Archived News from March 2013
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DETERMINED STAGS WIN AT WOKING
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Blue Square Bet Premier
Woking 1 - 2 Mansfield Town Bubb (penalty) 68. Briscoe 34, Jones 78 Attendance: 1179 (140 from Mansfield) Date: 6 March 2013 Martin Shaw at Kingfield A magnificent win for Mansfield at Woking this evening, which was later overshadowed by a disgraceful incident the like of which I have never seen as the Mansfield dressing room window was smashed by a Woking season ticket holder (see separate news item on Stagsnet latest news page). It was a thoroughly deserved victory for the Stags in the end as Mansfield showed real grit and determination to pick up the points after Woking had equalised midway through the second half out of the blue. Louis Briscoe gave Mansfield a lead on 34 minutes in controversial circumstances and his lofted ball forward went straight in though two Mansfield players were in an offside position. After the game, Woking boss Garry Hill was an angry man claiming that the Mansfield players were clearly interfering with play. The Stags were desperately unlucky not to increase the lead when Stevenson headed against the post just after half-time. Woking were level on 68 minutes, out of the blue, and against the run of play, as Colin Daniel inadvertently tripped Johnson and the dangerous Bradley Bubb scored from the penalty spot though Stags keeper Marriott was within a whisker of saving it. The Woking equaliser fired Mansfield up and Mansfield's determination was summed up in one incident where Woking had a throw-in their own half which no-one was in a hurry to take, and Lee Stevenson chased after the ball and handed it to a Woking player to get on with the game. The Stags winner came on 78 minutes as Luke Jones rose highest from a James Jennings corner to header into the top left corner of the net. The win takes Mansfield's run to ten wins in eleven games, and 8 away wins from 9 away games. Adam Chapman made a super debut in the centre of midfield alongside Adam Murray who put on facebook that he had a poor game himself, but he's his harshest critic as I thought he played really well too. The defence was very solid while Briscoe and Daniel caused problems for the home defence. Stagsnet player ratings in the Match Centre. ------------------------------------- Wednesday 6th March: Woking 1 Mansfield Town 2 chad.co.uk report by John Lomas MANSFIELD Town's amazing winning streak continued at in-form Woking tonight, but the night ended in uproar with a brick hurled through the away dressing room window. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/wednesday-6th-march-woking-1-mansfield-town-2-1-5471959 Keeper Alan Marriott was hit by the brick and manager Paul Cox spat at by a home fan through the broken window in a disgraceful end to what had been a gutsy night by the visitors who had to dig deep for the win. There followed a confrontation in the car park involving the away players and manager and doubtless there will be repercussions down the line. Luke Jones headed a 77th minute winner after Bradley Bubb's 69th minute penalty had wiped out Louis Briscoe's first half goal and threatened to see the points shared. Instead Mansfield rose to the occasion on a poor home surface and that made it six wins on the bounce, 10 wins out of 11 and eight away wins in nine trips. And that against an in-form home side who had won six and drawn one of the last nine games. It also pushed Stags back into third, three points from leaders Wrexham with a game in hand. However, the night was marred at the end when the Stags players became involved in an off-the-field incident, chasing out into the car park after a brick was thrown through their dressing room window and home fans then spat through the window. New loan signing Adam Chapman made his a superb Mansfield Town debut as the Stags team sheet showed two changes for tonight's tough trip to Woking. Chapman, signed on a month's loan from Oxford United earlier today, replaced Chris Clements in central midfield while, with one eye on the size of the Woking strikers, big Exodus Geohaghon returned to the centre of the defence. Chapman linked up superbly with former Oxford team mate Adam Murray in the centre of the park as the pair ran the show with Jones and Lee Beevers also outstanding on the night. Briscoe's opener on34 minutes was shrouded in controversy as the referee over-ruled his assistant who though Green had got a touch from an offside position with the home side believing Green was interfering with play in that position anyway. The game kicked off with worries over the floodlighting which had caused problems before the game when the stadium lights all went out. But they were shining brightly as Daniel won a corner in side the first minute as the game began in heavy drizzle and thankfully held out for the evening. Chapman took the flag kick and home keeper Brown had to fist it off the incoming head of Jones for a second corner, taken by Jennings, which was cleared. Woking tried to initiate a break, but Geohaghon was on hand to prod the ball off the shins of Budd for a goalkick. Beevers then had to head clear a Nutter free kick, conceded 25 yards from goal by Murray. On 12 minutes Betsy broke well down the centre and played a decent pass towards