Archived News from April 2022
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STAGS LOSE 1-0 AT LEADERS FOREST GREEN
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Forest Green Rovers 1 - 0 Mansfield Town March 14. Lapslie sent off 49 Attendance: 2784 (390 from Mansfield) Date: 5 April 2022 STAGS LOSE 1-0 AT LEADERS FOREST GREEN WITH LAPSLIE SENT OFF Martin Shaw at the Fully Charged New Lawn Mansfield Town lost 1-0 at League Two leaders Forest Green Rovers last night. The Stags went very close with a couple of early chances before Forest Green took the lead after 14 minutes thanks to some poor marking at the back from the Stags. Both sides played some good football in the first half, but Mansfield were rocked after 49 minutes when George Lapslie was sent off. Despite being down to ten men for the remainder of the game, the Stags stayed in it and pushed the home side all the way, indeed Forest Green barely created a chance in the second half, but Mansfield couldn’t find an equaliser. The Stags remain in 6th place, but 3rd placed Port Vale won last night in the only other game in League Two, and Vale are now 3 points above Mansfield with a vastly superior goal difference, while the Stags have one game in hand. The Stags have 7 games left, and might have to win 5 of them to get into the top 3. Forest Green’s win, their third on the trot, strengthens their grip on top spot, 12 points ahead of 4th place, and they will surely get promoted, probably as champions. And deservedly so as they have been the best side in the league this season in my opinion. The game was originally scheduled in mid December and postponed when Forest Green had Covid in the camp. Then it was started in mid January but abandoned after 4 minutes due to fog. It went ahead at the third time of asking, on a slightly windy evening. Mansfield made two changes from the side that beat Northampton. Rhys Oates missed out with the thigh injury that forced him off on Saturday, and he remains a doubt for the game at Scunthorpe on Saturday. Ryan Stirk dropped to the bench to “give him a bit of a breather” as Nigel Clough said after the game. In came Jordan Bowery and Kieran Wallace. James Perch returned from illness to the bench. Jamie Murphy remained out with a hamstring injury and is also a doubt for the game at Scunthorpe on Saturday Ollie Clarke travelled to the game and I asked Nigel Clough about him after the game. Clough told me he has just had a minor operation on his groin, already feels more comfortable, and hopefully will be back before the end of the season. Forest Green were also without their leading scorer, Matty Stevens, out with an ACL injury. He was replaced by Josh March, an able deputy, who played against Mansfield while on loan at Harrogate last season. Forest Green had the wind behind them in the first half. Inside the opening 10 seconds, a terrible foul on Matty Longstaff on the touchline on the left by Dan Sweeney, brother of former Stag Ryan Sweeney. Longstaff was hurt but ok to carry on. Sweeney should have been booked, but wasn’t. The Stags were inches away from taking the lead after 7 minutes. Elliott Hewitt pushed forward from the halfway line and squared to Stephen Quinn 25 yards from goal. Quinn took a touch before firing in a sweet shot that fizzed inches wide of the right post. I was right behind the line of it and it was so close. The Stags went close again within a minute after great play down the left. Bowery played back to Longstaff on the left touchline. Longstaff played inside to Akins, back to McLaughlin, down the line to Quinn, inside to Bowery, then Quinn again, inside to Longstaff, squared to Lapslie who flicked it forward with the outside of his right boot. Ebou Adams tried to clear but miskicked and Akins was able to turn but from 8 yards he screwed his shot inches wide of the left post. Akins should have scored or at least got his shot on target. It was a brilliant move from the Stags. After the game, Nigel Clough said “I thought we started the game brilliantly and created a great chance that Lucas screwed wide. That could have changed the game if it had gone in.” Oli Hawkins was booked for a clear foul on Jamille Matt after 11 minutes. He is on 13 bookings for the season now, and will be suspended for three games if he gets two more bookings. He already missed 2 games when he reached 10 bookings and 1 when he reached 5 bookings. Forest Green took the lead after 14 minutes. Bowery gave the ball away inside his own half to Jack Aitchison who found Nicky Cadden who found Baily Cargill. Cargill’s curling cross from 28 yards out on the left was towards the far post when Matt got away from his marker Hawkins and sent a diving header straight at Nathan Bishop. Bishop was in the right place to save it at point blank range, hitting him in the face. The ball rebounded to Josh March 12 yards out and he fired it into the bottom left corner of the net for a clinical finish. Poor marking from Hawkins, and an error from Bowery giving the ball away in his own half. After 20 minutes, a mistake from Hawkins as he tried to dribble the ball out from defence and was tackled, Aitchison laid off to Cadden and he fired powerfully wide. From the video replay from the opposite side of the ground to my seat in the press box, it was much further wide than I thought! At the other end a minute later, Bowery shot wide from the right. Some pressure from the Stags around the half hour mark, with 3 long throws in quick succession from Hewitt, and then a corner. During that spell, a volley from