Archived News from November 2013
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472 MINS WITHOUT A GOAL THEN 8 COME ALONG AT ONCE
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The FA Cup with Budweiser - Round Two
St Albans City 1 - 8 Mansfield Town Locke 8. Stevenson 44, Howell 45, Daniel 70, Clucas 75, 81, 86, 90, Palmer 77. Attendance: 3251 (approx 450 from Mansfield) Date: 9 November 2013 Martin Shaw at Clarence Park Mansfield Town cruised into Round 2 of the FA Cup with a magnificent performance at Southern Premier League side St Albans City to win 8-1. It was the second time the Stags have won 8-1 in 2013 after the win over Barrow in February. The Stags were just one goal short of a record win in any competition. The Stags record win in this competition remains at 8-0 over Scarborough in 1952 followed by 9-2 over Hounslow in 1962. Sam Clucas, with 4 of the Stags goals, became the first Stags player to score 4 goals in a game in the FA Cup proper (ie. excluding qualifying round games). Clucas was also the first Stags player to score 4 in a league or cup game since Iyseden Christie against Colchester at Field Mill in Nov 2002. And the first player to score 4 in a league or cup game away from home since April 1926 (Taylor, away to Castleford). St Albans had gone ahead after just 8 minutes and when the Stags still trailed 1-0 after 44 minutes, Mansfield had failed to score in 472 minutes, that’s 8 minutes shy of 8 hours. But the Stags then proceeded to score 8 goals in the next 46 minutes as confidence in front of goal visibly flowed through the players. Indeed there were two goals in the last couple of minutes of that first half as Lee Stevenson scored with a great finish after his super first touch, and then Anthony Howell tapped in at the far post to give the Stags a half time lead. It remained 2-1 until 70 minutes and then the Stags cracked in an incredible 6 goals in a breath-taking 20 minutes, Sam Clucas with 4 of them and Daniel and Palmer with one each. Clucas was simply outstanding but there were also excellent performances from a number of others including Palmer, who also hit the underside of the bar and had a header turned over, and Stevenson whose goal it was that turned the game around. Stagsnet report here -------------------------------------- Saturday, 9th November 2013 - FA Cup Round One: St Albans City 1 Mansfield Town 8 chad.co.uk report by John Lomas Despite going behind early on and trailing for most of the first half, Mansfield Town hit back to destroy Calor Southern League Premier side St Albans City 8-1 in a thrilling FA Cup first round tie at Clarence Park this afternoon. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/saturday-9th-november-2013-fa-cup-round-one-st-albans-city-1-mansfield-town-8-1-6232468 It was one of the Stags’ biggest-ever victories and Sam Clucas led the charge with a personal four-goal haul. Ironically Stags, 1-0 down to Darren Locke’s eighth minute haul, hadn’t scored a goal for 472 minutes before Lee Stevenson levelled the game a minute from the break. Then, like buses, the second arrived a minute later when Anthony Howell tucked home from close range to send Mansfield in 2-1 ahead with the game turned on its head. The Saints, who have been in fine form recently, gave Stags plenty of problems in a superb FA Cup tie on a wet Clarence Park surface in the first half. But the part-timers inevitably tired in a one-sided second half in which Mansfield might have gone well past double figures, Clucas bagging a 12-minute hat-trick, then adding a fourth in the final minute. Junior Daniel and Ollie Palmer also got in on the goalscoring as Mansfield made sure they were in the hat for tomorrow’s second round draw. Stags boss Paul Cox made five changes to the side that had been well beaten 3-0 at Southend last weekend. From that game, James Alabi and Lee Beevers were suspended, Ben Hutchinson was out injured and Calvin Andrew and Jack Blake were left out. Clucas and Howell came back into the midfield with James Jennings returning to the back four and Stevenson was brought in to play in the hole behind the returning Palmer. Cox will be delighted that four of the five who came in found the net. However, the Saints were first to threaten on two minutes when Chappell showed great pace to burst down the left with Clucas in pursuit and still get in a good low cross that Marriott grabbed. Palmer got in the way of Clucas as he burst into the home box for the first time. But a fumble from home keeper Bastock gifted Stags a fourth minute corner from which Howell almost scored, his powerful downward header from six yards blocked by the keeper’s knees. However, it was the home side who shocked Stags with the opening goal after just eight minutes. The pressure began from a home free kick. Howell did well to poke the ball away from Frendo before he could get a shot away. But it reached