Archived News from March 2022
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CLOUGH, LAPSLIE, JOHN SHERIDAN REACTION
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Stags produced dominant second-half display - boss
mansfieldtown.net, Saturday 26th March 2022 Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough says his side ‘dominated’ and created ‘more than enough chances to win the game’ in a dramatic, second-half comeback victory away at Oldham. The Stags were 2-1 winners at Boundary Park in a superb showing after the interval. The gaffer’s squad have now won 19 matches out of their previous 26 in all competitions. Speaking to the local media post-match, the boss said: “Right from the first minute of the second-half, we pretty much dominated and created more than enough chances to win the game. “[There were] Two things that we were pleased about: getting in [with the score] 1-0 at half-time and then kicking towards our supporters [in the second-half]. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2022/march/stags-produced-dominant-second-half-display---boss/ “We knew if we got one [that] they would suck another goal in. They did that in the end.” Striker Rhys Oates impressed against the Latics this afternoon. The former Hartlepool man scored Mansfield’s equaliser before creating George Lapslie’s winner. “Oatesy [Rhys Oates] had two unbelievable strikes [his goal and the effort that cannoned off the post which led to Lapslie’s winner],” the boss said. “I think he’d had three shots in the first 15-20 minutes of the game. “He must’ve had eight or ten shots today. “For one striker, that’s unbelievable. “He’s [Oates] got a hammer of a shot.” “I thought we [as a team] created more than enough chances in the second-half but we were quite wasteful in front of goal. The boss made one change to the side that beat Rochdale 1-0 in midweek as Kieran Wallace slotted into the midfield in place of Ryan Stirk. “[We wanted] Fresh legs, and we’re certainly going to be looking at that for Tuesday night as well,” he said. “[There were] A lot of tired players out there, mentally, and physically. “They’ve played a lot of football recently and we need to start utilising the strength of the bench.” The significance of George Lapslie’s 95th minute winner will become clear in the next ten games. The manager praised his side for the character shown to beat a relegation-battling team. “It [the last-minute winner] feels pretty important at the moment, I thought we were a little bit fortunate today,” the gaffer said. “It’s incredible how the league table can define those moments. “When you’re fighting at the bottom, things [don’t go for you]. “We hit the post in the 95th minute, it’s an incredible strike, and then Laps [George Lapslie] is following in and we get the [decisive] goal. “When you’re down the bottom things like that just don’t go for you.” The boss felt that periods of this afternoon’s encounter were challenging. “I thought we started the game well today. “I thought in the first 20 minutes we were in control but, again, we have to do more to get the first goal. “They pop up with a goal and then for the rest of the first-half they played very well indeed. “For 25 minutes we just wanted to get in at half-time [with the scoreline] at 1-0.” Versatile forward Lucas Akins returned to the matchday squad after a two-game absence with a hamstring injury. “We didn’t think he’d be back until Tuesday at the earliest,” said Nigel. “He trained yesterday with no ill-affects. Whether he starts Tuesday [or not] I’m not sure. “Just George Maris (hamstring) and Ollie Clarke (groin) are the two missing at the moment.” The Stags have scored in their previous four outings on the road. “We try to be positive,” the manager said. “We try to win games, even at Tranmere we go 2-2 and we don’t shut-up-shop we go for the win and end up losing it. “At Port Vale we try to win the game and we end up making a mistake and losing. “I think that was the difference in the last two away games, we haven’t made any mistakes. “Stick with us and we’ll have an interesting last ten games. “I think the run [is] in the last 26 games in all competitions, won 19, drawn three and lost four. “[It is] Quite remarkable.” Watch the gaffer’s interview on iFollow Stags now by clicking here. ---------------- We deserved the luck we got to win at Oldham Athletic says Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough chad.co.uk, Saturday 26th March 2022 Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough said Stags deserved the luck they got to snatch a late 2-1 victory at struggling Oldham Athletic this afternoon. Trailing 1-0, Stags hit back with a deflected equaliser and then a stoppage time winner that went in off George Lapslie's chest to keep their promotion push on course. But Clough knows Oldham will be left cursing their luck as they battle to avoid relegation. “I have been saying this would probably be our most difficult game of the season so far for different reasons,” said Clough. