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Archived News from March 2017

EVANS AND DARREN WAY REACTION
6th March 2017 0:27



Second half performance deserved win - boss
mansfieldtown.net, 28th February 2017

Stags’ boss Steve Evans says his side’s second half showing in tonight’s 0-0 draw away to Yeovil Town was worthy of securing maximum points at Huish Park.

After a slow opening 45 minutes, Stags upped the ante after the half-time interval and completely dominated second half proceedings, with Yeovil stopper Arthur Krysiak called upon frequently and the Glovers producing some last-ditch defending to keep the score at 0-0.

And although the gaffer was disappointed to only take home a point from Somerset, he commended his players for how they reacted to his half-time team talk.

“We go in at half-time and it was probably one of the few times I had to give them ‘a bit’ to wake a few up," the Stags' chief said.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/2016-17/second-half-performance-deserved-win-boss-3600378.aspx#6C3dDYeBQQgOtql1.99

“You look for a reaction as a manager and I just said that to the players, they can take great credit because they reacted the right way. Some can take it badly and sink, but they reacted the right way and I thought some of our football in the second half was fantastic.

“Yeovil’s a very difficult place to come to. They’re good supporters, they stick behind them but I think the Yeovil fans were very quiet in the last 25 minutes because I think they were waiting for their team to concede. We’ll play a lot worse than that second half and win games.

“You can’t fault the effort, again, you can’t fault the endeavour - we had that in bundles and in the second half some of the passing and moving was outstanding. We didn’t help ourselves with missing some, what looked from the sideline - I’ll look back at the DVD - some very easy chances.”

The former Leeds United manager reiterated his belief that his side were the better of the two teams on the night, but says they were hampered by their slow start to the encounter.

“We just started sloppy and I’m a big believer as a manager or a coach, I’ve always said if you don’t start something right, it never normally finishes right.

“If you look at the fact that we’ve come to Yeovil and got a point, we’ve not finished right. We should win the game and we should win it comfortably.

“You always say in football that you have to be prepared to start properly and if you start properly, normally the end result, if you’re good enough, takes care of itself.”

After returning to the starting line-up following an injury to Jake Kean on Saturday, goalkeeper Scott Shearer was at the centre of a controversial incident in the fifth minute for handling the ball outside of his area, but the gaffer believes the referee made the right decision in showing the Glaswegian shot stopper a yellow card.

“I don’t think it is [a red card], I think there’s two reasons for that. I’m sure that he’s not denying a goalscoring opportunity because the ball’s off to the seaside it was going that far wide!

“That was the main decision from the referee that he doesn’t deny a goalscoring opportunity and anyone that wants to look at the footage and say the ball’s not heading to the seaside then they need my specs on.”

Manager Steve Evans’ post-match interview will be on Stags PlayerHD in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

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Boss Evans bemused how dominant Stags failed to score in Yeovil stalemate
chad.co.uk, Tuesday 28 February 2017

Steve Evans couldn’t believe how his side failed to score in a dominant second half showing in tonight’s 0-0 draw at Yeovil Town.

The Mansfield Town manager also revealed he had given his side a rare dressing down at half-time after they failed to start the night on the front foot

“We will play a lot worse than that second half and win games,” he said.

“I have watched many a game at Huish Park as we have family down here and I don’t think I have ever watched an opposition who should have won 5-0 in the second half here.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/boss-evans-bemused-how-dominant-stags-failed-to-score-in-yeovil-stalemate-1-8414692#comments-area

“The chances were incredible, at least five, but we didn’t take them, so we move on.”

“I don’t think we turned up at 7.45 - we gave them a bit of an opportunity to have an impetus early doors.

“The game was very level. We missed a couple of chances but they perhaps missed a couple too.”

Evans went into the dressing room at the break and let his players in no uncertain terms that know they needed to up a gear.

“We got to half-time and it was probably one of the few times I have had to give it them a bit to wake a few up,” he said.

“You look for a reaction as a manager and I have just said to the players they can take great credit as they reacted the right way.

“Some can take it badly, but they reacted the right way.

“Some of our football in the second half was fantastic. Yeovil is a very difficult place to come to, but we opened them up.

“They have good supporters here, who stick behind them. But they were very quiet in the last 25 minutes as I think they were waiting for their team to concede.”

He added: “We started sloppy. I am a big believer that if you don’t start right it never normally finishes right. We got a point but we should have won it comfortably.

“You can’t fault the effort and endeavour - we had that in bundles in the second half. Some of the passing moving was outstanding.”

Yeovil were angry to see Scott Shearer stay on the pitch for handling well outside his box in the opening minutes, escaping with a yellow card.

But Evans said: “He should not have been sent off as I am sure he was not denying a goalscoring opportunity. The ball is off to the seaside it went that far wide!

“I think Yeovil will agree when they go home and look at the footage. They have stolen a point tonight.”

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Darren Way unhappy after Mansfield Town keeper not sent off for controversial handball at Yeovil
By StephenDAlbiac, February 28, 2017, somersetlive.co.uk

Darren Way was left frustrated after Mansfield goalkeeper Scott Shearer was allowed to stay on the pitch after appearing to deliberately handle the ball outside the penalty area.

Darren Way felt Mansfield Town goalkeeper Scott Shearer should have been sent off for what appeared to be a deliberate handball in the early stages of tonight's goalless draw with his Yeovil Town side.

Shearer handled an attempted lob from Kevin Dawson outside the area after he unsuccessfully raced out of his area to try to beat the Irishman to a loose ball in the fourth minute.

Despite the 36-year-old's touch appearing deliberate, referee Carl Sarginson decided to give Shearer a yellow card rather than give him his marching orders.

