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Archived News from October 2013

COX,MURTAGH AND ALAN KNILL REACTION
23rd October 2013 14:07


Cox calls for pro-active approach
mansfieldtown.net 19th October 2013

Manager Paul Cox believes that our side should have been more ‘pro-active’ in their approach, during the latter stages of our clash with Torquay United.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/cox-calls-for-pro-active-approach-1121997.aspx#Icp2k8ueZZ1yd73C.99

The Gulls had Krystian Pearce sent-off for a second bookable offence on 68 minutes, but survived to hold us to a 0-0 draw.

Our boss said: “We need to be a little bit more patient when teams go down to 10 men and take our chances when they arrive.

“We couldn’t have done anymore [to try and get a winner]. We used all of our substitutions in trying to be positive, but we still need to put the ball in the back of the net.

“We’ve got no divine right to go anywhere and expect to win and the positives are that we’ve come away from home and kept a clean sheet.

“But when a team goes down to 10 men for the last 20 minutes, you want to play on the ‘front foot’ more and create a few more chances.”

Cox continued: “I thought when we went to 4-4-2, we could have done a little bit better, but I’m not going to be too harsh on the lads.

“They’ve travelled an awful long way and they’ve worked extremely hard. That’s all I can ask of them and the squad is working extremely hard.

“But in terms of being sophisticated in the second half, we tried to ‘knock the back door down’ when sometimes all you need to do is turn the key and unlock the door.”

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Stags defender Beevers furious after ‘biting’ row at Torquay
chad.co.uk, by John Lomas

Mansfield Town defender Lee Beevers is furious after claiming he was bitten on the arm by opponent Elliot Benyon just before the end of today’s 0-0 draw at Torquay United.

http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/stags-defender-beevers-furious-after-biting-row-at-torquay-1-6166065

Beevers squared up to Benyon as players rushed in, but the referee calmed things down, spoke to both players and took no further action.

Stags boss Paul Cox said: “Lee Beevers claims he bit him and it’s not like him to react as he did. He is a model professional.

“If he did, and I say if as I don’t want to condemn anyone until we’ve looked at the DVD, then there is no place for that.

“It does take a lot to rile ‘Beevs’ and there is a mark on his arm, so it is looking that way.

“It could cause an infection. If it happened, it needs stamping on.”

Stags left Torquay with a deserved point from a game spoiled by a high wind, but know it could have more after Krystian Pearce was sent-off for a second bookable offence with 21 minutes to go,

“It is a good point and a clean sheet, but obviously the lads are a bit disappointed right now,” said Cox.

“We ground it out for the first 60 minutes. Then they had a man sent-off. We did what we could. We played two centre forwards and two wingers, but we just couldn’t find a way through.

“We need to be a bit more patient when teams go down to 10 men and take our chances when they arrive.

“We tried to kick the back door down, but sometimes you have just got to use a key and unlock it.

“We couldn’t have done any more to be positive apart from playing one at the back. We had used all our substitutes already.

“We just needed to put the ball in the back of the net. We had a few flashed across the goal but couldn’t capitalise.”

He added: “We probably need to play more on the front foot and create a few more chances in that situation.

“But we have no divine right to go anywhere and expect to win. We have to take the positives and we have come away from home and kept a clean sheet and taken a point.

“The wind was a lot stronger than people thought and I thought we defended well against it first half.

“We have some young kids in there learning their trade and they will get better.

“We probably need to be a bit more sophisticated in the last third if we are going to break teams down when they have had a man sent off.”

Stags arrived in Devon to find groundsman Michael Merriman had not packed the kit onboard the coach. But a phone call saw the missing kit rushed down from Mansfield and arrive just in time for kick-off.

Cox said: “Mez is a bit gutted, But everyone makes mistakes and there was no damage done. He just had 101 things to do and forget to put it on.

“There’s no steward’s inquiry. But there’s probably a few speeding points for someone and I’d like to thank whoever brought it down. They deserve a massive pat on the back.”

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Murtagh happy to take the positives out of Mansfield’s 0-0 draw at 10-men Torquay
chad.co.uk

Stags midfielder Keiran Murtagh was happy to take the positives out of a 0-0 draw away to 10-men Torquay United yesterday.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/murtagh-happy-to-take-the-positives-out-of-mansfield-s-0-0-draw-at-10-men-torquay-1-6166069?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

“We are pleased we’ve kept a clean sheet but disappointed not to score against a team with 10 men,” he said.

“Conditions were horrible and the wind was blowing into our faces in the first half. They kept the pressure on and there wasn’t much we could do about it.

“But I think we got it down in the second half and, when we tried to play, we played quite well.

“When they went down to 10 men, you hope and you push for a goal. But it didn’t come today. That’s football. Sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t.

“I still think we have got the players to be right up there in and around the play-offs.”

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twitter

Lee Beevers @Beeleevers
Clean sheet away from home and a point. Maybe could have got all 3. Starting put a run together !!! On to Tuesday !!!!

James Jennings @JamesJennings03
Horrible conditions to play in but a clean sheet & point away from home ain't bad! On to the next one. Great support from the fans ??#stags

Martin Riley @LifeofRiley6
Clean sheet away from home, i suppose we should be happy with that #stags

michael merriman @mezski
What a day! #hadbetter #ohwell

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Knill satisfied with point
http://www.teamtalk.com/torquay-united/8981550/Knill-satisfied-with-point?

