Archived News from January 2019
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RESERVES: ROTHERHAM 1-3 STAGS, MIRFIN RETURN
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Reserves record 3-1 cup victory over Rotherham
mansfieldtown.net, Tues 8 Dec 2018 Stags’ reserves ran out 3-1 winners over Rotherham United reserves in a Central League Cup clash at Roundwood Sports Complex. A mixed Mansfield lineup was selected for the game, including first team players Will Atkinson, Calum Butcher and Otis Khan. First team defender David Mirfin also completed 45 minutes in the match - his first outing in over a year due to a knee injury. Stags initially fell behind inside the opening five minutes of the game, courtesy of a well-taken finish by Millers’ forward Tyrone Lewthwaite. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/january/match-report-for-rotherham-united-reserves-vs-mansfield-town-reserves-on-08-jan-19/ Inside the opening 10 minutes, Mansfield were back on level terms, as Nyle Blake pulled the ball back to Butcher who struck low into the bottom corner from six yards. The Stags turned on the style in the second half, and found themselves ahead in the early stages through Khan. The midfielder surged into the area and unleashed a powerful drive that proved too much for Rotherham goalkeeper Laurence Bilboe, who did get a hand to his effort. Mansfield doubled their lead late on, once again through Butcher, who finished confidently after Paul Anderson’s pull-back. Stags were forced into making a change between the posts during the match following an injury to Jake Kean in the second half, yet managed to keep the Millers at bay with Blake in goal. Despite the win, the Stags will not progress to the knockout stage of the tournament, after finishing second in Group North Central. Only the winner of each group progresses to the semi-finals. Senior professional development coach Richard Cooper spoke highly of the senior players’ performances - including that of Mirfin - and provided an update on Stags’ stopper Kean. Speaking after the game, he said: “It was a good game for us. I think you have to give a lot of credit to the senior lads that dropped into the team today. “They’ve had a massive period of training and games over Christmas. The lads covered a lot of distance and played some good football. “Mirf [David Mirfin] has been training really hard with the under-21s and doing his gym work. That was his first 45 minutes for quite a while, so to get that 45 minutes, it was a great weight off his mind. “I think he [Jake Kean] is okay. I think it was just a precaution [taking him off]. Because of the new rules, any bangs to the head, the medical team are straight on the pitch. “He’s full recovered now, so we’ll just have to keep an eye on him over the next 24 hours. “We’ll see what numbers are back in the building over the next few days [ahead of next week’s Central League match against Notts County]. “We’ll see what happens over the weekend in terms of the under-18s game and the first team game. The team will be picked over the weekend.” ---------------------- Gaffer happy with attitude and application in reserves win mansfieldtown.net, Wed 9 Dec 2018 Stags’ boss David Flitcroft has highlighted his players’ qualities of ‘attitude, application and character’ in yesterday’s 3-1 reserves’ win at Rotherham United. Rotherham took an early lead which was cancelled out by a leveller from midfielder Calum Butcher inside the opening ten minutes and added to by Otis Khan’s strike in the second half, before Butcher found the net again late on. “It was brilliant to see both the experienced and younger players together, with driving performances from the likes of Calum Butcher, Otis Khan and Lewis Gibbens, as well as David Mirfin getting 45 minutes following his injury” said Stags’ boss David Flitcroft, speaking to http://www.mansfieldtown.net this morning. “It’s important for the younger players to experience first hand that the more experienced players are giving it their all in reserve games, so I was really pleased with our players’ attitude, application and character in this game.” https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/january/gaffer-happy-with-attitude-and-application-in-reserves-win/ Despite an impressive team performance, goalkeeper Jake Kean suffered concussion in the second half after colliding with an opponent when attempting to claim the ball and will now miss Saturday’s first team match at home to Yeovil Town. Striker Jordan Graham twisted his ankle in the first half and has potential ligament damage and will continue to be assessed. “Our medical staff and the medical team at Rotherham were excellent in their initial and immediate treatment towards Jake," said the manager. “We will now be advised and led by our medial staff and follow the FA guidelines in relation to concussion.” Stags - a united a club who currently sit fourth in Sky Bet League Two - were represented well at the reserves fixture, which took place at Rotherham’s training ground. “Myself and Futch (assistant manager Ben Futcher) took the first team training session in the morning with the players who have been playing and then headed over to Rotherham. “It was great to see the chairman and Mark Hawkins (co-youth director), along with John Dempster (academy manager), Mike Whitlow (U21s coach) and Richard Cooper (senior professional development coach) observing the match, together. “A clear pathway from the academy to the reserves and then first team is critical to our club’s future.” ----------------------------- D-Day approaching for Mansfield Town decision on Jake Kean future chad.co.uk, by John Lomas, Tue 8 Jan 2018 Mansfield Town will make a decision on the future of goalkeeper Jake Kean over the next week. The former Sheffield Wednesday stopper, who suffered concussion during yesterday’s reserve game, had joined the Stags on a one-month deal as emergency cover for Conrad Logan following Bobby Olejnik’s serious knee injury last month. Kean had spent time on loan at Stags two years before and is now hoping to be offered the chance to stay for the rest of the season. “I think his contract is up on the 13th and we will have a look at that then,” said manager David Flitcroft. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/d-day-approaching-for-mansfield-town-decision-on-jake-kean-future-1-9527449 “It was always a short term deal to see how he fits into the squad. “He has been great in and around it. It was always the case to have a really good look at him on the training ground but we’ve probably not had enough games to assess him. “We are keeping our eyes and our options open on that one.” Kean will not be allowed to play next week under protocol over concussion. He had to come off after 57 minutes of the 3-1 win over Rotherham United after a collision knocked him out. After the game Stags coach Richard Cooper said: “I think Jake is okay. “I think it was just a precaution taking him off. “Because of the new rules, any bangs to the head, the medical team are straight on the pitch. “He’s full recovered now, so we’ll just have to keep an eye on him over the next 24 hours.” ------------- REPORT - Reserves 1 v 3 Mansfield themillers.co.uk Rotherham United's reserves were beaten 3-1 by Mansfield Town in Tuesday afternoon's Central League Cup encounter at Roundwood. The Millers' youthful outfit took the lead through Tyrone Lewthwaite after just four minutes, but a reply from Calum Butcher soon after levelled the scores. Subsequent strikes from Will Atkinson and Otis Khan ensured victory for the visitors on a sunny afternoon at the club's training base. https://www.themillers.co.uk/news/2019/january/match-report-for-rotherham-united-reserves-vs-mansfield-town-reserves-on-08-jan-19/ Ciaran Toner was charged with leading a young reserves’ side into battle against the Stags in the Central League Cup game with a number of first team players kept away from the action due to the high volume of injuries in the senior setup. The Millers started the game incredibly brightly, so brightly in fact that they were ahead after their first sight of Jake Kean’s goal. Academy forward Lewthwaite needed no second invitation to take his chance as he latched onto a ball in the box before coolly opening up his body to slot the ball beyond the goalkeeper to find the bottom corner and give the hosts the lead. It was just four minutes before Mansfield levelled though, again, showing a clinical nature to capitalise on one of their only early opportunities. The goal came when Butcher expertly met a delivery from the Stags’ right to turn the ball beyond Laurence Bilboe and make it 1-1. Lewthwaite had impressed in the early stages and did so again as he almost turned creator for strike partner Jacques Etia on 19 minutes. A burst to the byline saw a stabbed cross follow which took the goalkeeper out of the equation and found the head of Etia in the six yard box, but the retreating Tom Fielding somehow manage to hook his connection off the line when it looked set to ripple the net. Both sides did settle into the game following the opening two goals and chances became harder to come by before the interval. Five minutes before the break it was the Stags who threatened to take the lead as Will Atkinson charged towards goal in the box before smashing an effort across the face of goal and inches wide of the far post from the angle of the six yard box. Half-time - Reserves 1 v 1 Mansfield Town The second half started in the same vein as the first ended with chances limited but the best of them came to Mansfield and winger Atkinson. The wide man fired a shot across the bows of his former club as he drove forward and laid a pass wide to Otis Khan, who fired a low cross in which substitute Omari Sterling-James couldn’t quite reach to turn home in front of goal. Atkinson continued to prove the threat in the visitors’ attack and got his reward on 55 minutes. This time he floated in off the left and drove for the box before unleashing a ferocious strike which Bilboe was able to get a hand to, but the venom in the strike meant he couldn’t prevent it from finding the back of the net. There was concern for Mansfield goalkeeper Jake Kean after a collision in the box on 57 minutes knocked him unconscious and required members from both club’s medical staff and the on-site paramedic to attend to him. After a lengthy stoppage, the ‘keeper came around and limped off the pitch but was unable to continue, being replaced by an outfield player between the sticks. There was concern for Mansfield goalkeeper Jake Kean after a collision in the box on 57 minutes knocked him unconscious and required members from both club’s medical staff and the on-site paramedic to attend to him. After a lengthy stoppage, the ‘keeper came around and limped off the pitch but was unable to continue, being replaced by an outfield player between the sticks. Etia’s performance in the forward line had been relentless all afternoon and he was almost rewarded for his industry on 75 minutes. His solo dart for the Stags’ goal saw him burst in between defenders and into the box, where a touch from a retreating took the ball away from his toe and behind for a corner as he looked to pull the trigger. The pendulum swung back in favour of the visitors soon after though as Mansfield added a third. Aiden Walker’s dart up the Mansfield right saw him make it all the way to the byline where he pulled it back for the onrushing Khan, who expertly fired beyond Bilboe from just inside the area. Full-time - Reserves 1 v 3 Mansfield Town Millers - Bilboe; Hodgkinson, Beeden, Hull, Hinds; Hutchinson, Carlton, Peel-Evans, Gratton; Etia, Lewthwaite. Subs - Farrar, Spence, Gateshill, Wenham, Diouf. Mansfield Town - Kean, Blake, Wilder, Mirfin, Gibbens, Smith, Atkinson, Butcher, Graham, Khan, Law. Subs - Walker, Bircumshaw, Fielding, Anderson, Sterling-James. ------------------- |
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