Keenleyside on the right, who curled a superb cross to the far post where Locke rose in commanding fashion to beat Marriott with a firm header. Two minutes later Frendo squared the ball to Nwokeji on the edge of the box and he forced Marriott to his knees with a low on-target strike. Stevenson got a head onto a left wing Jennings corner, but it struck another player en route to an easy catch for Bastock. When McGuire hoisted the ball into the box on 13 minutes, Palmer headed on and Daniel ran onto it only to send a cross-cum-shot across the gaping goal from a tight angle. McCombe slid in to block a dangerous low Keenleyside cross, Pilkington headed the resulting corner clear and then, as the home side, kept up the pressure, McCombe flew into a crucial tackle on Keenleyside in the box. Stags fans were cheering what they thought was an equaliser on 19 minutes as the home side failed to clear their lines from Jennings’ long free kick. But Clucas’ rising near post blast bulged the sidenetting the wrong side of the upright. Mansfield were much closer on 22 minutes as Stevenson sent the ball high down the centre for Daniel to chase, and the winger got there and sent what looked a perfect lob over the stranded keeper only to see the ball come back off the crossbar. Bastock confidently punched away Jennings’ third corner as Stags maintained their increasing momentum. On 29 minutes, though, Locke was not picked up properly from a Comley free kick and might have done better with his free header, sending it over the bar. The way he hung on the netting afterwards said everything as a second goal at this point could have been crucial. Daniel and Clucas were both feet away from turning in a Clucas cross as the far three minutes later as Stags resumed their pressure. Then a Jennigs free kick was cleared to Clucas whose measured volley forced Bastock to turn the ball round his near post on 37 minutes. But the Saints broke swiftly and superbly from the flag kick and worked Nwokeji into the box where Daniel slid in with a fantastic last ditch challenge as Marriott stared down the barrel. Instead Mansfield finally drew level a minute from the break. McGuire carved out the chance with a superb ball threaded into the left of the box to send Stevenson scampering away and beating the keeper with a perfect, low curling finish at the near post. It ended a wait of 472 minutes for a goal for the Stags. But they didn’t have to wait long for another as within 60 seconds they were ahead. Palmer swapped passes with Stevenson to get into the box on the right where, from a tight angle, his low cross-cum-shot beat Bastock, but was also looking likely to beat the far post, Howell thankfully on hand to make sure from close range almost on the goal line. The stunned home side were then furious to see the referee blow for half-time as they won themselves a corner in a bid to find a quick reply. Chappell had the first effort of the second half on 48 minutes as he cut inside from the left to fire a low 20-yard shot on target that Marriott needed two attempts to safely grasp. Stevenson then tried his luck from 30 yards for the visitors, but it was down the throat of Bastock and comfy. The home side lost Graham to injury on 51 minutes, Henry coming on for the first substitution of the afternoon. On 56 minutes Palmer forced a good save out of Bastock with a header from Jennings’ left wing corner as Stags hunted a killer third goal. Three minutes later the home side wasted a half-chance as a corner was cleared out to Frendo 20 yards from goal who had to shoot first time and sliced it well wide. Sutton allowed Frendo to wriggle the wrong side of him on 59 minutes and his subsequent hold earned him a booking. The ball was launched into the box where it thankfully went out for a goalkick before it was pulled back for Frendo to tuck away a superbly-executed volley and see his equaliser celebrations quickly ended. Calls for a penalty in the Mansfield box on 65 minutes instead saw Mansfield break quickly and Stevenson cue up Clucas for a poor shot which he screwed well wide. Seconds later Palmer did well to battle down the left and pull a low ball back towards Stevenson, who did the hard bit and turned well only to skewer a low finish wide. Two minutes later Howell played a short pass to Clucas in the box where he made space for a thunderous low shot that found its way for a corner off a defender or the keeper in a tangle of players at the far post. Daniel finally eased the pressure with the goal of the game on 70 minutes. Clucas turned and teased before chipping a cross to the far post where, from not the easiest of angles, Daniel dispatched an unstoppable volley past Bastock. The dangerous Locke wasn’t far over with a header from a Comley free kick that should never have been awarded as Daniel slearly won the ball cleanly. It was game, set and match on 74 minutes as a long ball out to