Archived News from August 2022
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STAGS BEAT TRANMERE IN 1ST HOME GAME OF THE SEASON
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 1 - 0 Tranmere Rovers Harbottle 60 Attendance: 7,128 (621 from Tranmere) Date: 6 August 2022 Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town beat Tranmere Rovers 1-0 at the One Call Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the first home league match of the season. The only goal of the game came after 60 minutes, when Riley Harbottle, on loan from Nottingham Forest for the season, and in just his second Football League game, headed home from a Hiram Boateng corner (*). The Stags deserved the win, creating more chances than the visitors, while keeper Christy Pym pulled off three good saves to earn the points. (* NEW UPDATE: there was some confusion over who scored. Both Harbottle and O’Toole claimed the goal. Harbottle was credited with it by the press and that was how it was reported nationally and locally. It was hard to tell from the press box and from the footage from the main camera. Other footage I’ve now seen shows that the ball went in off O’Toole’s face. Technically the goal should therefore be credited to O’Toole. However Nigel Clough said after the game on Saturday that they would be discussing it on Monday, as to who should be credited with the goal, and I gather they have decided not to request any change to the official credit which was given to Harbottle. For the purposes of my statistics, I will therefore also credit the goal to Harbottle) The first half saw one near miss for either side. For the Stags, following a corner, Boateng pulled the ball back across the face of goal and from three yards out, John-Joe O’Toole did well to turn the ball goalwards with his boot only for former Stags striker Kane Hemmings to head off the line for Tranmere. And at the other end, nearly a nightmare moment for Jordan Bowery, playing at right wing-back, as he tried to play a back-pass to Pym, it was intercepted by Hemmings, and in a 1-on-1, Pym did well to save the low shot from Hemmings with his legs. Very poor play from Bowery, got out of jail by his keeper. The Stags had 7 corners in the first half, and not one of them found a Stags head, so it was ironic that the Stags were to take the lead with a header direct from a corner on the hour mark. Then from another Boateng corner after 73 minutes, Harbottle again headed goalwards and this time the keeper saved on his line. Two minutes later, Stephen Quinn found Rhys Oates with his back to goal, he turned and fired in a rising shot that the keeper saved above his head. Three minutes after that, a good move down the right from the Stags as Bowery set Lucas Akins away, Akins did very well to pull back to Bowery who had surged into the box, took a fine first touch, but then sent his powerful shot wide from 9 yards. On 79 minutes, Pym was called into action for his second save of the game. The brilliant Josh Dacres-Cogley, at right wing-back for Tranmere, put in a hanging cross from the right, and left wing-back Ethan Bristow beat Bowery to a header, sending the ball towards the bottom left corner of the net, but Pym clawed it round the post. Bowery was visibly frustrated with himself for conceding the header. Chances were coming thick and fast now. On 83 minutes, a good turn by Akins and his shot towards the near post was saved by the keeper. Pym was called upon to make his third save of the game after 85 minutes. A long ball from Neill Byrne out to the right was brilliantly chested down and controlled by Dacres-Cogley, getting past McLaughlin into the area and to the byline, and he pulled the ball back perfectly into space for Paul Lewis who had a free shot from 10 yards, but Pym got down low to save and hold onto it at the second attempt. Good keeping from Pym. In truth Lewis probably should have buried the shot. On 87 minutes, Bowery found sub Ollie Clarke and his low shot from 25 yards was straight at the keeper. Then two minutes after that, great play from Clarke, surging forward into the area and he fired in a super shot that the keeper turned onto the post and behind. The hapless referee Seb Stockbridge, who made a string of poor decisions in the second half, gave a goal kick, On 90+5 minutes, Will Swan fed George Lapslie on the right, his cross found Akins with his back to goal. Akins controlled superbly and on the turn hooked a great shot towards the top left corner of the net, but the keeper made a magnificent save turning it round the post. I spoke to Akins briefly after the game, he told me he was disappointed that didn’t go in, but I pointed out that at that stage of the game winning a corner was important in winding the clock down, in the final minute of stoppage time. That was just about the last action, apart from Swan surging forward into the area and firing into the side netting but the offside flag was already up. So a really good win for Mansfield. The second half ignited in the final 15 minutes with chances for either side after there hadn’t been too many earlier in the game. Pym made those three good saves, but the Stags had more and better chances, indeed in total 9 shots on target to Tranmere’s 3. Plenty of good performances