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Archived News from January 2006

SHIRTLIFF AND SLADE REACTION
16th January 2006 14:45


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Audio interview with Peter Shirtliff from Mansfield 103.2 & Stagsworld (file is 1.0 Mb): Interview here

Shirtliff complains about lack of training base. Congratulations to Mr Haslam.

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Shirtliff slams lack of training facilities
CHAD website
MANSFIELD boss Peter Shirtliff slammed the club's lack of training facilities after the latest setback – a 2-1 defeat at Grimsby Town yesterday.
Stags battled back from going an early goal down to seemingly snatch a deserved point with a 79th minute Richie Barker penalty, only to throw it away four minutes from time.
Shirtliff said: "We need a training base – it's as simple as that. If we don't get one then we can't improve.
"We want somewhere we can work and work at the basics. It's a problem and I can say it until I am blue in the face.
"If anyone knows anywhere where we can train on a regular basis with a decent surface then please contact us.
"At Grimsby our final balls were poor as was our set piece delivery."
Stags no longer use the facilities at Field Mill which have fallen into disrepair and have since had spells of using Forest Town Welfare and Ashfield School.
And red tape and resident protests has held up their hopes of building a new training facility in Ashfield, though that seems to be moving closer to work starting.
On the Grimsby game, Shirtliff added: "I thought it was a scrappy first half with nothing in it and they converted the one chance which was down to our poor defending.
"We dominated the second half but let ourselves down with our final ball.
"I had to change the team round as I thought some of our players looked tired and leggy. And I put three subs on to freshen it up.
"One or two players looked like they have played one game too many recently, especially after the highs of Newcastle the previous week.
"Now we have to bounce back at Shrewsbury on Tuesday."
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GRAHAM HAILS WINNING MARINERS
Grimsby Evening Telegraph

Assistant manager Graham Rodger hailed his Grimsby side after they ground out a 2-1 win over Mansfield.

The Mariners went ahead through a ninth-minute Michael Reddy strike but the Stags levelled through a Richie Barker penalty before Andy Parkinson grabbed the winner four minutes from time.

"It was more about the result than the performance," said Rodger.

"It was a fantastic win, a much-needed win especially at home. We will play a lot better than that and lose. Sometimes the sign of a good side is a side that wins games like that.

"Too often in the past we would have drawn or even lost that game. The players know they have not performed particularly well but they dug in deep and ground out a result.

"We are not happy with the performance but we are delighted with the result and we are second in the table."

Rodger felt Grimsby's lack of a game last week had told.

He said: "We looked like we had not played for two weeks and we put ourselves under pressure. Mansfield's league position belies their team and I think they showed that."

Rodger was unhappy with the penalty, saying: "I think if we had got it we would have been delighted. It was a genuine attempt to win the ball."

And he had praise for striker Reddy, adding: "Michael had a quiet day but he always looks like he's going to score. He had two chances and scored one goal."

Mansfield boss Peter Shirtliff felt his side deserved something from the game.

"I'm a bit disappointed," he said. "I thought that in terms of possession we were dominant but the final ball was lacking.

"We played well but we have done that a few times and come away with nothing. When you are down there rather than up top these things happen. Grimsby delivered the ball better from their limited opportunities.

"If the final ball is not created enough then the strikers are struggling. We had a few chances and their keeper made some good saves but to be fair it wasn't enough."

Shirtliff was also disappointed with the way Grimsby scored the winner.

"I did not think they would score it in that way. Defending from front to back was awful.

"But overall I thought we played some good stuff."


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Shirtliff interview from BBC Radio Nottingham, transcribe by Mike of http://www.yellows.co.uk

"We got the equalizer and I thought we looked comfortable, I can't really remember them troubling us in the 2nd half, and then poor defending from us allows them to get in and get a shot on goal , pressie saves it and the boy puts the rebound in, I'm disapointed to be fair not to get a point."

"I thought as the game went on we did better to be fair, I thought our passing got better and better as the game went on, in terms of possesion I thought we dominated the game, especially second half, 1st half I thought was a bit scrappy, nothing really creative, apart from the odd times we got in behind them, in terms of Adam Rundle got in 2 or three times, but the delivery let us down. Our deliveries from set pieces was poor"

(asked if it was down to tiredness....)

"I really don't know, but i've made a statement where I think we need a training base where we can practice basics week in week out, where we can get the young players to do the right thing at the right time."

"It's not just a case of money, it's a case of venues, you tell me where we can train, if the club hasn't got it's own training ground, where do you train? We are relying on people, and to be fair, we have had good relations with one or two venues, but we need it on a regular baisis, and until we get that it's very difficult."

"I've already spoken to the chairman about a base, but he's as frustated as I am, we need a venue"

full interview here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/football/2006/stags_grimsby_away_shirtliff.ram

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DELIVERY 'NOT GOOD ENOUGH'
Evening Post, 16 January 2006
Peter Shirtliff felt the Stags only had themselves to blame for defeat at Grimsby.

The boss blamed sloppy defending and poor delivery into the box.

He was annoyed with the way his side gave away both goals, especially the winner netted by the Mariners' Andy Parkinson.

And he was also unhappy that most of Mansfield's moves broke down in the final third when more composure might have produced more goals.

"I'm disappointed with not getting a point. We had some good chances to put the ball into a dangerous area in the first half, but the delivery in was not good enough," said Shirtliff.

"We dominated the second half in terms of possession, but once again our final ball was poor and I can't put my finger on why.

"Grimsby's delivery was much better than ours and when you have a team as big as theirs, that can cause problems.

"But that wasn't how they got their goals. The first one came after a throw-in and we should have done better, and the second one was defended really badly by us from back to front.

"We let the lad (Martin Gritton) get in a shot when he should have been closed down and then the ball dropped kindly for them after Kevin (Pressman) made a great save."

But Shirtliff said there were some positives. "It was a scrappy game but we battled hard and kept going. It was perhaps a game too far for some of the players as they have played a lot over Christmas.

"That was why I brought back Jonathan D'Laryea. He was fresh after not playing at Newcastle, while Giles Coke has looked a little bit tired."

The match saw 19-year-old Danny Reet make his debut after coming off the bench and Shirtliff was pleased with his start.

"Danny has shown that he has aggression and I think if we can get balls into dangerous areas for him then he will be a threat," added Shirtliff.

Central defender Jon-Olav Hjelde agreed with his manager's assessment of the game.

He said: "I think we controlled things for a lot of the game. They had a big team but they didn't create many chances.

"Our final ball wasn't great but we still had enough chances to win it. Their goalkeeper made two great saves from Stephen Dawson and had either of those gone in, things might have been different."

'WE GOT OUT OF JAIL' SAYS GRIMSBY BOSS
Evening Post, 16 January 2006
Grimsby boss Russell Slade admitted his side had "got out of jail" by beating the Stags.

"I was disappointed with our performance and I thought Mansfield were unfortunate to not take anything from the game," he said.

"From my point of view they had too much possession and were camped in our half for the first 25 minutes of the second half.

"They didn't really hurt us during that time but deserved to get back into the game and they did so with the penalty.

"To be fair to my team they often find that little bit more, and they did so again today right at the end.

"We were second best to the ball and it showed that we haven't played for two weeks. I think we certainly got out of jail with that."


 

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