Lapslie was blocked. A chance for Forest Green after 32 minutes, a huge long ball from the keeper McGee into the Stags half, with the aid of the wind, Hawkins and two Forest Green players went for the header, it flicked off the top of Hawkins’ head, which set March away on goal into the Stags area, but Bishop was out quickly to make himself big and block March’s shot. Very good goalkeeping. I would not blame Hawkins on this occasion, slightly caught out by the wind. Forest Green got another shot in after 37 minutes as Kane Wilson surged forward down the ball, and laid a lovely ball into the path of March whose low shot was weak and straight at Bishop. Wallace for booked for a foul on March after 38 minutes. Then Matt was booked for an accumulation of fouls. A comical moment this. The referee showed no sign of booking Matt until O’Toole and Hawkins pointed out the accumulation to the referee. A good move from Forest Green after 42 minutes, as March played inside to Aitchison who moved forward but just overran the ball through to Bishop who was out quickly. Bishop caught a Cadden free kick nicely after 45+3 minutes. Forest Green ahead at the break. Both sides played some good football, but the home side ahead with a clinical finish after some poor marking allowed Matt to get in the header. Half time 1-0 Mansfield made a double change at the break taking off Hawkins and Wallace and bringing on Perch and Stirk. Nigel Clough said that the referee had told Wallace one more foul and he was off, while Clough was also concerned that Hawkins might pick up a second yellow. Perch went in at right back, Hewitt moved to centre half, in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Stirk in front of the back four, Akins, Lapslie, Longstaff and Quinn (right to left) in midfield, and Bowery up front. But on 49 minutes, Mansfield were reduced to 10 men in controversial circumstances as Lapslie was given a straight red. Lapslie and Ebou Adams went for the ball on the edge of the centre circle, Adams went down theatrically as though he had been shot in the foot, and the referee immediately showed Lapslie the red card. From the replay, Lapslie might or might not have caught him on the foot, but it is not a red card challenge in my opinion, a yellow card at worst. There was no appealing from the Forest Green bench and only one player appealed to the referee. Nigel Clough told me after the game Lapslie said he didn’t make contact with Adams. It was a key moment in the game. I expect Mansfield to appeal the decision. It’s always hard to judge the likelihood of success but in my opinion it is certainly worth the appeal. As it stands, Lapslie would miss the next three games through suspension, unless the decision is overturned. A big blow to the Stags as he has really come back into form in the last few games. Mansfield switched to a 4-1-3-1 formation. After 55 minutes, Longstaff’s free kick into the box from wide out on the right reached McLaughlin at the far post and his volley was blocked on the line by Sweeney, though the offside flag went up against McLaughlin. A half chance for Forest Green after 56 minutes as Aitchison’s shot from 16 yards was blocked by Perch after a scramble in the box. Danny Johnson replaced Quinn after 61 minutes. I don’t think Quinn was injured. Johnson went up front, Bowery dropped back into midfield on the left. Akins teed up Stirk for a shot after 66 minutes, but he curled it two yards wide from 20 yards. Superb play from Bowery to win a corner after 69 minutes. Longstaff took the corner short, along the byline to Akins, who found McLaughlin wide on the left and his low cross in was knocked up by Longstaff who turned and hooked a shot straight at the keeper from 10 yards. A clever move, probably off the training ground. Good play by Akins after 74 minutes to charge down a clearance, and Johnson fired over the bar from 30 yards. Three minutes later, wonderful skill from Akins to find Stirk, but it came to nothing. After 84 minutes, Cadden’s had a shot from 16 yards blocked by Perch. On 90 minutes, Cargill headed well wide from a Cadden corner. Hewitt was booked for a late tackle on March after 90 minutes. Bowery did well to win a free kick on the left after 90+3 minutes. The free kick was cleared behind for a corner. But an absolute waste from McLaughlin as he curled the corner out of play and back into play for a goal kick. Longstaff normally takes the corners from left to avoid this possibility. Defeat for Mansfield but not a bad performance, despite playing for ten men for more than 40 minutes against the best side in the league. Missing those early chances was crucial, then a bit of slack marking allowed Forest Green to take the lead and the home side led at the break after some good football from both sides. Mansfield stayed in the game in the second half but couldn’t find an equaliser. Most of the Stags side played ok, though Oli Hawkins had a poor first half with a couple of errors, one of which was costly. He had a poor game against Hartlepool last Tuesday, then an outstanding one against Northampton on Saturday where he scored the only goal and won everything at the back and was my clear man of the match, then another poor one here. I suspect he will either go up front on Saturday or be rested, with other options available at the back including Rawson and Perch (who would probably at right back with Hewitt or Rawson at centre half). Indeed Nigel Clough said after the game that “if James Perch had been 100% fit after his illness, the plan was to leave