the deadlock, Hawkins was presented with another great chance by Stephen McLaughlin, but he failed to find a finish. Crawley, who hadn’t won on their own patch since September, bagged a leveller three minutes after the restart. James Tilley provided the brilliant finish, lashing home into the top corner from outside the box. The hosts’ tails were up, and just past the hour mark the woodwork saved Mansfield. This time Jake Hessenthaler fired in an angled strike which struck the crossbar before fizzing to safety. The Stags responded positively, however, and two minutes after that full-back Elliott Hewitt latched on to Lapslie’s pass before firing an effort narrowly off target. Oates then made no mistake when he slotted home smartly after meeting Hawkins’ measured pass. After Stags’ sub Tyrese Sinclair hit the post in the 91st minute, the hosts went in search of a second equaliser even later, and Kwesi Appiah headed against the crossbar. However, the Stags’ rearguard had done enough following a frantic finish. Crawley: Morris, Francomb, Francilette, Craig, Davies, Tilley (Lynch, 90), Hessenthaler, Powell, Frost (Nichols, 46), Appiah, Nadesan (Grego-Cox, 79). Unused subs: Noukeu, Kowalczyk, Bansal-McNulty, Marshall. Stags: Bishop, Hewitt, Rawson, Forrester, McLaughlin, Stirk, O’Toole, Lapslie (O Clarke, 90), Oates (Sinclair, 79), Quinn (Maris, 69), Hawkins. Unused subs: Shelvey, Charsley, Bowery, Burke. Referee: Andy Davies Att: 1,824 --------------------- Reds suffer defeat at home to Mansfield Town https://www.crawleytownfc.com/news/2021/november/report--crawley-town-1-2-mansfield-town/ Crawley Town suffered yet another agonising result at home as Mansfield Town took the points home on Saturday afternoon. Ollie Hawkins opened the scoring in the 24th minute when he was left with too much time to control and finish off Elliott Hewitt’s cross. After a poor first half, it didn’t take the Reds long to equalise in the second period as James Tilley netted a stunning strike from the edge of the box for his fourth goal in as many games. Mansfield retook the lead in the 72nd minute when Rhys Oates collected a through ball and slotted home what proved to be the winner. Crawley Town boss John Yems named the same starting 11 for the third game in a row but was forced to switch the bench around, replacing the injured Will Ferry with Mark Marshall and bringing in Joel Lynch in place of Alex Battle. Additionally, Yems kept the 4-4-2 system that had been so successful against Barrow and Newport. The opening ten minutes were very even although Mansfield had the best chances with their early corner kicks. Two of these looked dangerous but Kwesi Appiah was on hand on both occasions to clear the danger and prove there is nothing he cannot do. The Reds carved out a couple of half-chances for themselves over the next 15 minutes but were yet to trouble Nathan Bishop in the Stags net. Jack Powell and Appiah almost recreated a carbon copy of the Ghanaian’s goal on Tuesday night, but Powell’s cross fell just in front of Appiah, rather than finding his head. Despite these chances, it was hard to argue against Mansfield’s dominance. The Nottinghamshire side were using their size and strength to make things difficult for Crawley and George Lapslie was breaking up almost every attack the Reds could muster in the middle of the park. This dominance earned its reward in the 24th minute when Ryan Stirk spread the ball out to the right-wing for Hewitt, the full-back, who put in a deep cross that Hawkins had time to control and finish at the back post to break the deadlock and give the Stags their deserved lead. Mansfield were settled now and found it very easy to deal with a Crawley side who hadn’t got going in the first half. The game’s tempo slowed and neither side was doing much more than sending it long for their forwards to (unsuccessfully) chase. After one of their least creative halves of the season, Crawley headed back to the dressing room and were no doubt faced by an unhappy Yems who must have had some choice words for his players. Whether those words were angry, born from disappointment, or encouraging, they were nonetheless constructive and effective as the Reds began the second half looking like a completely different side. It took just over a minute for Crawley to equalise, and it came from the brilliant boot of Tilley - the hero of this fixture last season. After some patient and measured build-up play on the edge of the Mansfield penalty box, Tilley collected the ball and sent a beautiful strike that curled away from Bishop and into the far corner. Crawley almost took the lead just minutes later when Jake Hessenthaler’s cross was caught by the wind and almost crept into the top corner, cracking the woodwork instead. Despite still only drawing, the Reds had improved significantly. Things continued in an even fashion and the two sides engaged in back-and-forth football, but chances were few and far between until the game saw its third goal. Hawkins played a clever pass around Archie Davies to set Oates through on goal. The man who terrorised the National League last season was left with a simple one-on-one chance and the striker delivered, rolling the ball into the far corner. Mansfield could now sit back and defend their lead. In doing so, they were now frustrating Crawley who were creating chances but failing to trouble Bishop. Crawley almost snatched a point when Appiah leapt highest and, with his back to goal, met a long ball into the box but his late effort, for the second game in a row, clipped the crossbar in extra time at the end of the game. The Stags took the points back to Nottinghamshire and the Reds were left empty-handed. They now have ten days to prepare for their next match away at Walsall. REDS XI: Morris, Davies, Francomb, Craig, Powell, Nadesan (Grego-Cox 79’), Frost (Nichols 46’), Tilley (Lynch 93’), Francillette, Appiah, Hessenthaler UNUSED SUBS: Noukeu, Kowalczyk, Bansal-McNulty, Marshall ATTENDANCE: 1824 (232 away) -------------------- |
Latest | November 2021