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Archived News from December 2008

McEWAN AND AHMED REACTION
6th December 2008 22:38


Adnan Ahmed interview for Stagsnet here

Billy McEwan interview from Radio Nottingham here

Billy McEwan interview for Stagsnet here

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CHAD:
Max in hot water, but boss McEwan delighted with Stags
By John Lomas
FRENCH on-loan defender Max Chanot will be fined by Mansfield Town after his needless red card left his side having to dig in and battle card for 45 minutes to secure a deserved 1-1 draw at Weymouth on Saturday.

The Sheffield United teenager, already been sent off for Stags at Stevenage this season, as dismissed for a head butt on Adam Bygrave in first half stoppage time.

It left boss Billy McEwan fuming as, with 11 men, they may have taken all three points from a superb second half showing.

"I was disappointed with Max," said McEwan. "He had just got back in the team. It was a rush of blood from an inexperienced player and he had to go I am afraid.

"It was a fantastic run he made before he collided with the lad at the end of it and what he did then was just stupid.

"He left us in the cart and was very lucky the lads dug him out. It was unprofessional and disappointing but this happens with young lads, especially on loan. It leaves us short on players."

But the Stags boss was delighted with his side's fight back from a goal down

He said: "I was very pleased, having been down to 10 men with 45 minutes still to play. It was a big ask for the players and they responded fantastically well.

"Weymouth are not a bad side. They had a good win at Barrow last week and have a good home record and have scored a lot of goals.

"So we had to give them respect, but they didn't cause us many problems in the second half with a man advantage.
"They had a bit of luck with their goal as it came off one of our players straight to their lad."

But Stags were level on 42 minutes through more electric pace and deadly finishing from Forest loanee Emile Sinclair.

"Emile is a real handful and he showed that again today. He scored one and was unfortunate not to score more," said McEwan.

"I took him off because he was so tired - he had run his socks of today and I though him and Jason Lee worked well together today as did the whole team.

"Considering the circumstances I thought we were absolutely fantastic in that second half. If you were a neutral you would have thought we were the home side in the second half, let alone a man down.

"Maybe that's where I am going wrong - picking 11 men instead of 10!

"I am pleased for the players but even more pleased for the fans who've not had a lot to shout about away from home this season.

"Today the players showed them they are a good bunch, battled hard for the cause and did Mansfield Town proud.

"If you'd offered us a draw at half-time we'd have taken it but with the situations we created in the second half we are disappointed at the end not to have won it,

"I could have gone 4-4-1 at half time and hung on but we came here to win the game, not for a draw, and we still went for it and could have got it.

"The 10 men fought superbly well, stayed organised, kept their shape and played very, very well. I really thought our fans were going to suck the ball into that net a few times in the second half."

On loan midfielder Adnan Ahmed, when asked about the red card for Chanot, saidd: "Max knows you can't go head to head nowadays, but he is only young and I am sure he will learn . . . he is gutted to be honest."

He added: "With 10 men it is a great point, but in the second half it is like two points lost as we had some good chances. But I think we did really well.

"We scored a great goal, a great ball through by 'Soms'(Somner) and then great pace and a great finish by Emile Sinclair).

"And we almost won it at the end. I though he (Aaron O'Connor) was going to bury it, but the guy came across with a great challenge. It was unfortunate, but not meant to be."

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Evening Post:

Jason Lee:
From a personal point of view, Lee is a little frustrated he has not been on the scoresheet since the 2-1 defeat at Barrow in August.

But the 37-year-old also appreciates he has had a job to perform for the team in helping to bring out the best in younger colleagues.

He said: "Really, I have had very few chances to score apart from the headers against Forest Green and Weymouth.

"I'm glad to be playing, obviously, but it has not always been easy up there with the (4-3-3) formation we have been using.

"I have been playing the furthest forward and sometimes when we are under pressure or the opposition have been playing well, it has been difficult to get out and I have been isolated.

