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Archived News from February 2010

SUPER STAGS ROAR BACK TO OVERWHELM FOREST GREEN
3rd February 2010 15:45


Blue Square Premier
Forest Green Rovers 1 - 4 Mansfield Town
Ameobi 17. Jones 63, 86, Duffy 66, Speight 75.
Attendance: 817 (153 from Mansfield)

Date: 30 January 2010

Martin Shaw at the New Lawn

Mansfield Town produced a fabulous second half recovery to turn a one goal deficit at half time into a 4-1 victory at Forest Green Rovers on Saturday. The Stags were generally poor until the 56th minute, when an astonishing ten minute spell saw Mansfield create seven glorious chances including two goals. Two further goals rounded off a thumping victory. It was the second four goal victory in successive games, and central defender Luke Jones scored a brace in both games, all four goals from Ryan Williams crosses.

Stagsnet report in the Match Centre

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Forest Green Rovers 1 Stags 4, Saturday, 30th January 2010
CHAD report, 30 January 2010, By John Lomas
A four-goal burst inside 23 second half minutes dramatically turned this game on its head as Mansfield Town eventually coasted to victory at lowly but in-form Forest Green Rovers this afternoon.

http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Forest-Green-Rovers-1-Stags.6029324.jp

Stags had looked the better side before former Stags loanee Tomi Ameobi was gifted a six yard header on 17 minutes and the visitors struggled to make any inroads after that in the bright Gloucestershire sunshine.

But a much-improved second half agADVERTISEMENTainst a side that had won four and drawn one of their previous six BSP fixtures saw Stags build up a head of steam that was crowned by Rob Duffy's 66th minute equaliser – his 13th of the season.

After that there was only one side going to win at as Mansfield poured forward with defender Luke Jones notching his second brace in as many weeks, having never scored for the club before last weekend, and Jake Speight also getting in on the act with his ninth of the campaign.

It was a second successive match in which Stags had notched four goals and sweet revenge for Rovers' FA Cup victory at Field Mill in November.

Stags made two changes. Brough came in to partner Somner in central midfield with Speight moving to wide on the right and Challinor providing Duffy with support up front.

Also, new signing Luke Foster, who made an impressive debut last weekend, was installed as skipper for the game.

Duffy and Challinor both had early shots blocked just inside the home box in the first exchanges of the game

And Stags did have the ball in the net on five minute, though Duffy was aware that the ball had gone out for a goalkick before Speight crossed hard and lowe for him to tap home after superb work from Speight in trying to get past two defenders.

A Duffy flick almost set Speight away only for Stonehouse to stick with him and get in a tackle that the home side thought had gone out off Speight for a goalkick.

Williams drilled that over from the right and Duffy met it with a vicious first time blast that flew just wide.

Challinor then almost set Duffy away on goal, keeper Wilkinson racing out his box to clear the danger.

Brough tried his luck from 30 yards on 12 minutes and a deflection forced Wilkinson down to his left to grab the ball and hold on.

Duffy somehow escaped a booking on 16 minutes after cynically tripping Stonehouse in full flight down the left. But Rovers made them pay from the free kick.

Platt floated it to the edge of the six yard box where former Stags loanee Ameobi rose high to plant a header to the left of Marriott and into the net.

There was more danger after Challinor conceded a foul centrally just over 20 yards from goal. Platt managed to get the ball on target, but Marriot was equal to it and smothered it safely.

Powell was allowed too much room in the Mansfield box and got away a shot that struck Jones' heel with the defender not knowing too much about it.

Speight's persistence won Mansfield two more corners as they looked for an avenue back into the game without success.

Brough sent a backheader over the far angle from a long Challinor throw as we approached the break.

Platt saw his shot balloon well over at the other end after Jones, at full stretch, was unable to cut out a low ball across the box.

Duffy's running won Stags a throw-in just after the break which gave Challinor an early chance to hurl in one of his long throws from the right 10 yards from the corner flag. Duffy reached it with a flicked header across the six yard box but no one was there to find a finishing touch.

Smith got in a good close block on Challinor as he spun on a Duffy flick, then Williams blasted a 25 yard volley well over as Rovers tried to clear a long Challinor throw from the left.

A big Silk clearance finally got the ball clear from Forest Green's first corner of the afternoon.

