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Archived News from July 2013

SUPERB STAGS BASH POSH
19th July 2013 23:39


Pre-Season Friendly
Mansfield Town 4 - 2 Peterborough United
Dempster 16, Daniel 30, Clucas 82, 88. Mendez-Laing 14, Sinclair 68.
Attendance: 768 (51 from Peterborough)

Date: 17 July 2013

Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium

Mansfield Town produced a superb performance against two different Peterborough United sides (in each half) at the One Call Stadium last night to record a 4-2 victory, which could easily have been much more emphatic. The Stags created an enormous number of chances and bossed the game apart from a spell in the second half when Peterborough’s substitutes’ fresh legs caused the Stags some problems. The Stags had two contenders for goal of the season as Colin Daniel crashed in a spectacular free kick from 30 yards, and Sam Clucas curled in a beauty from 25 yards.

Stagsnet report here

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Sam Clucas double earns Mansfield Town 4-2 friendly win against Peterborough United
chad.co.uk report by Andrew Webb

Sam Clucas’ late double helped Mansfield Town to a hard-fought 4-2 win over Peterborough United in an entertaining contest at One Call Stadium.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/sam-clucas-double-earns-mansfield-town-4-2-friendly-win-against-peterborough-united-1-5865484

Posh led early on the quarter-hour-mark through Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, though John Dempster levelled with a smart finish two minutes later.

The Stags played some exceptional football and deservedly took the lead courtesy of Junior Daniel’s stunning thunderbolt free-kick on the half-hour mark.

Peterborough equalised midway through the second period with Emile Sinclair the scorer, but Clucas’ late brace sealed a victory for the impressive hosts.

On a bright and breezy evening at One Call Stadium, The Stags dominated from the outset and twice came close to an opener inside the first five minutes.

Clucas’ lobbed pass was latched onto by Daniel, who hit a powerful tight-angled drive that had to be diverted wide by Posh ‘keeper Joe Day.

James Jennings’ subsequent corner was met by John McCombe on the edge of the area, and his header was flicked goalwards by Matt Rhead, forcing Day into another smart save.

At the other end, Joe Newell had a penalty appeal turned down in the visitors’ first real attack, before they went ahead on the quarter-hour mark.

Mendez-Laing weaved his way inside and his low 20-yard effort beat a wrong-footed Alan Marriott, after catching a deflection from Dempster.

However, within two minutes, Dempster magnificently drew the hosts level with a pinpoint low drive from the left-edge of the area following Daniel’s floated cross.

And Mansfield almost struck again within an instant when Anthony Howell’s lobbed effort fell inches wide of Day’s right-hand post.

In what was an entertaining contest, The Stags enjoyed a series of set-pieces as the first half progressed with a Dempster header from Jennings’ in-swinging corner, drawing another save.

And it was through a set-piece that Mansfield deservedly went ahead on the half-hour.

Jaani Gordon’s needless shoulder-barge on Dempster resulted in a free-kick 30 yards out, from where Daniel unleashed a bullet strike that flew into the top-left corner.

With Peterborough still reeling, The Stags almost doubled their advantage as Dempster headed straight at Day from Jennings’ floated left-wing cross.

Howell rifled a low left-footed effort into the side netting as Mansfield continued to do all the pressing, whilst Sam Clucas also whistled a shot over the woodwork.

In between those efforts, The Posh defence was again troubled by another set-piece as Michael Richens was forced to clear off the line following yet another Dempster header.

Paul Cox opted to make just one change at the break with Jake Speight replacing Lee Stevenson, whilst the visitors made wholesale changes (nine in total) to their side.

However, Peterborough looked bright after the re-start and almost levelled through Nicky Ajose, who blazed high and wide at point-blank range, despite being unmarked.

The Posh came even closer on the hour mark as Sinclair curling drive from the edge of the area ricocheted off the post with Marriott rooted to the spot.

Danny Swanson was the chief instigator in everything positive about Peterborough, and seconds later he was left frustrated with an effort that cannoned against the bar.

Nevertheless, the visitors eventually equalised midway through the second period.

Nat Knight-Percival broke quickly out of defence and threaded an inviting pass into the feet of Sinclair, who rounded Alan Marriott and duly slotted home.

Mansfield almost regained the lead on 77 minutes when Jennings 25-yard free-kick was deflected over the woodwork, after Rhead was hacked down by Peter Grant.

But within moments, The Stags were able to restore their advantage.

Trialist Nathan Arnold brilliantly worked his way down the right channel, fooling three players, before he squared an inviting ball towards Clucas,

With plenty of work still to be done, Clucas looked up and took a touch, prior to unleashing a swerving 30-yard drive that flew into the top-right corner.

And an unmarked Clucas wrapped things up on the brink of additional time when he finished from just inside the area, after being found by Speight.

Team: Marriott, Beevers, Jennings, Dempster, McCombe, McGuire (Murray), Daniel (Arnold), Stevenson (Speight), Rhead, Howell, Clucas.

Attendance: 768 (51 visitors).

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Stags Secure Pre-Season Win
by Phil Adlam

Mansfield Town ended Peterborough United's unbeaten start to pre-season with a 4-2 victory on Wednesday evening.

