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Archived News from October 2013

COX, DEMPSTER AND COLIN COOPER REACTION
10th October 2013 18:24


video interviews with Paul Cox and John Dempster --->

http://www.player.mansfieldtown.net/latest-news

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Cox looks for a response
mansfieldtown.net 5th October 2013

Manager Paul Cox has told our players to ‘put things right’ following today’s 4-1 home defeat to Hartlepool United.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/cox-looks-for-a-response-1097735.aspx?#d649h0RTCyZjh4mL.99

Our team, who slip two places in the Sky Bet League Two table, were well-beaten by Colin Cooper’s outfit.

Cox said: “We were awful. It was a bad day at the office and we got exactly what we deserved, which was nothing.

“I think it was a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ and I’ve told the lads that they need to put things right.

“It’s only two losses in ten, but its two losses too many for me. We keep raising the bar, but people have to reach that bar.

“It wasn’t good enough today, it’s as simple as that.”

The Pools took the lead after just seven minutes, thanks to Andy Monkhouse’s sublime strike from distance.

However, our boss believes the goal should have been prevented.

He continued: “It was uncharacteristic for us in terms of the first goal that we conceded.

“Usually we stop teams, and usually nobody gets a strike in from that distance.

“I was disappointed [that all four goals that we conceded were from long-range].

“We’ve built a reputation and success by working extremely hard and I don’t think that work-ethic was there in abundance today.

“I’m not saying the players didn’t work hard, but I don’t think that we properly applied ourselves in the correct way.

“It’s easy when you’re coming off a good win, which is why I called for consistency and we didn’t get that today.”

He added: “I’m hoping it’s a blip, but I’ll be looking for a response - and I’ll act on that response.”

Paul Cox’s full post-match interview will be available to Stags Player subscribers later tonight.

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Stags skipper Dempster - no excuses for Hartlepool humiliation
chad.co.uk

Stags skipper John Dempster admitted the side had gone from heroes to zeroes inside a week after Saturday’s 4-1 home humiliation by struggling Hartlepool.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/stags-skipper-dempster-no-excuses-for-hartlepool-humiliation-1-6119945#.UlEIvckY4Nc.twitter

But he said the important thing was how Mansfield Town now reacted to their first defeat in nine games.

Dempster said: “We had that early chance, then Hartlepool scored a cracking goal and we didn’t really recover from that.

“We were second best all-round. I find it difficult to talk about it as I don’t want to make any excuses. We were not good enough.

“We are going to go 1-0 down this season and we have got to react better than we did today. We didn’t react in the right way today, me included.

“We looked a million miles off it to be honest.

“We have been on a good run and we are sitting in a good position in the league. We have set some high standards and we dropped well below them today.

“Credit to Hartlepool. They came here today and gave everything. They kept the ball well at times and scored four half-decent goals. They deserved their win.

“It gave us a slap in the face. We knew before today that all the teams in this league can beat each other - just look at results of late.

“We were heroes last weekend but this weekend feels like we are zeroes.

“The best teams in the world get beaten. It’s how you react. We have done that in the last two and a bit years since the gaffer’s been here.

“We are very disappointed and emotions were running high straight after the game. But we have been doing well of late and now need to get back to that.”

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Dempster: We were second best
mansfieldtown.net, by Andrew Webb

Defender John Dempster has admitted that our display in yesterday’s 4-1 loss to Hartlepool United at One Call Stadium wasn’t good enough.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/dempster-we-were-second-best-1098756.aspx?#eGEirvsm3cbiRmhG.99

The defeat, our first in a competitive match at One Call Stadium since January, saw us slip two places to fifth position in Sky Bet League Two.

Our team went behind due to Andy Monkhouse’s spectacular long-range strike, but all four goals that we conceded were from outside the area.

However, Dempster, who has figured in every match this term, believes that we never recovered from The Pools’ seventh-minute opener.

He said: “We had an early chance when Ryan [Tafazolli] hit the bar, but Hartlepool scored a cracking goal and we didn’t really recover from it,”

“It’s difficult to talk about it, but we were second-best all over. You don’t want to make excuses, but we just weren’t good enough.

“There’s no point getting too disappointed, because we’ve got a lot of important games coming up, but as a group we know we weren’t good enough.

“We’ve got to put things right, and we’ll look to do so, as soon as we can.”

Dempster added: “There’s going to be times during the season when you go 1-0 down, but you’ve got to react to it, better than what we did.

“We didn’t react in the right way - that goes for everyone - and we looked well off the pace, so we’re very disappointed.

