Archived News from November 2002
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4 MORE GOALS CONCEDED - JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH
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Port Vale 4 Mansfield Town 2
Cummins 30, 33, Armstrong 50, Paynter 66. Corden 1, Christie 67. Attendance: 3,880 (512 from Mansfield) Stags: Pilkington, Gadsby, Lever, Day, JClarke, Disley, Williamson, Lawrence, Little, Christie, Corden. Subs: Larkin(for Little, 44), Hassell (for Day, 46). Subs not used: JWhite, Moore, MacKenzie. Booking: Williamson (78 min) Referee: A.Leake, Lancashire -------- Despite the tonic of a deflected goal for Wayne Corden after just 26 seconds, Stags produced another woeful defensive performance to concede 4 goals against a Port Vale side that doesn't score many goals. Stags are now 6 points adrift from safety. ---------- Report from CHAD: Sad Stags crash again Another day and another new face, but the country's leakiest defence again fell apart as Stags crashed 4-2 at fellow strugglers Port Vale afternoon. Another day and another new face, but the country's leakiest defence again fell apart as Stags crashed 4-2 at fellow strugglers Port Vale afternoon. And that was despite having the tonic of going ahead through Wayne Corden after only 28 seconds. Manchester City defender Rhys Day made his debut on loan on the right of a three-man defence. But it was the same old story as the goals flew in and Day was withdrawn at half-time. To put this result in perspective, Vale's last home League win was against Notts County back on 17th September. They had scored once in five games and won only one League game in their previous 11. But in the drizzle on a bumpy Vale Park surface they were cut open four times in a game that was clearly there for the taking in the opening half-hour. Stags could not have made a better start as Wayne Corden marked his return to his former club with a goal inside 28 seconds. He picked up the ball on the right and went past one defender before shooting low, the ball taking a slight deflection as it beat Mark Goodlad on his near post. There was a swagger about Mansfield's play in those early stages. But Vale gradually began to take over the midfield and their nippy strike force began to expose Stags' dithering defending. Kevin Pilkington was firmly behind Steve McPhee's 15th minute shot. But the home fans were soon showing their frustration at their side's inability to find the net, having scored only once in their previous five games. That all changed dramatically inside three minutes. With the home fans booing their own players, Vale won a corner on the right. Phil Charnock swung it over and,with Pilkington rooted to his line, Michael Cummins was allowed a near post header that flew into the net. Stags were torn apart again just after as Paynter turned Lever and raced into the box. Lever have him a tug and was lucky he didn't go down for the penalty. Instead he rolled a square pass to Cummins to tuck away his second goal of the afternoon. Pilkington had to dive to his left to keep out a low Paynter shot on 40 minutes. Things got worse for Stags just before the break when Colin Little limped off, Colin Larkin joining the action. Manager Watkiss went to a back four at half-time replacing new boy Rhys Day with Bobby Hassell. But within five minutes they were further behind. Jamie Clarke sold himself, diving into a challenge on Cummins on the right. He skipped past the youngster before delivering a powerful cross that Ian Armstrong was able to get a head on and guide inside Pilkington's right hand post. Stags responded with a 20-yard blast from Corden which Goodlad parried. Vale came close again as McPhee raced past three opponents before being denied by Pilkington at his near post. However, it was 4-1 on 66 minutes as McPhee's through ball saw Paynter surge past Gadsby in the box and slot home under the keeper. Within a minute, Stags had pulled a goal back out of nothing. Iyseden Christie, 35 yards from goal, spotted Goodlad off his line and curled in a perfect dipping finish for his ninth goal in five games to give the visitors a ray of hope. That really sparked Stags into life and they put together their best spell of presssure and possession so far. But Goodlad was firmly behind long range punts from Matt Gadsby and Lawrence and near the end it took a good stop from Pilkington to deny John Durnin a fifth for Vale. ------------ Match Statistics (Vale/Stags) 16 Goal Attempts 8 9 On target 6 7 Off target 2 0 Woodwork 0 11 Corners 0 10 Fouls 17 3 Offside 3 ---------- Report from Ananova: Vale hit back to leave Mansfield bottom Michael Cummings orchestrated Port Vale's 4-2 home win over Mansfield to leave the visitors anchored to the bottom of the table. Cummings scored twice before laying on other goals for Ian Armstrong and Billy Paynter as Vale proved too strong - despite an early setback. Wayne Corden, released by Vale 18 months ago, had rocked his former club when he fired the visitors in front after just 28 seconds. The fans had barely settled in their seats when Corden cut in from the right and squeezed a shot inside Mark Goodlad's left-hand post. There were further chances at both ends, with defences looking shaky, before Cummings turned the game on its head with two goals in three minutes. He netted his first with a majestic header from Phil Charnock's corner on the half hour, then applied a simple right-foot finish to Paynter's excellent pass. The goals continued to flow after the interval as Cummings crossed for Armstrong to head home and provided a pin-point pass which Paynter finished off neatly. Mansfield striker Iyseden Christie kept his scoring run going when he clattered his ninth goal in five games from 20 yards for a consolation a minute later. ---------- Report from footymad.net: Mansfield caught Port Vale unprepared right from the start and took the lead inside the first minute. Former Valiants player Wayne Corden broke from the halfway line and fought his way to the right side of the box where he unleashed a drive that hit Liam Burns and cannoned into Mark Goodlad's bottom left-hand corner after just 28 seconds. After a frustrating opening, relief came for Vale in the 30th minute when Phil Charnock's corner was whipped into the Mansfield box, and Michael Cummins headed it perfectly inside Kevin Pilkington's right post. The Valiants doubled their tally in the 33rd minute when a long ball to Billy Paynter from John Durnin was turned on well and he got to the byline before crossing for Cummins to hammer home his second. Mansfield seemed to offer little more after their early goal and with Vale firing on all cylinders towards the end of the half, the Stags would have to try for damage limitation. Never far from the action Cummins set up the third goal when a cross from the right missed everybody until Ian Armstrong dived to send the ball just inside Pilkington's right post in the 50th minute. Vale were still hungry for goals and in the 66th minute another killer ball from Cummins sliced open the Mansfield defence and sent Paynter clear and he fired his ten-yard shot home. Mansfield replied a minute later with a brilliant individual effort from Isyeden Christie. After the game Vale boss Brian Horton said: "Credit to us considering we went 1-0 down after 30 seconds. "I thought we stuck with it and the fans stayed with us. "It was a good game all round and we're pleased with the three points." ------------ |
Latest | November 2002