{ the news }
 
An independent supporters' website dedicated to Mansfield Town FC
Archived News from March 2016

MURRAY, ROSE AND PAUL COOK REACTION
22nd March 2016 18:28



Murray's men 'gave everything' for Pompey point
mansfieldtown.net, 19th March 2016

Mansfield Town manager Adam Murray said his players 'gave him everything' during the draw against Portsmouth at One Call Stadium this afternoon.

A battling display saw Stags earn a 1-1 draw against the South Coast side after Ryan Tafazolli’s own goal just before half-time cancelled out Matt Green’s opener. The home side also had goalkeeper Scott Shearer to thank for saving Marc McNulty’s first-half penalty after he was upended by full-back Daniel Alfei.

After three consecutive 1-0 defeats to Newport County, Yeovil Town and Bristol Rovers in recent weeks, the boss praised his players for the way they bounced back against promotion-chasing Pompey.

“It was a very tough game against a very, very good side, but I thought we more than matched them. At times they’re going to put you under pressure, they’ve got excellent players, but I thought the boys today were superb.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/murrays-men-gave-everything-for-pompey-point.-3016239.aspx#SvazPd0uro6Q2ADt.99

“The biggest thing for me today was a performance. I think when you’ve had the defeats that we’ve had - and they’ve been hard to take - you’ve got to stop that sequence and to do it against a team and a club like that, it takes extra effort,” Murray continued.

“The next step for us is consistency and when we get that, we’ll be a very good side and we showed that today. For the boys to play with that belief that they did today, I take my hat off to them, because after three defeats, it’s tough to go into a game and say: ‘oh I’m confident now’ - it doesn’t work like that.”

Talisman Matt Green scored his 12th goal of the season to give Stags a 26th-minute lead and he was assisted by new loan signing Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, who the manager described as ‘excellent’.

“Considering he’s not had much first team game-time recently, it’s tough. It doesn’t matter how many reserve games you play, to go straight into the first team tempo, it’s hard.

“For him to last the game like he did and to put himself about like he did, if we’re being honest, he made that little bit of a difference, didn’t he? When it went forwards, at times, it stuck. He made some good decisions, he helped Greeny (Matt Green) out and it’s all part of our learning curve.

“Greeny is an instinctive player. He needs to play without a lot in his head. He’s somebody who’s always looking for a chance and at times this season, [it's] probably 'my bad' at times, I’ve asked him to do a job which is probably not his game and he’s had to do that for the team.”

The gaffer also praised goalkeeper Scott Shearer for his third penalty save of the season and admitted that there are a number of factors which help him make such saves: “One - Scott being an excellent goalkeeper. Two - him having an excellent coach in Brian [Jensen] and somebody who’s pushing him, and three, us having an excellent analysis team.

“I wish I could take the credit for it, but I can’t! Them guys (the analysts) are brilliant and they’ve proved all season that an investment in that area and stuff like the sport science, it makes a difference.

“We’ve got a small squad and very rarely have we suffered a big number of injuries, very rarely have we got decisions wrong that have come from the analysis team, that’s their hard work and credit to the football club for making that next step and now we’ve got to look towards the next step.”

You can view Adam Murray’s full post-match interview on Stags Player.

--------------------

It’s not over yet vows Mansfield Town boss after Portsmouth draw
chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Saturday 19 March 2016

Despite dropping two more play-off points, Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray tonight vowed his side would stay in the promotion battle to the end.

The Stags had lost three on the bounce ahead of today’s excellent 1-1 home draw with rivals Portsmouth.

They are now seven points short of the top seven in 13th after today, but Murray said: “We had to end the run of defeats, that was important, so to do that against a team and a club like that takes extra effort.

“That performance has put us back on track. People will look at the league and say you’ve dropped a couple of places or you’re this many points off.

Read more: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/it-s-not-over-yet-vows-mansfield-town-boss-after-portsmouth-draw-1-7806861#ixzz43O7Gntes

“But this isn’t over. We’ve got 27 points to play for yet and trust me when I say there are going to be some swings and roundabouts still and we are going to be right in it.

“It was a tough game against a very, very good side. But I thought we more than matched them.

“Of course at times they are going to put you under pressure and they have got excellent players.

“I thought the boys were superb today coming off the back of three defeats. It makes it harder to keep believing when you have had three defeats.

“But the lads could not have given any more today. Every ounce they had it them they gave.”

Stags saw keeper Scott Shearer save a penalty, after saving two in one game last month, before Matt Green put them in front.

However, they then conceded an own goal just before the break when the ball struck Ryan Tafazolli in front of goal from a Ben Davies corner.