in the Stags side, and overall the passing and movement was very good to watch. Pym was good in goal, with three crucial saves. The back three of O’Toole, Hawkins and Harbottle all played well. Boateng was excellent in midfield, and deservedly picked up the sponsor’s man of the match. He looks such a good player on the ball. Oates cut a bit of a frustrated figure up front, he was very well marshalled by the Tranmere defence and things didn’t really run for him though he had one good turn and shot. Akins played pretty well and held the ball up well, also bringing a brilliant save out of the keeper late on. The substitutes made a good contribution. Ollie Clarke looked extremely lively late on, as did George Lapslie. The Tranmere side looks weaker to me than it was last season. They seem to have replaced experienced players, like Peter Clarke, with younger players. I predict that they won't be play-off contenders that they were last season. However, Josh Dacres-Cogley, at right wing-back was outstanding, and looks to be on a par with Kane Wilson, the Forest Green right wing-back last season, as one of the best players we’ve seen in the league. The Stags are back in action on Tuesday night as Derby County visit the One Call Stadium in the Carabao Cup. It’s a mouth watering tie, which I thought might have been chosen for TV coverage but wasn’t. Just to clarify that midweek league and Papa John’s Trophy games can be watched on iFollow with a match pass, but Carabao Cup games cannot, either in the UK or worldwide, due to broadcasting restrictions. So it will be commentary only on iFollow. UPDATE ON THE ATTENDANCE: I promised I would say a word on the attendance. The attendance was initially announced at the ground as 5,344 (621 from Tranmere); ie 4,723 home fans I was told at full time this was an error, which was realised shortly after the announcement. The attendance was then amended on social media later to: 7,128 (621 from Tranmere); ie 6,507 home fans Contrast this with the attendance for the previous home game, vs Northampton play-off semi final 1st leg: 7,469 (1221 from Northampton); ie 6,248 home fans Anyone who was at both games will know that plainly there were a lot more home fans in the ground for the Northampton game. However that is not reflected in the figures (6,507 home fans vs Tranmere, 6,248 home fans vs Northampton). The explanation from the club is as follows: “The club includes all pre-sales in its official attendance figure. This is also the practice for many clubs” So it is clear that a fairly large number of home fans with pre-sales (a season ticket for example) did not actually attend the Tranmere game, but are still counted in the attendance. It is not too surprising that a number of season ticket holders didn’t turn up given the huge number of season tickets sold this season (4,450), and that in August a fair proportion of fans will be away on holiday for example. The practice of including all season tickets regardless of whether they attended in the official attendance figure has been routine from Premier League (Arsenal for example), down to League One (Charlton for example), down to non-league (Chesterfield for example) for several years. As they say, if you can’t beat them, join them! DETAILED REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ------------------------ SAT 06 AUG 2022, LEAGUE TWO Mansfield Town 1-0 Tranmere Rovers Harbottle (60'minutes) Assists Boateng (60'minutes) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62357773 Match report supplied by PA Media. Mansfield picked up their first points of the season following a battling 1-0 win over Tranmere in League Two as Riley Harbottle's second-half header proved to be the difference in a game of few clear-cut chances. Rovers came close to opening the scoring after 30 minutes through Kane Hemmings, before John-Joe O'Toole had a shot cleared off the line. Paul Lewis missed a great chance to equalise when he scuffed a shot straight at the keeper in the closing stages. Tranmere had early penalty shouts waved away when Elliott Nevitt went down under pressure. Hiram Boateng had a shot saved after 11 minutes before Reece McAlear drilled over. Christy Pym saved from Hemmings following a poor back-pass with 30 minutes gone. O'Toole had an attempt cleared off the line by Hemmings five minutes before the break. Mansfield broke the deadlock when Harbottle headed home following Boateng's 60th-minute corner. Pym made a good fingertip save to keep out Ethan Bristow's header. Lewis found space but could only fire tamely at Pym with five minutes to go. Match Stats Home Team Mansfield Away Team Tranmere Possession Home 57% Away 43% Shots Home 17 Away 6 Shots on Target Home 9 Away 3 Corners Home 12 Away 4 Fouls Home 15 Away 10 ----------------------- Mansfield Town are up and running after victory over Tranmere Rovers chad.co.uk, By Stephen Thirkill, Saturday 6th August 2022 Stags are up and running after beating Tranmere Rovers 1-0 for the first win of the campaign. Riley Harbottle’s second half header proved to be the difference in a game of few clear-cut chances. Rovers came close to opening the scoring on 30 minutes through Kane Hemmings, before John-Joe O’Toole had a shot cleared off the line. It was a game in which Stags had to work hard for the points, enjoying good spells at either end of the first half. