Archived News from August 2014
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OXFORD PREVIEWS / HEARN & RILEY TO HAVE SCANS
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Friday Aug 15
Martin Riley @LifeofRiley6 Buzzing with the scan results, no tear in the groin! ------------ Riley and Hearn to have scans on injuries mansfieldtown.net, 14th August 2014 Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox has revealed that Martin Riley and Liam Hearn will undergo scans to assess the injuries they picked up in last night’s 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/riley-and-hearn-to-have-scans-on-injuries-1828128.aspx#8emkw4iCy7LGQjYC.99 Riley limped off after 72 minutes against Sheffield United with a groin problem while Liam Hearn picked up a knee injury in the first-half after falling awkwardly and the full details of those injuries should be revealed within the next 24 hours. However Cox reassured fans that Hearn’s injury isn’t as bad as first feared. “We’ve watched the incident again and I’m hoping that there’s not too much to worry about there, so he might be alright for Saturday. It’s not the old injury as we’ve seen on there, I think he just falls awkwardly,” said the Stags' boss. Defender Martin Riley will also have a scan today which will reveal the extent of his groin injury, which Cox admitted may need time to heal: “I don’t think it’s going to be too serious but it’s like any muscle injury, it might just need a bit of time to recover.” Cox revealed that young defender Liam Marsden and Stags’ captain/assistant manager Adam Murray could both be in contention for a place in the squad which will face Oxford United, however there are still question marks over the fitness of striker Ollie Palmer: “We were going to put him through a fitness test for last night’s game, but he’s not ready yet, whether he will be ready for Saturday is a bit of a 'toss of a coin'.” The Mansfield boss also had praise for the Stags’ away following last night, who he described as “immense”, he said: “I don’t want everything to be doom and gloom [following the defeat]; we got a standing ovation from our own supporters away from home last night.” Cox continued: “What pleases me most is the supporters who came to the game have seen the work ethic [from the players] and the type of football we tried to play against a very good side who are tipped to get promoted from the league above.” ------------------- Stags’ anxious wait on news over injured duo’s scans chad.co.uk, 14 August 2014 Mansfield Town will today wait anxiously on results of scans on injuries sustained by Liam Hearn and Martin Riley in last night’s 2-1 Capital One Cup defeat at League One Sheffield United. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/stags-anxious-wait-on-news-over-injured-duo-s-scans-1-6785301 Stags lost the game to a heartbreaking 86th minute goal, but left Bramall Lane far more concerned by the two latest knocks which leaves their small squad down to 14 fit outfield players and two keepers. Fans and management alike held their breath as, only 15 minutes after kick-off, Hearn clutched the knee in which he wrecked the cruciate ligaments last November as he made his first proper start in 10 months and left the field. Then Riley also went off with a groin injury. However, Hearn raised hopes today when he said the knee had improved this morning and manager Paul Cox said: “We are hoping Liam isn’t that bad. “It felt a hell of a lot better this morning but we’ve still sent him for a precautionary scan. “Hopefully it’s not too much to worry about. He may be all right for Saturday which would be a massive plus, though we must make sure there is no damage. “But it is not his old injury, I think he just fell awkwardly with their left back. “It can be psychosomatic after long term injuries. It can be the subconscious and these things are sometimes not there. Hearny is so desperate to do well. Sometimes it can be your biggest battle and that’s why we’ve been bedding him in as he is so important to us this season. “Supporters have seen pre-season he is a natural goalscorer who, if we keep him fit, can affect the goalscoring charts.” On Riley, he added; “I don’t think it’s too serious. But, like an muscle injury, Riles will need time to recover. “It was a bit sore this morning and he must be a massive doubt for Saturday.” Adam Murray and Liam Marsden both sat out last night with knocks but could be back in contention on Saturday. And there was more promising news on striker Ollie Palmer, who missed last night after hurting his ankle at Northampton on Saturday and was expected to be out for up to three weeks. He was back running on it yesterday and has an outside chance of being in the squad on Saturday. Stags also welcomed defender Luke Jones back from injury onto the bench last night. Striker Matt Rhead completes his four-game ban on Saturday and will be back in contention when Newport visit on Tuesday. -------------------- ‘Shed this unlucky tag’ orders Stags boss Cox chad.co.uk Mansfield Town boss Paul Cox has challenged his side to quickly shed their ‘unlucky’ tag and start winning football matches, starting with tomorrow’s visit of Oxford United. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/shed-this-unlucky-tag-orders-stags-boss-cox-1-6785549 Stags have run Northampton and Sheffield United close in their opening two away games this week and, despite losing both, have received plenty of plaudits. But Cox said: “I have spoken to other managers this week and the word on the street is that we have been unlucky. I am not buying into being unlucky. The game is all about winning. We need to get rid of this unlucky tag quickly. “Two of the three goals we’ve conceded have been from set pieces. That’s nothing to do with tactics, it’s just about players wanting to defend properly. We look to have a decent amount going forward so if we can cut out conceding from set pieces we could have a half-decent season.” Two key players set to return could change that with defender Luke Jones back in the squad and suspended striker Matt Rhead available again for Tuesday’s visit of Newport. Cox said: “Luke scored us seven or eight goals from about 20 appearances as a centre half last time he was here. He is excellent in both boxes and will head anything. “Everyone at the club knows what Rheady is about. In both boxes he is one of the best around.” Cox is waiting on the fitness of several players ahead of tomorrow’s game after an injury-riddled first week that left him with only 14 fit outfield players and two keepers on Thursday morning. “I won’t sit here worrying about it,” he said. “You get on with it. It is an awfully long season which I mean in a positive way. But the sooner we get