Archived News from March 2014
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LAST MINUTE WINNER JOY FOR STAGS
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Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 2 - 1 Newport County Tafazolli 28, Howell 90. Howe 50. Attendance: 2756 (224 from Newport) Date: 8 March 2014 Martin Shaw at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town picked up a vital three points with a last minute header from Anthony Howell against Newport County this afternoon. It was a sweet way for Mansfield to win and the first time the Stags have claimed any points with a last minute or injury time goal this season, compared to the seven points that have been lost to injury time goals (against Plymouth home and away; Accrington home, and Fleetwood away). Mansfield took the lead in the first half with a first ever goal for Ryan Tafazolli as he headed home from a Ben Hutchinson cross, though keeper Elliott Parish should have saved it. Nevertheless a great moment for Tafazolli. Newport equalised on 50 minutes and it was a goalkeeping error this time from Alan Marriott as he spilled a free kick allowing Rene Howe to fire into the empty net. It looked that would be it until Howell popped up as a cross from Sam Clucas was headed down by Matt Rhead and Howell headed in at the right post to send Field Mill into raptures. The Stags are now 8 points above the drop zone, albeit having played a game more, and 8 points below the play-off zone. The table is incredibly tight but there is still much work to be done to avoid relegation, starting with a vital game against York on Tuesday. What is critical is that the Stags don’t fold as they did against Bury two weeks ago just a few days after the great win against Fleetwood. Stagsnet report here ---------------------------------- Saturday, 8th March 2014: Mansfield Town 2 Newport County 1 chad.co.uk report by John Lomas Anthony Howell was the last minute hero for Mansfield Town as his diving header won a bruising battle with Newport County to secure three more vital safety points for Stags at One Call Stadium today, http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/local-sport/saturday-8th-march-2014-mansfield-town-2-newport-county-1-1-6486404 Both keepers had earlier made errors to gift goals, Elliott Parish allowing a Ryan Tafazolli header through his grasp on 28 minutes to let the defender score his first Stags goal. But, when Alan Marriott also failed to hold onto the ball on 50 minutes, Rene Howe was able to hit the empty net from eight yards to level. But, just when it seemed a draw was on the cards, up popped Howell to bag three crucial points that lift Stags eight points clear of trouble with 11 games to go. It was a poorly-refereed game by Andy Davies, who ended up booking seven players but missing other things and the biggest surprise was that it ended up 11 on 11. Mansfield made a double change in midfield. Out went Jamie McGuire and Lee Stevenson with assistant manager Adam Murray back in for his first start since the home clash with Burton on New Year’s Day and Ben Hutchinson also back in for a start after a spell of injury. The visitors included former Stags Tom Naylor and Adam Chapman. Chapman twice brought down Murray in the early stages, Newport clearing both free kicks. Then Daniel won a fifth minute corner, taken by Hutchinson, which proved an easy catch for Parish. Two minutes later the visitors carved out their first threat as Chapman was given far too much time and space outside the box and Marriott was grateful to see Dempster stretch a leg in the way of his low finish to divert it away for a corner. There was more worry after a loose pass by Hutchinson gave the ball away just outside the box, Wetlake conceding a corner. From that the referee spotted pushing and Newport’s chance was gone. The visitors created another opening when Chapman took a return pass from Minshull and turned well in the centre of the box only to see Murray throw his body in the way of the shot. We had reached the 15-minute mark of an uneventful game with neither keeper tested as yet. On 19 minutes an exchange of headers between Hutchinson and Clucas saw Clucas able to make space for a dipping shot from 25 yards that didn’t dip soon enough to force a save from Parish. Zebroski was lectured for clattering late into Marriott after the keeper had clutched the ball. Stags then cleared a couple of menacing Jackson long throws from the right. Zebrowski was well off with a shot from 20 yards, under pressure and off balance on 27 minutes. The game was crying out for a goal, and it arrived on 28 minutes for the home side. Hutchinson floated a free kick into the box from the left, 20 yards into