Archived News from August 2006
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OUTSTANDING STAGS WIN AT HUDDERSFIELD
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Huddersfield Town 0 - 2 Mansfield Town
Boulding 45, Barker 48 22 August 2006 --------- Evening Post report: SUPER STAGS DUMP LEAGUE ONE TOWN Huddersfield Town 0 - 2 Mansfield Town Carling Cup 1st Round MANAGER Peter Shirtliff would gladly swap Mansfield's first away victory of the season, against Huddersfield, for three points against Lincoln on Saturday. But while last night's terrific Carling Cup success has no direct influence on the Stags' first priority - their standing in League Two - the psychological impact it could have on the team may be vitally important. Against a side who could well have one of the best home records in League One come the end of the season, Mansfield showed the undeniable potential they have. Stags followers will hope that this display will now give the players the belief that they can go to any side in League Two and get something. It should do, because Mansfield thoroughly deserved their victory with a performance that demonstrated their ability to attack at pace and their willingness to dig in defensively. The bemused look on Terriers boss Peter Jackson's face said it all. His Huddersfield side had just been outplayed - and he knew it. It was not the biggest shock of the night - that was reserved for basement club Bury's win over Niall Quinn's Sunderland - but it was a result that will, at the very least, raise an eyebrow up and down the country. Huddersfield captain Jon Worthington was rested. But there was no other absentee from the team that drew 2-2 at Brentford on Saturday. They could have no excuses. After suffering the same kind of humiliation at Accrington, watching Nottingham Forest boss Colin Calderwood must have felt a little better in seeing another League One side dumped out. Ahead of the two sides' meeting this weekend, he will also have noted the Terriers' inability to get round the back of the Stags defence and their over-reliance - especially at the end - on lumping balls into the box. The Stags played the better football and, for the most part, looked the most likely to score. In the 13th minute, only a smart reaction stop from Matt Glennon prevented Simon Brown nipping in to give them the lead. Brown then went close with a header from a pinpoint Matt Hamshaw cross. Jason White then made a fine save from Danny Schofield's low drive. The visitors went in front in first-half stoppage time when Nathan Clarke failed to clear Richard Barker's header and Michael Boulding swooped to prod past Glennon. Mansfield also made the ideal start after the break as they doubled their lead with a controversial Barker strike. Brown appeared to be coming back from an offside position when he ran towards a ball being chased by Clarke and Barker. As the Huddersfield defender hesitated, Barker ran on and beat Glennon with an angled finish that went in off the right-hand post. From there the Stags still had plenty to do. But they were rarely troubled at the back and both Brown and Barker were denied by smart saves from Glennon. Come the end, the home fans were leaving in droves and the visiting supporters were singing: "Can we play you every week?" If the Stags can find the same level of performance, there will be more happy away trips on the horizon. ---------- CHAD report: Sparkling Stags KO Terriers SPARKLING Stags maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a magnificent and unexpected 2-0 Carling Cup first round victory at League One Huddersfield Town last night. Despite an impressive start to the League campaign, Mansfield were clear underdogs as they travelled up to Huddersfield's magnificent Galpharm Stadium. But the visitors thoroughly deserved the win, defending resolutely for their first clean sheet of the season and pinching goals just either side of half time through Michael Boulding and Richie Barker. Indeed, the visitors defended so well over the 90 minutes that Jason White only had one save to make from a hopeful 20 yard shot from Danny Schofield in the first half. The victory tasted even sweeter as Huddersfield were the side who beat Stags in the 2004 Play-off final at Cardiff and, having reached the third round last year by twice dumping higher division opposition, Stags were looking forward to a good second round draw. Stags boss Peter Shirtliff made one change with White making his first start of the season in goal in place of Muggleton. Otherwise it was the side that had done so well in the 1-1 draw at Grimsby Town on Friday night. Terriers skipper Jon Worthington missed the game with injury and was replaced by Collins. Jelleyman outjumped Beckett to guide Schofield's chipped through ball back to White in the opening minute. Mansfield also survived two early Huddersfield corners. Stags replied with some good pressure with Clarke getting a good block on a Brown effort as the home side struggled to get the ball out of their box. Clarke's short backheader almost let Brown in but Glennon was well positioned to block his close range attempt on 14 minutes. The first yellow card was produced on 17 minutes as Holdworth needlessly took Boulding's standing leg in the middle of the park. On 23 minutes Hamshaw lofted a long ball over the top from the right to pick out Brown who tried a looping header which Glennon took safely. Abbott out-muscled Jelleyman on the right and put in a dangerous cross which Mullins hooked clear. There were moments of danger for Stags as White had to punch away a Hudson cross and then Beckett was crowded out by three defenders as he tried to turn in the box. White then had his first save of the night to make on 35 minutes as he turned aside Schofield's low 20 yard shot for the first of two corners. Stags came close as Brown skipped past Taylor-Fletcher on the left two minutes from the break and pulled the ball back in the box to an unmarked Dawson who took a swing at the ball but missed it and the chance was gone. However, Stags snatched the lead in first half stoppage time. Barker headed the the ball foward into the six yard box where Clarke's header failed to get any distance and the ball looped up and dropped for Boulding to hook in from close range. Amazingly Stags were 2-0 up two minutes into the second half. Brown looked offside from a long punt from midfield but Barker was allowed to rob Clarke and slot the ball in off the far post to the home side's anger. Huddersfield responded by sending on hit man Booth in place