Archived News from December 2010
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RUSSELL AND MURRAY REACTION
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Duncan Russell post-match reaction from BBC Radio Nottingham, with Adam Bates. Listen here
Adam Murray post-match reaction from BBC Radio Nottingham, with Adam Bates. Listen here ---------------- Stags have hope for Connor ahead of Crawley clash Evening Post PAUL Connor could still be fit for Mansfield Town's Friday night's game at Crawley – despite coming off in the 5-0 FA Trophy win over Worksop. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/mansfieldtown/mansfieldtownnews/Stags-hope-Connor-ahead-Crawley-clash/article-3007545-detail/article.html? The Stags' top scorer left the field in the first half after feeling a tight calf, making way for Rob Duffy. But caretaker manager Duncan Russell says the measure was more precautionary than anything else. He hopes with treatment the former Lincoln man could be back in contention for the trip to the Broadfield Stadium. “He felt a twinge and we didn't want to chance it with a massive game coming up on Friday,” said Russell. “We are going to need our strongest team at Crawley and the good thing is Paul is an old pro. “He knew that something wasn't right when a younger player might have played on and made the problem much worse. “We won't know if he will make it but he will be getting treatment and it really depends on how it goes in the first 24 hours, which is really important.” Russell, who wants the Mansfield job full-time, hopes the Stags' display will persuade the board he is worth keeping on. The team have won two and drawn one of their three matches since he was placed in temporary charge following the departure of David Holdsworth. Five different players – Keigan Parker, Louis Briscoe, Rob Duffy, Simon Grand and Luke Medley – were on target against the Tigers. Russell said: “I should hope that game didn't do my chances any harm. I just have to wait and see if I get the shout or not. “We came out deserved winners and I think it shows that myself and Paul Hall don't have any problems with the players. “The club have every opportunity to go forwards. The club have a big game on Friday night and I would love to be there.” ----------------------------- Adam Murray: Stags need to turn over the Blue Square's top sides By matt halfpenny, Evening Post, 16 Dec 2010 ADAM Murray wants Mansfield Town to mark the appointment of their manager by ending their barren run against the Blue Square Bet Premier's big guns. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Murray-Stags-need-turn-sides/article-3011395-detail/article.html? The Stags are sitting in ninth place and three points off a play-off place. They have beaten just one of the sides above them with a 3-1 win over Kidderminster Harriers back in August. With David Holdsworth's successor set to be announced, Murray knows there would be no better way to welcome his new boss than with a win at second-placed Crawley Town tomorrow night. The Red Devils were 4-1 victors at Field Mill in October. "It is great news that the manager's position has been sorted (edit - comment by Martin - NO IT HAS NOT!!). It brings some stability to the club," said Murray. "Our record against the top teams is something that keeps coming back to haunt us and we keep hearing about it. "But only we can do something about that and there is no time like the present." Murray captained the side in Tuesday's 5-0 FA Trophy first round victory over Worksop Town at the New Manor Ground in the injured Rhys Day's absence. The midfielder felt it was important to have that confidence-boosting victory ahead of what will be a tough assignment. He said: "It was useful to get out there and get back into the swing of things." ------------------------- Striker Luke Medley wants to put down roots with Stags Evening Post, 17 Dec 2010 LUKE Medley is tired of playing the nomad. He wants to settle down and help Mansfield Town achieve everything their ambitious chairman John Radford and long-suffering fans desire. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/sport/Medley-wants-roots-Stags/article-3015806-detail/article.html? The livewire forward has never been one to stay at a club for too long during his fledgling career. After being picked up by Barnet from Sunday League football in his native London, Medley completed his first year as a trainee at Underhill before her attracted the attention of Premier League Tottenham, where he spent a further 12 months. After failing to make the first team grade at White Hart Lane, his next stop was Bradford City, where he was part of the same squad as Kyle Nix. With opportunities limited, and after a loan spell at Cambridge City, Medley moved on again to join up with former club Barnet, where he spent two more seasons with limited success, including further temporary stints at Woking and Havant and Waterlooville. But still the 21-year-old was not finished in his quest for a sense of belonging. In the summer, Medley