Archived News from December 2018
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SUPER STAGS WIN AT STEVENAGE
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Stevenage 1 - 3 Mansfield Town Newton 45+2. Sweeney 55, Walker 77, 86 Attendance: 2761 (390 from Mansfield) Date: 22 December 2018 Martin Shaw at the Lamex Stadium, Broadhall Way Mansfield Town put in a dominant performance to win 3-1 at Stevenage this afternoon. The Stags dominated from the first whistle, pinning Stevenage in their own half in the opening stages. The Stags created all the best chances of the first half as Tyler Walker’s close range effort was blocked on the line, Timi Elsnik’s cross found Neal Bishop unmarked at the far post but it almost hit Bishop and went wide, Walker showed great pace to get through 1-on-1 with the keeper but the keeper was out quickly to block, Jacob Mellis’s close range effort was blocked on the line, and Walker headed wide from Mellis’ cross. But in an incredible sucker punch 2 minutes into stoppage time at the end of the half, Stevenage took the lead. From a corner from the left, former Stag Johnny Hunt played a 1-2 with another former Stag Joel Byrom, Hunt crossed from the byline and Danny Newton got between Ryan Sweeney and Mal Benning to flick into the net from 4 yards. Hayden White also switched off for a split-second allowing Hunt to get the cross in. Disappointing defending from the normally solid defence. The Stags were back on level terms on 55 minutes. A great tackle by Neal Bishop to win the ball and drive forward, he found Walker, whose goalbound shot was deflected and looped just wide. From the resulting corner from the left, taken by Mellis, Walker headed goalwards, it was parried on the line by the keeper, and Sweeney knocked the ball into the empty net from a yard with his knee. Sweeney’s first goal for the Stags and a great moment for him in front of the jubilant Stags fans. The second half was more even than the first, and Stevenage nearly regained the lead on 76 minutes. A low corner from Byrom to the edge of the area where Newton smashed a shot against the bar. I had initially thought Logan tipped it onto the bar, but from the main camera and pitchside video footage, I don’t think he touched it. Either way, it was a crucial moment, as within a minute it was the Stags who went in front. CJ Hamilton crossed the left, sub Danny Rose did superbly to arch his neck and head back across goal, and the ball fell kindly for Walker who calmly bent a shot around a crowd of players in front of him into the right corner of the net from 8 yards. The Stags extended the lead on 86 minutes as Hamilton knocked the ball 25 yards in front of him and outpaced his marker Wildin before crossing into the middle where Walker knocked it goalwards on the volley first time from 8 yards. The keeper parried, but Walker knocked the rebound into the net, to send the superb travelling fans into raptures. It was Walker’s 14th goal of the season in all competitions. It crowned a super performance from Mansfield who thoroughly deserved the win, having dominated the first half, and then having taken three chances in a more even second half. The win extended Mansfield’s club record unbeaten away record to 14 away games, a run which started at Stevenage last season. The win also extended Mansfield’s unbeaten record (home and away) to 14 games, the club’s best since a 20 game unbeaten run in 1976. Special mention of the superb Stags support today. The travelling fans created a great atmosphere singing throughout the game, while the home fans were mostly quiet. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE --------------------------- CHAD report by Agency. Later removed due to being garbage. REPORT: Stevenage 1-3 Mansfield Town - Walker brace seals Stags comeback chad.co.uk, by SPORTS REPORTER, 17:21 Saturday 22 December 2018 Tyler Walker was Mansfield’s match-winner as his brilliant second half brace secured a battling 3-1 comeback win away to Stevenage. Striker Danny Newton gave the U’s a welcome lead in first half injury time at the Lamex Stadium. But Stoke City loan defender Ryan Sweeney levelled for the visitors in the 55th minute and then Walker pounced twice in the space of nine breathtaking minutes to complete a spirited turnaround from the Stags. The Nottingham Forest loan marksman picked out the bottom right-hand corner with a sweet strike to put David Flitcroft’s side ahead for the first time in the contest. And not content with that goal, the 22-year-old son of former England defender Des Walker, netted a second four