“A point was about right,” said Murray. “They’ve had chances, we’ve had chances.

“We couldn’t do anything about the goal. It’s hit Taff on the so-and-so’s and gone in. He is devastated, but you have to take them on the chin.

“The fans were superb today. They kept pushing us on, even in the last minute, and at times I felt like a fan today.”

Murray was delighted with on-loan Chesterfield striker Mani Dieseruvwe’s debut, laying on the goal for Green.

“I thought he was excellent, considering he hasn’t had much first team game time recently,” said Murray.

“To go straight into the first team tempo is hard, and for him to put himself about like he did, he made a difference.

“When it went forward at times it stuck. He made some good decisions, he helped Matt Green out.

“He meant Greeny didn’t have to think. He’s an instinctive player that needs to play without a lot on his head.”

Murray added: “I thought Lee Collins was excellent in there again. He makes us solid in the middle and allows the players around him to be freer.

“Mitch Rose was also superb today.”

--------------------

Stags halt losing run
by Tim Morriss, news-journal.co.uk

Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray was full of praise for his players and the fans after the Stags held promotion rivals Portsmouth 1-1 at One Call Stadium on Saturday.

The Stags, beaten 1-0 in their three previous matches, are now seven points off the play-off positions.

Keeper Scott Shearer repeated his penalty heroics from the win over Morecambe in February to keep the Stags in contention with a 21st minute save, turning away Marc McNulty’s spot kick after the striker was tripped by Daniel Alfei.

Five minutes later debutant Mani Deiseruvwe flicked on for Matt Green to race clear, check back and fire in his 12th goal of the season.

It was the Stags’ first goal for more than 300 minutes, but hopes of only a second win seven matches were dashed by an lucky own goal.

Ryan Tafazolli was unable to stop a corner hitting his midrift and rolling into the net just before half-time.

The Stags recovered from a slow start to the second-half to again create chances and Mitchell Rose was unlucky to see his long-range striker turned away for a corner. From the resulting flag kick Green’s header was saved. Tafazolli also went close from another corner.

Murray said: “We had to end the run of defeats and to do it against a team and a club like that takes extra effort.

- See more at: http://www.news-journal.co.uk/stags-halt-losing-run/#sthash.1Mvvz6rO.dpuf

“That performance has put us back on track. People will look at the league and say you’ve dropped a couple of places or you’re this many points off.

“But this isn’t over. We’ve got 27 points to play for yet and trust me when I say there are going to be some swings and roundabouts still and we are going to be right in it.

“It was a tough game against a very, very good side. But I thought we more than matched them.

“A point was about right. They’ve had chances, we’ve had chances.”

“It was a tough game against a very, very good side. But I thought we more than matched them.

“Of course at times they are going to put you under pressure and they have got excellent players.

“I thought the boys were superb today coming off the back of three defeats. It makes it harder to keep believing when you have had three defeats.

“But the lads could not have given any more today. Every ounce they had it them they gave.

“A point was about right. They’ve had chances, we’ve had chances.

“We couldn’t do anything about the goal. It’s hit Taff on the so-and-so’s and gone in. He is devastated, but you have to take them on the chin.

“We had to end the run of defeats, that was important, so to do that against a team and a club like that takes extra effort.

“The fans were superb today. They kept pushing us on, even in the last minute, and at times I felt like a fan today.

“Mani Dieseruvwe was excellent, considering he hasn’t had much first team game time recently.

“To go straight into the first team tempo is hard, and for him to put himself about like he did, he made a difference.

“When it went forward at times it stuck. He made some good decisions, he helped Matt Green out.

“He meant Greeny didn’t have to think. He’s an instinctive player that needs to play without a lot on his head.

“I thought Lee Collins was excellent in there again. He makes us solid in the middle and allows the players around him to be freer.

“Mitch Rose was also superb today.”

-------------------

Mansfield 1 Pompey 1: Stags boss believes side more than matched Blues
Portsmouth News

Mansfield Town manager Adam Murray saw his side end a three-game losing run in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Pompey and insisted: We more than matched them.

Read more: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/pompey/mansfield-1-pompey-1-stags-boss-believes-side-more-than-matched-blues-1-7286840#ixzz43Whx7RB9

The Stags responded to three consecutive 1-0 defeats to Newport County, Yeovil Town and Bristol Rovers by stopping the rot against Paul Cook’s stuttering League Two promotion-chasers.

A battling display saw the hosts claim a deserved share of the spoils after Ryan Tafazolli’s own goal just before half-time cancelled out Matt Green’s opener.

