Archived News from November 2018
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STAGS SHOW FIGHTING SPIRIT FOR POINT AT CHELTENHAM
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Cheltenham Town 2 - 2 Mansfield Town Tozer 10, Boyle 45. Walker 7, 90+3 Attendance: 2828 (404 from Mansfield) Date: 3 November 2018 Martin Shaw at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium, Whaddon Road Mansfield Town showed fighting spirit to rescue a draw at Cheltenham thanks to an equaliser from Tyler Walker three minutes into stoppage time at Whaddon Road this afternoon. Three times this season, Mansfield have been pegged back from a winning position by a late equaliser from the opposition, and it felt particularly sweet for the Stags to be on the other end of the late drama today. Before the game, a draw at a team in the relegation zone would seem like a disappointing result, but the late equaliser and fighting spirit shown meant it was anything but disappointing. The draw protected Mansfield’s unbeaten away record which now stands at 12 away games, extending the club record. The Stags had taken the lead after 7 minutes when Mal Benning whipped a perfect ball in from the left and Walker glanced a fabulous header out of the keeper’s reach into the right corner of the net. But the lead lasted only 3 minutes as former Stag Chris Clements’ corner from the left came straight back to him, Clements knocked the ball low back in and Ben Tozer was left in too much space to poke a shot wide of Bobby Olejnik into the net from 12 yards. It looked like Krystian Pearce was supposed to be marking Tozer but found himself out of position attempting to prevent Clements knocking the ball back in. Mansfield fell behind on 45 minutes when Tozer got in a high cross from the byline on the right to beyond the far post where William Boyle headed down and goalwards and it took a slight deflection off Matt Preston to take it past Olejnik. The Stags created few chances to equalise in the second half and it seemed that Mansfield would be beaten for the first time away from home while Cheltenham would pick up their first home victory of the season, before Benning chipped a teasing ball in to the middle which just went over the head of Walker, but bounced invitingly into his path off defender Chris Hussey and Walker gleefully knocked into the net from 3 yards to spark wild scenes from the Stags fans immediately behind the goal. In truth Mansfield didn’t play well, and lacked the quality that has been apparent in the recent run of games, but it’s important to not lose if you don’t play well enough to win, and that is what the Stags did today. Mansfield never gave up and got their reward for fighting until the end. Tyler Walker was obviously the hero and my man of the match, with a special mention too for Mal Benning for his part in both goals. A word or two on Cheltenham. They had been buoyed by scoring 6 goals in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday, having had a dreadful home record in the league of two draws and five defeats from seven games, and according to their manager Michael Duff this was their best performance in the league this season. We know exactly how they will be feeling this evening conceding such a late equaliser. Chris Clements had a decent game for the home side in midfield while in young Jacob Maddox, on loan from Chelsea, they had a player with immense skill alongside him in midfield. Cheltenham’s time-wasting tactics were frustrating for Mansfield, but you could understand them with their desperation to pick up a home victory. So the Stags are three points behind the play-offs positions with a game in hand, and six points behind third place with a game in hand. The game in hand is on Tuesday at home to Grimsby Town. A win would take Mansfield into the play-off zone on goal difference. Get down to the One Call Stadium if you possibly can and roar the Stags into those play-off positions. The Stags were unchanged from the side that won at Crewe. Ryan Sweeney was available after suspension and was on the bench. Otis Khan again missed out with an Achilles problem. Young attacking midfielder Alistair Smith had been recalled from a good loan spell at Frickley Athletic and came into the squad as the club’s “home grown player”. Young defender Lewis Gibbens was left off the bench with defensive cover provided by Sweeney. Cheltenham included former Stags Chris Clements. Clements had scored against the Stags for Grimsby two seasons ago, then come on as a late sub against the Stags for Forest Green last season. Another former Stag, Johnny Mullins, had played in Cheltenham’s last league game but was dropped for this game and on the bench. Cheltenham had failed to win in seven league games at home this season, with two draws and five defeats, and were in the bottom two. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ---------------------------------- MATCH REPORT: Two-goal Walker strikes late to grab a point for Mansfield Town chad.co.uk report, by Agency, Saturday 03 November 2018 Two-goal Tyler Walker saved the day to keep Mansfield Town’s unbeaten streak intact with a dramatic late leveller in a 2-2 draw at Cheltenham Town this afternoon. The Stags led through Walker, but Ben Tozer scored and turned provided for William Boyle just before the break. However, Walker stole a deserved share of the spoils with a dramatic stoppage-time leveller to stretch the visitors’ unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions and extended the club record of unbeaten away games to 12. David Flitcroft’s Stags sported black armbands as a mark of respect for the Armistice Centenary and for Leicester City’s owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Flitcroft understandably named an unchanged side to the team which swept aside Crewe Alexandra 3-0 last time out. And the Stags sailed out of the blocks quickly to take to lead. Mal Benning found himself in space to deliver a perfectly-placed cross for Tyler Walker to head home just seven minutes in to the game. But the lead was short-lived as the struggling hosts equalised minutes later. Bobby Olejnik made a great save to flick Luke Varney’s rasping drive over. However, Olejnik was soundly beaten as Ben Tozer buried his effort into the bottom corner. Timi Elsnik blasted an effort over as the Stags searched to go ahead before the break. Tozer then popped up in the right place at the right time to throw himself in the way of Danny Rose’s strike. Down the other end Olejnik pulled off a super save to deny ex-Stag Chris Clements’ effort. Cheltenham v Mansfield Town: Fans Gallery But the Stags were caught out on the stroke of half-time as William Boyle popped up at the back post to fire the hosts ahead from Tozer’s ball. Just after the hour Olejnik was once again called upon to make a timely reaction save to keep out Varney’s deflected shot. And Olejnik was up to the task to deny Varney once again. Christopher Hamilton fluffed his lines after being found by Benning with 15 minutes left while Walker headed wide late on before Elsnik struck wide. But Walker finally fired home from close range deep in stoppage time to grab a point. CHELTENHAM: Flinders, Forster, Tozer, Boyle, Broom, Clements (Atangana, 78), Maddox, Thomas, Hussey, Mooney (Attai, 78), Varney (Barnett, 89). Unused subs: Lovett, Mullins, Field, Alcock. STAGS: Olejnik, White (Atkinson, 79), Pearce, Preston, Hamilton, Bishop (Davies, 69), Mellis, Elsnik, Benning, Walker, Rose. Unused subs: Logan, Graham, Smith, Sweeney, Butcher. REFEREE: Neil Hair. ATTENDANCE: 2828 (404 away). Read more at: https://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/football/match-report-two-goal-walker-strikes-late-to-grab-a-point-for-mansfield-town-1-9427100 ----------------- Five things we learned from Cheltenham Town's 2-2 home draw with Mansfield Town Cheltenham Town 2 Mansfield Town 2 https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/five-things-learned-cheltenham-towns-2180332 By Jon Palmer Cheltenham Town Reporter Cheltenham Town's best all-round display since Michael Duff took over The fighting spirit Michael Duff had demanded after his Cheltenham side's flimsy display in their 2-0 defeat against Stevenage a week earlier was within seconds of earning a first League Two win under his management. Mansfield, on a run of eight without defeat and unbeaten away from home this term, took an early lead when Tyler Walker nodded in a perfect cross from Mal Benning on the left in the seventh minute. But the response was swift as Will Boyle forced Bobby Olejnik into a flying save and from the resulting corner, Ben Tozer slotted in his first goal for the club after Chris Clements' pass, with the Stags in front for only three minutes. Cheltenham went on to perform well with the ball for the remainder of the first half, with some crunching tackles from the likes of Jordon Forster and Ryan Broom showing they are determined not to become the division's pushovers. But there were moments of real quality too. Jacob Maddox once again shone in his attacking midfield role behind Luke Varney and Kelsey Mooney, with the 3-5-2 showing further signs of promise. Boyle's far post header gave the Robins a lead just