Bubb to his right, Marriott safely behind his powerful on-target shot. Newton did well to beat Daniel to Briscoe's far post cross to concede a third corner for the visitors, which was headed away. Chapman's tackle on Betsy just inside the box saw the veteran unsuccessfully asking for a penalty. Back came Stags with a powerful cross from Briscoe that zipped across the face of goal from the right after a neat succession of passes. Woking survived another Stags corner on 21 minutes and then half-cleared a throw from the right towards Daniel who smashed a powerful first time effort wide of goal from 20 yards. Beevers was back in the wars after being flattened by a challenge from Cestor, but was able to continue after treatment. The Cards won their first corner of the night on 24 minutes, but, taken short, they were unable to make it count. They came closer two minutes later when Bubb went past Jennings on the right and whipped a low cross in front of goal which was just too hard for Cestor to get there and turn in. then Jennings quickly got his body in the way of a Bubb chance to concede a corner, which Stockley headed at Marriott, as the home side enjoyed their best spell. On 31 minutes Chapman almost marked his debut with a goal as Stevenson nodded a loose ball in the box down to his feet and Chapman bundled a finish wide from 10 yards. On 34 minutes the visitors went ahead – eventually. Chapman showed off a great long throw from the left which bounced towards Briscoe on the right of the box. He lifted it to the far post where the referee thought Green had got a touch in an offside position and ruled the goal out. However, the visitors continued to protest, the referee consulted his assistant at length and the pair eventually decided Briscoe's far post cross had bounced straight in and the goal should stand. Marriott needed treatment after Bubb slid in on him as he gathered the ball, but he was able to play on. Cestor sent a tame shot straight at the keeper, then Daniel saw a deflected left wing cross finish up on the roof of the net as we entered the last four minutes of the half. Three minutes were added on which the Stags safely negotiated to retain their 1-0 lead at the break. Chapman almost made it 2-0 within 55 seconds of the restart as Beevers fed him just outside the box and Chapman tried to curl the ball round Brown with his right foot, the keeper turning it round his left post for a corner. From that Stevenson leapt to head against the post, a scrambled unfolded which saw the ball cleared as far as Chapman who was too high with his effort. Betsy then went down easily in the Stags box under the challenge of Murray, the referee unimpressed. A Jones header set up Murray for a powerful blast that Stockley did well to get himself in the way of. Then Briscoe set up Green for an 18 yard shot that he curled straight at the keeper as the visitors continued the search for a crucial second goal. Briscoe almost netted on54 minutes with a superb left footed effort that looked set to curl under the far angle. However, Brown stretched high to make a great save and turn the ball over, the referee then awarding Woking a goal kick to the visitors' disgust. Murray sliced a long range first time effort well off target as Stags continued to shoot on sight. Green couldn't quite manage to control a fast, curling forward ball in from Beevers at the vital moment. Then, on a Stags break, home keeper Brown did well to recover and spread himself on the by-line as Green tried to go round him with other yellow shorts arriving in the middle. From the corner, Briscoe's header sailed over the far angle. A rare Woking raid saw sub McCallum, only on for six minutes, send a tame low effort well wide of the far post after a poor clearance from Geohaghon. Meikle replaced Briscoe on the Mansfield wing on 64 minutes and seconds later a great long ball forward by Murray picked out Green in the box. He had Daniel to his right or he could have shot but his first touch laid the ball straight to the keeper and the chance was gone. Geohaghon was booked on 65 minutes for his block on Bubb, Bubb joining him a minute later for his constant complaints to the referee. Stockley was not far wide of the far post with a fine volley from Nutter's ball in from the right The referee having found his cards brought out the yellow again within a minute as Daniel brought down Betsy, though it didn't seem worth a card. And Daniel's night worsened on 69 minutes as he conceded a penalty that led to the Cards' equaliser. In trying to clear the ball Daniel swung out a leg which caught Johnson as he challenged and brought him down. Bubb stepped up and, although Marriott went the right way, he was unable to make the block. Chapman's late challenge on Stockley on 75 minuets saw the new boy mark his debut with a booking. Stags sent on Rhead for Stevenson a minute later as they waited to take a free kick, Chapman seeing his effort deflect out for a corner. But from that corner, Mansfield were ahead. Jennings put it over from the right and Jones rose to power a header high inside the angle. Wright was given the last eight minutes in place of Green for Mansfield. A needless challenge by Rhead through Johnson as the Cards man shepherded the ball out for a goalkick saw the yellow card back on show. Beevers yelped as Stockley caught him in the face right