had trials at Gillingham and Mansfield's Blue Square Bet Premier rivals Histon, before David Holdsworth signed him for the Stags after he scored on trial in the 6-1 victory over Hucknall at Watnall Road. Since then, Medley's impressive showings, particularly off the substitutes' bench have seen him convert his week-to-week deal into a contract until the end of the campaign. But after shifting around so much, Medley is not content with that. He wants to earn himself a regular starting berth and a long-term Mansfield future after settling in Nottingham. "The club has always been one that wants to be pushing for promotion back into the Football League, right from when I first joined," said Medley as he prepared for tonight's trip to big-spending Crawley Town. "But now the new owner (John Radford) wants to take it to a level beyond that and take the club into the Championship. "Everyone knows that is going to be a lot of hard work, but we are getting a new manager who will definitely have big ambitions himself. "He will have to bring in some more experienced players eventually the higher up we go. "But for the moment the squad is good and ready to go and I want to be part of it. A big club like Mansfield should be back in the League. "It would be great for me to be part of a Mansfield success story. I want to stay on not just in the near future, but beyond. "I know if I'm going to do that then I have to let my football do the talking. "I have to get back in the starting line-up and stay there." With six goals, Medley currently sits second in the goalscoring charts behind Paul Connor, who has ten. His tally comes despite having made just three starts, his other 16 appearances all coming off the bench – including the goal he scored against Worksop in the 5-0 midweek FA Trophy victory. Greenwich-born Medley is well aware that will have to change if he is to meet his target of reaching 15 goals for the campaign. He said: "It's good when you can get a couple together like I did against Eastbourne and even better if you can get a hat-trick because it helps takes the pressure off. "Ideally, you'd like to score in every game and I'm always confident I can do that, even if I only get on for ten or 15 minutes. "But I realise starting more games can only help with that and that's what I'm hoping for as the season goes on." Tonight, Mansfield will make the long trip down to Sussex, weather permitting, to face big-spending promotion contenders Crawley Town in a game that will be screened live on Premier Sports. Despite the Stags' 4-1 defeat to the Red Devils when the sides met at Field Mill at the end of October, Medley believes he and his team-mates match up well – and can win at the Broadfield Stadium as Mansfield did last season, 2-0. "We can definitely beat Crawley, We are good enough to beat anyone – and showed that at the start of the season," he said. "It would give us a real boost of we could. "I don't think our squad is too far behind them. "We were drawing 1-1 and holding our own against them at their place before we had a man sent off and they took advantage. "They have shown they are a good side, but that just makes everyone in our squad up for it and want to beat them even more." Medley says the players are desperate to get back into league action after last playing a Blue Square Bet Premier game at Wrexham on November 27. He said: "It hasn't been too bad with the training last week because we have been inside at Derby. "But there is no substitute for games. The good thing is that we have kept ourselves really fit so that when things get going again we should be ready." ---------------------- Collett happy to play the waiting game with Stags Evening Post NEIL Collett is happy to play the waiting game at Mansfield Town – but hopes more starts are in the pipeline. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Collett-happy-play-waiting-game-Stags/article-3020143-detail/article.html? With on-loan Kevin Pilkington not permitted to play by parent club Luton to avoid him getting cup tied, the young keeper was given a competitive Stags debut in Tuesday's FA Trophy tie with Worksop. And the former Coventry City trainee did not let down caretaker-manager Duncan Russell as he kept a clean sheet in their emphatic 5-0 victory. Even so, Collett knows he is likely to be back on the bench against Grimsby Town on Boxing Day with Pilkington available again. It is a position the 21-year-old has come to accept, but he hopes his patience will be rewarded with more action as the season unfolds. "It has been frustrating because I am a young lad who wants to play games," said Collett. "But at the same time I understand this season is going to be a learning one and I have got two very good keepers ahead of me in Pilks and Mazza (Alan Marriott, currently injured). "They have played about 1,000 games between them and I have learned so much about my trade from them. "You couldn't really have better people to work with." -------------- |
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