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Archived News from October 2006

SIR RICHARD BARKER THE HERO AT MOSS ROSE
28th October 2006 22:21


Macclesfield Town 2 - 3 Mansfield Town
Heath 49, Morley 81. Coke 65, Barker 83, 88 pen.
Attendance: 2599 (591 from Mansfield)

The Stags pick up their first away win of the season thanks to two goals in the last seven minutes from Richie Barker.

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report from mtfc.co.uk:
by Andrew Brinkhurst
The Silkmen were undone by former hero Richie Barker's two late goals to deny Paul Ince of a dream start in the dugout.

Colin Heath's brilliant lob gave Macclesfield the advantage before Giles Coke fortuitously levelled for the Stags.

Captain Dave Morley thought he had grabbed the winner with less than ten minutes to go, but Barker headed in an equaliser and blasted in a penalty at the death to break Macc hearts.

Heath was preferred to Spencer Weir-Daley and new signing John Murphy to partner Matthew Tipton up front, with Ian Brightwell at the centre of a five man defence.

Barker showed his aerial threat as early as the second minute, beating Jonny Brain to Danny Reet's left wing cross to head over the bar.

Macc's first chance fell to Tipton who drilled into the side netting from the left channel. Two minutes later Heath almost found the net but his drive was parried wide after an excellent Martin Bullock run down the by-line.

Barker had another chance for Mansfield in the 20th minute when he swivelled to volley a loose ball but Brain was equal to it and palmed behind.

Kevin McIntyre came closest to scoring in the first half when his bullet header from Tipton's cross bounced back off the upright. Bullock was on hand to put the rebound away but was immediately flagged offside.

The first half ended goalless but with the Silkmen on top and unlucky not to have broken the deadlock. Mansfield rarely threatened apart from a few breaks and Barker's strength from set pieces.

Heath scored the opening goal four minutes into the half, with a thunderbolt which arced into the roof of the net from out on the right after good link up play with Tipton.

John Mullins nearly equalised moments later when his precise side foot from the edge of the box bounced back off the foot of the post and was cleared.

The Silkmen seemed to go into their shell after scoring and it was no surprise when the Stags levelled. Barker's header was well parried by Brain, but the ball bounced back into the net off Coke, who knew little about it.

McIntyre should have done better in the 72nd minute when he was played in by Heath, but on his wrong foot he skewed his shot well wide.

Paul Ince then made two changes - introducing loanee striker John Murphy for Tipton and Andrew Teague for the tired Ian Brightwell. The veteran sweeper had a superb game though and his positioning and reading of the game had saved the defence on a number of occasions earlier in the game.

Spencer Weir-Daley came on for Heath in the last ten minutes and soon afterwards Macc were back ahead.

A deep cross from the right was nodded back into the box by Teague and Dave Morley was on hand to fire in unmarked from ten yards.

The lead wasn't to last long though as back up the other end Alan Sheehan's cross from the right found Barker in too much space and his header was too strong for Brain, who could only palm it up into the top corner. The burly striker's muted celebrations were a stark contrast to the delirium of the visiting supporters behind the goal, but they would end up even happier by the final whistle.

With the game looking like it would finish even, things went from bad to worse for Macc.

Sheehan again got a cross in from the left which was flicked on by substitute Michael Boulding and hit the arm of Dave Morley. The referee instantly pointed to the spot and everyone in the ground knew what was to followt. Barker stepped up and blasted the kick in off the left hand post for his 10th of the season and to give his side their first away win of the campaign.

Macc pumped a few long balls forward in the final minutes of injury time but never created anything more and for the third time this season scored two at home but ended up losing.

The zero in the wins column is getting more alarming week by week, but they deserved more after such a strong performance, at least for an hour. Wrexham next week will be a tough test for Ince's first away game in charge and Macc will need to up their game even more to get a result at the Racecourse.