the Newport half. Tafazolli was offered a free header from six yards and, although Parish looked to have made a save, he failed to hold onto the ball and allowed it out of his grasp and over the line. Marriott needed more treatment after being clattered during the visitors’ third corner. Then Rhead was flattened by Minshull, but still the referee’s cards stayed in his pocket. Clucas went down under Hughes’ challenge in the Newport box on 35 minutes, the referee finally producing a card to show Clucas for a dive. Still Newport’s tough tackles rained in, Murray furious over another on him. Finally on 39 minutes Zebrowski hacked at Tafazolli after he had gone past him and he was finally cautioned with players from both sides squaring up. Two minutes later Howell’s name was added for holding Anthony as he went by him. The Exiles won another corner two minutes from the break, safely caught by Marriott. Westlake was penalised for pushing on the right by-line, the wing back flicking the ball across goal and inside the far post after the whistle had gone. Still Newport tried to make it physical and Howe crashed into Dempster late after the defender had played the ball. The referee missed it, following the ball. But the linesman waved his flag and Howe was duly added to the growing lost of bookings. Amazingly it was Newport whose players crowded the officials to complain at the end of an ill-tempered first half. The first action of the second half saw Murray penalised for a challenge on Chapman and Willmott’s long range free kick deflect wide for a corner. From that the ball was worked back out to Willmott 20 yards from goal and he drilled in a low shot into the near sidenetting. Clucas was fouled just outside the Newport box in Stags’ first raid of the half, but the referee gave advantage and Westlake crossed from the right, too high for Rhead. Daniel retrieved the ball on the by-line but slipped and the ball ran harmlessly into touch. However, the game’s second goalkeeping gaffe produced the game’s second goal on 50 minutes, and this time it went the way of the visitors. Naylor launched a long free kick into the Stags box from wide on the right. Marriott came to claim under pressure, but failed to hold onto the ball, Howe there to pick up the pieces and flick it into the net from eight yards. Stags responded with a couple of corners, Newport soon after taking their corner tally to eight with two of their own. But neither keeper was troubled. Murray saw yellow card number five for catching Howe late on 64 minutes. Palmer came on for Hutchinson on 68 minutes as Stags sought to ease the pressure on themselves, Clucas dropping into the hole. Chapman wasn’t far wide from 25 yards on 70 minutes as a clearance reached him and he swung his right boot at it, the ball going just wide of the left hand upright. Stags added two more corners as the home fans raised the noise levels, Tafazolli nowhere near with his header from the second. Tafazolli had to go off for treatment for a head injury and, down to 10 men, Stags almost went behind when Minshull fizzed a 20 yard shot just over the angle. On 77 minutes Westlake headed a ball in from the right which Rhead nodded back in towards goal and Howell, with Parish breathing down his neck and back to goal, flicked over from five yards. When Sutton took a knock four minutes from time, Mansfield made a positive change as the defender was replaced by winger Meikle. Murray had chance to get a shot away from distance but was well over. But the winning goal arrived in the final minute. The ball had come in from the right to Rhead, who headed back across goal where Howell bravely stooped to bury a diving header from close range. Both sets of players confronted the officials afterwards with Anthony shown a post-match yellow card. STAGS: Marriott; Sutton (Meikle 86), Dempster, Tafazolli; Westlake, Murray, Hutchinson (Palmer 68), Howell, Daniel; Rhead, Clucas. Subs not used: Briscoe, Stevenson, Beevers, McGuire, Cain. NEWPORT: Parish, Hughes, Chapman (Flynn 86), Minshull, Zebrowski (Jolley 90+2), Willmott, Burge, Jackson, Naylor, Anthony, Howe (Jeffers 90+2). Subs not used: Pipe, Crow, Worley, Holloway. REFEREE: Andy Davies of Hampshire. ATTENDANCE: 2,756 (224 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Ryan Tafazolli. ------------- Exiles pay price for disappointing opening half South Wales Argus, http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/football/newportcounty/11063834._/? IT'S funny what League Two can do to you. Because if you want to watch a cracking contest between Mansfield Town and Newport County, may I refer you to a glorious summer afternoon in August 2013 when the two sides played out an absolute cracker at