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Archived News from March 2017

SUPER STAGS WIN AT MORECAMBE
31st March 2017 22:08


English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Morecambe 1 - 3 Mansfield Town
Mullin 6. D.Rose 4, 33, Whiteman 39
Attendance: 1497 (327 from Mansfield)

Date: 25 March 2017

Martin Shaw at the Globe Arena

Mansfield Town produced a very good attacking display for a comfortable 3-1 win at Morecambe this afternoon. All the goals came in the first half when the Stags were right on top, on the front foot and creative going forward. Mansfield were ahead after just 4 minutes. Mal Benning’s free kick from the halfway line was headed out by Dean Winnard, under pressure from Kyle Howkins, to Alex MacDonald on the edge of the area who fired the ball across the area to Danny Rose who swept the ball into the net from 12 yards. A great finish from Rose. Morecambe were level though on 6 minutes. Danny Rose chased down a backpass, Morecambe keeper Barry Roche hurriedly cleared down field, Howkins made a fatal error of allowing the massive clearance to bounce, Paul Mullin barged him aside and slid a shot wide of Jake Kean into the net. Devastating route one football. Howkins appealed for a foul, but in my opinion it was not a foul by Mullin, and Howkins has to be better there, firstly not allowing the ball to bounce and then not getting barged aside. After the game Steve Evans said he didn’t know if it was a foul or not. The Stags made it 2-1 on 33 minutes. Ben Whiteman did very well to dispossess Michael Rose 30 yards from the Morecambe goal, he fed the ball to Danny Rose on his right on the edge of the area, and Rose took one touch before firing low towards the bottom left corner of the net from the right. Keeper Roche got a hand on it, but the ball squirmed under him and into the net. A good finish from Rose though keeper Roche should have done better. Mansfield made it 3-1 on 39 minutes. Whiteman did well to win the ball off Michael Rose just inside his own half. He set Shaq Coulthirst away down the left. Coulthirst made his way into the area, and laid off a perfect pass to Whiteman who side-footed into the bottom left corner of the net from 16 yards. This was Whiteman’s finishing back to how it was when he first joined the club after a lean shooting spell. The Stags had chances to score more but that was the end of the scoring. A very good performance from the Stags with Whiteman and MacDonald excelling in midfield, Coulthirst giving the Morecambe defence all kinds of problems, and Danny Rose taking his two goals well. At the back, Rhys Bennett was the pick of the defence. The chase for the play-offs is incredibly tight now. Mansfield are a point outside the play-offs and just two points behind 5th place, with a big game against 7th placed Exeter next Saturday.

Mansfield made just one change from the side that beat Carlisle, with Howkins in for the injured Pearce. Howkins had come on for Pearce last week and Pearce was nearly recovered but not quite according to Steve Evans. He should be fit for next Saturday. Bennett took over as captain with both Collins and Pearce out. George Taft came in to the 18 instead of Pearce, his first time back in the squad since injury against Barnet on 10th September. Shearer didn’t travel due to a virus, so Jensen came on to the bench. It was another attacking line up from Mansfield, with Steve Evans saying he wanted as many goalscoring options on the pitch as possible. MacDonald was on the right and Matt Green on the left of a 4 man midfield, with Byrom sitting slightly deeper than Whiteman who was playing box to box. Coulthirst and Rose were again up front.

Morecambe came in to the game on a terrible run of 5 straight defeats after a terrific February. They included the excellent Kevin Ellison who always seems to play well against Mansfield, but he didn’t on this occasion.

The pitch was bobbly, and particularly muddy on the near side in front of the main stand where it doesn’t get any sunshine. However it was nowhere near as bad as Cheltenham. It was a glorious day in Morecambe, beautifully sunny and up to 18 degrees. Mercifully there was no wind, which there usually is here, and which ruined the game at Mansfield on Boxing Day.

FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE

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Mansfield Report
morecambefc.com

THE Shrimps slumped to a sixth successive defeat as their miserable March continued against Mansfield.

Danny Rose’s first-half brace, as well as a goal from Ben Whiteman, helped the Stage to the three points with Paul Mullin scoring the Shrimps' consolation.

Read more at http://www.morecambefc.com/news/article/2016-17/mansfield-report-3642495.aspx#ZvI6lbRXBUSSFqVy.99

Boss Jim Bentley made three changes from the Shrimps side beaten by Accrington Stanley in midweek. Injury ruled out Ryan Edwards, while Peter Murphy and Lee Molyneux were both on the bench as Luke Conlan, Andy Fleming and Mullin returned.

Mansfield's opener came after just four minutes when the Shrimps failed to deal with a free-kick from deep and Alex MacDonald played the ball back in for Danny Rose to volley home.

Two minutes later, however, and Mullin got the Shrimps on level terms by outmuscling Kyle Howkins in chasing Barry Roche’s clearance and finishing coolly.

