Archived News from November 2011
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PREVIEWS + HEGARTY SIGNS + KIERON FREEMAN ON LOAN
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Hegarty signs until Christmas
mansfieldtown.net, Fri 04 Nov 2011 Manager Paul Cox has captured former St Mirren winger Nick Hegarty. http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2505822,00.html The 25-year-old, who has been training with us for the past ten days, has put pen to paper on a deal which will last until 26 December 2011. Hegarty started his professional career at Grimsby where made almost 100 appearances for the Mariners in the Football League and earned two runners' up medals in the Play-Offs and Football League Trophy. The Wakefield-born winger moved to St Mirren in August 2010, but first team opportunities were hampered by an ankle injury. After signing this morning, Hegarty told mansfieldtown.net: "The set up and the training ground are good. It seems a really positive place to be at. "It has been a good ten days here [on trial] and I'm now looking forward to getting some game time." ------------------- Stags sign Forest defender mansfieldtown.net, Fri 04 Nov 2011 Nottingham Forest defender Kieron Freeman has become Paul Cox's second signing of the day, by joining us on a month's loan. http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2506247,00.html The versatile defender, a product of Forest's highly-regarded youth academy, made his first team debut for The Reds in a Carling Cup match against Wycombe earlier this season. Only last week the 19-year-old was called up to Wales' U21 squad for their upcoming European Championship Qualifier against Armenia. On Kieron's move to Field Mill, manager Paul Cox told http://www.mansfieldtown.net: "I've watched Kieron in a number of reserve games for Forest, and he comes highly recommended. "He is a quality footballer who featured in Forest's first team during pre-season on quite a few occasions." --------------------------- VIDEO INTERVIEW: Cox looking for quick response ---> http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2504332,00.html mansfieldtown.net, Thu 03 Nov 2011 Paul Cox says he will be looking for an immediate response from his players following our heavy defeat in midweek at Fleetwood Town. He also revealed during today's press meeting that he is hopeful of signing 25 year old winger Nick Hegarty. In team news, only Louis Briscoe (groin) and Joe Kendrick (back) have missed today's training session. Matt Bell, Jon Worthington and Tom Naylor have recovered from injury, while Matt Green and Shane Redmond are well after a virus in midweek ------------------------------- Cambridge clash could be turning points says fuming Stags boss chad.co.uk, Thursday 3 November 2011 FUMING boss Paul Cox has told his players that Saturday's home clash with form side Cambridge United could be a big turning point for the club and players' futures. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/cambridge_clash_could_be_turning_points_says_fuming_stags_boss_1_3935740 Cox was one of several at Field Mill struck down by illness this week and missed seeing his side getting panned 5-0 in their FA Cup replay at Fleetwood on Tuesday night. The squad, already ravaged by the illness, with three of the back four playing on feeling its effects, also missed out on a pre-match stop due to heavy traffic and arrived late. But Cox was not using any of it as an excuse for the capitulation that followed. “Saturday is a massive crossroads for us,” he said. “Now we will see what we are all about. “This is the time of season now where the gloves are off and I expect everyone, me included, to stand up and be counted. “We need to get back on track and I want to see a reaction. “Cambridge being the form team is a great game for us to come into after losing 5-0. It's all about mindset. Let's see if Fleetwood was a one-off. It hurt me and it should hurt the players. “If I see any of them laughing and joking when they arrive at training today then they won't be the player I think they are. “I expect a proper response on Saturday though one or two players may crawl under a stone and hide away. If they do I am not too concerned – I can replace them. “Results like Tuesday should only come round once in a blue moon. “It will be a lot tougher around the club this week. I think one or two will throw the towel in and that may sound harsh and horrible. But I want a response.” He added: “This is the first time since I have been here that I feel the way I do now. The side we had out should not have been beaten 5-0. “If I need to go out and replace one to 11 I will do. “I need to nip it in the bud and take them out of their comfort zone. I want to see the hunger and desire that has been lacking. ““It's not panic stations – it's a sense of realism. I desperately need to strengthen and tweak things and some hard decisions need to be made.” Stags will welcome back Tom Naylor and Jon Worthington from injury and illness and wait on Matt Green. But Louis Briscoe and Joe Kendrick remained sidelined. Cambridge have won four of their last five games and only lost once in 15 matches, taking them up to fifth, three points ahead of Mansfield though Stags have a game in hand ------------------ England call celebrations on hold for Stags winger Meikle chad.co.uk, Thursday 3 November 2011 LINDON Meikle has been unable to celebrate his England C call-up after Tuesday night's 5-0 capitulation at Fleetwood. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/england_call_celebrations_on_hold_for_stags_winger_meikle_1_3935778 The Mansfield Town winger saw his recent call-up to make his international debut put on ice when the game with India was called off. He was then this week named in the squad to face Gibralter away on Tuesday, 15th November and didn't know whether to laugh or cry after the FA Cup spanking. “My focus is on Mansfield Town, especially after Tuesday, and all I can think of right now is Cambridge on Saturday,” he said. “You are not going to win all the time but you don't want to lose in that fashion. It was a bad result, a bad game and a bad day. “I don't think I had a good game at all Now I just want to get stuck in again. “It is nice to get the England call. I have never played abroad before so it's a good one. It would be a completely new experience for me. But I will take it as it comes when it happens.” -------------------------------- Spotlight on Mansfield Town v Cambridge United Nottingham Post, Friday, November 04, 2011 Mansfield (from): Marriott, Sutton, Naylor, O'Neill, Riley, Day, Futcher, Bell, Dyer, Murray, Bolland, Howell, Worthington, Meikle, Todd, Green, Moult, Connor. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-13752767-detail/story.html Cambridge (from): Naisbitt, Roberts, Coulson, McAuley, Jennings, Carew, Shaw, Jarvis, Dunk, Berry, Gash, Brown, Charles, Murtagh, Patrick, Wynn, Wylde, Thorpe. ?Team news: Mansfield hope to welcome back Tom Naylor (hamstring). Jon Worthington (ribs) and Shane Redmond (illness). But Louis Briscoe (adductor) and Joe Kendrick (back) are likely to be absent, while Matt Green (illness) is still a doubt. Ben Futcher will play what is set to be the final game of his loan spell with Mansfield currently without a game on November 12 following their FA Cup exit. Stags boss Paul Cox remains keen to draft in a left-back on loan. Cambridge, fresh from their 6-2 FA Cup triumph at Hayes and Yeading last weekend are set to name an unchanged side. Liam Hughes (knee) is their only doubt but is unlikely to figure in the squad anyway. One to watch: Ashley Carew. The pacey, skillful right-winger is in white hot form, having scored four goals in his last two matches and seven goals for the season in total. Manager: Jez George. Took over permanently in the summer and on a limited budget has taken Cambridge to fifth in the table, three points ahead of the Stags having played a game more ------------- Futcher's Stags return not a formality – Cox Nottingham Post, Friday, November 04, 2011 BEN Futcher's return to Mansfield Town after his loan spell expires is by no means a guarantee, boss Paul Cox warned today. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-13752768-detail/story.html The central defender is poised to return to parent club Bury after tomorrow's home game with Cambridge after a maximum three-month temporary spell. ?Futcher has hinted he is keen to make a permanent move to Field Mill in January when the transfer window re-opens. Cox is still keen on the former Lincoln man, but is well aware that is a long way off and things can change quickly. "Futch is not just a good player, but a real character and when he has been in the side we have looked a lot more solid," said Cox. "But this will be his last game until January. It is a long time to sit and wait. "Would I want Futch back? Yes, because he has been excellent for us. "But there are a lot of people becoming available now and I'm trying to keep my options open with everyone. "If we can't get Futch back we might get someone else." Mansfield agreed a fee with Oxford for Matt Green last week, for a proposed 18-month deal until the summer of 2013. But that has been held-up by the ten-goal striker's illness. Cox added: "I would like to think we are 99 per cent there. "It's in both parties interests to get it sorted quickly." ------------------- Only one focus for England man Meikle Nottingham Post, Friday, November 04, 2011 ANY other week and England C call-up Lindon Meikle would be on top of the world. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-13752765-detail/story.html But finding out he had been selected for Paul Fairclough's squad to face Gibraltar on November 22 less than 24 hours after the Stags 5-0 FA Cup humbling at Fleetwood understandably put a dampener on things. ?The result at Highbury was the worst an angered Stags manager Paul Cox can remember during his time in charge of a club – and he takes ownership of it even though he wasn't there because of illness. The boss has quickly invited his players to take their own chunk of responsibility for what happened in the north-west where, from everyone's perspective, Mansfield were disastrously poor. They are words Meikle is more than happy to take on board and why he has quickly put all thoughts of playing football abroad for the first time on the back-burner. For now, his focus, as Cox will be delighted to learn, is solely on helping Mansfield put things right against Cambridge tomorrow. Of course, that will be far from easy. The unfancied Us have risen steadily up the table under the leadership of Jez George on the back of just one defeat in 15 matches. "This week has not been a good week and not a good one for me to get news like that (about England C)," said Meikle. "I will take the call-up and it will be nice to play football abroad in different conditions and meet up with some of the other players. "I know the likes of Shaun Beeley, who I played against the other night, and Amari Morgan-Smith from last season when he was at Ilkeston and I was at Eastwood. "After the last game was called off (against India, as a mark of respect for those killed in the Birmingham riots), Paul (Fairclough) told me to keep training hard and playing hard and I would get another chance. "But that has not been my only motivation in trying to do well – I just want to do well for Mansfield and help the team out. "Mansfield is all I'm concentrating on at the moment, especially after the other night, which should not really happen. "We have got a good team this season and we will know we will have our ups and downs. But you don't want a defeat like that, even in the FA Cup. "I felt sorry