Torquay boss Alan Knill was delighted that his side ended their three-match losing streak with a 0-0 draw with Mansfield.

Wales Under 21 winger Billy Bodin - instantly recalled after international duty - came closest to breaking the deadlock for the Gulls with a shot from 20 yards that came back off the foot of the post.

United were reduced to 10 men in the 69th minute when central defender Krystian Pearce received a second caution for hauling down Mansfield attacker Sam Clucas.

Nevertheless Mansfield found home keeper Martin Rice, who had earlier denied centre forward Matt Rhead, in fine form. Rice made a superb full-length stop to keep out substitute Ben Hutchinson's 30-yard try as the visitors pressed for a winner.

Knill said: "We had conceded eight in three games and so to get that clean sheet is fantastic. It feels like a win. It was definitely a point gained and I think it might have been three if we kept 11 on the field.

"It was an outstanding effort especially after the last home game. We needed to put in a performance and we did that. There were a lot of positives to take from the game, it feels like a win.

"It's a clean sheet and that was important. We know we have got goals in us, we got two last week, but we needed to keep it tight at the back and we've done that.

"Billy's hit the post and that could have gone either way but it's just not dropping in for us at the moment. You get that at times and we are just not getting those little breaks you need.

"I am sure that once we get everyone, our key players, back - and hopefully Ben Harding will be back next week - then we will be all right. I am really sure we can compete in this league."

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He had ONE job…! Mansfield kitman leaves kit behind as players forced to wear Torquay strip
Saturday 19 Oct 2013 2:13 pm
http://metro.co.uk/2013/10/19/he-had-one-job-mansfield-kitman-leaves-kit-behind-as-players-forced-to-wear-torquay-strip-4152557/?

He had ONE job...! Mansfield kitman leaves kit behindMansfield players couldn’t play in their own kit at Torquay (Picture: Getty)
When you apply for a job as a kitman, the job description is pretty much in the title. But Mansfield players had to pull on the shirts of opponents Torquay after their strip was left in Nottinghamshire.

Just weeks after Millwall’s kitman forgot the Lions’ shirts for their long trip north to Sheffield Wednesday, resulting in them wearing Wednesday’s away strip, Mansfield fell foul of the same gaffe.

There seems to have been a spate of kitman catastrophe’s in 2013, as Barnsley had to wear Crystal Palace’s away shirts at the tail end of last season, with referee Kevin Stroud unhappy with the initial colour clash.

Mansfield Town have forgotten their kit!! As it stands they're wearing #tufc change strip!!!

Brent Pilnick (@brentpilnick) October 19, 2013
It does beg the question of what exactly goes through the average kitman’s mind before leaving for the match.

Sacked in the morning?

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Nottingham Forest youngster Jack Blake relishes loan at Mansfield Town
By Nottingham Post, October 22, 2013

NOTTINGHAM Forest youngster Jack Blake could make his pro debut for Mansfield Town tonight.

The 19-year-old midfielder has joined Stags on a one-month loan from the Reds.

And he could be thrown into their team to face Bury in League Two at Gigg Lane (7.45pm).

The Scotland youth international admits he can't wait to get his first taste of league action when Town boss Paul Cox gives him his big chance.

"When I found out Mansfield wanted me I was delighted about it and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity of playing in League Two and gaining real good experience," he said.

Blake was on the subs' bench in Mansfield's 0-0 draw at Torquay United on Saturday, which has left them in eighth place in the table and just three points off the top.

He has also been to watch Stags in action this season, against Chesterfield in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and Bristol Rovers in the league.

"When I was watching the matches I was trying to visualise me playing in them and how I would be able to affect them and be effective for the team," he said.

"There are some really good players at the club and I'm really excited to play with them."

He believes he can make a big impact at Field Mill.

"I'd say I'm an all-round central midfielder," he added.

"I like to get forward, but I also like to defend as well, I'm box to box.

"Billy Davies has told me to enjoy it and make sure I get the experience and do my best and Paul Cox has been excellent and really encouraging."

Cox has revealed he has targeted Blake, who helped Forest reach the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup last season, for a long time and is glad to have finally got his man.

"Jack's very, very highly rated at Forest. They want him to get some first team football and we've had our eye on him for a while," he said.

"He can do a little bit of everything. He's technically very gifted, gets about the park and can chip in with a goal. He will give us competition for places in there."

Mansfield will be aiming to end a four-game winless streak against the Shakers to force their way back into the play-offs, after defeats against Hartlepool United and Chesterfield and draws against Bristol Rovers and Torquay.

And Cox has called on his players to show greater 'sophistication' after the latest stalemate against Torquay.

"The first half we defended really well, but the second half, with the wind in our favour and them down to ten men, I just wanted us to be a little bit more patient," he said.

"Sometimes we worked two-on-one situations down the wings, but then were too eager just to get the ball into the box, rather than being a bit more sophisticated.

"Young players make erratic decisions sometimes, but there is no doubting they will get better and learn over time because they are good players.

"You can look at it as two points lost, but you go back to the fact that we have still lost only two league games all season and we have added to our points tally again."

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Latest | October 2013