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/we-deserved-the-luck-we-got-to-win-at-oldham-athletic-says-mansfield-town-boss-nigel-clough-3628612 “Oldham have some good players, but when you are down there things go against you as we've seen today. “The teams fighting at the top get the breaks in the last minute. “We have been down there over the years and every little thing seems to go against you and that was the case. “I feel a little bit fortunate today. “But we deserved the luck we got today from earlier on in the season. “The season is balancing itself out from earlier on when things went against us.” Clough added: “I thought we started alright for the first 20 minutes. But once they scored their goal it gave them a massive lift. “We lost our way a little bit towards the end of the first half. “So I was pleased we came in only 1-0 down and pleased we were kicking towards our supporters in the second half. “We made a change and also made a change in formation and we were much better right from the kick-off. “We went to a back four and got at them a little bit more and created enough chances in the second half to win the game.” This was a fourth successive away trip for tired Stags with another long haul ahead of them at Hartlepool United on Tuesday night. “It is affecting us massively,” admitted Clough. “We are two odd hours up here on the bus and two hours back on the back of Rochdale the other night, getting in at 1am like the supporters. When they have run around the players feel it. “The starters are doing very little training. It's all about recovery. “Hopefully we might change it round a bit on Tuesday and get one or two fresh pairs of legs out there as we will need it. “We saw some mentally and physically tired players out there today. “You look at Stephen McLaughlin, the captain, today and he's played almost every game this season, a lot of football, and he was really struggling at times today.” Stags have midfielders Ollie Clarke and George Maris under treatment already and Kieran Wallace also took a knock today. --------------------- Nigel Clough: Mansfield Town boss says arduous away schedule 'massively' affecting squad https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60912304 Mansfield manager Nigel Clough says his side's current relentless away schedule is "massively" affecting his squad as they try to maintain a League Two promotion push. The Stags' 2-1 win at Oldham was their fourth road trip in a row with another - at Hartlepool - to come on Tuesday. "We might change it around," Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham. "We need one or two pairs of fresh legs out there." Mansfield are eighth, a point outside the play-offs with 10 games left. Once the trip to Hartlepool is done, Mansfield's team coach will have clocked up nearly 900 miles in 18 days having already visited Tranmere, Port Vale, Rochdale and Oldham. With previous away games at Bristol City, Newport County and Bradford, the Stags are in a run of eight matches on the road in their last nine. Speaking after their victory at Boundary Park on Saturday, Clough said the mileage is "massively" taking its toll on the squad. "We're two hours coming up here on the bus and two hours back - on the back of Rochdale the other night getting home at one o'clock in the morning - like the supporters," he said. "But when they've been running around, the players feel it. The starters are doing very little training, it's all about recovering - mentally and physically. "We saw some mentally and physically tired players - the captain Steve McLaughlin has played nearly every game this season - that's a lot of football. He was really struggling at times." Despite the arduous nature of their constant travelling - the reverse of their five successive home games in December and January - the Stags have kept in the hunt for a play-off place. Victory at Pools would take them fourth and only one point off the automatic promotion places with nine games left. Their win at Boundary Park had elements of fortune about it with Rhys Oates' deflected equaliser and George Lapslie's bundled winner in the fifth minute of injury time after the ball came off a post - but Clough says his side merited any luck that came their way. "We deserved it for earlier on in the season," he said. "We went to Colchester and had a penalty given against us in the 93rd minute that wasn't. Going to Swindon and playing really well - we should've had one (a goal) that was over the line. Playing at home against Harrogate - where you get two sent off and three penalties turned down. "It's just balancing itself out from those sorts of times." ----------------- Nigel Clough admits Mansfield got lucky at Oldham Athletic BY SUZANNE GELDARD https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/sport/20024030.nigel-clough-admits-mansfield-got-lucky-oldham-athletic/ NIGEL Clough described Mansfield’s last gasp win at struggling Oldham as “a little bit fortunate”. Davis Keillor-Dunn had headed Latics into a deserved half-time lead. But they let another chance to climb out of the bottom two pass them by when the Stags started to dominate in the second half, equalising courtesy of a deflection before getting lucky again in the last minute of stoppage time. After Rhys Oates was denied a second by the woodwork, substitute George Lapslie got lucky with the rebound and a bundled finish. And after the win pushed Mansfield up to eighth - a point off the play-offs and four points from the automatic places with three games in hand, Clough noted that was the difference between a team challenging at the top end, and a team struggling at the bottom. “Oldham have some good players, but when you are down there things go against you as we've seen today,” said Clough after the game. “The teams fighting at the top get the breaks in the last minute. “We have been down there over the years and every little thing seems to go against you and that was the case. “I have been saying this would probably be our most difficult game of the season so far for different reasons. “I feel a little bit fortunate. But we deserved the luck we got from earlier on in the season. “The season is balancing itself out from earlier on when things went against us.” ------------------- Late hero George Lapslie says Mansfield Town squad are united in their aims after win at Oldham Athletic chad.co.uk, Saturday 26th March 2022 Match-winning sub George Lapslie said the Mansfield Town squad is united and no one is worrying who is in the starting XI as Stags stole a late 2-1 victory at Oldham Athletic this afternoon. After Jordan Bowery's late winner at Rochdale on Tuesday, Lapslie became the week's second super sub as games continue to come thick and fast. “Anyone in there will tell you we don't care who is playing at the minute as long as we are picking up three points and cracking on,” he smiled. “Hopefully we can take this momentum into Tuesday at Hartlepool now and then Saturday/Tuesday after that we have two big ones. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/late-hero-george-lapslie-says-mansfield-town-squad-are-united-in-their-aims-after-win-at-oldham-athletic-3628621 “It's all about recovery now - getting some good sleep, stretches, ice baths - anything you can pick up off the senior pros. “Quinny (Stephen Quinn) has obviously been there and done it, so you just try to pick up on little things that players like him are doing to aid your recovery and be as fresh as you can for the next game.” Lapslie's 95th minute winner came as he helped the ball over the line from close range after Rhys Oates shot came back off the post. But he admits he was worried he was offside. “Oatesy's just hit it and I thought the shot was going in to be fair,” said Lapslie. “But it's just come off the post and I was in the right place to tap it in. “As I put it in I thought straight away I must be offside because I felt so alone but the gaffer told me I wasn't.” There were then huge celebrations right in front of another massive travelling support. “Emotions were running high at the end there,” he said. “It was a massive three points. It makes it so much nicer looking at the table on the way home on the bus.” Stags are now up to eighth, a point off the top seven and four points off the top three with three games in hand. ----------------------- Midfielder relishing latest victory mansfieldtown.net, Saturday 26th March 2022 Midfielder George Lapslie says his dramatic 95thminute winning goal in Mansfield’s significant 2-1 away victory over Oldham Athletic is a moment he will ‘cherish’. The Stags had to come from behind in the contest after Davis Keillor-Dunn opened the scoring in favour of the hosts after 24 minutes. Rhys Oates’ strike drew the Stags level on 53 minutes before Lapslie latched onto a rebounded shot off the post to secure the victory for Mansfield with seconds remaining. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2022/march/midfielder-relishing-latest-victory/ The goal scorer said he initially didn’t expect the ball to come to him after Oates had unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box. “I thought it was going in [from Oates’ shot] then it came off the post, hit me and went in,” he said. “As it came off [the post] I sort of directed it with my leg, but it was a great strike from Oatesy [Rhys Oates]. At first, I thought maybe I was offside but, I wasn’t. “To be honest I think I owed the lads that [goal]. I’ve missed a few chances lately so I’m just buzzing I could get that goal for them. “It’s a moment I will cherish, it was a good moment for myself. “The most important thing was getting the three points. It’s crunch time in this stage of the season so we just need to keep on getting points on the board.” Mansfield are now just four points off the automatic promotion