Archived News from March 2017
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YEOVIL PREVIEWS
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Stags begin 'big week' with Yeovil trip
mansfieldtown.net, 27th February 2017 Boss Steve Evans says the Stags will travel to Somerset this afternoon in preparation for our clash with Yeovil Town tomorrow night ahead of a ‘big week’ in Sky Bet League Two. Saturday's 2-1 victory over Newport County ensured we remained level on points with seventh-placed Colchester United and we face the Glovers at Huish Park tomorrow night before making the 230-mile round trip to Cheltenham Town on Saturday. And the manager says it’s imperative to ensure the players’ recovery and preparations are managed appropriately to emerge successful from the away double-header. “We’re preparing as anyone outside of the big boys in the Championship and the Premier League does,” the Stags’ chief said. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/2016-17/gaffer-preparing-correctly-ahead-of-important-week-3597364.aspx#4Hsl3LXesGyrZqdM.99 “It’s five or six hours on the coach but the boys will train this morning, we’ll be nice and relaxed, we’ll go down there early and really it’s about recuperation. We’ll go down there in fine spirits. “It’s a big week ahead of us but we can only concentrate one at a time and Yeovil’s a difficult place to go. “Huish Park, the supporters get behind them there, they play some good football. I know Darren [Way] - he’s come up against my teams as a coach and as a player so we’ll know what they’re all about. “We’ll look at the recovery schedules that Lee [Taylor, fitness and rehabilitation coach] gives us after training today and after the cool down. We do a lot on the technical side now to understand where the players are in terms of inside their bodies.” The former Leeds United boss revealed that goalkeeper Jake Kean’s X-ray on the injury he sustained against Newport County on Saturday has come back all clear in regards to structural bone damage, but he will undergo a further scan today to determine if there are any muscle or tendon injuries. “The swelling was up yesterday but it’s gone down a bit overnight, which is a good sign being 48 hours after the game. We’ll certainly, by tea-time, know the complete thought process of the consultants. “He won’t play tomorrow night, he’s out. There’s no point me trying to blag it, he’s out. He’ll be left at home but we’re hopeful that it’s less [serious] than we thought on Saturday because when you see someone like him come off, you know there’s something not right.” Furthermore, the gaffer told the assembled media at this morning’s news conference that defender Kyle Howkins’ injury-scare isn’t as bad as first feared, and the West Bromwich Albion loanee is back in full training at One Call Stadium. “Kyle came back and trained with us on Friday and on Friday morning when he came in to the building, he looked in fantastic shape. “I think he’s telling us he’s lost five kilos but he really looks awesome. We shaped up with him in the team - we were going to bring him in [for the Newport mach] - but he just looked a little bit short. “We’ll have another look at Kyle today and then we’ll make a decision as to whether he’s in the squad for Yeovil. If not, we fully expect him to be in the squad for Saturday.” Meanwhile, the Stags’ boss says that defender George Taft is continually getting stronger in training and he is expected to be in contention for Saturday’s match against Cheltenham Town. “We’ve had two practice matches now with George in both of them. One, you could see he was a bit like we described with Kyle and we had a bit of a session again here on Friday with two teams and I don’t think ‘the big fella’ broke sweat. “Tafty’s just about [getting] minutes on the training pitch now and getting around the pitch, getting sharp and getting more touches of the ball.” In other news, striker Danny Rose is likely to miss tomorrow's match after picking up a knock last week. Supporters will be able to view Steve Evans’ full news conference on Stags PlayerHD later today. --------------- No break, now Stags sweat on keeper’s knee scan chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Monday 27 February 2017 X-rays have shown no break to Mansfield Town keeper Jake Kean’s knee, but the club are now sweating on the results of a scan. However, the signs are good that the injury to the Sheffield Wednesday loanee in Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Newport County isn’t as bad as first feared. Kean was clearly in agony as he bravely went down to block an opponent and boss Steve Evans admitted: “We could be literally talking days or weeks or months - you never know. “But the prognosis the medical team came up with is they feared more on Saturday than what they do today. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/no-break-now-stags-sweat-on-keeper-s-knee-scan-1-8411743 “They saw the swelling go up, which is normal, and when they’ve seen it come down in the way it has come down by 50 per cent at the end of the 48-hour period, that’s normally a more positive sign. “He was X-rayed on Saturday night and gets his scan this morning. The X-ray showed there is no structural damage to the knee.” Kean will definitely miss tomorrow’s trip to Yeovil Town. “He won’t play tomorrow night, he will be left at home,” said Evans. “But we’re hopeful it will be lesser than we thought on Saturday as when you see somebody like him come off, you know there something not right. “The kid desperately tried to stay on the pitch as we saw. “It’s bad when you see someone go down like that and it’s as nasty as that. But it was a coming together and accidental, there’s no allegations or blame on anyone at Newport. “The boy has gone in heartily for the challenge and Jake was very brave which is why he gets injured the way he does. But I would rather he is brave and gets injured than not be brave and concede. “The one thing I know I the big fellow will want to be out there. “But I’ve got no concerns with Scott Shearer or Brian Jensen. I can play either of those guys.” ---------------- Steve Evans delighted as Mansfield Town pass relegation points marker chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS While all eyes have turned upwards to fighting for promotion, Mansfield Town boss Steve Evans was still delighted to see his team this week go past the magic 50-point milestone traditionally looked upon as safety. Stags were 18th with one win in 11 when he took over in November. But Saturday’s win over Newport County eased them to 50 points and Evans smiled: “I said to the players in the meeting before the game that three points makes us safe from relegation. “When I came in I think there were a lot of Mansfield Town fans who thought they might have been in a relegation-type of fight. I was on record at the fans’ forum recently saying that was my belief. “If we’d not changed things round, or the chairman and chief executive hadn’t changed things round, I think it might have been us in that mix with four or five teams battling with Newport to see if they can avoid it. Mansfield Town given defensive boost “Thankfully the guys that we kept have stepped up and been marvellous, as have the guys we’ve brought in from all different levels, some of whom have played an active part and some will be stepping up to play a part. So we’re really pleased.” Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/steve-evans-delighted-as-mansfield-town-pass-relegation-points-marker-1-8413056 Currently in the bottom two are Newport and Leyton Orient and Evans said: “Newport and Leyton Orient have tough tests ahead. But I think every game is tough. “I don’t feel sorry for Newport. They’ve had a full season run at it with good owners. I think they’ve just had people in the chair that were wrong - and we can all get it wrong as managers. It’s a tough job. “The people I feel sorry for in League Two are the Leyton Orient supporters. They were 2-0 up in a play-off final with Rotherham at Wembley two years ago to go to the Championship. Now they find themselves in danger of going non-League which must be soul-destroying for their supporters. “But they are not my problem - the teams at the bottom - though they are when you’ve got to try to beat them. “There’s not a bad team in the league. But winning is fine margins as showed here again on Saturday.” ------------------ Mansfield Town set for defensive boost chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town look set to get a massive boost this week with central defensive giants Kyle Howkins and George Taft likely to be fully fit to travel to Cheltenham Town on Saturday. West Brom loanee Howkins could even figure in tonight’s game at Yeovil Town, though Taft will definitely be left behind to polish up his sharpness. Howkins was due back from his knee injury last week but pulled out of a West Brom U23 fixture last Monday with a niggle by half-time. However, Stags manager Steve Evans said: “Kyle came back in and trained with us on Friday and looked in fantastic shape. He is telling us he’s lost five kilos and he really looks awesome. “His scan came through clear and so they put him straight back in to two or three days training at West Brom and said he is ready to go and play now. “We watched him train Friday and just thought from where we are - is he really ready to go and play? “We were going to bring him straight into the team but he just looked a little bit short in terms of his touch on the ball and timing of headers, so we will have another look and make a decision if he is in the squad at Yeovil. No break, now Stags sweat on keeper’s knee scan “If not we fully expect him to be in the squad for Saturday. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-set-for-defensive-boost-1-8413000 “He doesn’t look injured, it was just his timing and his movement as you’d expect from someone who hasn’t kicked a ball much in four or five weeks.” On hamstring victim Taft, Evans added: “I think Tafty will be in contention for Cheltenham. We’ve had two practice matches now for George. “In the first he was a bit how I’ve described Kyle. Then we had a bit of a session here on Friday between two teams and I don’t think the big fellow broke sweat. “He really looked decent. People will see the conditioning that’s been done on him. He doesn’t look like Billy Bunter any more, he looks like George Taft! Lee Taylor deserves enormous credit. “He will be given a full programme tomorrow and the staff will be back in on the Wednesday and the Thursday. “It is just about minutes on the training pitch for him now and getting sharp. Touch wood, his injury is now completely healed.” --------------------- Stags pay tribute to late lifelong fan Stan Barnes chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Monday 27 February 2017 Mansfield Town have paid warm tributes to lifelong fan Stan Barnes, who recently passed away. Fans and players from both sides gave him a minute’s applause before Saturday’s game with Newport County after hearing the news that the 68-year-old, a familiar face at the ground, had died. His face was shown on the scoreboard during the applause. “I got the call from Tina Broughton the day that Stan passed away and I couldn’t believe it. I had been talking to him the evening before,” said manager Steve Evans. Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/stags-pay-tribute-to-late-lifelong-fan-stan-barnes-1-8412335 “He messaged me, I wouldn’t say every day, but if I missed a day it would be unusual for him to not message me. It was always his love for the club and he was fantastic with the players and supportive, sponsoring numerous things around the club. “He just had Stags written right through the middle of him. “I can remember discussing it with Lee Taylor in the car, looking at the sky and saying how could it happen? But it just shows you - live for today. Tomorrow you might never see. “I am a big believer in that, my family as well - live for today.” Operations director Tina Broughton said: “Stan was a very generous supporter who loved to come to the ground on a regular basis. “He would make regular appointments with the manager and players, which they would always welcome. He simply loved the club. “A friendly face to our staff behind the scenes, Stan recognised the tireless work in the running of a football club.” ------------ WAY TARGETING HUISH PARK VICTORIES FOR HOME FAITHFUL ytfc.net, 27th February 2017, by Alex O'Loughlin With six home games remaining, Darren Way is determined to send supporters home smiling, starting with Mansfield on Tuesday night (7.45pm). Town supporters have witnessed seven victories and five draws from the 17 league fixtures so far at Huish Park, surrendering winning positions in two matches to eventually settle for a share of the spoils. But, with the Glovers drawing eight of their last 14 Sky Bet League Two encounters, Way is focused on picking up maximum points in front of the home faithful. Speaking to YTFC.net, he said: “Our home form has been relatively good since I took charge, but what makes people panic and look over their shoulders is the fact we’ve drawn too many. “If we could’ve turned three or four of those draws into wins - which should’ve been the case against Leyton Orient and Cambridge United in the last two at home - then we’d be having a different conversation now.” Read more at http://www.ytfc.net/news/article/2016-17/way-targeting-huish-park-victories-for-home-faithful-3596980.aspx#dCghDMswtWAAH3O9.99 Yeovil entertain a Mansfield side on Tuesday night that sit outside of the play-offs only on goal difference, having won seven of their last 10 matches. The Stags have enjoyed an upturn in form since Steve Evans took charge in November, but Way is looking to add goals to the Glovers performances to send the visitors back to Nottinghamshire empty handed. “We have a cleansheet from Saturday,” he said. “We have to make sure we’re more positive and making our play count further up the pitch. “We need to show that confidence and arrogance that you need to score goals, which is the one thing we’ve been lacking. “Games are running out and we want to be sending fans home pleased with what they’ve seen, hopefully with plenty of goals to celebrate. "I want someone to take that responsibility of scoring, because if they're effective then the odds are they're going to play." ----------------------- |
Latest | March 2017