Clucas on the right saw him cut inside and beat Bastock from 18 yards with a low finish that curled inside the far post. Pilkington was booked for his tug on sub Henry on 76 minutes. Two minutes later Palmer joined the goal frenzy as he picked up the ball 40 yards from goal and ran at the home defence, getting one lucky bounce from a tackle but, with Clucas shouting for the ball free to his right, drilled a low shot past the keeper from the edge of the box. On 81 it was six up for the Stags as Palmer flicked on for Meikle on the right and he picked out an unmarked Clucas in front of goal for a tap-in. Henry sent a looping header over for City as they beavered gamely away with the game already long since lost. Clucas completed his hat-trick in some style four minutes from time, again from a ball in from Meikle, Clucas then forcing the keeper to the ground before lifting his cool finish cleverly over him. A minute later Meikle beat the last defender to go one on one with Bastock, the home keeper doing well to thrust up a hand and deny him a goal. Clucas added his fourth goal in the last minute as the home defence pushed up to leave Palmer offside for a through ball only to see the still alert Clucas burst onto it and chip the advanced Bastock to perfection with the home side hoping on a final whistle as soon as possible. ST ALBANS CITY: Bastock, Hall, Chappell, Marwa, Kaloczi, Locke, Graham (Henry 51), Comley, Frendo, Nwokeji (Bailey 78), Keenleyside (Watters 82). Subs not used: Taylor, Green, Georgiou, Coulton. STAGS: Marriott; Sutton, McCombe, Pilkington, Jennings (Black 88); Clucas, McGuire, Howell, Daniel; Stevenson (Meikle 78), Palmer (Poku 90+1). Subs not used: Rhead, Andrew, Murtagh, Deakin. REFEREE: Mark Heywood of Northwich. ATTENDANCE: 3,251. CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Sam Clucas. --------------------- Eight-goal blitz ends Mansfield Town's near eight-hour goal drought Nottingham Post report by Matt Halfpenny ISN'T it just typical? You wait a frustrating 472 minutes for a goal and then eight arrive in the space of 47 sensational minutes. Read more: http://www.nottinghampost.com/story-20061429-detail/story.html?#ixzz2kKOHexjX Coming into this tie, the sombre mood in the Mansfield Town camp caused by the lengthy scoring drought, a seven-match winless streak and an insipid performance in their previous outing, a 3-0 defeat at Southend, made whisperings of a possible upset seem well founded. Yet the Stags, after a nervy, disjointed first 30 minutes finally clicked back into something like the form they had displayed earlier in the season to put their part-time hosts - 64 places and three divisions below them in the football pyramid - well and truly to the sword. It was the kind of exhilarating display of clinical finishing that made all and sundry wonder just why Paul Cox's men have been so unbelievably goal shy of late. Of 11 shots on target, eight found the back of the net. The key word here was confidence. Once Mansfield began to hit the net, the hesitancy and profligacy evaporated. And leading from the front was the super-talented Sam Clucas, who notched four alone - all within the final 17 second half minutes - to take his seasonal tally to nine. The former Hereford man took his opportunities with the class of a man playing at a higher level, which he surely will be doing before too long, whether this season or next. But just as importantly, several other players got their name on the scoresheet - namely Lee Stevenson, Anthony Howell, Colin Daniel and Ollie Palmer - which Mansfield followers will hope gives them a positive shot in the arm for the weekend's visit of Oxford United. Yes, this goal avalanche was against a team who they would expect to beat week in, week out and one who visibly tired in the closing quarter of the game. Even so, it was still a welcome feeling for the squad to get back to scoring and winning ways after their recent poor run. Had Mansfield scored one more, it would have resulted in a record victory for the club, beating their previous best of 9-2 against Rotherham in the 1930s, but it was incredible for them to be in such a situation considering how their afternoon had started. A Stags side showing five changes - Palmer, Stevenson, Howell, Clucas and Jennings all returned as out went suspended duo James Alabi and Lee Beevers, injured Ben Hutchinson, Jack Blake and Calvin Andrew - were tentative and nervy early on. And the Southern Leaguers, 11 unbeaten, knocked the ball around with ease and made Mansfield looked like the non-league side. Their early lead - through Darren Locke's free header after a right-wing centre from David Keenleyside - was well deserved, and they threatened on several occasions to double their advantage, which would have put one of the upsets of the round on the cards. In fact, it was one of the key moments of the game when, with St Albans still in