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CHAD report:
Barker the hero as Stags spoil Ince welcome party
MACCLESFIELD TOWN 2 MANSFIELD TOWN 3
CAPTAIN Fantastic Richie Barker bagged two goals in six minutes at the end of the game to spoil Paul Ince's first game as manager at Macclesfield Town and secure Stags' first away League win of the season.
The Silkmen, without a win all season, twice took the lead in a rip-roaring second half, the second time nine minutes from time through skipper David Morley.
That looked as if it could be enough to give former England and Manchester United star Ince a winning start to his managerial career.
But former Macclesfield striker Barker had other ideas and headed home an 83rd minute equaliser to make it 2-2 and then, after Morley had handled, grabbed the winner - his fifth goal in three games - from the penalty spot.
Macclesfield had slightly the better of a poor first half and were angry to see Martin Bullock have an effort disallowed for an offside on 29 minutes.
But a freak cross-cum-shot effort that sailed in for Colin Heath on 49 minutes woke the game up and Giles Coke had Stags level on 65 minutes after keeper Jonathan Brain could only parry a powerful Barker header.
Morley briefly looked like he could be the hero. But he turned into the villain as he gave away the spot kick for Barker to steal the hero spotlight right at the death.
That is now two draws and two wins in an unbeaten October for Mansfield and maybe happier days lie ahead.
Mansfield were forced into one change with Dawson failing to recover from the ankle injury which saw him stretchered off last weekend, Coke coming into the centre of midfield in his place.
But there was a boost on the bench when, after a month out, the pacey Boulding was among the subs after recovering from his knee ligament injury.
Ince made three changes, bringing in Regan, Heath and Brightwell, who until Thursday was caretaker-manager. Brightwell played sweeper in a five-man defence.
Striker Murphy, brought in on loan from Blackpool, was among the Silkmen subs as was Weir-Daley, on loan from Forest, who had been finding the net for Macclesfield.
Barker headed over in the second minute from a left wing cross as keeper Brain tried to punch away off his head.
On four minutes Stags allowed Tipton to control a long free kick and he rifled a shot into the visitors' side netting.
Two minutes later Muggleton was in action, diving to his left to turn away Heath's shot after Bullock had done well to burst through to the by-line and pull the ball back.
Barker was too high with a ninth minute header from a hoisted Mullins cross.
Then Hamshaw was also too high with a dipping shot as the visitors began to find their eye for goal after those early scares.
John-Baptiste unnecessarily conceded the first of two home corners, both comfortably defended and thankfully Bullock didn't quite read a superb Tipton through ball on a breakaway from a poor Mansfield short corner.
Macclesfield scrambled away two more Mansfield corners.
And Barker almost broke through on 20 minutes as the Silkmen failed to clear a Muggleton kick and, as the ball dropped, Barker volleyed superbly on target, forcing Brain to turn the ball round for a corner, diving to his right.
Heath was well wide with a near post touch onto a free kick from the home side.
Stags had a big let off on 29 minutes as Tipton's cross from the right picked out the run of McIntyre who beat Muggleton with a bullet header that came back off the bar. And an offside flag was raised as Bullock sent the follow-up into the net.
John-Baptiste headed firmly over from a Hamshaw free kick in the 40th minute.
Then Hadfield pulled a 20 yard shot wide for the Silkmen after a loose pass out of defence from D'Laryea. D'Laryea also blocked a Bullock shot in stoppage time as a poor half ended goalless.
Hadfield had an early pot at goal for the home side but a deflection took the sting out of it as the ball sailed easily through to Muggleton.
Then Heath got a head onto a McIntyre free kick but it looped up and dropped comfortably into Muggleton's hands.
But the Silkmen snatched a dramatic lead on 49 minutes. Heath was released down the right hand channel outside the box and whipped in what appeared to be a cross which sailed over Muggleton's fingertips and under the bar.
Heath will have trouble convincing anyone that it was meant as anything more than a cross but that wouldn't worry Ince who was celebrating his side's first goal as a manager.
Both Stags full backs came close on 53 minutes as Mullins' drilled a firm side-footed effort against the foot of the home post and it was cleared as far as Sheehan whose 25 yard on-target blast found Brain behind it.
Another looping Heath header was grabbed by Muggleton as the home side got the ball forward again.
It was end to end as Sheehan's rocket from 25 yards was too high for the visitors.
On the hour Stags sent on Boulding to replace Jelleyman.
And they quickly forced their first three corners of the half as they looked for a way back.
That goal arrived on 65 minutes and Coke was the hero, even though he could hardly miss.
Mullins whipped the ball in from the right and Barker met it with a powerful header that Brain could only parry towards Coke and the ball found the net off the midfielder's thigh from point blank range.
Soon after John-Baptiste was only just wide from 25 yards.
Beardsley was given the last 20 minutes up front in place of Reet while Ince made two changes two minutes later with Murphy and Teague on for Tipton and Brightwell.
Murphy soon out jumped Hjelde but could not get the header on target.
Stags won a free kick just outside the box. But Sheehan's kick and follow-up were both charged down by the wall.
Weir-Daley came on for Heath for the final 12 minutes.
But Mansfield were rocked on their heels by a home goal just nine minutes from time. And what a fine goal it was.
Nevarro crossed long from the right, Teague knocked it down and skipper Morley drilled an unstoppable low finish through everyone into the net.
But Stags were not behind for long. Brain had already made a great save from a close range Hjelde header before Barker made it 2-2 on 83.
Sheean sent over a great cross to the far post and Barker was there to squeeze a header between keeper and post for his ninth of the season.
Disaster almost struck for John-Baptiste as a Macclesfield cross hit him and almost found his own net, the defender relieved to see Muggleton get down.
The game looked set for a 2-2 result at this stage. But Barker had other ideas and his second goal of the game, from the penalty spot, in the penultimate minute suddenly had Stags in the driving seat with only a minute to go.
Another Sheehan cross from the right found Boulding whose header was handled by Morley.
The referee pointed to the spot and Barker, cool as a cucumber, slotted home off the inside of the left post with the keeper diving the wrong way.
Hero Barker suffered a facial cut after a clash of heads in the three minutes of stoppage time.
Morley hooked the a loose ball wide from inside the box as the game entered a fourth added minute, but Stags hung on for their first away League win.
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