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Archived News from September 2010

LUTON PREVIEWS + MEDLEY SIGNS EXTENSION
30th September 2010 22:08



Medley signs contract extension til end of the season --->

http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2166653,00.html?

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Stags reward Medley with new contract
Evening Post, 27 Sep 2010
MANSFIELD Town have rewarded Luke Medley with an extended contract until the end of the season.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/sport/Stags-reward-Medley-new-contract/article-2689867-detail/article.html?

The 21-year-old was signed a six month deal in the summer, with his wages being funded by supporters' group 'The 12th Stag'.

He has since scored four goals in two starts and eight substitute appearances, including a magnificent solo effort against Eastbourne Borough on Saturday.

"I've known the gaffer for a while. He has wanted to sign me until the end of the season for a while now, and this opportunity has now been enabled with the new owners," said Medley.

"It (the signing of the contract) certainly settles me. We just need to continue our form until the end of the season now.

"I want to be a team player, try to win a place in the starting XI and hopefully help the team into the play-offs or to promotion."

Manager David Holdsworth added: "I would like to welcome Luke on an extended contract until the end of the season.

"He is someone I was delighted to bring to the club and represents a very good find.

"He plays with a smile on his face, works extremely hard for me and understands my methods.

"I would like to thank the 12th Stag for their initial support in being able to register Luke's signature.

"Luke has already provided many exciting moments so far and I'm sure he's delighted to be staying with his team-mates."

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Medley signing is start of Radford revolution
CHAD.co.uk, Mon Sep 27 2010

THE first major step of the John Radford revolution at Field Mill today was the signing of exciting forward Luke Medley until the end of the season.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/medley_signing_is_start_of_redford_revolution_1_1641958?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Boss David Holdsworth had been forced to go cap in hand to supporters' group 'The 12th Stag' in the summer to bring in Medley, whom he rated highly.

He was only able to sign the ex-Spurs youngster until Christmas but, after some thrilling displays culminated in Saturday's two-goal super sub showing, Medley has now been secured until the summer following the arrival of wealthy new owner Mr Radford at the weekend.

“I would officially like to welcome Luke to the club for the rest of the season,” said a happy Holdsworth.

“He is someone I was delighted to bring here. I think everyone has recognised what a good find he is. Luke plays with a smile on his face and has worked extra hard and understands my methods.

“I am delighted to be able to keep him here for the rest of the season and would like to thank 'The 12th Stag' for the initial support in helping provide Luke with some wages when his signing was a strain on the purse strings.

“He has provided some exciting moments so far.

“We have some young players here who are recognised in football and other teams are watching them. So it is important for the club, contractually, that we secure them here.”

Medley added: “It's great to sign until the end of the season, I know the gaffer wanted to do that from the start and obviously he can now do that financially which helps settle me.

“I knew I was here until Christmas and it was good to be given the chance to play football. All I could do was show people what I could do and in January, cross that bridge when it came. Fortunately, that's now not the case.

“I would now like to try to cement a place in the starting XI and get a few more goals.”

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Stags' battle cry for Luton clash
CHAD.co.uk, Mon Sep 27

MANSFIELD Town head to Luton Town tomorrow night (7.45pm) on the highest of highs with a positive battle cry.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/stags_battle_cry_for_luton_clash_1_1641905?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

After a weekend in which the club was taken over by multi-millionaire John Radford and a 4-0 thrashing of Eastbourne sent Stags back to the top of the table, manager David Holdsworth said today: “We have no fears of going to Luton and we are going there to win.

“I have a lot of respect for Luton as a club and they will be disappointed they are not in the Football League.

“They have some very good players and obviously they will want to regain that status as soon as possible.

“We will set up right down there. We have no fear of going to Kenilworth Road, where is is a bit of a hot pot with a crowd crowd.

“We are going there to win. I am under no illusions and know a point would be a great result. But let's go there and attack them. Let's make a statement to other teams.”

After two great results in a week, Holdsworth will be keen to keep the same side but admitted: “A few players might have been a bit tired in the initial 20 minutes on Saturday - maybe it was fatigue after the euphoria of winning 5-0 in midweek when they were immaculate.