“We’ve been on a good run and we’re sitting in a good position, but we’ve set some high standards of late, and we dropped well below them.”

Despite the loss, our centre-back had praise for The Pools, whom he believes deserve credit for their first away victory of the campaign.

He added: “You’ve got to give credit to Hartlepool. They came here, gave everything and did a job on us, which is the disappointing thing.

“We’ve made this a place where it’s hard to come and get any points, but Hartlepool came here and deserved to win.”

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We Showed Our Quality - Cooper
hartlepoolunited.co.uk

Colin Cooper was full of praise for his team after seeing them pick up all three points from today’s match at Mansfield Town.
Read more at http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/article/051013-cooper-post-mansfield-1097976.aspx?#4SmQlMGEg6vMox3g.99

Pools were two goals up by the break thanks to brilliant strikes from Andy Monkhouse and Jack Compton, before Compton added a third just after half time.

The hosts pulled one back from a dubious penalty but James Poole put the result beyond doubt when he drilled in a fourth from twenty-five yards.

“I believe on the pitch we are more than a match for anyone in the league,” Cooper told Pools Player.

“But what opposition teams tend to say is that if you can get in our face and bully us a little bit then we kind of roll over - well, we don’t roll over.

“Fair play to the lads because they’ve stood up and been counted today from a physical point of view and I think when the quality has come it’s all come from Hartlepool today.

“I have to say there was little sense of something in the dressing room before the game today. There was a little tingle in the dressing room and we came out and showed it was a good feeling.”

All four of Pools’ goals this afternoon showed real quality and Cooper was delighted to see his team’s hard work pay off,

“Andy’s strike was in a lovely position; it was a smashing strike, brilliant. Jack’s first from open play, he’s more than capable of that and the free-kick is a wonderful strike and with Pooley we’ve always said he has real ability and can strike the ball equally well with both feet.

“You have to take your hats off to the threats that Mansfield posed and I thought we dealt with it.

“All I’ve said to the players is that if you’re prepared to put your bodies on the line, no matter who you are playing against, you will get results on the back of that and I think we have got what we deserved today.”

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Colin Cooper unhappy with referee decision as Hartlepool United win 4-1 at Mansfield Town
http://www.peterleestar.co.uk/sport/football/hartlepool-utd/colin-cooper-unhappy-with-referee-decision-as-hartlepool-united-win-4-1-at-mansfield-town-1-6121213

POOR Colin Cooper! A 4-1 away victory should be savoured.

And while thrilled with his side’s resilience and stunning goals, the Hartlepool United boss was AGAIN angered by several decisions which went against his side at Field Mill.

Seven days earlier during five crazy minutes of injury time against Oxford, Pools conceded a penalty, had Steve Howard sent off and then a penalty appeal rejected after Jack Compton was brought down.

Referee Jeremy Simpson added a serious dose of insult to injury by yellow-carding Compton.

The honest official later apologised for all three decisions.

Fast forward to Field Mill and Cooper was unhappy at the performance of Graham Horwood.

Anthony Howell cleaned out two-goal Pools hero Jack Compton after just 36 seconds.

Had it been 36 minutes, you suspect it may have been a red card.

And the irony level increased in the 20th minute when Howell brought down Luke James in the box.

Stonewall penalty was the expression for 99 per cent of the people inside the ground, but not for Mr Horwood, who did not point to the spot but booked James for diving.

Later, the ref got it right when James Poole was tripped off the ball while Pools were on the attack.

He stopped play and from the free-kick Compton made it 3-0.

Mr Horwood upset Cooper with what he saw as a soft penalty against Pools in the 75th minute but the ref did get it right after Sam Collins handled.

“The first tackle on Jack is a red card,” said the manager. “If it had been one of my players [doing it] he would have been sent off. It’s two-footed, it’s late, it’s high.

“The referee booked him, fair enough, but by the letter of the law it should have been a red card

“Luke James should have had a stonewall penalty and he’s been booked for diving.

“I have said the the ref - ‘the KMIs [Key Match Incidents],look at them you’ve got them wrong’.

“We’ve scored four goals but here am I ranting about the referee. That shouldn’t happen.

“Luke, I felt, was pulled, pushed, fouled, kicked yet maintained his dignity but gets booked for diving.

“Come on, the lad’s been battered from pillar to post yet gets booked for diving, not a chance.

“Luke got nowhere near enough protection.

“I think a referee has to try to let the game flow but I think he’s also got to act when things are illegal.

“That’s his job.”

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Latest | October 2013