Archived News from April 2005
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EVENING POST REPORT AND REACTION
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FIELD MILL LATEST...
Evening Post, 11 April 2005 Giles Coke has signed a deal keeping him at Field Mill until the end of next season. And manager Carlton Palmer is anxious to tie up another teenage prospect, winger Adam Rundle, this week. He said: "I am delighted to say Giles has signed for one year with an option for a further year. "Hopefully we will get Adam signed this week - we are not a million miles away. "Saturday's game was only Giles' fifth game in the League after coming from non-League and it is a big step up. "He will be one of a squad of 20-25 players for next season and it is up to him to force his way into the starting line-up. "Adam Rundle did well again for us and he is another great prospect. I know what else I need to bring in this summer, starting with a striker." THE MANAGER'S VIEW... Evening Post, 11 April 2005 Carlton Palmer said: "Over two seasons Yeovil have set the standards we need to get to. "We will sit and watch the video and learn from it. "I don't think it was a 5-2 game but Yeovil were the better side throughout and I was a bit disappointed with our performance. "I thought Alex John-Baptiste was excellent, Adam Rundle played well and Gareth Jelleyman did all right. But after that you would struggle to say who else did well, which is disappointing. "But we had injuries, with Alex Neil hurting his knee in training and Jake Buxton"s hip causing him more problems. "So we had a very young side and there were lessons I hope they have learned. They have just come up against the better team and didn't have the answers. "A couple of decisions went against us and I didn"t think Alex fouled their lad for the free kick for their third goal. "I am disappointed we conceded two goals from set-pieces as that is something we work very hard on. "The smallest player on the pitch has scored from a set piece against us which I am not happy about." Yeovil boss Gary Johnson described the win as the club"s "biggest three points of the season". The Glovers had lost five of their previous eight matches with the finishing line in sight in their promotion bid. But this win put them top of the table and Johnson said: "All our rivals will have been looking for us to lose today and this sends them the message that maybe Yeovil are back now when they see we scored five goals as well." GLOVERS' PUNCH ENDS STAGS' RUN Evening Post, 11 April 2005 Yeovil Town 5 v 2 Mansfield Town After a superb run of away results, Mansfield's youngsters finally ran out of steam as Yeovil Town's promotion effort got back on track. But it still took the Glovers 71 minutes to crack the stubborn Stags who refused to give up, despite going behind and missing a penalty. Indeed, Carlton Palmer's side, further depleted through injuries, had the audacity to bounce back and take the lead themselves in the second half. But that lead lasted just two minutes. And then the Somerset promotion-chasers hit them with the old one-two, netting twice in as many minutes before finally knocking over their rocking visitors with another late strike. Stags had reeled off an impressive three wins and two draws in their previous five away games and arrived at Huish Park to face a nervous Yeovil whose title tilt had wobbled alarmingly as they lost five of their last eight games. It seemed inevitable that a side with so much quality would come good again soon and probably whack five goals past someone. But you couldn't see that happening on Saturday when Rhys Day drilled in a penalty to put Stags 2-1 ahead six minutes after the break. However, with Alex Neil and Jake Buxton injured in training, this depleted Stags side were finally put to the sword to the huge relief of the increasingly worried home faithful. A sunny but bitterly cold afternoon in Somerset couldn't have started any worse for the visitors as they watched in horror as Aaron Davies raced with the ball from well inside his own half like an Olympic sprinter before the Stags' defence parted to allow him a finish to a truly magnificent run. And the away fans behind the goal must have thought it was to be a wasted journey when home keeper Stephen Collis saved Richie Barker's penalty ten minutes later. But Barker's tenacity in the tackle earned Adam Rundle a chance that he rammed home for his second goal in as many games to send Stags in level. Indeed, Rundle was one of Mansfield's outstanding performers on the afternoon and Palmer is understandably desperate to get him to put pen to paper this week on a contract. Without doubt, he will be one of Stags' key men next season. When Day showed Barker how to put away a penalty soon after the break, you could feel the sense of despair. Huish Park became Hushed Park. But Yeovil were level within two minutes, although Darren Way still needed the help of the underside of the crossbar to spare him the embarrassment of missing from a yard out. From then on in, it was men against boys as the home fans did their bit and the Glovers simply stepped up a couple of gears. The incident that finally saw Yeovil go ahead was the subject of some contention. Alex John-Baptiste certainly seemed to get the ball as he tackled Kevin Gall just outside the box. But referee Trevor Kettle didn't like the way he had jumped into the tackle and awarded a free kick which Michael Rose dispatched past Kevin Pilkington. After that it was all Yeovil. Phil Jevons netted within two minutes and only Pilkington's fingertips and a goal line clearance from Rundle prevented further damage before Way grabbed his second near the end. Yes, Yeovil were deserved winners, but the scoreline did flatter them. And Stags, with nothing to play for except pride, still came out of the afternoon with much credit. Even in defeat, it will have provided some more important footballing lessons to their younger contingent. The youthful central midfield trio of Giles Coke, Fraser McLachlan and Callum Lloyd impressed in the first half but lost the battle in the second. Gareth Jelleyman caught the eye at left-back while Barker again unselfishly ran himself into the ground as the lone striker. Palmer has said he wants to blood other youngsters before the summer and both Danny Heron and Richard Lonsdale sat eagerly on the bench on Saturday. But the way the game was turning out, it might have done more harm than good to toss them into an afternoon that was starting to go badly wrong for Mansfield. Some consolation for Stags was that, after their 4-1 success at Field Mill, the two league matches at least ended up all square on goals! And it means Stags, still in the market for a goalscorer, have knocked in nine goals in their last three away matches - no mean feat. |
Latest | April 2005