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Archived News from August 2017

DOMINANT STAGS PICK UP FIRST WIN
19th August 2017 10:35


English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 2 - 0 Forest Green Rovers
Rose 51, Anderson 57
Attendance: 3826 (147 from Forest Green)

Date: 12 August 2017

Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill

Mansfield picked up a thoroughly deserved 2-0 win over League new boys Forest Green Rovers at the One Call Stadium with a dominant display capped with second half goals from Danny Rose and Paul Anderson. The Stags had most of the play in the first half but there was a lack of cutting typified by a terrible miss from Lee Angol, who was gifted the ball by former Stag Lee Collins. Angol was through 1-on-1 with the keeper in front of the goal but fired straight at him after 5 minutes. The other best chance for the Stags in the first half was a Paul Digby header from a corner that was deflected and saved by the keeper. Nothing was seen of Forest Green in the first half, and that continued in the second half as Mansfield made their dominance count. The Stags were in front on 51 minutes as Will Atkinson chipped a great cross in from the right and Danny Rose glanced a fine header into the bottom left corner of the net. The Stags nearly increased the lead twice in the next few minutes as the ball came off Paul Anderson and just wide and then Rose was just wide with another header. But the Stags did make it 2-0 on 57 minutes. Byrom clipped a lovely ball forward. Rose sensibly left it as he would have been offside. Anderson ran on to the ball, into the area of the left, his first shot from 12 yards was saved by the keeper, but Anderson knocked the rebound into the empty net.
The Stags could easily have added more goals with Anderson flicking just wide from a terrific Danny Rose cross, and a great move involving Anderson and sub Omari Sterling-James created a chance for Jimmy Spencer who put the ball in the net but the offside flag was up in a tight call. Forest Green never looked like getting back into the game and it wasn’t until the final few minutes that they created their first chance in the entire match. Plenty of good performances from the Stags. Danny Rose deserved his goal with another good header, to add to his goal at Crewe, he also set up a good chance for Anderson with a great cross, and won plenty in the air. Will Atkinson continues to get better, and his outstanding cross set up the first goal. Anderson scored one, could have had another, and looked dangerous down the left. At the back, the Stags defence was always in control, with Hayden White impressing at right back and doing well pushing forward, Zander Diamond dominant at centre half in another good performance, and Krystian Peace did well alongside him, and Benning was very tidy at left back. Forest Green were disappointing and we were expecting more from them, but credit to the Stags for not allowing them into the game.

Steve Evans made two changes to the side that played LAST SATURDAY at Crewe. Pearce came in for Mirfin, and Digby came in for Mellis. Mirfin is out with a sore knee after a clash on Tuesday, though it is just precautionary. Mellis had a bit of a virus earlier in the week so is not quite right, though is on the bench, and Byrom gets the shirt ahead of him. Meanwhile in transfer news pre-match, Steve Evans confirmed that the club record bid for a striker is to a club in the Championship, and their manager is thinking it over.

FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE

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MATCH REPORT: Mansfield Town 2-0 Forest Green Rovers

chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS AT THE ONE CALL STADIUM, Saturday 12 August 2017

Mansfield Town finally saw off the challenge of League new boys Forest Green Rovers thanks to two goals in six second half minutes to win 2-0. Up until then it had been a frustrating afternoon as Rovers’ spoiling tactics had made life difficult for Steve Evans’ men. But quality told in the end with home keeper Conrad Logan with only one real save to make all afternoon right at the end as Stags chalked up their first win of the campaign at the third attempt. It was an historic day for Rovers, being their first ever away Football League match, and they arrived determined to go home with at least a point. Their time-wasting and getting everyone behind the ball in the first half frustrated the home side and crowd, though Lee Angol and Paul Digby were denied by good saves from Bradley Collins. But Danny Rose broke through on 51 minutes and when the superb Paul Anderson, pipped to man of the match only by a sterling 90 minutes from Hayden White, doubled the lead on 57 minutes, it was all over for Rovers. Mansfield made two changes. David Mirfin had a slight knee injury from midweek so Krystian Pearce came into the centre of defence while Digby, who impressed against Rochdale in the midweek Carabao Cup tie, replaced Jacob Mellis in central midfield. Stags had made six midweek changes for the Carabao Cup tie against Rochdale. Forest Green gave a first League start to West Brom loanee defender Jack Fitzwater. Diamond made a great block on Doidge six yards from goal as he tried to get on the end of a fourth minute cross from Bennett from the right as Rovers made a positive start. But Angol should have scored for Stags on five minutes as, having robbed Lee Collins 25 yards from goal and raced clear, he was unable to beat Bradley Collins with his finish, the keeper standing tall and getting his body in the way. Lee Collins made amends as he produced a perfectly-timed tackle on 13 minutes as Rose tried to race clear. On 16 minutes the whistle had already gone for offside well before Doidge turned a long forward ball past Logan. A clash of heads between Byrom and Cooper held the game up. Both were able to continue but Stags fans were angry when the game restarted with a free kick to Forest Green which saw Lee Collins head over at full stretch at the far post. Rovers were putting in some robust challenges and getting men behind the ball to frustrate the home side. But on the half-hour Mansfield came so close as Digby got in a powerful on-target header from a Byrom corner, only to see Bradley Collins make a superb save to his right. There were huge cheers from the stands as former Notts County midfielder Noble was booked for tripping White on 36 minutes. Rovers’ time-wasting was finally punished on 39 minutes when Bradley Collins took far too long taking his kick and out came a yellow card. But the visitors had done enough to keep the game at 0-0 by the break. After a quiet start to the second half, Stags went close again on 50 minutes. White found Digby on the right and his ball into the box was helped on by Rose, sending the ball narrowly wide of the far post. But two minutes later Rose broke the deadlock. Atkinson floated in a cross from the right to the far post where Rose got up superbly well to steer a header between keeper and post. Suddenly it was all Mansfield and Rose dribbled through the defence and saw his finish saved, Bennett then clearing Anderson’s follow-up off the line. Seconds later Rose headed wide at the far post from a corner. But on 57 minutes the lead was doubled through Anderson. He broke into the box on the left from a long ball and saw Bradley Collins get down well to block his first finish but slotted it home at the second attempt. On the hour Sterling-James replaced Angol for fresh legs up front for Stags. Benning saw the first home yellow card for catching Noble in a challenge on 62 minutes. Traore was added to the book for hacking down White a minute later. Anderson wasn’t too far over from 20 yards from a half-clearance as the home crowd began to enjoy the afternoon and a few minutes later his little touch in front of goal from a low Rose cross again passed narrowly wide. With 20 minutes to go Rose left the field to warm applause as Spencer was given a run-out. An offside flag was up before Spencer rounded Bradley Collins and netted within two minutes of coming on. Rovers finally won their first corner of the game with 14 minutes to go, but Stags defended it well. Bradley Collins was safely behind Digby’s low drive on 79 minutes as the home side played the ball about with confidence. Mullings was booked for a retaliatory push on Digby seconds later. Potter joined the action for the last two minutes in place of Atkinson. Potter quickly got the better of Monthe who was booked for holding him back a minute into the added five. A great block by White to deny Mullings from close range a a comfy save for Logan from a Noble shot ensured the deserved clean sheet at the death.