places with three games in hand. The 24-year-old hopes Mansfield can continue in their current vein of form of back-to-back away wins to push up the Sky Bet League Two table. “If you keep picking up points on the road you’ve got a chance [of achieving something] and our home form has been good lately,” said Lapslie. “We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. There’s no point trying to change anything now, we’re obviously doing okay at the minute. We’re just trying to keep going and trying to get points on the board. “It doesn’t really matter [if I’m starting games] as long as the team that’s out there can get the result for the boys like they did today, that’s all that matters.” The Mansfield number 32 says the Stags’ fans can play an important role in the final ten league games of the season. “It’s unreal [to play in front of the Stags’ fans],” he said. “It’s probably the best away following I’ve ever had. [It’s] quite unbelievable. Sometimes you come away and don’t really know whether you’ve played at home or away, they’re so loud. “[I’m] thankful for the fans and even when we were going through a tough time, they stuck with us. “We’re hoping as a squad we can just deliver what they want from us.” ----------------------- Sheridan reacts to another late defeat for Oldham Athletic theoldhamtimes.co.uk, BY SUZANNE GELDARD JOHN Sheridan rued another stoppage time sickener that condemned Oldham Athletic to a sixth straight defeat. Latics took a first-half lead against promotion changing Mansfield thanks to Davis Keillor-Dunn's 14th goal of the season. But a half-time change made the Stags more attack-minded and they equalised through Rhys Oates just eight minutes after the re-start. Sheridan was hopeful of breaking the cycle of defeats. But in the fifth minute of stoppage time Latics failed to defend a disputed throw-in, following a push on Will Sutton, and after Oates was denied by the post, substitute George Lapslie turned in the rebound. "It's a cruel way to lose a game but we should be switched on shouldn't we," said a flat and frustrated Sheridan, who has previously seen his side ship stoppage time goals in defeats to Carlisle, Swindon and Exeter. https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/sport/20023761.sheridan-reacts-another-late-defeat-oldham-athletic/ "Too many times it's happened. "The lack of organisation with 30 seconds to go, four or five times now, it's hard to take isn't it. "I've never known so many late goals against me as a manager. "I think we just switch off. We have to organise and organise and organise and keep organising and don't stop. "Against a team going for promotion I thought we were excellent in the first half and should have been three-up in my eyes. "But for some reason I've always got this feeling that teams are going to come back at us. "I told them at half-time how well they'd done and should be possibly two or three up. "I can hear Nige (Mansfield boss Nigel Clough) giving them a rollicking, he's got into them and they made a couple of changes. "We just came out in the second half and for some reason we stand off them. "I said we can talk all we want at half-time and I can tell you how good you are but you've got to go back out now and do 45 minutes and try to perform as well as you did in the first 45." Sheridan added: "It's really cruel in the way we've lost the game, but it's our own doing. "We gave the ball away again for the first goal. They've got to know the importance of why I say you should do things better. "We're in possession of the ball on the halfway line then 15 seconds later it's in the back of our net. We shouldn't be giving the ball away." Sheridan said their inability to capitalise on openings was proving just as costly. "We've had good opportunities. We should have more of a killer instinct because there were some good, good chances there. "We scored a great goal, a great ball from Stobbsy (Jack Stobbs). We had some good chances. "It's typical the winning goal hits the post but how he's even had a shot, how we invite the throw-in into that area is beyond me, it really is. It's beyond me how we can't just get positions quickly. You don't even have to attempt to win the ball, you just stand in the pockets and they'll probably end up throwing it back to the left back. "We invite the ball into the striker into the penalty box. It's absolutely criminal. But we're at a level where we're going to do those things and we're in a position and that's why we're near the bottom of the league because we do those silly things. "It's a big, massive downer. Even to just get a point and end the losing run. It's really hard to take." ----------------------- John Radford @JRadfordMTFC What great, late drama to secure all three points! Magnificent way to win a game of football. Well done to Nigel and the boys and to our superb supporters for their backing at Boundary Park. COYS!!! ----------------- |
Latest | March 2022