It set the tone for an end-to-end opening 45 minutes where both sides took it in turn to attack. Michael Rose curled an effort narrowly over the Stags’ crossbar, while Aaron Wildig saw an effort deflected off target.

However, the greater attacking danger came at the other end with MacDonald and Shaq Coultihirst chancing their arm before two goals in six minutes put the visitors firmly in the ascendancy.

Danny Rose netted his second on 33 minutes, capitalising on a defensive error and firing in a shot which squirmed under Roche and just inside his right-hand upright. Moments later and it was 3-1 as Morecambe again lost possession, allowed Coulthirst to run in behind them and hold up the ball before squaring to Whiteman to fire home.

Needing a fast start to the second half, the Shrimps came out on the front foot with Wildig forcing a save from Jake Kean with only 13 seconds gone.

The better chances, though, continued to come at the other end with Roche denying Danny Rose and Coulthirst.

Mullin and Kevin Ellison both sent attempts well off target as the Shrimps battled but could not find a way past the visitors' defence.

Morecambe: Roche, Duckworth, Winnard, Whitmore, Conlan (Molyneux 74), Fleming (Evans 68), M Rose, Turner (Jordan 65), Wildig, Ellison, Mullin. Subs not used: Maher, Wakefield, McGowan, Murphy.

Mansfield Town: Kean, White, Bennett, Howkins, Benning, MacDonald (Potter 86), Byrom, Whiteman, Green (Baxendale 80), Coulthirst, D Rose (Arquin 76). Subs not used: Jensen, Taft, Hamilton, McGuire. Referee: Robert Jones.

Attendance: 1,497.

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Match report: Morecambe 1 Mansfield Town 3
by GAVIN BROWNE, Morecambe Visitor

It’s six of the worst for Morecambe as they slumped to yet another defeat.

Danny Rose’s first-half double, as well as a goal from Ben Whiteman, made it a March to forget for Jim Bentley’s players with half-a-dozen defeats on the spin. The Shrimps were on level terms in the first half after Paul Mullin had cancelled out Town’s fourth-minute opener but that was good as it got for the home side.

Bentley had made three changes from the Shrimps side beaten by Accrington Stanley in midweek. Injury ruled out Ryan Edwards, while Peter Murphy and Lee Molyneux were both demoted to the bench. In came Luke Conlan with Andy Fleming and Mullin’s second-half showings on Tuesday earning them a recall.

Read more at: http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/morecambe-fc/match-report-morecambe-1-mansfield-town-3-1-8459281

However, as with the Stanley defeat, the Shrimps were left to rue defensive mistakes for all three goals.

The opener came when the Shrimps failed to deal with a free-kick from deep and Alex MacDonald played the ball back in for Danny Rose to volley home.

Two minutes later, however, and Mullin got the Shrimps on level terms by outmuscling Kyle Howkins in chasing Barry Roche’s clearance and finishing coolly.

It set the tone for an end-to-end opening 45 minutes where both sides took it in turn to attack.

Michael Rose curled an effort narrowly over the Stags’ crossbar, while Aaron Wildig saw an effort deflected off target.

However, the greater attacking danger came at the other end with MacDonald and Shaq Coultihirst chancing their arm before two goals in six minutes put the visitors firmly in the ascendancy. Danny Rose netted his second on 33 minutes, capitalising on a defensive error and firing in a shot which squirmed under Roche and just inside his right-hand upright.

Moments later and it was 3-1 as Morecambe again lost possession, allowed Coulthirst to run in behind them and hold up the ball before squaring to Whiteman to fire home. Needing a fast start to the second half, the Shrimps came out on the front foot with Wildig forcing a save from Jake Kean with only 13 seconds gone. The better chances, though, continued to come at the other end with Roche denying Danny Rose following Conlan’s error in possession. Roche also thwarted Coulthirst on two occasions, though the best chance came when full-back Hayden White got behind the home defence. Rather than shoot, he elected to try and find Coulthirst but the Morecambe defence got back in time to clear.

Mullin and Kevin Ellison both sent attempts well off target as the Shrimps battled but lacked the quality required to break down their visitors.

Coulthirst fired narrowly off target and sent a free-kick high, wide and particularly ugly with time running out but it mattered not as Morecambe’s wait for a positive result goes on.

Morecambe: Roche, Duckworth, Winnard, Whitmore, Conlan (Molyneux 74), Fleming (Evans 68), M Rose, Turner (Jordan 65), Wildig, Ellison, Mullin. Subs not used: Maher, Wakefield, McGowan, Murphy.

Mansfield Town: Kean, White, Bennett, Howkins, Benning, MacDonald (Potter 86), Byrom, Whiteman, Green (Baxendale 80), Coulthirst, D Rose (Arquin 76). Subs not used: Jensen, Taft, Hamilton, McGuire.

Referee: Robert Jones. Attendance: 1,497.

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