Peterborough United suffered their first defeat of the pre-season campaign as League Two new-boys Mansfield Town recorded a 4-2 victory at the One Call Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Stags, who clinched promotion from the Blue Square Premier last term, scored twice in the final 10 minutes to earn a win in a competitive and at times, end to end encounter.

It was Darren Ferguson's men who opened the scoring when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing cut inside on his left-foot and saw his shot take a slight deflection to wrong-foot the goalkeeper. It was the winger's third goal in a row with his left-foot following strikes against Millwall and Crystal Palace.

The home side responded within two minutes as Dempster curled a low shot past Joe Day from the edge of the area. Ironically, it was Dempster whose intervention had given Posh the lead moments earlier.

Mansfield got their noses in front in fine style as Daniel fired home an unstoppable free-kick from 25-yards after Jaanai Gordon had been penalised for a foul.

Michael Richens cleared a header off the line while Shaquille McDonald was denied by the goalkeeper before wholesale changes at the interval for Posh.

In the second period, Posh struck the woodwork twice in as many minutes. Firstly, Emile Sinclair saw a right-foot curler from 20-yards strike the inside of the post before the lively Danny Swanson nutmegged the defender and saw a left-footed effort from distance clip the top of the crossbar.

Posh levelled on 68 minutes as Nathaniel Knight-Percival produced a superb through ball to Sinclair, who took the pass in his stride before rounding the goalkeeper and slotting the ball into an empty net.

Posh pressed for a third goal, but were caught out at the other end as Clucas fired home from distance past Bobby Olejnik and moments before the final whistle, the winger swept the ball home from close-range to make the final score 4-2.

Olejnik and Day, who played 45 minutes each, both made good saves while youngsters Jermaine Anderson and Jevani Brown caught the eye in midfield.

Joe Newell limped out of the action with a dead leg.

Final Score: Mansfield Town 4-2 Posh

Posh: Day (sub Olejnik), Richens (sub Alcock), Brisley, Zakuani (sub Grant), Newell (sub Knight-Percival), Brown (sub Anderson), Payne (sub Swanson), Mendez-Laing (sub Kearns), Tomlin (sub Ajose), McDonald (sub Sinclair), Gordon (sub Ferdinand).

Read more at http://www.theposh.com/news/article/20130718-stags-secure-pre-season-win-926276.aspx?#VkUe3z3dgVmQSWfs.99

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Match report: Mansfield 4, Posh 2: Miserable Stags do for Posh.

Clearly Peterborough United are saving themselves for Saturday’s (July 20) local derby friendly at Northampton.

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/peterborough-united/match-report-mansfield-4-posh-2-miserable-stags-do-for-posh-1-5294299

Or let’s hope so. Darren Ferguson left key first-team players Grant McCann and Michael Bostwick, as well as million-pound striker Tyrone Barnett, out of tonight’s (July 17) pre-season runaround at League Two side Mansfield and suffered a deserved 4-2 defeat as a result.

Ferguson speaks in tomorrow’s (July 18) Peterborough Telegraph about no-one being sure of their starting place when the serious stuff starts on August 3 and this performance won’t have made his selection plans any easier - if indeed he has any real doubts.

Posh opened the scoring thanks to some trickery from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and a deflection of his shot after 15 minutes, but they were 2-1 down 10 minutes later thanks to a cool finish from John Dempster and a brilliant free-kick from Colin Daniel.

Posh looked shaky at the back throughout. Michael Richens and Joe Newell started as full-backs - you can be certain they won’t on August 3 - and the former had to head a shot off the line before the latter limped off with an injury.

Joe Day made a fine save early on to thwart Matt Rhead, but both he and Bobby Olejnik were beaten by spectacular strikes. Two goals in the final eight minutes from Simon Clucas (the first was a classy finish) after Emile Sinclair had equalised for Posh midway through the second-half, ensured the final scoreline accurately reflected the run of play.

Posh did well going forward after the break - Ferguson made nine changes at half-time - Danny Swanson curled a shot against the crossbar and Sinclair drove a half-chance against the inside of a post before pouncing on an excellent pass from Nat Knight-Percival and going round the home ‘keeper to make it 2-2.

Nicky Ajose spurned a decent chance at the start of the second-half, but Mansfield were worth their win.

Maybe luckily only 50 or so Posh fans witnessed the defeat. Bizarrely local police made this an all-ticket fixture for visiting fans, a restriction that was lifted about an hour before kick-off.

Mind you nothing’s worth getting too worked up about on or off the pitch. It’s very much a phoney war until Swindon turn up at London Road in just over a fortnight.

Posh first half: Joe Day, Michael Richens, Joe Newell (sub Nat Knight-Percival), Shaun Brisley, Gaby Zakuani, Nat Mendez-laing, Jack Payne, Jevani Brown, Lee Tomlin, Shaq McDonald, Jaanai Gordon.

Second half: Bobby Olejnik, Craig Alcock, Nat Knight-Percival, Peter Grant, Shaun Brisley, Jermaine Anderson, Kane Ferdinand, Danny Kearns, Danny Swanson, Nicky Ajose, Emile Sinclair.

Goals: Posh - Mendez-Laing (15 mins), Sinclair (68 mins).

Mansfield - Dempster (21 mins), Daniel (25 mins), Clucas (82 mins & 89 mins).

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