“If I do need to juggle it I will as the boys on the sidelines are wanting to be a part of things.”

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Crow an option if Atieno red card stands
BY JAMES CUNLIFFE, bedfordshire-news.co.uk, 27 Sep 2010
Richard Money is confident he has options at his disposal ahead of the home Conference clash with league leaders Mansfield, especially in the striking area if the club decide against an appeal over Taiwo Atieno's red card during the 1-0 defeat at Gateshead on Saturday.

http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Sport/Luton-Town-FC/Crow-an-option-if-Atieno-red-card-stands.htm?

Danny Crow (right) could get his chance to start against MansfieldThe Luton Town manager Money revealed that the club are thinking about appealing the forward's sending off and that they have until 5pm this evening to confirm whether to push it through.

If they decide against the appeal or, take the option but lose it, then the Kenyan international will have at least a three game suspension, which could afford Danny Crow a chance to sign alongside Matthew Barnes-Homer following a promising partnership in pre-season.

Money said: “You would assume that Crow is going to be the one in contention but we have other options. We also have the option to change shape which we might do. We'll see.”

Kevin Gallen is another option, but he has had few chances of late and wasn't even named in the squad to face Gateshead at the weekend.

“Is he going to figure? I have to make a decision,” said Money. “I think in the two home games (Cambridge United and AFC Wimbledon) Barnes-Homer and Atieno were excellent. The two away games (Darlington and Gateshead) have not been of the same standard but, in hindsight, maybe it should have been the decision to leave Taiwo on the bench on Saturday.

“It's easy in hindsight. He's (Atieno) missed pre-season and the first two games were an adrenaline rush, then the next two became a little more difficult.

“Those are the decisions that managers either get wrong or get right and maybe we got that one wrong.

“In answer to a question about Kevin Gallen, then we've got Danny Crow to think about as well. It's just a case of choice really. It's a case of having 22 players for 16 spots, that's it.”

Money also suggested that some of his squad are feeling the effects of two trips to the north east in five days, with Andy Drury (calf) and Zdenek Kroca (head) set to be monitored right up to the last minute tomorrow.

After picking up only one point from journeys to Darlington and Gateshead, the Hatters boss has called for a performance akin to the one against the leaders AFC Wimbledon which resulted in a 3-0 home win for his charges, and a win would see Town leapfrog David Holdsworth's Stags by one point.

He said: “We've come off the wrong side of three poor decisions at the weekend, but we have to dust ourselves off, knuckle down and get ourselves ready for a big performance tomorrow, and we are going to need one.

“I thought the first half performance at Gateshead was not good, but there were a lot of factors in that.

“Once we got the travel and the lactate out of our system then we played pretty well in the second half. We played well enough to have won the game at Darlington, so there are no real alarm bells. We just need a similar sort of appearance as we had against Wimbledon and everybody will be happy.”

Mansfield sit at the summit of the Blue Square Bet Premier, but only two points ahead of Luton who dropped out of the play-off spots after the weekend's defeat, but Money knows they pose a threat.

“They are coming off the back of two excellent home results, nine goals scored and none conceded, so they're in good form,” he said.

“They'll be full of confidence and we need the same sort of performance that we had against Wimbledon in our last home game eight days ago, and that's where I'm at.

“I don't think it's any different to every other time we play at home. We play in front of an expectant crowd and will do so tomorrow.

“Every time we've needed a big response from this group of players, they've given it. I've no doubt that's what they'll do tomorrow.”

In terms of players available to take on Mansfield, Money revealed that some players will be given time to prove their fitness.

“We've got one or two with bumps and bruises and, the other by-product of having such a lot of travel in a short period of time is that you get one or two niggles and pains that you wouldn't usually pick up,” he said.

“It's from having two tough 90 minutes of football and travelling. It's what happens. The body reacts in different ways.

“Kroca had a bad bang on the head and has not been feeling well since, so we'll see how he's feeling tomorrow.

“We've still got Drury nursing a calf problem. He's trained a little bit this morning so we hope he'll be OK.

“If he's fit then he'll play, obviously. Every football club misses their best players, pure and simple.”

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