Archived News from November 2002
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STAGS CRUSH STUDENTS ... UNTIL LATE RALLY
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Team Bath 2 Mansfield Town 4
A super Stags performance for 70 minutes was slightly spoiled by a sloppy last 20 minutes, but Stags still ran out 4-2 winners at Team Bath, in the first round of the FA Cup. --------- Report from BBC.co.uk: The university students of Team Bath failed their first FA Cup examination against league opposition when they lost at home to Mansfield Town. Team Bath, the first university side to reach the FA Cup first round since Oxford in 1880, were outclassed by their professional opponents in the opening stages. The five-league gap between the sides showed as Mansfield roared into a 3-0 half-time lead. Liam Lawrence, who also missed a penalty, struck in the 19th and 36th minutes before Peter Tisdale scored an own-goal two minutes before the break. Iyseden Christie made it 4-0 to the second division's bottom club after 56 minutes. But Team Bath showed plenty of spirit and were rewarded by late goals from Carl Heiniger and Caleb Kamara-Taylor to earn a measure of respectability. The students' manager, Ged Roddy, said: "I think at the start they were a bit nervous and overawed by the occasion." But he added: "One or two lads out there came of age today, they didn't look out of place." ------------ Report from nationwide.co.uk: Team Bath's dreams of an FA Cup upset came crashing down as Mansfield Town romped to a 4-2 victory in the first round tie, despite a late rally from the students. Liam Lawrence fired the Stags in front after 19 minutes, converting Iyseden Christie's knock-back from close range. However, two minutes later the midfielder wasted a chance to double the lead after Christie had been felled by Mike Wisson. Ryan Northmore, once of Torquay, got down to his left to push away Lawrence's weak effort. However, the Stags winger did make it 2-0 nine minutes before the interval, slotting the ball under Northmore in the home goal, after cutting inside from the left side of the penalty area. Peter Tisdale's own goal from Christie's cross put Town 3-0 up just before the break as the students began to crumble. Eleven minutes into the second period, Christie got a goal of his own to make it four, breaking clear to rifle the ball past Northmore with his right foot. Luke Prince curled a cross just wide of the far post just past the hour mark and sub Caleb Kamara-Taylor blazed high and wide soon after. Bath got their reward 19 minutes from time, as Carl Heiniger curled in a superb 25-yarder past the despairing Kevin Pilkington. With eight minutes to go it was 4-2 as Prince crossed from the right for Kamara-Taylor to power a header past Pilkington from eight yards out. Pilkington then came to the rescue as he somehow kept out another Kamara-Taylor header and then grabbed the rebound before it spun over the goal-line. Barry Lavety's header came back off the crossbar as Team Bath ended the game on the wrong end of the scoreline, but having shown superb fighting spirit in the closing stages. --------- Stags into second round of FA cup Report from CHAD website Mansfield Town cruised into round two of the FA Cup with a comfortable 4-2 win on an historic day at the University of Bath. Mansfield Town cruised into round two of the FA Cup with a comfortable 4-2 win on an historic day at the University of Bath. Team Bath, the first university side in the FA Cup for 120 years, had hoped to pull off a shock in front of the live Sky TV cameras. But, despite a spirited display, they were outfought and outplayed and found themselves 4-0 down after 56 minutes. However, they did have the consolation of pulling two goals back near the end. And, with Kevin Pilkington making a superb double save to keep out a close range header from Caleb Kamara-Taylor on 88 minutes and Barry Lavety heading against the crossbar a minute later, it was an uncomfortable end to the day for Mansfield. The scene at the university campus was an FA Cup dream with temporary seats, students in fancy dress and a carnival atmosphere. And it could have been interesting if Lavety had done better with a fourth minute chance he pulled wide. That aside it was one-way traffic and Liam Lawrence put Stags in front on 19 minutes, ramming home from close range after Iyseden Christie had nodded down a Wayne Corden cross. Christie was upended by Peter Tisdale in the box three minutes later. But Lawrence was denied from the spot by a fine save from Ryan Northmore, diving to his left to keep out Lawrence's poor kick. However, Lawrence was celebrating a second goal on 36 minutes as he cut inside a defender before slotting home from Lee Williamson's through ball. It was 3-0 two minutes from the break as Tisdale's miserable afternoon continued, firing the ball into his own net under pressure from the chasing Williamson on the end of Christie's low cross. Stags wasted several chances early in the second half before Christie brought down a Matthew Gadsby free kick and slotted past Northmore. It seemed a case of how many at that stage. But, roared on by their fans, Team Bath showed their super fitness level by enjoying their best spell of the game with Luke Prince causing havoc on the right wing. And it paid off on 71 minutes when substitute Carl Heiniger let fly from 18 yards to find the top right hand corner. That lifted the home side and on 82 minutes Kamara-Taylor, another substitute, powered in a header from a Prince cross. Thankfully, the students could not find the third goal that would have given the Stags a nervous last few minutes. |
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