Mansfield had goalkeeper Scott Shearer to thank for saving Marc McNulty’s first-half penalty, though, after he was upended by former Blues loanee Daniel Alfei.

Regardless, a point was the least their efforts merited, with Murray delighted with the work-rate of his players.

‘It was a very tough game against a very, very good side, but I thought we more than matched them,’ he said.

‘At times they’re going to put you under pressure, they’ve got excellent players, but I thought the boys were superb.

‘The biggest thing for me was the performance.

‘I think when you’ve had the defeats that we’ve had - and they’ve been hard to take - you’ve got to stop that sequence and to do it against a team and a club like that, it takes extra effort.

‘The next step for us is consistency and when we get that, we’ll be a very good side - we showed that on Saturday.

‘For the boys to play with that belief they did, I take my hat off to them, because after three defeats, it’s tough to go into a game and say: “Oh, I’m confident now” - it doesn’t work like that.’

Murray also praised goalkeeper Shearer’s third penalty save of the season and admitted that there are a number of factors which help him make such saves.

He added: ‘One - Scott being an excellent goalkeeper. Two - him having an excellent coach in Brian Jensen and somebody who’s pushing him, and three, us having an excellent analysis team.’

--------------------

Team performance more important to Man-of-the-Match Rose
mansfieldtown.net, 19th March 2016

Midfielder Mitchell Rose put in a Man-of-the-Match winning performance in the 1-1 draw with Portsmouth, but was keen to praise his team-mates rather than focus on individual glory.

The Stags showed grit and determination against promotion-chasing Pompey and earned a point despite Ryan Tafazolli’s own goal, which cancelled out Matt Green’s opener. Goalkeeper Scott Shearer also made his third penalty save of the season after Marc McNulty was brought down by right-back Daniel Alfei.

And midfielder Rose put in arguably his best performance in a Stags’ shirt this afternoon, but deflected the plaudits away from himself and instead praised the team’s performance as a whole in his post-match interview.

“I don’t think it’s about the individual performance today, I think you’ve got to look at the collective as a team and just see how well the boys [did]. These boys keep pushing me on every single day in training, which helps me to be able to add something on a Saturday.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/team-performance-more-important-to-man-of-the-match-rose-3016364.aspx#CV3EwvWprftX6JLc.99

“I just went out there and just played free and tried to work hard for the team and just played a simple game and I think the manager put me out there for a disciplined role and I’d like to hope that I was able to do that today.”

The former Rotherham United man was also impressed with the performance of debutant Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, after he assisted Matt Green for the opening goal of the afternoon.

“It’s always difficult coming into a new set up, he’s only been here two days. It’s a great confidence boost for him, he’s very young, he just wants to go out and play games and he can take a lot of credit from that today.”

The midfielder also praised his team-mates’ ability to bounce back against one of League 2’s top teams after three consecutive 1-0 defeats.

“Mentally, this one was a really tough game with the calibre of team we’re coming up against and coming off the back of three 1-0 defeats where we thought we deserved a little bit more.

“It’s really mentally tough coming away from the previous game, but to go out there and do what we did is really unbelievable.

“The emphasis all week has been: we’ve got ten games left of the season, go out and enjoy it, play with a freedom and I think that’s what we did today. We played with that freedom and we got many chances, we’re just unfortunate with the goal that we conceded.”

After bringing the run of 1-0 defeats to an end, Rose is now looking forward to building on today’s result.

“We’ve got to look at today, where we can improve, where we were good, take that into the next game and from that game take it into the next game.

"We’ve just got to take it one game at a time. You can never hide away from the games that you’re playing against, but I think as a whole, you’ve just got to take it one game at a time.”

You can view Mitchell Rose’s post-match interview, in full, on Stags Player.

-----------------

Battling display for Stags earns Mitch Rose reward
chad.co.uk, by John Lomas

Mitch Rose was delighted to walk away with the sponsors’ man of the match award yesterday after a display that boss Adam Murray described as superb in the 1-1 draw with Portsmouth.

“I’d like to hope that was one of my best displays in a Mansfield shirt with coming away with man of the match,”said the battling midfielder, who operated in a right-sided role.

Read more: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-news/battling-display-for-stags-earns-mitch-rose-reward-1-7806955#ixzz43S1lY3qH

“But I don’t think it was about an individual performance today. It was about a collective performance as a team and how well the boys have done.

“These boys keep pushing me on every single day in training which helps me to be able to add something on a Saturday.

“Mentally this one was a really tough game, coming off the back of three defeats from which we felt we deserved a little bit more.”

Stags are now seven points shy of the play-off spots, but Rose said no one was giving up and the side just needed to play with confidence and enjoy the games left.