"It is all about trying to do a job for the team, but I would love to get a goal."

Lee enjoyed playing as part of a traditional front two as Mansfield went 5-3-2 in last Saturday's 1-1 draw at Weymouth.

"I think all strikers prefer to have people in and around them," he said.

"I enjoyed playing with Emile (Sinclair) at Weymouth. The only disappointment was that we didn't get the win, even with ten men."


McEwan's delight for Stags fans
Billy McEwan was thrilled to finally give Mansfield's loyal away support something to shout about.The Stags defied the odds at Weymouth, claiming a 1-1 draw despite playing the whole of the second half with ten men after Max Chanot saw red.

"I'm pleased for the players, but I'm more pleased for the fans," said McEwan. "They have not had a lot not to cheer about but our players are a good bunch of lads. Weymouth have scored a lot of goals at home so it was great for us to get something. A neutral would have thought it was us that had 11 men in the second half. In the end I was disappointed not to win it."


Ahmed: We could have won
Adnan Ahmed felt Mansfield coped superbly under the pressure of being reduced to ten men at Weymouth.And he believes Max Chanot - the Stags player to be shown the red card - will learn from losing control.

Mansfield earned a 1-1 draw despite the Frenchman's dismissal and Ahmed was proud of his side's display.

"I thought overall we should have gone on and won the game," said Ahmed. "We battled very hard and it was a great performance.

"I think we were a little bit unlucky to only get a point but it is still a good result with only ten men.

"Max is only young and he is still learning, but at least we still got something out of the game away from home. He knows he should not have put his head in, even though he didn't touch him. You can't do that in this game.

"It was backs to the wall a bit after that, but we handled it very well and we were the better side in the second half."

At half-time Mansfield were forced to regroup and reshape following the sending off.

Ahmed said: "The gaffer asked us at half-time if we should go 4-3-2 or 4-4-1 and we decided 4-3-2 because we felt it would be better - and it worked. We definitely were the better side in the second half.'


McEwan salutes Stags' battling ten
Mansfield boss Billy McEwan saluted his battling 10 men as they clinched a point from a 1-1 draw at Weymouth.

The Stags looked to be up against it when Max Chanot was sent off in first half stoppage time for a headbutt on Adam Bygrave. That came shortly after Emile Sinclair had equalised Chris McPhee's opener for the Terras. But the Stags did not buckle and had the better of the better of the second half despite their numerical disadvantage – much to McEwan's delight. “I am very pleased with the point because we were down to 10 men after 45 minutes of play,” he said. “It was a big ask but we responded fantastically well. “We tried one or two different things in training and at times early on we were not very fluid. “But they won at Barrow last week and we had to respect them. They caused us some problems, but not major problems. “They got a break to go into the lead but we responded very well. “In the second half we played very well and I was very proud of them. They were fantastic under the circumstances. “Emile Sinclair and Jason Lee did very well up there, but then the whole team did well. “We could and should have made it three points with the one of Aaron O'Connor's at the end where the lad managed to get a leg in and put it into the side-netting. “Jason Lee had the header wide and we had one or two other situations from which we could possibly have done better. “But at half-time I would have taken a draw with 10 men.”


Sent off Chanot to be fined by Stags
Max Chanot will be fined for his red card during Mansfield's 1-1 draw at Weymouth, manager Billy McEwan has confirmed.

The French defender put his side in trouble when he reacted angrily to a challenge by Adam Bygrave. The teenager's headbutt in first half stoppage time resulted in his second dismissal since joining on loan from Sheffield United in October. McEwan says Chanot let his team-mates down and must learn from his mistakes. “He will be fined because that was rubbish and unprofessional He has to learn you can't do that,” said McEwan. “He'd been on a fantastic run from the back and had collided with their lad. “It was mystifying what he did when we had just got back in the game. It was a rush of blood that you sometimes get from inexperienced players. It left us in the cart and it now leaves us short of a player (Chanot will be suspended for three matches).”

 

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