minutes from time to seal the three points. Walker has now scored nine league goals in what is proving to be a prosperous spell with the Stags, with 13 goals in all competitions. Newton’s close-range finish, his fourth league goal of the season, had given the hosts a deserved lead after they forced the pace. But Walker stole the man-of-the-match honours after Sweeney had equalised with this first goal for the club and his first since January this year. Early in the action Malvind Benning tried his luck with a sweet half-volley for the visitors, but Luther Wildin through himself in front of the ball to make a great block. Joel Byrom rifled a shot just wide of the far post in the 20th minute as hosts came close to taking the lead, before Paul Farman thwarted Walker with a smart close-range block. But then Newton slotted home to give the home side the lead in the second minute of first-half injury-time. Midfielder Jacob Mellis blasted a shot over bar as visitors went in search of an equaliser early in the second half. And that goal came just three minutes later when Sweeney levelled matters from a corner. Alex Revell had a left-foot shot well-saved by alert Conrad Logan, before the keeper made a stunning save to deny Newton, tipping his goalbound shot on to the crossbar ands away to safety. Substitute Danny Rose then headed into path of Walker who was never going to miss from close range for the lead. And a second goal was just around the corner as he finished smartly to make sure Flitcroft’s team claimed a second league win on the bounce. Stevenage: Farman, Henry, Cuthbert, Seddon, Wildin (Vancooten 87), Linton, Byrom, Ball (Revell 45), Hunt (Sonupe 82), Kennedy, Newton. Subs: Reid, Dieng, Guthrie, Wilkinson. Mansfield: Logan, Preston, Pearce, Sweeney, White, Bishop, Elsnik (Graham 90+6), Mellis, Benning (Rose 69), Walker, Hamilton. Subs: Khan, Atkinson, Butcher, Kean, Law. Referee: Dean Whitehouse. Read more at: https://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/football/report-stevenage-1-3-mansfield-town-walker-brace-seals-stags-comeback-1-9506556 (Same report on BBC website, and in Football League Paper, credited to James Booker) ----------------- Replaced with ... Mansfield Town put in a dominant display to ease past Stevenage chad.co.uk, by MARTIN SHAW, 21:38 Saturday 22 December 2018 Mansfield Town put in a dominant performance to win 3-1 at Stevenage this afternoon. The Stags dominated from the first whistle, pinning Stevenage in their own half in the opening stages. Mansfield created all the best chances of the first half as Tyler Walker’s close range effort was blocked on the line, Timi Elsnik’s cross found Neal Bishop unmarked at the far post but it almost hit Bishop and went wide, Walker showed great pace to get through 1-on-1 with the keeper but the keeper was out quickly to block, Jacob Mellis’s close range effort was blocked on the line, and Walker headed wide from Mellis’ cross. But in an incredible sucker punch 2 minutes into stoppage time at the end of the half, Stevenage took the lead. From a corner from the left, former Stag Johnny Hunt played a one-two with another former Stag Joel Byrom, Hunt crossed from the byline and Danny Newton got between Ryan Sweeney and Mal Benning to flick into the net from 4 yards. Disappointing defending from the normally solid defence. Mansfield were back on level terms on 55 minutes. A great tackle by Neal Bishop to win the ball and drive forward, he found Walker, whose goalbound shot was deflected and looped just wide. From the resulting corner from the left, taken by Mellis, Walker headed goalwards, it was parried on the line by the keeper, and Sweeney knocked the ball into the empty net from a yard with his knee. Sweeney’s first goal for the Stags and a great moment for him in front of the jubilant Stags fans. The second half was more even than the first, and Stevenage nearly regained the lead on 76 minutes. A low corner from Byrom to the edge of the area where Newton smashed a shot against the bar. I had initially thought Logan tipped it onto the bar, but from the main camera and pitchside video footage, I don’t think he touched it. Either way, it was a crucial moment, as within a minute it was the Stags who went in front. CJ Hamilton crossed the left, sub Danny Rose did superbly to arch his neck and head back across goal, and the ball fell kindly for Walker who calmly bent a shot around a crowd of players in front of him into the right corner of the net from 8 yards. The Stags extended the lead on 86 minutes as Hamilton knocked the ball 25 yards in front