{ the news }
 
An independent supporters' website dedicated to Mansfield Town FC
Archived News from April 2018

BENNING GOAL SEALS STAGS WIN OVER SPIREITES
21st April 2018 10:35


English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Chesterfield 0 - 1 Mansfield Town
Benning 67
Attendance: 7976 (2617 from Mansfield)

Date: 14 April 2018

Martin Shaw at the Proact Stadium

Mansfield Town picked up a massively important win in the big local derby at Chesterfield this lunchtime thanks to a terrific goal from Mal Benning midway through the second half. It was a deserved win for the Stags who shaded the game overall. The 2,600 Stags fans created a magnificent atmosphere to roar their team onto victory and send the sorry Spireites spiralling down towards the Vanarama National League, a fate which seems highly likely now. Mansfield were off to a fast start with an attack inside the first 40 seconds, and then creating a good chance on 3 minutes when a shot from Benning was parried by keeper Ramsdale to Alfie Potter who side-footed wide from 15 yards. The Stags should have taken the lead on 20 minutes. Benning was involved again, cutting past Zavon Hines before curling a superb low cross into the middle where Danny Rose slid the ball towards the net having escaped his marker. It looked a certain goal but keeper Ramsdale somehow saved with his legs. Brilliant defending from Potter at the other end denied Chesterfield a goal on 27 minutes. Kristian Dennis headed down creating a chance for Laurence Maguire to bundle the ball goalwards from 12 yards, Logan was out quickly to block the effort, but the loose ball ran into the path of Hines who would have had an empty net to aim at but Potter slid in with a goal saving challenge to put Hines off and the ball skewed wide. Then on 41 minutes, Dennis cut inside Zander Diamond in the area and fired a low shot towards the net from 14 yards but Logan saved well with his legs despite diving the wrong way. Overall the Stags shaded the first half, though both sides had two good chances. Mansfield took the lead on 67 minutes with a terrific goal. Potter played the ball forward to sub CJ Hamilton, Hamilton turned and laid the ball perfectly into the path of Benning who collected the ball a couple of yards outside the area on the left, took one touch forward, and fired low across the keeper into the right corner of the net from 14 yards. This was Benning back at his best and a wonderful moment as the Stags players slid onto their knees in celebration right in front of the Stags fans. Three minutes later, a great move from the Stags as Benning played forward and a shot from Rose was deflected over the bar. From the resulting corner, MacDonald crossed from the left and Rhys Bennett headed just wide. Chesterfield were close to equalising on 79 minutes as sub Louis Dodds shot from 18 yards and it was deflected by Dennis just wide of the left post. Chesterfield changed tactics and started launching long ball after long ball into the Stags box, but the Stags defence stood firm and headed everything away. A bizarre moment in the third moment of stoppage time as Louis Reed was shown a red card by referee Darren Drysdale for bringing down Danny Rose as the last man with Rose having a clear run through on goal. Reed accepted his fate and was walking off, before the referee spotted that his linesman had the offside flag up against Rose, so Drysdale correctly rescinded the card and Reed was able to continue. It didn’t matter as Rhys Bennett headed away the final long ball into the box and the Stags fans could celebrate wildly. Wonderful celebrations and magnificent scenes at the end of the game, as the Chesterfield fans couldn’t get out of the ground quickly enough. It was Mansfield’s first win since the win at Exeter in February, and the first win for new manager David Flitcroft in his 9th game in charge. Later on in the afternoon Coventry won at Crawley, whilst Swindon and Lincoln lost. So Mansfield are one point behind Coventry, and Coventry have a game in hand. Mansfield are level with Lincoln, but Lincoln have two games in hand. Lincoln are at home to Wycombe on Tuesday and we could do with a favour from Wycombe to repay us for the favour we did for them four years ago. Coventry are at home to Stevenage on Friday. It still looks like Mansfield will need to win all of the remaining three games to have a chance of getting into the play-offs. But for today, it was all about local bragging rights.

FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE

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

MATCH REPORT: Chesterfield 0-1 Mansfield Town - Benning is Stags’ derby day hero
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Saturday 14 April 2018

