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Archived News from September 2005

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23rd September 2005 19:30


Boss orders his team to forget Villa avalanche
By Dave Peters
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk
11:03am today
WANDERERS have warned managerless Mansfield Town to expect the backlash from Tuesday night's emotional rollercoaster which saw Wycombe concede seven second half goals against Aston Villa.

Manager John Gorman refused to hold an inquest into the Blues' second half collapse and has put that 45 minutes to one side.

Normally the players watch a video of the previous game but not this time.

Gorman said: "It's gone we are not even going to talk about this week."

But while the players have been told to forget the second half, they are drawing strength from that incredible first half when they took Villa to the cleaners and led the Premiership outfit 3-1.

Stefan Oakes, who had a hand in all three Wycombe goals, said: "What we did to Villa in the first half, we should be doing to every team in our league week-in-week-out.

"If we can score three in one half against Premier League opposition we have got to start taking our chances against the teams in our league. If we do that, we will walk this league.

"The quality in this team is amazing. I'm just glad to be part of a team playing such great football.

"I've come here to win medals and to be at the top of the league and all the boys know that if we repeat that first half against Villa every week, we will be top of the league."

Tomorrow's opponents enjoyed their own special cup night in midweek, beating Southampton 1-0 with former Wanderers loanee Adam Birchall in the side and former Chairboy Gus Uhlenbeek an unused substitute.

Blues scorer Tommy Mooney, who ended his own six-match scoring drought against Villa, said: "Mansfield have knocked Southampton out so hopefully it will be after the Lord Mayor's show for them.

"We can take heart from the way we played in the first half against Aston Villa and we know we've got to do that in the league.

"Scoring on my debut and then having to wait so long for my third one is not what I expected but if the boys can keep getting the crosses in I will get my head on them."

Skipper Roger Johnson, Blues' other scorer, is also determined to forget the midweek crumble and get back to the priority of winning promotion.

He said: "We will put Tuesday to one side, forget about it and get on with beating Mansfield. That's always been the main aim.

"We should be doing to sides in our league what Villa did to us. We are creating that many chances in games and we should be beating sides seven and eight."

Wanderers won 4-1 in the snow at Field Mill last season but can expect it to be lot tougher this time around.

The Stags are under the temporary stewardship of Peter Shirtliff. He took on the caretaker's role following manager Carlton Palmer's resignation last Saturday.

Shirtliff, who has won promotions as assistant manager at Leicester and Barnsley, wants the job full-time and knows that the best way to try and get it would be by becoming the first League Two side this season to inflict a defeat on Blues.

Wycombe travel up the M1 without midfield scrapper Joe Burnell. He aggravated his long-standing back injury in midweek and has been ordered to rest.

There are also doubts about Tyson (dead leg), Rob Lee (achilles) and Kevin Betsy (calf).

The latter two both missed the Villa thriller but Gorman is confident both will be fit to make the squad.

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BBC Nottingham online:
Updated 08:33am, 23.09.05
Midfielder Stephen Dawson could make a return this weekend for Mansfield Town as they play host to Wycombe Wanderers but Jon Olav Hjelde is still suspended.

Updated 19:07pm, 22.09.05
The Mansfield Town striker Ritchie Barker hasn't ruled himself out of the running for the vacant manager's post at Field Mill. But admits he may have to wait before getting his chance. The 30-year-old already works part-time at Sheffield United training youth team players, and says he's keen to one day become a manager.
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'WATCH OUT FOR TYSON'S KILLER KICKS'
Evening Post, 23 September 2005
Peter Shirtliff has highlighted Wycombe striker Nathan Tyson as the danger man as his side look to end Wycombe's unbeaten record tomorrow.

The Stags caretaker boss, installed after Carlton Palmer's resignation last weekend, got off to a winning start on Tuesday when his side beat Southampton in the Carling Cup.

It will be a different test against Wycombe tomorrow with them unbeaten in the league but looking to respond after being thrashed 8-3 by Aston Villa in the week.

Not only will they want to bounce back, they have League Two's top scorer Tyson, with 11 goals, in their armoury.

And Shirtliff has urged his players to replicate their performance in the cup.

Shirtliff said: "We will be fine as long as we are focused and pay the right attention to detail.

"We need to get some momentum going forward and produce some results in the league.

"We know Nathan Tyson is a force to be reckoned with as the league"s top scorer. We were up against two very good forwards for Southampton the other night and we finished up with a clean sheet."

Shirtliff has said he wants the manager's job on a permanent basis but says he is not feeling any pressure. He said: "My own daily job is not that different to what it was and I am enjoying it.

"I was sad to see Carlton go and a lot of the players were concerned about his departure as he brought them to the club. But football is like that with new situations. It is a precarious industry."
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Shirtliff rally call as Stags face unbeaten Wycombe
CHAD website, 22 September 2005

CARETAKER boss Peter Shirtliff has urged his side to take Tuesday's sparkling Carling Cup form into their League Two clash with Wycombe Wanderers at Field Mill on Saturday (3pm).
Shirtliff, who knows another win could go a long way to pushing his claims for the post full-time, said; "We need to get some momentum going forward and produce some results in the League.
"But we have to be on our guard against a backlash as Wycombe hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons when they lost 8-3 to Villa in the week.
"We will be fine as long as we are focused and pay the righ attention to details.
"To be honest, there wasn't much wrong before Tuesday. It was just a few details we needed to get right and we did that on the night.
"We know Nathan Tyson is a force to be reckoned with as the League's top scorer. They've just turned down couple of bids for him. But we have to deal with him.
"We were up against two very good forwards for Southampton the other night and we finished up with a clean sheet."
Shirtliff said he was not feeling any pressure in his current role.
"I was sad to see Carlton go and a lot of the players were concerned about his departure as he brought them to the club.
"But football is like that - new situations are always developing. It is a precarious industry.
"We are just getting on with it. My own daily job is not that different to what it was and I am enjoying it.
"I am still coaching the side. It is just the extra responsibility of picking the team and making the decisions.
"But I don't feel any pressure. Pressure in football doesn't compare to the pressure that people experience out of the game."
Midfielder Stephen Dawson resumed training this morning after recovering from a groin strain.
So, apart from broken leg victim Chris Beardsley and suspended defender Jon Olav Hjelde, Shirtliff will have the luxury of a full squad to choose from.
Visitors Wycombe have doubts over Kevin Betsy with a calf strain, though veteran Rob Lee may be back after an Achille's tendon strain.
The sixth-placed Chairboys hold the last unbeaten record in the entire Football League and hot shot Tyson has now scored 11 goals in 11 games.
Tyson actually left the ground on crutches on Tuesday night with a dead leg.
But he did drive into work this morning (Thursday) hoping to train and now has a chance of being fit in time.

 

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