on his broken nose but soon recovered to soldier on to the end. The referee added four minutes at the end which saw Woking throw the proverbial kitchen sink into the Stags' box. A great catch by Marriott, then a challenge into the back of Rhead slowed things down and took the heat out of the home onslaught as Mansfield edged over the finishing line. WOKING: Brown, Newton (Frith 88), Cestor (McCallum 58), Ricketts, McNerney, Parkinson, Bubb, Betsy, Johnson, Stockley, Nutter (Francis 82). Subs not used: Putnin, Griffiths.?STAGS: Marriott; Beevers, Jones, Geohaghon, Jennings; Murray, Chapman, Stevenson (Rhead 76); Briscoe (Meikle 64), Green (Wright 82), Daniel. Subs not used: Sutton, Clements.?REFEREE: Lee Swabey of Plymouth. ATTENDANCE: 1,179 (140 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Adam Murray -------------------- Match report: Woking 1, Mansfield Town 2 Nottingham Post report by Stevie Roden IT WAS a game put back 24 hours by Woking as they were worried the televised Champions League clash between Manchester United and Real Madrid would hinder the number of spectators coming through the gate. http://m.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story.html?aid=18342702&category=sport It raised a few eyebrows, given this game was in Surrey, not Manchester, but just like at Old Trafford the previous night, it was another evening where the man in the middle was at the centre of the talking points. Mansfield felt both the good, and the bad, from the referee Lee Swabey's decision-making as Louis Briscoe's first-half goal was somewhat fortuitous and came after the referee overruled an offside call from his assistant. But Stags boss Paul Cox was left fuming in the second period when Colin Daniel was adjudged to have fouled in the box and Bradley Bubb despatched the penalty to equalise. Cox had to be calmed down by the referee having voicing his discontent. But in the end, Stags defender Luke Jones powered home a header on 77 minutes to win the game 2-1. And the goal ensured that come today, it is another three points that is being talked about and not the referee grabbing all the headlines, as Mansfield made it ten wins from their last 11 games and also chalked up an eighth away victory from their last nine on the road. Cox made two changes to the side that beat Telford at the weekend, with new loan signing Adam Chapman making his debut after joining from League Two Oxford earlier in the day. And despite John Dempster not recovering from an ankle injury, Ritchie Sutton could not keep his place as he dropped to the bench with Exodus Geohaghon replacing him at the heart of the defence. After a quiet opening, Woking's experienced Kevin Betsy burst forward, slipped it to Bubb on his right and he thundered a shot at goal but it was too close to Alan Marriott, who held well. And ten minutes later, a quick interchange saw Mansfield's Briscoe dart to the byline down the right of the box and blaze a dangerous ball across the face of goal – but it was almost too powerful, as nobody could get the decisive touch. Colin Daniel then pounced on a loose ball for the visitors soon after and struck a piledriver but failed to hit the target. Yet it was at the other end where Betsy again drove his side forward. Bubb picked up the ball on the right of the box but his devilish pass across the box was not met by a Woking player. Bubb, with 13 goals already this season, found himself with time to line up a shot in a similar position but his strike, from 12 yards out, was deflected behind for a corner thanks to James Jennings' outstretched leg. On the half hour, the Stags could have been ahead when the ball fell invitingly for new-boy Chapman from Lee Stevenson's knockdown but inside the box he connected well with his right boot only to fire low the wrong side of the post. However, Stags took the lead on 35 minutes in controversial circumstance when Briscoe swung a ball in towards the far corner. Matt Green rose to head but did not connect from the close range effort and the ball went beyond goalkeeper Seb Brown. The assistant's flag went up but after deliberation with referee Lee Swabey, the man in charge overruled the flag and gave the goal, adjudging that Green did not get a touch and nobody was interfering with play. Goalkeeper Marriott received lengthy treatment which was a concern, as there was no substitute stopper. But when play resumed, he got straight down to save from Mike Cestor. A minute after the restart, Chapman curled a 20-yard effort that had Brown sprawling to his left to turn around his post. And from Jennings' corner, Stevenson rose but the header was cleared off the line. It was a bright start from the visitors and Jennings then floated in a free kick to the right of the box where Jones headed back but Murray's drilled effort was desperately blocked two yards out before Green forced Brown into a save. The furious start to the second half continued as Briscoe cut inside from the right onto his left foot but his angled effort rose just over the bar. Jayden Stockley then flashed a superb volley just wide to give Mansfield a scare before Daniel gave away a penalty midway through the second half, swinging a leg that brought down Brett Johnson and Bubb despatched the spot kick to level matters. But on 77 minutes, Stags were back in front as Jones headed home a brilliant Jennings