Once again Rovers could only clear a long Challinor throw as far as the edge of the box where this time Somner lashed a first time effort too high.

On 58 minutes Stags almost capitalised on one of Challinor's throws as he pumped the ball in from the left and Brough came in late to glance a header wide five yards from a position in which he should have hit the target.

Somner fizzed a 30 yard effort over but lower than his previous effort as the visitors continued to press hard.

A 63rd minute corner saw Jones almost level with a header that was kept out by the keeper and the outside of the post. But from the second corner Jones rose well to power home a splendid header from 15 yards that gave Wilkinson no chance and Mansfield were deservedly back on level terms.

Foster headed just wide from a Williams free kick as Mansfield now went for the win.

And they were ahead on 66 minutes as Foster headed on yet another long Challinor throw from the right and Duffy bundled it home from close range at the far post.

Styche joined the action on 68 minutes and within two minutes was upended by Jones to earn the Stags man the game's first booking.

But Stags underlined their second half superiority on 76 minutes when a sweet move down the left saw Willias cross hard and low frm the by-line and the ball bounced towards Speight who blasted home from close range to make it 3-1.

Desperate Rovers replied with a couple of corners and Marriott had work to do as he smothered the ball at the feet of Styche to concede a corner and then denied the sub again seconds later as he headed the corner straight at him.

At the other end Wilkinson comfortably held onto a deflected Williams free kick.

But Jones was celebrating his second brace in as many weeks on 86 minutes as Williams put in a free kick that Jones met with a header that looped up and over the stranded Wilkinson who could not get back in time to keep it out.

FOREST GREEN: Wilkinson, Stonehouse, Platt (Berry 87), Smith (Brown 77), Powell (Styche 68), Rocastle, Ameobi, O'Cearuill, Thorne, Hodgkiss, Rankin. Subs: Burton, Preece.

STAGS: Marriott; Silk, Foster, Jones, Armstrong; Speight, Brough, Somner, Williams (Briscoe 87); Challinor (Istead 83), Duffy (Perry 77). Subs: Collett, Hotchkiss.

REFEREE: Rob Lewis of Shropshire.

ATTENDANCE: 817 (153 away).

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Forest Green 1 Mansfield Town 4
Evening Post report

CENTRAL defender Luke Jones scored twice for the second week running as Mansfield Town stunned Forest Green with a rip-roaring second half comeback at the New Lawn.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Team-news-Forest-Green-v-Mansfield-Town/article-1782695-detail/article.html?

In the end, the Stags were emphatic winners to record consecutive wins for the first time since October.
But they were off the pace in the first period and trailed at the break from a header by former Stags loanee Tomi Ameobi.
However, Mansfield were transformed after the restart and Jones' first – one of three Stags strikes in 13 minutes – was a massive turning point.
Rob Duffy scored his 13th of the season and Jake Speight his ninth before Jones put a gloss on the scoreline three minutes from time.
The victory was Mansfield's seventh away from home in the league this season and keeps them in the Blue Square Premier play-off spots ahead of the chasing pack.
David Holdsworth's men created two early opportunities, both thanks to the unselfish work of Jake Speight.
First he took a free-kick on his chest to tee up Rob Duffy whose shot was blocked and then he fed Jon Challinor, whose left-footed drive was also charged down.
Duffy netted in the fifth minute but play was brought back as Speight had taken the ball over the byline before crossing from the right.
A neat flick from Duffy set Speight away down the right but he was tackled and the ball went for a corner.
From it, Williams picked out Duffy, whose first time shot was high into the crowd.
Moments later, David Wilkinson had to be quick off his line to prevent Duffy from racing clear onto Challinor's pass.
Next to try his luck was Michael Brough from the edge of the box, but his drive was well fielded by Wilkinson.
Duffy was incredibly lucky to get away with not being booked when he tripped Paul Stonehouse on the left wing.
But Mansfield were punished from the free-kick as Conal Platt curled the free-kick into a dangerous area and Ameobi rose highest to head beyond Alan Marriott from eight yards.
Soon after, Marriott held on well as Platt curled a 20-yard free-kick goalwards.
The Stags defence was in trouble again as Luke Foster failed to clear and Ameobi flicked on for Danny Powell and his shot was blocked by Luke Jones.
Mansfield's response was to win two corners only for the hosts to deal with them comfortably.
As half-time approached, the Stags were still struggling to make any kind of headway.
Three minutes from the break, Challinor launched a long throw towards the near post but Brough's flicked header was off target.
Soon after the restart, Duffy nodded on Challinor's long throw but it was always drifting well wide.
It was the midfielder's delivery from hand that seemed Mansfield's most likely way of scoring but Ryan Williams skied an attempted volley from the edge of the area.
A similar opening saw Matt Somner thrash over on the half volley from 15 yards.
Yet another Challinor throw was on the money but the late-arriving Brough headed wide from close range when he should have scored.
On the hour, with the Stags enjoying their best spell of the game, Somner tried his luck from distance only to fire a yard too high.
In the 63rd minute Jones was left holding his head in his hands as his header from Williams' corner was cleared off the line by Paul Stonehouse.
But from another Williams corner that followed, Jones was this time celebrating as his header from close to penalty spot found the roof of the net for an equaliser that had been coming.
Foster was the next to go close from a deep ball into the box but his header was wide of the right-hand post.
All of a sudden the Stags were in front and, not surprisingly, it was from a Challinor throw.
Foster flicked on the ball at the near post and Duffy was able to bundle the ball home from close in to send the Mansfield fans behind the goal wild with delight.
Those supporters were celebrating again in the 76th minute after Speight made in three from a terrific move.
Williams played a delicate one-two with Duffy, got to the left byline and pulled the ball back behind the Rovers defence for Speight, who could not miss from six yards.
As Forest Green looked to get back into the game, Marriott was quickly off his line to deny substitute Reece Styche at close quarters.
But Jones made it four for Mansfield for the second week running close to the end as he headed a Williams free-kick over Wilkinson and into goal.