front, Daniel made a last-ditch tackle to deny Mark Nowkeji as he bore down on goal. Instead of having a massive uphill climb to conquer, Mansfield, after Palmer had been hugely unlucky to strike the bar with a speculative lob from distance, settled themselves and stole in front before half-time. The Stags finally ended their long wait to net two minutes from the break - and, just like buses, another goal came along less than 60 seconds later. First Stevenson, who had scored the club's last goal against Bristol Rovers back in early October, raced onto Jamie McGuire's pass before finding a perfect finish and then Howell tapped in at the far post as Stevenson, along with Palmer, turned provider. After their first half defensive problems, there was a sense Mansfield still had much work to do in the second period, but the longer the match went on, the less threat St Albans posed. However, the visitors were fortunate on the hour when John Frendo - the Saints' outstanding player - lashed home from the edge of the box only for the ball to have already gone out of play before it was hooked back to him. St Albans' fate was sealed ten minutes later when Daniel fired home a thunderbolt volley after Clucas had provided an inch-perfect ball in from the right. That opened the floodgates as a torrent of Mansfield strikes followed. Clucas started his goal glut with a sumptuous left-footed curler to make it four, Palmer bulldozed his way through before drilling into the left-hand corner to make it five and Clucas tapped in from substitute Lindon Meikle's low centre for 6-1. It was the Clucas show to round things off, too, as first he collected another Meikle pass to dink over the advancing Paul Bastock for his treble and then scored a fourth with a sublime chip from distance in the final minute of normal time. In the space of just one game, things suddenly look a whole lot brighter for the Stags. It's hard to imagine it will be another near eight-hour wait for their next goal. ----------------- Rampaging Stags overrun Saints at The Park St Albans & Harpenden Review, By David Tavener Eight-one, it doesn’t sound good. But for 43 minutes there was a whiff of an FA Cup giant-killing in the air at Clarence Park on Saturday as St Albans City led against League Two side Mansfield Town before being struck just before the interval by two goals in a minute and a rather more painful extra six goals late in the second half. http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/sport/localsport/10798976._/? What for such a long time promised to be City’s greatest day for 89 years, when Brentford where knocked out of the FA Cup at the Park, turned, so it felt, in a blink of an eye into a cruel massacre as the Saints plummeted to their second heaviest defeat in the competition and a slaughter that for 70 minutes was unimaginable. During a fateful final 21 minutes Mansfield were ruthless; the Stags were doing the culling and the victims were crestfallen Saints. The scene was set for an upset. Mansfield were struggling for goals and had gone seven games without a win. City, three Divisions below their guests, were 11 games unbeaten and possessed an attacking combination of John Frendo and Mark Nwokeji that has appeared capable of unpicking the meanest of defences. And when St Albans took an early lead against a Mansfield side troubled by injuries and suspensions, and that they held that lead for so long, the buzz of the excellent attendance of 3,251 suggested that City were on the verge grabbing centre stage. Instead, that honour went to Mansfield’s summer signing from Hereford United, Sam Clucas as the Stags leading scorer struck four times in 16 minutes, including a nine minute hat trick. As expected City went into the game without injured captain Ben Martin, while Ryan Wharton and Greg Ngoyi were both suspended. St Albans lined up with three changes from the midweek FA Trophy tie at Billericay with Darren Locke, John Frendo and Richard Graham replacing Wharton, Elliot Bailey and Chris Watters. Although Mansfield, attacking the York Road end, started brightly City were coping well and even made the first threat on goal when Lee Chappell soared down the left wing and drilled the ball low towards the near post where Stags keeper Alan Marriott collected cleanly. Mansfield responded with a James Jennings corner that led to Anthony Howell seeing his header into the goalmouth charged down. But on eight minutes Clarence Park’s largest attendance for 33 years exploded as City opened the scoring. Skipper James Comley, an inspirational figure throughout, floated a free kick into the Stags penalty area that Mark Nwokeji challenge for. The ball broke to Chappell whose drive was blocked by team-mate Frendo. Former Saint Ollie Palmer stepped in to clear but his miss-kick went to the in-form David Keenleyside on the right hand side of the penalty area. Spotting Kaloczi and Locke