corner from the right to put his side back in the driving seat. And from there, Mansfield ensured they did not let their lead slip again, as they moved back to within three points of Blue Square Bet Premier leaders Wrexham, with a game in hand ahead of entertaining Stockport on Saturday. Unfortunately, when the Stags players returned to their dressing room, a brick was thrown through a window, hitting keeper Marriott, which left a sour taste after such a solid result. Man of the match: Luke Jones Once again, despite a third different defensive partner in as many games, the centre-half was solid at the back but also a threat again in the opposition box, something proved as he headed home the winning goal. Referee: Lee Swabey (Devon) In the thick of it, as he overruled his assistant's offside flag, which meant Mansfield's opener stood but then gave a penalty against the Stags in the second half, which left boss Paul Cox fuming. Not shy in making big calls but was berated by both managers as he left the pitch. Woking: Brown, Newton (Frith, 88), Cestor (McCallum, 58), Johnson, McNerney, Ricketts, Parkinson, Bubb, Betsy, Johnson, Stockley, Nutter (Francis 83). Subs: Putnin, Griffiths. Stags: Marriott, Beevers, Geohaghon, Jones, Jennings, Briscoe (Meikle, 64), Murray, Chapman, Daniel, Stevenson (Rhead, 76), Green (Wright, 82). Subs: Sutton, Clements. Attendance: 1,179 (140 away fans) ----------------- Woking unable to stop red-hot Mansfield http://www.wokingfc.co.uk/news/article/3916/woking-unable-to-stop-red-hot-mansfield/ Frankie Hullett - 7th March 2013 Woking 1 Mansfield Town 2 Blue Square Premier 6th March 2013 Goals from Luke Jones and Louis Briscoe were enough to see off Woking as Mansfield claimed their tenth win in their last eleven league games. Briscoe opened the scoring for Mansfield when his lobbed cross evaded everyone and found the far corner. Bradley Bubb then leveled for Woking midway through the second half from the spot but a Jones' header from a corner proved to be the winner for the Stags with twelve minutes remaining. Woking started the brighter of the two sides and Kevin Betsy caused havoc running at the Mansfield back four. He opened the visitors' defence up for Bubb to hit a powerful strike straight into the grateful hands of Alan Marriot. The same routine worked in the Cards favour again to provide Bubb with a more clear cut chance but he slipped as he swung for the ball and allowed James Jennings to get the vital deflection. Minutes later it was Mansfield who nearly took the lead. After some scrappy play in the Woking box, the ball finally dropped to Adam Chapman who should have scored with his right foot shot, but it flashed narrowly wide of the left hand post. It wasn't long before Mansfield did take the lead in controversial fashion. Briscoe looped the ball into the box looking for Matthew Green who was unable to reach the cross. The ball nestled into the far corner with a confused Seb Brown not knowing whether Green was going to get a touch. The flag was raised and after a lengthy discussion with his assistant the referee eventually awarded the goal, much to the anger of the Woking players. Half-time score - Woking 0 Mansfield Town 1 Woking came out for the second half looking sluggish and Mansfield had a number chances to kill the game off. The first fell to Chapman just minutes into the half, when his first time curler had to be pushed wide by Brown. From the resulting corner Mansfield should have doubled their lead when Lee Stevenson had a free header from deep in the box but he was only able to hit the post. Jayden Stockley (pictured) came close to leveling for Woking when an attempted clearance dropped from high into the box. The young striker watched it all the way onto his foot and struck it well just wide of the far corner. The Cards started to assert some pressure and were finally awarded a penalty when Colin Daniel swung at the ball in an attempt to clear it but as Brett Johnson got his foot to the ball first he was tripped. Bubb's spot kick had too much power for Marriott to keep out and, despite getting a hand to it, the ball found the bottom left corner of the net and Woking had an equaliser. The Cards were level for just ten minutes and, for once, defensive frailty from a set piece did the damage. James Jennings whipped another dangerous corner in and Jones leaped highest to head home past Brown to restore Mansfield's goal advantage. Mansfield comfortably saw out the closing quarter of an hour to push themselves up to third in the table but the Cards will be left reflecting on a game that could have gone either way. Woking: Seb Brown, Adam Newton (George Frith 88), Mike Cestor (Gavin McCallum 58), Mark Ricketts, Joe McNerney, Jack Parkinson, Bradley Bubb, Kevin Betsy, Brett Johnson, Jayden Stockley, John Nutter (Adam Francis 83) Unused subs: Josh Griffiths, Elvijs Putnins Cautions: Kevin Betsy 66 Mansfield Town: Alan Marriott, Louis Briscoe (Lindon Meikle 63), James Jennings, Lee Beevers, Matthew Green (Nicholas Wright 82), Luke Jones, Exodus Geohaghon, Adam Chapman, Colin Daniel, Lee Stevenson (Matthew Rhead 76) Unused subs: Ritchie Sutton, Chris Clements Cautions: Exodus Geohaghon 65, Colin Daniel 67, Adam Chapman 75, Matthew Rhead 85 Attendance: 1,179 MOTM: Jayden Stockley ---------------- |
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