Way said: "It was a clear sending off. I thought the referee's decision was poor.

"I don't want to be a manager that makes excuses, but if I have to be honest perhaps if that wasn't the first five minutes he would clearly have to go because the ball was carrying momentum towards goal and quite clearly he lifted his hand.

Read more at http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/darren-way-lauds-unbelievable-ex-southampton-keeper-bevis-mugabi-after-mansfield-town-draw/story-30171138-detail/story.html#x53k8vPqTiX5tMyH.99

"It would have changed things but I still thought in the first half with the last two games that we've had, it's not been entertaining.

"Today in the first half we tried to change that. We had good passages of play and we were looking for that in the second half as well, but unfortunately we didn't get those combinations and we had to hold on for a draw."

Way's view was not echoed by Mansfield boss Steve Evans, who felt that Sarginson had made the correct decision in allowing his goalkeeper to remain on the pitch.

Evans said: "I'm sure that he's not denied a goalscoring opportunity because the ball's off to the seaside.

"I don't know how far away the seaside is but if it's 30 miles it's going in that direction.

"That was the main decision from the referee that he's not denying a goalscoring opportunity, and anyone that wants to look at the footage and say that ball's going to the seaside needs some specs on."

Darren Way hailed the performance of ex-Southampton youngster Bevis Mugabi as he helped Yeovil secure a point against Mansfield Town on Tuesday.

Mugabi put in a man of the match display at the heart of defence as he repelled a dominant Stags side throughout the second half, including a heroic block to deny Ben Whiteman when he was through on goal.

The 21-year-old has made 31 appearances this season since joining from St Mary's but has come into his own in recent games having been given a run of games in central defence.

Way said: "He was unbelievable.

"When you look at positives for this football club that just goes to show how a player from under-23s football has come in, taken his opportunity every time he's played and to show that commitment."

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Darrren Way's Goal Drought Leaves Manager Hunting For Another Paddy Madden
http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/ASP/news/news.asp?NewsItemId=26698

Yeovil Town manager Darren Way admits that the football club need to find another Paddy Madden if they are to become successful again, after watching his side draw 0-0 with Mansfield Town tonight. The Irishman was a roaring success during the club's 2012-13 League One promotion season as he came in from Carlisle United, and helped score one of the two goals that got them into the second tier in the Wembley Stadium play-off final. Sold to Scunthorpe United midway through the following 2013-14 season, after he suffered a downturn in form during the club's Championship season, he has been prolific for the Lincolnshire club, showing that he can certainly do the business at third tier level.

Since then, the club have struggled for consistent goalscorers, with Francois Zoko their current top goalscorer, albeit on just ten goals. Despite bringing in five new attacking players during the January transfer window, none of them have found the back of the net for the Glovers, and with the club currently the lowest goalscorers in League Two, Way admitted this was a big problem:

"The only way you win games is by scoring goals and it's definitely a department that we need to look into. I've said to the players as individuals, collectively and as a team, to just take that responsibility when you wear that shirt. I think we've looked over the last three years that we've had at this football club, and what strikers have we had that have scored on a regular basis? I'm afraid to say the last one that we had was Paddy Madden. We have to do everything in my powers to invest heavily to make sure we get a striker who has got that responsibility to share that workload and help others out. It can't just be Francois Zoko."

Whilst Way was pleased with his side's defensive performance tonight, particularly recognising Sponsors Man of the Match Bevis Mugabi for his stand-out performance, he admitted he was not happy with referee Chris Sarginson's decision to allow Mansfield keeper Scott Shearer to remain on the pitch despite a fifth minute handball outside his box, when Kevin Dawson lobbed a goalbound shot. Needless to say, Way didn't think Shearer should have been on the pitch:

"It was a clear sending off. I thought the referee's decision was poor. But I don't want to be a manager that makes excuses. But if I have to be honest, if that wasn't in the first five minutes then he would clearly have to go, because the ball was carrying momentum towards goal, and quite clearly he lifted his hand. It would have changed things. At Notts County you've got to grind out a result away from home. The ball goes from back to front and I thought today in the first half, we tried to change that. We had good passages of play, and I was looking for that in the second half as well. But unfortunately we didn't get those combinations and we had to hold on for a draw."

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WE KNOW WHERE THE QUESTION MARK IS - WAY
by Lewis Hancock

Darren Way has demanded more from his frontline following Town’s goalless draw with Mansfield Town.

The Yeovil boss once again praised the defensive efforts of his troops who helped the Glovers to their 11th clean sheet of the season - the fifth best in the division - but was frustrated by the lack of efficiency in the final third.

Town haven’t scored in their last three league outings and Way wants to see his forwards play with more confidence.

He told YTFC’s official YouTube channel: “In the first half we had large spells of possession and I think we got in the final third 30 times but we know where the question mark is.

“We need to be doing more going forward as a whole team but I feel some of our forward play is a little bit fearful.

“I want to be able to see our strikers receive the ball looking to get shots off and being confident.”

He continued: “I’ve explained to every player in the dressing room that’s all we’re looking for (taking responsibility).

“Francois (Zoko) has created his fair share (of chances) and we’ve had individuals play well this season as far as forwards but I just feel we need that little bit more and that’s all we’re asking for, and that’s what supporters want to see.

“It’s important I try and improve every aspect of the football club and we need to make a real investment in our forwards to take the workload (off other players).

“We’ve had a lot of clean sheets but we’ve had a lot of draws and we need someone to help us get that winning formula. Unfortunately the only way you do that is by scoring goals and that’s what we need.”

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Joel Byrom @JoelByrom
Getting into bed after a long away trip just as your girlfriends alarms goes off for work was not good!! @Bethywalmsley

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