He said: “We’ve got nine games left so we have to just go out there and enjoy it. I think that’s what we did today - we just played free with confidence.

“To do that today after the last three games was unbelievable.

“We were just unfortunate with the goal we conceded today.

“I played a simple game. The manager gave me a disciplined role and I’d like to think I was able to do that today.

“We must just take it one game at a time now and not look beyond the next fixture.”

Chesterfield loanee Mani Dieseruvwe enjoyed an assist on his debut and Rose praised him, saying: “It’s always difficult coming in to a new set-up and he’s only been here two days, then coming straight in.

“It’s a great confidence booster for him.

“He is still very young and he just wants to go out and play games. He can take a lot of credit from that today.”

-----------------

COOK: WE’RE BETTER THAN THAT
portsmouthfc.co.uk, by Neil Weld

Boss unhappy with display at Mansfield

Pompey are still only five points adrift of the top three in League Two following a 1-1 draw at Mansfield.

But automatic promotion feels miles away for Paul Cook, who was critical of his side’s display at the One Call Stadium.

Marc McNulty saw his spot-kick saved after being brought down in the box and Matt Green soon slotted the Stags ahead.

The visitors were gifted an equaliser just before the break, however, when Ryan Tafazolli turned Ben Davies’ cross into his own net.

But that failed to satisfy Cook, who concedes that Pompey are simply not performing to a high enough standard.

The Blues boss said: “We might as well be five points off the moon at the minute and we’re all disappointed with how we’re playing.

Read more at http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/article/paul-cook-on-pompeys-sky-bet-league-2-draw-at-mansfield-town-3017044.aspx#U5XXL75l9riikbg7.99

“We’re very frustrated by how we played, but anyone who’s watched us all season would say it was a typical Portsmouth performance.

“The referee blew the final whistle and we drew 1-1 - they were my only positives.

“We’ve got this ability at the moment to not keep clean sheets and not create chances - which normally means you’re not a very good team.

“My job is to make these players better and hopefully finish in a position that ensures there’s something still to play for.

“I know that there’s a lot more to come from those guys in the dressing room, but we haven’t got anywhere near that high we reached at Accrington.

“It means another couple of sleepless nights, more headaches and not speaking to my family.”

Pompey have now played out 15 stalemates this season and Cook is not happy with that statistic.

He said: “That’s 19 league games away from home and we’ve only lost three - you should be winning the league with that record.

“It’s a big weekend coming up. Fratton Park will be packed on Friday and we have to bounce back to make our fans believe in us.”

--------------------

Portsmouth manager Paul Cook told BBC Radio Solent:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35791996

"I'm very disappointed with the game, very disappointed with how we played, very disappointed with us in general, but that's where that team's at.

"I think anyone who's watched us all season now could probably say it's a typical Portsmouth performance.

"My job is to make these players better, see us finish the season in whatever position we finish - which hopefully will be a position that there's still something to play for at the end of the season - and we build from there."

-----------------

Pompey boss acts to silence below-par players
by NEIL ALLEN, Portsmouth News

Fuming Paul Cook stepped in to stop his players speaking to the media following Pompey’s disappointing draw at Field Mill.

The Blues lost further ground in the hunt for automatic promotion following Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Mansfield.

Read more: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/pompey/pompey-boss-acts-to-silence-below-par-players-1-7286653#ixzz43WiDAtUt

A Ryan Tafazolli own goal cancelled out Matt Green’s opener in a first-half which also saw Marc McNulty miss from the penalty spot.

It was a second successive poor display from the visitors, following the previous weekend’s defeat to Newport County.

Afterwards, an angry Cook delivered a dressing down to his out-of-sorts side in the away changing room.

He then spent time on his own on the Mansfield pitch before speaking to chairman Iain McInnes and chief executive Mark Catlin.

Upon his return, the Pompey boss insisted Michael Smith and Christian Burgess did not carry out organised post-match media duties.

It is the first time during his ongoing 45-game tenure Cook has instructed his players not to talk following a fixture.

When asked by The News over the reason for his decision, he replied: ‘The players aren’t speaking, we do too much talking in my opinion.’

Predecessors Harry Redknapp, Steve Cotterill and Andy Awford on occasions refused to let players talk after a game following a disappointing result.

Yet such actions remain a largely rare occurrence at Pompey.

Regardless, the Blues’ point keeps them in sixth spot, now five points adrift of Bristol Rovers in the final automatic promotion spot.

They host Notts County on Good Friday. The Magpies yesterday appointed Mark Cooper as boss after sacking Jamie Fullarton on Saturday.

------------------

 

Latest | March 2016