of him and outpaced his marker Wildig before crossing into the middle where Walker knocked it goalwards on the volley first time from eight yards. The keeper parried, but Walker knocked the rebound into the net, to send the superb travelling fans into raptures. It was Walker’s 14th goal of the season in all competitions. It crowned a super performance from Mansfield who thoroughly deserved the win, having dominated the first half, and then having taken three chances in a more even second half. The win extended Mansfield’s club record unbeaten away record to 14 away games, a run which started at Stevenage last season. The win also extended Mansfield’s unbeaten record (home and away) to 14 games, the club’s best since a 20 game unbeaten run in 1976. Read more at: https://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-put-in-a-dominant-display-to-ease-past-stevenage-1-9506720 --------------------- REPORT: Stevenage 1-3 Mansfield https://www.stevenagefc.com/news/2018/december/match-report-stevenage-v-mansfield-sky-bet-league-two-efl-saturday-22nd-december-2018/ by Dan Branowsky Stevenage fell to defeat at home to Mansfield in the final game before Christmas as the title-contending Stags extended their unbeaten run to 14 games.... After grabbing the lead just before half-time through Danny Newton, it was Mansfield who scored the all-important goals in a competitive second half that could have gone either way. Dino Maamria named three changes to the side that picked up a point at Northampton seven days earlier. Newton, Ball and Academy graduate Arthur Iontton in for Revell, Timlin and Guthrie. It was the Stags that got off to the stronger of starts and they should have been ahead after just a few minutes. Former Boro loanee Tyler Walker forcing a goal-line clearance from Scott Cuthbert as Stevenage took a little time to get acclimatised to the pace of the contest. Before long the game began to settle down though and Stevenage were able to make some inroads themselves. Newton came inches away from stabbing the ball goal-wards from just a few yards out after dynamic play from Hunt, racing onto a through ball down the left-hand side before cutting in and curling goalwards. As the Mansfield ball swung into the Stevenage box on 25 minutes, a miss-kick from Walker almost gifted a gilt-edged opportunity for Bishop at the back-post, but the central midfielder couldn’t sort his feel out in-time and the chance went begging. The Stags were building up the pressure and starting his second game in a row, Farman was at his best to prevent Walker from finding the opener on 35 minutes. After racing onto a poor pass-back, Walker rode the challenge of Henry but Farman was out quick to spread himself, denying the striker any space to shoot past. There was no question who the Mansfield danger-man was throughout the first half and right before the whistle, a quick turn and shot inside the box - which was heading for the net - from Walker deflected off Seddon and out for a corner. Walker and the Stags were to rue those missed chances as Newton struck right on the stroke of half-time, latching onto a cross inside the box to make it 1-0 to Stevenage. Coming out from the break, Mansfield were clearly eager to get back onto level terms and that is exactly what they did within 10 minutes of the restart. Sweeney, quickest to react to a loose ball following an in-swinging corner, smashing the ball home from just a few yards out. Revell, who came on at half-time for Ball, could have immediately restored Stevenage’s lead but his connection with a left-footed shot following a clever pull-back from Hunt was lacking. Rather than hide, Stevenage would up the ante for the remainder of the half, pushing the Stags back and looking to attack. Newton crashed an effort off the crossbar with 15 minutes remaining, fooling the Mansfield defence with a clever run off a corner but the strike was just a few inches too high. Having threatened to do so all game, Walker finally found the net just a couple of minutes later though, lashing the ball home from 6 yards out as Stevenage failed to clear their lines. It was a cruel time to concede for Maamria’s men as they were enjoying their best spell of the match. It was soon game over as Walker grabbed his second, another simple finish after Farman parried his initial effort back into the strikers path. A second straight home defeat for Stevenage against title-chasing opposition, once again Boro just falling the wrong side of fine margins. ------------------------ |
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