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-are-up-and-running-after-victory-over-tranmere-rovers-3796241 Mansfield took charge of the second half and deservedly found a winner on the hour mark. They were perhaps fortunate not to have found themselves pegged back when Paul Lewis could only fire weakly at the keeper. It was a perfect response from last weekend’s opening day reversal as Stags once again look to make the One Call Stadium a fortress. Nigel Clough’s men picked up 49 home points during the last campaign, something that will again be key to a successful promotion campaign. Hiram Boateng showed that Clough has done some shrewd summer business with his work-rate and ball retention standing out during a fine individual display. Stags made one change with Oli Hawkins coming in at the expense of Will Swan. Former Mansfield loan man Hemmings was included in the Rovers line-up. Boateng fired over from the edge of the box after an Oli Hawkins corner was only half cleared. The visitors were screaming for a third minute penalty when Elliott Nevitt went down in the box under pressure. Boateng had a scuffed shot saved by Ross Doohan on 11 minutes, before Reece McAlear drilled over from distance five minutes later. Hawkins received treatment after he was flattened making a last ditch headed clearance. Christy Pym saved from Kane Hemmings in a one-on-one following a poor back-pass on 30 minutes. John-Joe O’Toole had an attempt brilliantly cleared off the line by Hemmings five minutes before the break. But Stags broke the deadlock when Harbottle headed home from close range on 60 minutes following Boateng’s corner. George Maris failed to find the target from distance minutes later as Stags looked for a decisive second. Rhys Oates was unable to trouble the keeper on 75 minutes, before Jordan Bowery fired wide. Pym made a finger-tip save to keep out Ethan Bristow five minutes later. Lewis missed a great chance to level for the visitors with five minutes to go when he scuffed a tame shot at Pym. Ollie Clarke was denied by the post with two minutes to go, before Will Swan fired wide in the dying seconds. Mansfield Town: Pym, O'Toole, Hawkins (Hewitt 78) , Harbottle, Akins, Boateng Lapslie 84), Maris (Hartigan 90), Quinn (O. Clarke 84), McLaughlin, Oates (Swan 90) Subs not used: Flinders, Gordon. Tranmere Rovers: Doohan, Dacres-Cogley, Byrne, Jameson, Robinson, Bristow, McAlear (Nolan 80), O'Connor, Lewis, Nevitt, Hemmings. Subs not used: Merrie, Hawkes, Hockenhull, Hughes, Hewelt, Taylor. Referee: Seb Stockbridge. Att:5,344 (figure announced at the ground, later amended). Stags MOM: Hiram Boeteng. ---------------------- Mansfield Town 0-1 Tranmere Rovers https://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/news/2022/august/mansfield-town-0-1-tranmere-rovers/ Tranmere Rovers suffered a 1-0 defeat on the road on Saturday afternoon to the hands of Mansfield Town. Riley Harbottle’s second half goal was the difference between the two sides at a sunny One Call Stadium. Rovers began the game with a very early strong penalty shout. Elliott Nevitt found space in behind the Mansfield defence before having his arm blatantly dragged back in the box and going to ground. The referee waved play on. Not long after, Hiram Boateng had the first real chance of note for the home side as his low shot from the corner of the box was pounced on by Doohan before Oates could connect. On the 20th minute, Reece McAlear played a cute ball in behind for Kane Hemmings, he turned inside the box and clipped a ball towards Elliott Nevitt but Hawkins got there first to clear. Kane Hemmings latched on to a back pass on the half hour mark and only had the keeper to beat from an awkward angle. The striker attempted to squeeze it through Pym’s legs in the Stags’ goal but the keeper gathered. The home side had a glorious chance of their own just before half time. A series of crosses were delivered into the Rovers box before Hemmings eventually cleared a flicked effort off the line. Mansfield broke the deadlock with 60 minutes on the clock. Hiram Boateng’s corner from the right was bundled over the line by Riley Harbottle from close range to put the home side ahead. Rovers huffed and puffed and produced the best chance of the second half in the 85th minute. Dacres-Cogley found space down the right and cut the ball back to Paul Lewis inside the box who looked destined to score but his shot was save by Pym. As Tranmere pushed for an equaliser, the spaces started to open up. Ollie Clarke broke forward and rattled Ross Doohan’s near post with a left footed drive. With the last chance of the game, Doohan produced an outstanding save to deny Lucas Akins’ acrobatic effort from close range. Mansfield held on to secure all three points at the One Call Stadium as Rovers’ attention turns to Carabao Cup action against Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night. Tranmere team: Doohan, Dacres-Cogley, Kyle Jameson, Neill Byrne, Luke Robinson, Ethan Bristow, Lee O’Connor, Paul Lewis, Reece McAlear (Jon Nolan 80’), Elliott Nevitt, Kane Hemmings ---------------------- |
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