STAGS: Logan, White, Pearce, Diamond, Benning, Atkinson (Potter 88), Digby, Byrom, Anderson, Angol (Sterling-James 60), Rose (Spencer 70). Subs not used: Olejnik, Bennett, Mellis, Hamilton.

FOREST GREEN: B. Collins, Fitzwater, L. Collins, Monthe, Bennett, Laird (Wishart 82), Traore (James 63), Cooper, Noble, Doidge, Brown (Mullings 55). Subs not used: Russell, Marsh-Brown, Bugiel, Evans.

REFEREE: Carl Boyeson of East Yorkshire.

ATTENDANCE: 3,826 (147).

CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Hayden White.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/match-report-mansfield-town-2-0-forest-green-rovers-1-8699951

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Mansfield 2 Forest Green Rovers
https://www.forestgreenroversfc.com/games/match-reports/first-team/2017-18/mansfield-away

Sloppy second half costs Rovers

Two second half goals from Danny Rose and Paul Anderson consigned Forest Green to their first Football League defeat on a brisk afternoon in Nottinghamshire.

Rovers crafted the first opportunity of the match as Dale Bennett found space out on the right hand side. He fizzed a low cross into the area towards Christian Doidge but the Welshman couldn’t get the ball under control and it was well cleared.

The away side were keeping the ball well in the opening exchanges but Lee Collins pondered on possession for a split second too long and was dispossessed by Lee Angol. The rangy forward burst through the defence but couldn’t find a finish as Brad Collins stood firm to deny him.

Forest Green continued to press and had the ball in the back of the net. Liam Noble’s wonderful clipped ball over the top found Doidge who smashed the ball into the bottom corner. However, the linesman had the flag up for offside moments before.

The home side started to grow into the game on the half hour mark and nearly broke the deadlock. A corner was swung in and found the head of Paul Digby whose powerful header was excellently tipped away by the Rovers stopper.

But it was FGR that nearly found a goal in the closing minutes of the half. Krystian Pearce made a meal out of a simple headed back pass which fell at the feet of Reece Brown. However, Conrad Logan’s fingertips denied the forward an opportunity at an empty net.

Mansfield came straight out of the blocks in the second period applying pressure to the Rovers back line. This pressure finally told in the 51st minute as The Stags took the lead. Danny Rose climbed highest 8 yards from goal to meet Will Atkinson’s ball and he planted his header in the bottom corner to give the home side a 1-0 advantage.

It didn’t take long for Steve Evan’s side to double their lead. Just five minutes after the opener Mansfield struck again, this time through Paul Anderson. He capitalised on loose play from Rovers on the halfway line and received a ball over the top sending his through. His initial low shot was well saved by Brad Collins but the rebound fell kindly to the winger’s feet and he tapped home to make it 2-0.

Anderson nearly increased his tally on the 64th minute cleverly flicking a Rose cross towards goal but it narrowly missed the post.

Mark Cooper’s men finally found a foothold in the second half in the closing moments. Shamir Mullings was unlucky not to find the back of the net from close range but his strike was well closed down 4 yards from goal.

Liam Noble’s thundering volley could only be directed straight at Conrad Logan as the Mansfield defence failed to clear their lines properly.

The 147 fans who made the trip to Nottinghamshire nearly went home having seen Rovers score with less than a minute remaining. A Charlie Cooper corner fell amongst a sea of bodies in the 18 yard area and but nobody could find a finish at the decisive moment.

Report: Ryan Harmer

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