Field Mill. It's not sour grapes speaking, because this is the Newport paper and the County lost, merely a reflection of what 18-months and the pressure and strain of the Football League can do to two football clubs who last season were able to at times play almost unstoppably good football. In every regard, that game last season was far better than this one. On Saturday, I'd guarantee you at least a dozen games in the non-league were better than the first half of Mansfield v Newport. We saw a lot of long ball football, an admittedly unhelpful wind and in an at times spiky contest an unlikable tone was set early on. Adam Murray caught Mansfield old boy Adam Chapman late and Chris Zebroski was also guilty of a nasty challenge from behind. It was a lifeless contest with both sides petrified to make a mistake and indeed, the hosts led only because of such an error when the referee mercifully gave us all a 15 minute respite following a really poor half. Newport have been brave and uncompromising as a collective under boss Justin Edinburgh, but the circumstances that saw all their momentum drain in January have resulted in the current predicament, which is that County aren't playing very well. It's not lack of effort, it's a crisis of confidence and it can't be denied. The Exiles showed real spirit after the break, forcing another mistake to gain parity and then for a spell threatening to push on and gain a vital victory. But when the goal didn't come, they retreated, again looking like a side more scared of losing than desperate to win and at the death, they wilted and conceded. Scorer Anthony Howell couldn't have been more than a yard out when he nodded home and considering he'd missed from all of two yards moments earlier, it's not like County hadn't been warned. The sad truth is that no team in League Two has fewer points in 2014 than Newport County. It's a test for the players and for their manager to respond, because so far they've only known good times at Rodney Parade. The Exiles need a respite, a win by any means, and if they get it at Morecambe on Tuesday or against Exeter on Sunday, it could revive them. There is no denying that barely a cigarette paper separated the sides on Saturday, best demonstrated by the like-for-like nature of the opening goals. Mansfield's came from their first attack of any note, save for optimistic shots from range that didn't test Elliot Parish and a comical dive from Sam Clucas and it proved to be a horror moment for County's emergency loan signing. County dealt with a freekick but had no answer when the ball was returned into the box, Ryan Tafazolli able to head directly at Parish, who could only glance the ball off his hands into the net. Justin Edinburgh sent his side back out early for the second period and the message had obviously been received, they started with more tempo in their play and Tom Naylor's freekick was spilled by Alan Marriott, Rene Howe alert to flick the ball home cutely. Once they had parity, Newport looked, briefly, like a side that had until the past few weeks, been almost ever present in the top eight of League Two, upping their tempo and showing more desire to control possession. Suddenly Ryan Burge and Adam Chapman were swarming Mansfield's midfield and in the best move of the match - by a distance - County turned the Stags beautifully, exchanging quick passes to release Ryan Jackson. The right wing back galloped forward fully 70-yards but was indecisive as to whether to shoot or cross, he blazed wide and high and that was indicative of Newport's day, effort more than adequate, quality in short supply. Chapman went close with a rasping effort from the edge of the box but the ball spun away from goal and as the minutes passed, so did Newport's moment. They began to go long again and the game appeared to be heading to stalemate, but Mansfield's aerial threat paid dividends and Howell stole home at the back post after Matt Rhead headed Clucas' cross into the six yard box. It was cruel on County for their second half display and their noisy travelling fans will crave a greater sense of urgency from the get go tomorrow night at Morecambe. Mansfield (3-4-3): Marriott, Sutton (Meikle 86), Dempster, Tafazolli, Westlake, Murray, Howell, Daniel, Clucas, Hutchinson (Palmer 66) Rhead Subs not used: Briscoe, Stevenson, Beevers, McGuire, Cain Booked: Howell, Murray, Clucas Newport (3-5-2): Parish, Jackson, Willmott, Hughes, Anthony, Naylor, Burge, Minshull, Chapman (Flynn 85), Howe (Jolley 90), Zebroski (Jeffers 90) Subs not used: Pipe, Crow, Worley, Holloway Booked: Howe, Zebroski, Anthony, Hughes Referee: Andy Davies Attendance: 2756 -------------------- |
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