Mal Benning was the derby day hero as his second half strike saw Mansfield Town win 1-0 in one of the most crucial ever games between the two bitter enemies at the Proact Stadium this afternoon. In a typically tense derby game, short on real chances, left back Benning struck on 67 minutes to settle the points and give new Stags boss David Flitcroft his first win at the ninth attempt. It was Mansfield’s first victory in 10 games and kept alive their hopes of making the play-offs. It was also another nail in the relegation coffin of the Spireites. Danny Rose saw the best chance of the first half saved by keeper Aaron Ramsdale’s legs, though Conrad Logan did have two stops to make at the other end. Mansfield knew failure to win could be the end of their promotion dream. So when Benning lashed home the winner, it sparked joyous celebrations behind that goal as over 2,700 visiting fans went wild. Mansfield then defended superbly as the desperate home side threw all they could at them in vain. The Stags side showed four changes from the team that drew 1-1 at Stevenage in midweek. Zander Diamond replaced Rhys Bennett in the centre of defence while Benning returned from a three-game ban to replace Johnny Hunt at left back. There were also two changes in midfield where Jacob Mellis and Alfie Potter came in for CJ Hamilton and Joel Byrom, who both dropped to the bench. Evatt produced a great tackle on Rose in the opening minute as Potter tried to send him away down the middle. On three minutes Benning forced Ramsdale into a save, but the keeper couldn’t hold onto the ball and home fans jeered as Potter sent the follow-up over the bar. A minute later the home side threatened for the first time as Kellett sent a great pass down the centre that Dennis was inches away from latching onto. Referee Drysdale, rarely popular with the Stags fans, had the visitors upset when Macguire’s late tackle appeared to clean out Hemmings in full flight and the referee gave only a goalkick. Brown pulled a low shot harmlessly wide for Chesterfield on 10 minutes. A head injury for Kellett saw him play on with a bandage around the wound. Two flying tackles in succession by Talbot had the home fans in fully voice as the drama continued. But Mansfield should have gone ahead on 20 minutes. Benning curled in a delightful low cross from the left right in front of goal where Rose, from six yards, saw his finish kept out by Ramsdale’s legs. There was more danger for Mansfield when Dennis helped the ball on and, at full stretch, Maguire was able to flick the ball at goal on 28 minutes. Logan blocked, but it ran loose towards Hines, Potter sliding in with a crucial block to stop him having a shy at the empty net. Soon after a home fan ran onto the pitch straight at the away fans but slipped over and was rapidly dealt with by the stewards. Stags lost White to injury on 32 minutes, replaced by Bennett. Three minutes later the whistle went for offside, Dennis lifted the ball over the bar after the whistle was gone but Brown was the one shown a yellow card. Logan was back in action on 41 minutes after Dennis had turned Diamond to cut in from the right and lashed a low shot that the keeper had to save. That gave us the game’s first corner from which Reed’s poor shot saw Maguire try a cheeky backheel on en route, but Logan was there. Dennis had a nibble at Atkinson’s ankle as he raced upfield to no avail. Stags went on to win their first corner and the referee went back to book Dennis in the first of three added minutes. But a tense half finished goalless. Stags won a free kick near the corner flag at the start of the second half, but Benning’s kick was inches too high for Diamond to reach at the far post. Stags then had to clear a home corner and, soon after, Kellett sent a low shot on the turn wide. Hamilton replaced Mellis for the Stags on 53 minutes. A Benning ball into the Chesterfield box caused chaos and a scramble with Maguire diving in to make a vital clearance. MacDonald was booked for his foul on Kellett on 61 minutes. Weir was then added to the book for his foul on 64 minutes. The deadlock was finally broken on 67 minutes as Mansfield worked the ball down the left. Benning got just inside the box and drilled a low shot goalwards which clipped Evatt as he dived in to make the tackle and the ball flew inside the far post to spark huge celebrations behind the goal. With 11 minutes to go sub Dodds took charge of a Mansfield clearance to the edge of the box and lashed a low shot that Dennis was agonising inches away from turning home en route. McCourt became the fourth Spireite booked on 83 minutes for arguing a decision with referee Drysdale. Logan was up well to grab a Maguire header at the far post as the minutes slipped away for the home side. Striker Hemmings was replaced by midfielder King at this point as Stags tried to shut up shop. Stags cleared a home corner as the game went into five added minutes. Reed appeared to haul Rose back as he tried to break clear and the referee pulled out a red card, only to see an offside flag already up and Reed escaped his intended punishment. But the home side had no late drama to produce as Stags held on to a crucial victory over the auld enemy.

CHESTERFIELD: Ramsdale; Talbot, Maguire, Evatt, Smith; Reid, Weir (McCourt 73); Brown (Dodds 69), Kellett, Hines (O’Grady 59), Dennis. Subs not used: Anyon, Rowley, Barry, Nelson.

STAGS: Logan; White (Bennett 32), Pearce, Diamond, Benning; Potter, Mellis (Hamilton 53), MacDonald, Atkinson; Hemmings (King 85), Rose, Subs not used: Olejnik, Hunt, Byrom, Angol.

REFEREE: Darren Drysdale of Lincolnshire. ATTENDANCE: 7,967 (2,617 away). CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Mal Benning.

Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/match-report-chesterfield-0-1-mansfield-town-benning-is-stags-derby-day-hero-1-9115990

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

Officer thanks fans for assisting with football policing operation
http://www.derbyshire.police.uk/News-and-Appeals/News/2018/April/april-14-Officer-thanks-fans-for-assisting-with-football-policing-operation.aspx
Posted on 14th April 2018

Our match commander in charge of policing for today’s local derby fixture at the Proact Stadium wants to extend his thanks to fans who helped to keep the match a largely peaceful affair.

Chief Superintendent, Jim Allen said:

“I’m very pleased with the outcome of today’s policing operation. It’s clear that the majority of fans attending were their solely to support their teams and enjoy a good day out, win, lose or draw.

“Today’s winners were Mansfield Town, who secured a 1-0 lead over Chesterfield, but there were no significant outbreaks of disorder from either side.

“A 20-year-old man was arrested for running onto the football pitch, but other than that and some reports of minor anti-social behaviour the day ran smoothly from a policing perspective.

“I would like to extend a particular note of thanks to the Mansfield Town fans for their patience and understanding, when they were asked to remain in the stadium at the end of the game to assist us with a safe and calm departure for all supporters.”

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

 

Latest | April 2018