for the fans. They would be getting in really late and would have to be getting up for work at 8am or 9am in the morning. "They made a big effort to come up to support us and what they saw was not nice. "I know some of the lads were struggling (with illness) and the bus journey was long, but I was OK and I didn't have a very good game at all. "It definitely leaves you looking at what you can do better. "I was tossing and turning and couldn't sleep because it's one of the worst games I've been involved in." Meikle is adamant that Mansfield should now look forward and attempt to put Tuesday behind them. He is drawing on his experiences at Eastwood last season when insisting there should be no dwelling on the past. He said: "In our first four games at Eastwood last season, we were getting hammered and everyone was talking about us going down. Yet we ended up getting in the play-offs. "Every team goes through a bad patch, and we have not been great recently, but we just have to keep working at it. "That's what we did at Eastwood and we turned it around. We have to stay positive and if we do, we will find our form again." For his part Cox, now back to approaching full health, believes Mansfield, and the club's players, have come to a 'crossroads' in their season against the Us. "I'm going to get a bit tougher," he said. "There will be ones who will respond and will be with me in hurting and not being happy and want to do something about it against Cambridge. "But I think there will be one or two who will want to throw in the towel – and they won't be at the club much longer. "That might seem harsh, but all the things that made us a good side earlier in the season weren't there on Tuesday night, reading between the lines." Cox wants the Stags to get back to basics adding: "Against Newport (when Mansfield won 5-0) there was nothing sophisticated about us, it wasn't like Barcelona. Sometimes players complicate the game. "After Tuesday some may shrug their shoulders and say it happens. But it's those who analyse what went wrong who will stay here. "The Cambridge game is massive and that is where you will see what this current set of players is about. "I want a hunger and desire because it was not just on Tuesday night that it has been lacking." ---------------------- Stags could offer Hegarty a deal before weekend chad.co.uk, Thursday 3 November 2011 LEFT winger Nick Hegarty could be the first of several new faces at Field Mill as boss Paul Cox looks to bolster his squad. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/stags_could_offer_hegarty_a_deal_before_weekend_1_3935714 Hegarty, who was with Stags pre-season but not offered a deal, has been back training with the club recently and Cox is hoping he can tie up a deal with the former Grimsby Town and St Mirren man before Saturday's tough visit of Cambridge United. “Nick is a free agent and has a cultured left foot,” said Cox. “We are short on out-and-out left footers and he would give us a bit of balance. But there is a lot to be done between now and Saturday.” Saturday is also due to be Ben Futcher's final game of his three-month loan spell, the central defender set to return to Bury with his future unsure. “Ben is going to be a massive loss if we can't get him back here,” said Cox. “I would love to bring him back in January. But it's a long time away and I may have to go out and bring in one similar to him now as it would be harsh on John Thompson and Rhys Day to just throw them back in. It would be too much pressure on them.” Stags were also hoping to tie up a long term deal with on-loan Oxford striker Matt Green this week, but Green was still off today with the illness that swept through the club this week. Although the deal is '99 per cent done', this may delay it further and could also see Green struggle to play on Saturday ------------------------ Illnesses no excuse – Stags boss Nottingham Post, Thursday, November 03, 2011 PAUL Cox refuses to blame extenuating circumstances for Mansfield Town's 5-0 FA Cup humiliation at Fleetwood Town – and warns there will be reprisals if his side does not improve for Saturday's clash with Cambridge. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-13740493-detail/story.html The Stags boss was unable to travel to a match for the first time in his managerial career because of a sickness bug that also sidelined striker Matt Green and reserve team keeper Shane Redmond. ?The team was left under the charge of assistant Micky Moore and further problems hit when the coach was delayed on Tuesday's journey north by the part-closure of the M6. But Cox pointed out that there was only one change to the line-up from the side that drew 1-1 with the Cod Army last weekend. "I felt awful on Tuesday and even worse when I listened to the game and what was happening," said Cox. "It was five goals but by the sounds of it could have been ten – and I'm hurt by that. "We were not playing Brazil or Manchester United. It was a team from our division and that cannot happen. "The circumstances were hard but we cannot use it as an excuse. We have to be better. "We will have to see how the mindset is on Saturday. We can't brush it off as a one-off." Cox is expecting to complete a short-term deal for former Grimsby winger Nick Hegarty before the weekend. He is also keen to secure a left-back on loan ----------------- Stags Youth Team Win Again mansfield103.co.uk, Wednesday 2nd November, 2011 Adam Somes scored again for Mansfield Town's Academy side in their latest league game. http://www.mansfield103.co.uk/sport.php?n=1551 The youth team's top scorer found the net during the Stags 3-1 win at Gateshead. The victory could put them top of the North Division of the Football Conference Youth Alliance. Meanwhile, the planned behind-closed-doors friendly with Crewe was called off. ----------------- |
Latest | November 2011