unmarked, Keenleyside clipped a perfect ball to the far post for Locke to power a header past Marriott. Conceding a goal so early was not a problem for Mansfield but it so nearly became two when a flowing City move through the middle of the pitch involving Comley, Keenleyside and Nwokeji ended with Frendo’s shot being saved by Marriott. A good chance went begging for Mansfield when Palmer sent Colin Daniel through but his rising shot from a tight angle flew across the goal and away from danger. Mansfield, back in the Football League after five years in the Football Conference, were grateful for two pieces of superb defending by John McCombe that saw him block a threatening ball across the penalty area by Keenleyside, and then tackle the same player as he closed in on goal. A section of the ground believed the Stags had equalised when the talented Sam Clucas fired the ball past Paul Bastock but the net that rippled was the side-netting. The home goal had a remarkable let-off when Palmer broke free and from around 26 yards lifted the ball over Bastock only for it bounce into the keeper’s arms via the face of the crossbar. St Albans attacks became less potent as the half wore on although Locke, scorer of only one goal this season before this game, headed over from a Comley free kick. After Bastock saved low down from Clucas City broke quickly from the ensuing corner with Frendo sending Nwokeji away and seemingly clear. But just as the striker went for his shot Daniel made a stunning sliding tackle and nudged the ball just enough to force Nwokeji to slice his shot well wide. For a second City looked to be heading for a two-goal lead but in a dramatic twist that had not been on the cards, Mansfield took control with two goals in a minute. On 44 minutes Comley broke up a Mansfield attack and played the ball to Howard Hall who attempted to find Frendo on the halfway line. A good tackle by McCombe led to the ball breaking to Jamie Maguire and with a deadly through ball the midfielder cut City open and sent Lee Stevenson clear. With a composed left-footed shot Stevenson beat Bastock to awaken the 500 or so Mansfield supporters present. A minute later and the Stags were positively roaring as the tie swung decisively in their favour with a second goal. Palmer, out on the Stags right, played a short pass to Jennings before surging towards the edge of the penalty area and helping the return pass on its path to Howell who just avoided being offside to score from close in. To say City were stunned would be to understate their emotions to the nth degree; the tide had turned. After the interval Comley’s influence was not as great as it had been before the break while Keenleyside was offered precious few opportunities to pick open the Stags defence. Nwokeji and Frendo were also well shackled and the on-target shot count after the break of nine-to-one in Mansfield’s favour tells its own story. But that one City shot came just three minutes after the restart and Marriott required two attempts to safely collect Chappell’s well-struck effort. City midfielder Richard Graham retired with a slight hamstring pull on 51 minutes and the introduction of Chris Henry on the left flank promised to increase the Saints attacking threat. But, as joint manager James Gray later admitted, City struggled to get Henry into the game. Bastock was tested soon after the restart with a long range effort from Jennings and the 43-year-old keeper also had to contend with a header by Palmer that was smartly pushed over the crossbar. While the arrears was still just one goal St Albans remained in with a chance of retaining the unbeaten record the club had at home to Football League clubs in the FA Cup. Frendo, who had scored in each of City’s four previous FA Cup ties this season, had a sniff of adding to that tally when Ritchie Sutton’s poor clearance to a Keenleyside corner fell straight to the feet of the London cabbie who sliced his rushed shot well wide. Frendo was more decisive with his next effort as he volleyed the ball into the back of the net from 18 yards after Locke had picked him out with a spectacular overhead kick; unfortunately for City linesman Darren Blunden ruled that the ball was out of play before Locke had carried out his acrobatics. Still there was no hint of the slaughter that was about to unfold although warning was served when, in quick succession, Stevenson and Clucas flashed shots across the face of the home goal. As the game reached the 70th minute Mansfield’s progress through to the 2nd Round was far from assured, within the next seven minutes it was cast in stone. As fatigue began to gnaw into the home side Clucas stepped up a gear to devastating effect. On 70 minutes Clucas, attacking down the Town right, cut back inside Chappell and crossed from the edge of the penalty area with his left foot for Daniel to blast a thunderous volley past Bastock. Locke, with