before half-time and it was an infinitely better display. Organisation and resolve shown during second half effort Mansfield went for it in the second half, switching to 4-2-4 after an hour, but Cheltenham stood up to the defensive challenge until the 93rd minute when Walker scored his second to earn his team a point after a rare mistake from Chris Hussey. It was a real blow after such an admirable team effort and the wait for a League Two victory under Duff goes on. But unlike seven days earlier the majority of the crowd would have left knowing Cheltenham are certainly not a hopeless case. The players showed they care and while they would have been left deflated by conceding so late on, they will all be aware that performances like this will give them a fighting chance of pulling away from the wrong end of the table. Ben Tozer comfortable in the middle of a back three Tozer did enough in the midweek 6-2 Checkatrade Trophy win over Arsenal Under-21s to keep his place in the back three, picked ahead of Johnny Mullins and also keeping the captain's armband. An adept communicator and organiser, Tozer was in assured form between Forster and Boyle, with some added composure on the ball. He played at the back in a 3-5-2 on occasions for Newport County last season, although he spent more time in midfield for his previous club. The 28-year-old former Newcastle United man did not convince in the centre of the pitch next to Nigel Atangana in a 4-4-2 at the start of this campaign and has also been used as emergency striker on one occasion this term. But he has now staked his claim for a regular place in the backline and it has been his professionalism and attitude that have kept him in Duff's plans. After scoring his first goal for the club to make it 1-1, Tozer skipped past Timi Elsnik on the right and delivered a cross to the far post for Boyle to put Cheltenham in front. One of the most experienced players in the squad, Tozer has perhaps too much to offer to be left out and if he can maintain the standards he set against Mansfield he could become an influential figure. Conor Thomas makes the most of rare opportunity Another player who may have feared his days at Cheltenham were numbered is midfielder Thomas, who had not started in League Two since Russell Milton's first game in caretaker charge at Cambridge United on August 25, when he was withdrawn halfway through. The one-time Liverpool target recovered from a recent illness, which saw him lose 4kg, to start the Arsenal game and like Tozer did enough to keep his place against Mansfield. Operating next to Chris Clements and behind Maddox, Thomas performed well and was one of the reasons Cheltenham retained possession far more capably. Not many would have expected Duff to leave out the experienced quartet of Mullins, Atangana, Craig Alcock and Tyrone Barnett, but the players who took their places all did enough to give their manager plenty to consider in the coming weeks. Standards must be maintained to avoid FA Cup upset If Cheltenham perform with as much commitment as they did against Mansfield, they will have a strong chance of overcoming National League club Ebbsfleet United next Saturday. But if they allow their performance levels to drop, as they did in the two games after their 1-1 derby draw at Forest Green Rovers, they run the risk of being on the wrong end of another upset in the FA Cup. There is £36,000 in prize money up for grabs that Cheltenham need, as well as a place in the second round and the positivity a run in the competition could provide. Their recent record in the Cup has been poor, knocked out by Tamworth, Dover Athletic, Sutton United and Maidstone United. Duff, who played in the club's best ever performance in the FA Cup in 2001/02 when they reached the last 16, will want to safely negotiate the challenge of Ebbsfleet and then try to net another £10,000 by defeating Coventry City in the Checkatrade Trophy three days later, which will not only boost the coffers, but also continue to lift confidence. Cheltenham Town: S Flinders; J Forster, B Tozer, W Boyle; R Broom, C Clements (N Atangana 79), C Thomas, J Maddox, C Hussey; K Mooney (A Addai 79), L Varney (T Barnett 89). Subs not used: R Lovett, J Mullins, T Field, C Alcock. Mansfield Town: R Olejnik; H White (W Atkinson 79), K Pearce, M Preston; CJ Hamilton, N Bishop (C Davies 68), T Elsnik, J Mellis, M Benning; T Walker, D Rose. Subs not used: C Logan, C Butcher, R Sweeney, J Graham, A Smith. Referee: Neil Hair. Attendance: 2,828 (404 away). Star Man: Ben Tozer. ---------------------- |
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