of Taylor-Fletcher on 51 minutes. Brown almost made it 3-0 on 54 minutes as he controlled Hamshaw's punt forwards and then let fly with an unexpected 20 yard blast at goal which Glennon had to acrobatically turn over. Two corners followed and when Huddersfield failed to clear their lines Glennon had to punch away as Brown tried to get a head on the ball and, with the keeper out of position, Boulding was well over with the follow-up. Then on 58 Barker had a free eight yard header from Hamshaw's corner which her got on target but too near Glennon who made a comfortable save. Booth got his first chance from an Adams cross but was too high with his header. Brown was booked for leaving a foot in on Clarke on 66 minutes. Beckett was well wide with a stooping header from Holdsworth's cross and then even wider with a snapshot as Stags continued to hold firm. Beardsley replaced Brown for the last 15 minutes for Stags. The Terriers were reduced to a 30-yard blast from Abbott which flew well over to the jeers of the delighted 572 travelling fans. An unmarked Abbott should have pulled one back in stoppage time when Beckett set him up with a volleyed chance from 12 yards. But he sliced it wide to sum up the Terriers' night. HUDDERSFIELD: Glennon, Holdsworth, Adams, Hudson, Mirfin, Clarke, Abbott, Taylor-Fletcher (Booth 51), Schofield, Beckett, Collins. Subs: Rachubka, McAliskey, Clarke, Young. STAGS: White, Mullins, Jelleyman, D'Laryea, John-Baptiste, Hamshaw, Dawson, Barker, Brown (Beardsley 75), Boulding, Buxton. Subs: Muggleton, Lloyd, Birchall, Reet. REFEREE: Darren Deadman of Cambridgeshire. ATTENDANCE: 5,111 GOALS: Stags - Boulding 45; Barker 47. CAUTIONS: Huddersfield - Holdsworth 17 (foul on Boulding). Stags - Dawson 26 (dissent); Brown 66 (foul on Clarke). MAN OF THE MATCH: Jonathan D'Laryea. ------------- report from htafc.premiumtv.co.uk: Town exited the League Cup in the First Round after defeat at the hands of League Two's Mansfield this season. A goal seconds before half time lifted the visitors and Town became victims of the misinterpretation of the offside rule just after the restart as Barker added the second. Despite the majority of possession and territorial dominance Town could not find the breakthrough which would let them back into the game. After a period of good early Town pressure it was the visitors who had the first shot on target on five minutes against the run of play. The Terriers had dominated the early possession but a neat ball over the top from Dawson to Brown played the striker in behind the Town defence and only a covering Clarke tackle ensured Glennon was not called into action. The Town stopper was called into action eight minutes later however and made a good save from Brown who had been played through by a Richard Barker ball over the top but was denied by Glennon who rushed from his goal line to push the ball off the toe of the striker. On 16 minutes Andy Holdsworth was booked for a rash challenge in the centre-circle on Dawson. On 25 minutes Stephen Dawson was booked for kicking the ball away after being flagged offside. Town continued to dominate possession but just could not find the vital break through the Stags' defence. On 33 minutes Hudson, who had received the ball from Abbott, saw his shot from the edge of the area deflected to Beckett at the back post. The striker could not get a shot off amongst a crowd of yellow shirts and keeper Jason White was able to smother the danger. Two minutes later Schofield brought a good save from White when the midfielder unleashed a well-struck effort from the edge of the area but the Mansfield keeper got down well to his right to tip the effort round the post. Stephen Dawson should have put the visitors a goal ahead two minutes before half time after good work by Simon Dawson. The striker had outpaced Fletch down the right and cut the ball back for the midfielder who could not make a connection despite being unmarked eight yards out. The visitors did go into the half a goal ahead when Michael Boulding netted for Mansfield. A backwards header from the Town defence was toed past Glennon who was totally wrong-footed and the efforts of David Mirfin could not prevent the ball from finding the back of the net. Half Time: Huddersfield Town 0 Mansfield Town 1 The visitors netted again just two minutes after the restart this time in controversial circumstances. Striker Simon Brown was in an offside position when a long ball over the top was played out of the Stags defence and both he and fellow frontman Richard Barker, who was onside, chased the ball down pressurising Clarke. The assistant referee's flag stayed down despite Brown becoming active from an offside position. In the tussle between the two strikers and Clarke, Barker came off best and found himself through on goal and finished neatly much to the protestations of the Town bench and fans. On 50 minutes Jacko made his first change of the game replacing Gary Taylor-Fletcher with Andy Booth. Glennon pulled off a brilliant save on 54 minutes when a ball over the top was seized upon by the speedy Brown, the striker hitting a superb dipping first time effort which Glennon did well to tip over the bar. Barker should have added a third on 58 minutes when a Hamshaw corner, Mansfield's second of the game, found the striker unmarked in the area but he fired his header straight at Glennon who did well to hold the ball. Town's first effort of the half came from Boothy who latched onto an Adams cross from the left but could not direct his header on target under pressure from two defenders. On 65 minutes Brown was entered into referee Deadman's book for a late challenge on Nathan Clarke. As the game entered the last fifteen minutes Beckett had a couple of half chances but the first bounced awkwardly for him and keeper White was able to smother the danger and he skied the second over the bar from twenty-five yards. On 75 minutes Chris Beardsley replaced Simon Brown for Mansfield. On 83 minutes an excellent break by Town involving Holdsworth and Collins ended in a defensive mistake by the visitors as keeper and defender went for the same ball. However, the onrushing Town strikers could not seize the advantage and capitalise on the mix-up. As the fourth official signalled two minutes of added time, Town's luck was summed up as Beckett chipped the ball to the back post for Abbott whose shot on the full volley flew agonisingly wide. Full Time: Huddersfield Town 0 Mansfield Town 2 Attendance: 5111 --------------- |
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