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Forest Green hit for four by Stags
thisisgloucestershire.co.uk

FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1 MANSFIELD TOWN 4
WHILE still capable of capitulations like this, Forest Green's battle to beat the drop will be a bloody one.

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/sport/football/Forest-Green-hit-Stags/article-1783189-detail/article.html?

They deserved their advantage at the break, provided by Tomi Ameobi's second goal in as many games, but a double from Stags defender Luke Jones and further messy strikes from Rob Duffy and Jake Speight left the New Lawn shellshocked.
Ex-Forest Green loanee and set-play specialist Ryan Williams was their chief tormentor.
Another Rovers old boy Michael Brough mustered the game's first shot on target in the 12th minute, home keeper David Wilkinson doing well to gather from 20 yards.
Rovers went in front five minutes later when Ameobi met Conal Platt's free-kick at the far post and headed home.
David Holdsworth must have demanded more from his side during the interval, but a wild 25-yard volley from Williams was the best they could offer by way of an early goal threat.
Rovers were given a warning of Jones' aerial prowess when he soared to meet a Williams corner and saw his header cleared by Paul Stonehous.
The same combination combined for the equaliser, as Jones headed into the roof of the net.
Forest Green had still not cleared their heads when they fell behind after the ball dropped for Duffy to bundle home at the back post.
Hockaday responded by throwing on 20-year-old striker Reece Styche for a home debut, after he scored twice as a substitute at Hayes in midweek.
But momentum remained with the Stags, and they effectively wrapped up the game on 76 minutes when Williams cut the ball back for Speight to smash home.
It was 4-1 with three minutes left when Jones' header looped over the stranded Wilkinson.
Forest Green: D. Wilkinson; J. Hodgkiss, O. Thorne, J. O'Cearuill, P. Stonehouse; C. Platt (T. Berry 88), J. Smith (D. Brown 77), C. Rocastle, D. Powell (R. Styche 68); T. Ameobi, I. Rankin; Subs not used: M. Preece, T. Burton.
Mansfield Town: A. Marriott; G. Silk, L. Foster, L. Jones, C. Armstrong; J. Speight, M. Somner, M. Brough, R. Williams (L. Briscoe 88); J. Challinor (S. Istead 82); R. Duffy (K. Perry 77); Subs not used: O. Hotchkiss, N. Collett.
Referee: R. Lewis (Shropshire)
Attendance: 817
Star man: Tomi Ameobi – Took his goal with aplomb and put in a real shift, both up front and in an unfamiliar midfield role.

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