a full complement of players back the better. “Loans are always an option and I will have to have a chat with the chairman to see if there is any money available. The next 24 hours will tell me where we are.” He added: “I feel the club is now in the next phase of progression. We’ve made a number of changes in the summer and the infrastructure is starting to improve. We need to push on in a realistic manner. “How quickly the new players and young lads evolve and understand League Two will determine how we finish this season. “We have played two teams away who are promotion candidates in their divisions. So it is a massive positive to now have two home games. The most important thing is to get bodies back on the pitch. Hopefully we can turn some half-decent performances into points on the board.” -------------------- Sascha settling in to English way of life mansfieldtown.net, 14th August 2014 Summer signing Sascha Studer is enjoying his time in England so far after his move from Swiss side FC Winterthur, the shot-stopper revealed today. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/sascha-settling-in-to-english-way-of-life-1828264.aspx#lDpFRYZRJ6I9o955.99 After experiencing a wind of chance since flying in from Switzerland, Studer has said that his team-mates have helped him out a lot: “I stayed with Fergus Bell in his apartment until last Sunday, and I’m now in my own apartment. I had great help off my team-mates.” Studer is trying to adjust to English life as quickly as possible, but he couldn’t do anything about being slightly late this morning when his taxi didn’t show up: “I called them twice and said: ‘my taxi is too late!’ I hate to be late because it’s not professional.” He went on to say that he still intends to undertake English lessons to help him learn the language more quickly. "I will go to classes. But first I need to settle in and get prepared for my apartment and car, and this [type of] stuff.” On the field, Studer feels that we have been unlucky in the opening two matches but will strive to improve: “We lost two games, we need to work. My experience was good but we need points.” Studer has been amazed in the first two games by the support shown by the Stags fans, he said: “[The support] was brilliant, that’s not the same in Switzerland .I was impressed when I saw 1200 [supporters] yesterday - it's great support and I hope it goes on.” The Swiss ‘keeper hopes the Stags can repay the supporters with good performances on the pitch, targeting a top seven finish: “That’s our target and we will give everything to be in the first seven [of the table].” ------------------- English lessons as Sascha settles into life in Mansfield chad.co.uk Stags new Swiss keeper Sascha Studer is enjoying his first week of playing in England, marred only by two defeats. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/english-lessons-as-sascha-settles-into-life-in-mansfield-1-6785569 Ahead of the visit of Oxford United, he said: “Playing my first English game of the season and then my first cup game has been a good experience, but we need points now. “I think we were very unlucky in both games, but that’s football. Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you are not lucky. On Saturday we need to be lucky. “The supporters have been brilliant. It’s not the same in Switzerland and I have been very impressed. There were over 1,200 last night and I’ve never seen anything like that. It was a great feeling for the players. They are pushing you and that’s great. “We need to stay optimistic. You can’t look back, you have to look forward and we now need three points on Saturday. We will give everything to win that game and we’re looking forward to it.” Studer is now settling into the area and promises to improve his English. “I stayed with Fergus Bell at his apartment until last Sunday and now I have been in my own apartment for a week,” he said. “I have had great help from my team mates. Now I need to improve my English. I want to be part of the team and if I can’t speak English I won’t be part of it. I will have classes and learn step by step as I settle in. “Promotion has to be our target and we’ll give everything to be in the first seven.” --------------------- Heslop’s Stags spying mission fails! chad.co.uk, 14 August 2014 New Mansfield Town midfielder Simon Heslop will make his home debut for the Stags against his old club Oxford United on Saturday, but admits his attempts at finding out anything about the U’s from his former team mates this week have failed. http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/heslop-s-stags-spying-mission-fails-1-6785561?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed “I spent three years at Oxford and still know one or two of the players there,” he smiled. “I have been ringing them up trying to get some information but they are being quite tight-lipped about it. “It is going to be a tough game. They have had new owners in recently and they are usually up there or thereabouts in the top third fighting for the play-offs or higher. “But we just need to worry about ourselves. If we are right we will beat anyone in this league. “I think I have settled well and the lads have been great. I feel I am getting to the peak of my fitness and I am feeling good.” Despite losing the opening two games, Heslop has been impressed by his new team mates. “I thought the lads did really well, though no one likes to lose a game,” he said. “There were positives we can take out of the game and take them into the weekend. “There is a lot we can build on. We can’t get into the routine of being an unlucky team. We are not going down the route of people telling us we were unlucky to lose. We want to be winners. “Now we have two home matches with which we can really kickstart our season. “It’s not an excuse to say we are all new and needing to gel. We can’t be five games in and not won a game and say we are learning and gelling. It starts on Saturday for us. It’s not do or die but we do need to start picking up points “Recovery is going to be really important. We have knocks and niggles and we’ll have to see who is available. “You are always going to get injuries. We are a tight-knit squad with quality players so there is no reason why anyone can’t step in for anyone else.” Heslop was also impressed by Stags’ away support in the opening games with 900 travelling to Northampton and 1,250 at Sheffield United. He said: “The supporters have been brilliant and I hope that will continue in the up and coming home games. They gave us a standing ovation at Sheffield which was nice as we’d given a good performance, albeit we’d lost the game. It was humbling.” --------------------- |
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