Archived News from January 2008
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DEARDEN, BOULDING, MULLINS & SOUTHGATE REACTION
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Video interview with Billy Dearden from BBC sport here
Video interview with Gareth Southgate from BBC sport here Audio interview with Billy Dearden from BBC Radio Nottingham (RealPlayer needed) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/football/2008/stags_boro_home_manager.ram Audio interview with Michael Boulding from BBC Radio Nottingham (RealPlayer needed) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/football/2008/stags_boro_home_player.ram Audio interview with Johnny Mullins from BBC Radio Nottingham (RealPlayer needed) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/football/2008/stags_boro_home_player2.ram BBC online: Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate: "We knew it would be a difficult test because it is tough at these grounds. "I am pleased with the way we approached it and getting our first goal settled us down. "Although it was very windy our goalkeeper and central defenders coped with it very well. "We could have played better but we the main thing is that we got through. "Credit to Mansfield because they were never going to give up and they did not." Mansfield boss Billy Dearden: "I am proud of the lads although I am disappointed at the two goals we conceded. "In the second half we pinned them in a bit and did okay. "We have given a good account of ourselves and hopefully we can take this forward into our league games. "We must learn from our mistakes especially when defending from set-pieces." --------------- I thought I had scored, says Boulding CHAD.co.uk, by John Lomas STAGS star striker Micky Boulding might have had a hat-trick in the 2-0 FA Cup defeat by Premiership Middlesbrough. Mansfield's leading scorer went so close to adding to his 15-goal tally and enhanced his growing reputation in front of a national TV audience. He struck the woodwork and had another effort clawed away from under the bar by the keeper in 60 frantic first half seconds. Then in the second half he again threatened to shock the high flying Boro, before the star-studded team sealed victory with a late goal. Afterwards Boulding talked to Chad about the moment his first half 20-yard strike was acrobatically tipped onto the bar by the flying Mark Schwartzer to deny the Stags a deserved equaliser. He said: "I thought it was in. I saw it start to dip inder the bar and could see that it was also moving in the air. I thought it was in, then the keeper somehow got a slight touch on it and the ball hit the bar. "That's the quality of the Premiership for you." From the following corner Boulding again might have levelled when his header was clawed away from under the bar by the Australian international keeper. The striker went on: "I didn't think there was enough power on it when I headed the ball. But then nobody seemed to react and again I thought it might go in, but the keeper got across and saved. "I had another good chance in the second half from a Matty (Hamshaw) cross. I tried to get ahead of the defender, but I couldn't quite get my foot around the ball and it went wide. "Middlesbrough are a big side and put in some strong challenges, but we expected that and I thought coped well. "We started brightly, put them under pressure. But we are not happy with the goals we gave away, as a team we didn't defend them well." Boulding felt the full force of one of those challenges, when Robert Huth won the ball and followed through with a kick to the striker's midrift. But afterwards he would only add: "It was a strong challenge and a bad tackle, but that has gone now." He also admitted that strike partner Simon Brown 'made a meal of' a second half tackle which led to loud home penalty appeals. "The defender did catch him, but he probably made a bit of a meal of it and it wasn't given. "That would have changed the whole game, if we had buried the penalty it would have been 1-1, but it wasn't to be." Boulding also had words of praise for the fans as 6,258 supporters packed into Field Mill. "They were brilliant. That is the best atmosphere I have played with here (at Field Mill). "It would be great if we could pick up form in the League and play with that sort of backing every week." The striker, like all the players after the match, stressed that the team is now focussed on the relegation fight, starting with the trip to Lincoln on Tuesday. He added: "We have got to take positives out of today and now everything is focussed on the League. "It would be nice to go to Lincoln and get a result. This (the cup tie) was a one-off. "Tuesday is a lot bigger game and our bread and butter. Players are playing for their livelihoods." Dearden proud of battling Stags CHAD.co.uk, by John Lomas STAGS boss Billy Dearden was proud of his young side's efforts as they lost 2-0 at home to Premier League Middlesbrough in this afternoon's fourth round tie at Field Mill. He said: "Middlesbrough know they have been in a game. "We tried to get the ball down and play football which is what I encourage and I didn't think they were two goals better than us today. "We prepared as best we could which I think showed and we gave them a hell of a cup tie. "We wish Middlesbrough all the best in their cup run now - they will give anyone a game. I thought I had scored - Boulding AUDIO: We gave everything - Mullins AUDIO: Captain Bucko salutes brave Stags AUDIO: Every game now a cup final - Hamshaw Mansfield Town 0 Middlesbrough 2 "We did okay. I was quite disappointed with the goals we conceded. "The first one was from a corner we didn't clear right, we didn't pick up the ball in the box. "The second came from our own free kick when the delivery was very poor as it was on one or two set pieces all afternoon. "They broke away from that and went 2-0 up. "Overall I was quite pleased with a lot of aspects of our game this afternoon. "Mickey Boulding had couple of chances in the first half. You don't get many half chances against Premier opposition, maybe two in a game, and you have to take them. But their keeper did well to tip it onto the bar. "People have said we didn't look 78 places below Middlesbrough and they can't understand why we are down there as many people say. But we are down there for a reason and that is we don't win enough football matches. It is something we have to put right. When we play to our potential we give anyone a game." Twice during the game, Stags fans protesting against owner Keith Haslam hurled footballs onto the pitch from outside the ground which did not please the Stags boss. "The balls coming onto the pitch was ridiculous," he said. "We were building up a head of steam and we were on top. Then it was ended by that. "It could have been very costly. Even if we had been clear through on goal the referee would have had to blow his whistle when the balls came on. "I understand their protests but they have been going on for 12 months now and in my opinion there are better ways to protest. "It broke the game up. All we are trying to is play our football and it doesn't help." The FA Cup run had landed cash-strapped Stags £400,000 and Dearden added: "I have been promised a few bob, but not a big lump sum. "I will be bringing players in and hope something is happening today and I will have at least one in for Lincoln on Tuesday. "I don't think about relegation and I try to keep it away from the players and take the pressure off them. We need to be stronger and get out that bottom two as quickly as possible." Boro boss Gareth Southgate admitted FA Cup weekend always brings strange happenings - but was thankful that did not include a Mansfield victory against his Premier League side The protesting anti-Keith Haslam Stags fans throwing footballs onto the pitch from outside the ground certainly amused him. "A protest was it? Very good," smiled Southgate. "It could only happen on FA Cup weekend. When we came down the A1 yesterday and there were lorries blown everywhere I just thought to myself that it was FA Cup weekend! "Great credit to Mansfield. They pushed us all the way and played as you would expect a lower division side to play in an FA Cup tie like this. They gave it everything. "We knew we were on a hiding to nothing. All you can try to do is win the game. "I don't think we were as fluent as we might have been but the windy conditions were not easy. But we were very strong at the back. "Mark's (Scwarzer) save was important and I thought he played very well on the day - he had some stinking backpasses to deal with. "There were some tackles flying around - quite a few early on which went unpunished and set the tone. "But I have no complaints about how Mansfield played the game You expect them to be up for it and I think we enjoyed the challenge - particularly our centre halves - and they rolled up their sleeves. "Huth and Wheater are building a good understanding there and both are physically very strong and aggressive in the air as well as being quick." |
Latest | January 2008