Oli on the bench tonight and start Perchy.” On to Scunthorpe on Saturday. The bottom side, after playing the top side here. The Stags will want to win the game really in order to keep pushing for the top three of course. Scunthorpe are bottom for a reason, because they are the worst side in the league, but the Stags will still have to play well to beat them. I don’t think there will be any complacency, a manager as good as Nigel Clough will ensure that. Scunthorpe will not be allowed to play Tyrese Sinclair, on loan from Mansfield, who has been doing well there, and even ended their game on Saturday as captain. Finally credit to the Stags fans, a tremendous turnout of 390 on Tuesday night in Gloucestershire. They gave their side a good reception at the final whistle, appreciative of a decent performance in the circumstances despite the defeat. ------------------------- TUE 05 APR 2022, LEAGUE TWO Forest Green Rovers 1-0 Mansfield Town March (14'minutes) Lapslie (Dismissed at49'minutes) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60650826 Match report supplied by PA Media. Josh March's strike tightened Forest Green's grip on automatic promotion against a Mansfield side reduced to 10 men after George Lapslie's second-half red card. March pounced on 15 minutes with a clinical finish to make it three wins on the spin for Rob Edwards' side and a gap of 12 points on fourth-placed Northampton, with seven games to go. Promotion-chasing Mansfield started brightly with Stephen Quinn fizzing wide before Lucas Akins contrived to skew wide with just Luke McGee to beat. Rovers turned the screw and scored against the run of play. Stags keeper Nathan Bishop parried Jamille Matt's diving header but the ball broke to March, who finished with aplomb. March, who was drafted in following the season-ending injury to top scorer Mathew Stevens, came close to a second when he got on the end of a Dan Sweeney header only for Bishop to glove his strike away from the danger zone. Mansfield were reduced to 10 men on 50 minutes when Lapslie was handed a straight red for a high tackle on Ebou Adams. Newcastle loanee Matty Longstaff forced McGee to plunge onto his shot with 20 minutes to go as the Stags hunted parity, but Rovers comfortably saw the game out despite six minutes of injury time. Match Stats Home Team Forest Green Away Team Mansfield Possession Home 45% Away 55% Shots Home 9 Away 9 Shots on Target Home 4 Away 2 Corners Home 4 Away 4 Fouls Home 18 Away 13 --------------------- 10-man Mansfield Town are beaten in huge game at table-topping Forest Green Rovers chad.co.uk, Tuesday 5th April 2022 10-man Mansfield Town missed the chance to close the gap on the automatic League Two promotion places with a 1-0 defeat at table-topping Forest Green Rovers tonight. Josh March bagged the only goal of the game on 14 minutes as the leaders opened up a healthy seven-point cushion at the summit and 12 points from fourth place. Stags hopes then dipped when George Lapslie was sent off early in the second half to leave the Stags a goal and a man down at the New Lawn. Nigel Clough’s side suffered their first defeat in five in one of their games in hand and sit in sixth, three points off the top three with a game in hand still. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/10-man-mansfield-town-are-beaten-in-huge-game-at-table-topping-forest-green-rovers-3642323 Both sides were missing their top scorers with Rhys Oates (Stags) and Matty Stevens (Rovers) ruled out with injury. Jordan Bowery came in for Oates with Keiran Wallace replacing Ryan Stirk in midfield. Stags were the first to show as Stephen Quinn’s powerful strike whistled past the post. And seconds later striker Lucas Akins squandered a great strike when he fired wide of the mark from close range. How different the night may have been had he found the target. Clough’s charges were on top and playing well so unfortunate to sudenly find themselves behind in the 14th minute as the excellent Nathan Bishop produced a great save to keep out Jamille Matt’s header before March turned home the rebound from the home side's first real foray into the Mansfield box. It was almost two soon after but midfielder Nicky Cadden struck off target. Stags’ stopper Bishop pulled off a good stop to deny March a second after he powered his way into the box. Clough made a double change at the break as he took off booked pair Ollie Hawkins and Kieran Wallace. But those plans were scuppered less than five minutes later as Lapslie was shown a straight red for a high challenge on Ebou Adams with the Mansfield bench furious over the decision. The Stags found themselves under the pump with a barrage of balls into the box from the visitors. And that forced Clough into his third and final change after just an hour as Danny Johnson came on up front to give them an extra outlet. Welsh midfielder Stirk saw an effort go wide before Matty Longstaff fired a tough volley straight at Luke McGee as the visitors desperately tried in vain to fight their way back into proceedings. FOREST GREEN: McGee, Sweeney, Moore-Taylor, Cargill, Wilson, Stevenson (Hendry, 83), Adams, Cadden, Aitchison (Bernard 90+5’), Matt, March. SUBS NOT USED: Godwin-Malife, Bernard, Young, Thomas, Diallo, McAteer. STAGS: Bishop, Hewitt, O’Toole, Hawkins (Perch HT), McLaughlin, Wallace (Stirk HT), Lapslie, Quinn (Johnson, 60), Longstaff, Akins, Bowery. SUBS NOT USED: Stech, Law, Rawson, Maris. REFEREE: Carl Brook. ATTENDANCE: 2,784. ---------------------- |
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