another header from a Comley free kick, almost reduced the deficit before a cross-field pass picked out Clucas. Again he cut inside to the right of Chappell and beat Bastock with a left-footed curling shot inside the diving keeper’s right hand post The outcome was starting to look bleak for City and on 77 minutes Palmer scored his first goal at the Park since November 2010 - when he scored for City against Staines - with a crisp drive to the right of Bastock at the end of a long run. St Albans could have looked to shore up the defence in an act of damage limitation but opted to carry on as they were and Frendo almost pulled one back with a deflected shot that only just went wide. On 81 minutes Marriott caught a Keenleyside corner and launched the ball towards the Hatfield Road goal. Palmer glanced the ball on for Lindon Meikie, on the town right, to clip a pass to the back post for the unmarked Clucas to tuck away the sixth Mansfield goal. The Stags were now rampaging through the Park with embarrassing ease and on 86 minutes a swift move involving Meikie and Jennings combined to free Clucas who completed his hat-trick with a delicate chip over the again exposed Bastock. Meikie should have added his name to growing list of goals when clean through but Bastock stood his ground well and beat away the substitutes shot. Mansfield, though, had not yet declared and in the 90th minute did strike for the eighth time when City waited for an offside flag and allowed the onside Meikie to move forward and tee up Clucas for a superb chip over the stranded Bastock for his fourth and the final Mansfield goal. While Mansfield’s supporters celebrated St Albans followers caught a brief glimpse of another of their old boys as Godfrey Poku replaced Palmer for the final few seconds. The defeat is City’s largest at home in the FA Cup, their second largest in the competition overall and brings to a shuddering halt their 11 match unbeaten run in all competitions, as well as an 11 match undefeated run in cup competitions. The attendance is the highest since the visit of Torquay United in the 2nd Round of the FA Cup in 1980. It was probably was not quite how joint City manager Graham Golds had planned on spending his 44th birthday. St Albans City: P.Bastock, H.Hall, L.Chappell, R.Marwa, J.Kaloczi, D.Locke, R.Graham (C.Henry 51), J.Comley, J.Frendo, M.Nwokeji (E.Bailey 78), D.Keenleyside (C.Watters 82), subs; M.Taylor, D.Green, H.Georgiou, T.Coulton. Mansfield Town: A.Marriott, C.Daniel, A.Howell, G.Pilkington, J.McCombe, S.Clucas, J.Maguire, J.Jennings (P.Black 89), L.Stevenson (L.Meikie 78), O.Palmer (G.Poku 90), R.Sutton, subs; M.Rhead, C.Andrew, K.Murtagh, I.Deakin. Booked: Sutton, Pilkington. Goals: 8 1-0 Locke, 44 1-1 Stevenson, 45 1-2 Howell, 70 1-3 Daniel, 74 1-4 Clucas, 77 1-5 Palmer, 81 1-6 Clucas, 86 1-7 Clucas, 90 1-8 Clucas. Referee: Mark Heywood (Northwich). Att: 3,251. ----------------------- FA Cup: Saints put to the sword by Mansfield Michael Edwards http://www.hertsad.co.uk/sport/football/fa_cup_saints_put_to_the_sword_by_mansfield_1_2984998? The FA Cup dream is over for St Albans City after losing 8-1 to Mansfield Town in the first round proper at Clarence Park. A goal from Darren Locke gave City the lead and had 3,000 fans starting to believe that an upset was possible but two late goals in the first-half and an onslaught after the break ensured it was the League Two side that progressed. The Stags didn’t have it their own way, though, and fell behind. David Keenleyside swung in a perfect ball for Locke, who was unmarked at the back post, to head past Alan Marriott. Lee Stevenson and Anthony Howell turned the tie on its head with two goals within three minutes before the break but City still looked competitive. After the break, Mansfield ran riot. Led my Sam Clucas, who scored five goals, Stags were ruthlessly efficient in front of goal. It could have been very different though as, at 2-1 down, John Frendo smashed a volley from the edge of the area into the net but the linesman had his flag raised because the ball had gone out in the build up. In the end Mansfield were the better team - 8-1 is flattering - but City can take heart from their performance. Comley wass superb in the middle of midfield and was City’s engine through the game. The fullbacks, Lee Chappell and Howard Hall, attacked well and coped well at times with the threat of Mansfield, as did James Kaloczi and Locke. Frendo and Mark Nwokeji linked up well, yet again, showing at their strike partnership continues to flourish, but against a very physical back line their chances were limited. The main challenge now for joint managers James Gray and Graham Golds is to not let the confidence from the 11-game unbeaten run subside and push on in the league. If they can bottle up today’s performance, the only way is up for Saints. ------------------------- |
Latest | November 2013