Archived News from March 2019
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INJURY UPDATES / LINCOLN PREVIEWS
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Lincoln clash has ‘all the ingredients’ of big game - manager
mansfieldtown.net Stags’ boss David Flitcroft has expressed his belief that Monday evening’s top-of-the-table clash between Mansfield and Lincoln will live up to its high expectations, with the game set to be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The Stags welcome table-toppers Lincoln to One Call Stadium for a 7.45pm kick-off, for what is set to be a big fixture in the ever-intensifying race for promotion. The Mansfield boss says Monday night’s clash has ‘all of the ingredients’ of a big game. “It [game] is Monday night on Sky,” he said. “Sky want to cover the game as Lincoln are flying and we’re trying to catch them. And it’s a local derby, so it has all of the ingredients. “The only trouble with those sorts of ingredients is that sometimes you get a damp squib and sometimes it doesn’t live up to the build-up, but I think this game will. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/march/gaffer-pre-lincoln/ “Lincoln are flying. They’ve been phenomenal all season. They’ve built a really competitive squad with a lot of talented players who have hunger, desire and commitment. “When you have players working hard for each other, you get success. They rightly sit at the top of the league for the consistency they’ve had. “Lincoln come here flying against a Mansfield Town [team] at home that have only been beaten twice. “We have a real affinity with the supporters here, which is vital. The lads love playing here, and the added stimulus is the Sky cameras. “The football we play here [One Call Stadium] is good and it’s forward-thinking. We put teams on the back foot, and that will hopefully be no different when we turn out on Monday night. “Over the next three days we’ll be planning and preparing for the task in hand, and that’s what we have to get the squad focusing on.” David Flitcroft referred to Mansfield’s good record against teams placed higher in Sky Bet League Two, with the Stags currently unbeaten against sides residing in the division’s top seven positions. “The disappointing aspect of our season is a defeat to Yeovil, to Port Vale and a defeat to Notts County, who are all languishing at the bottom of the table,” he added. “It’s deeply hurt me, and I’ve come out the other side knowing what that takes to feel that hurt and move on from it. “Against all the top teams, we’ve done well. The [Jacob Mellis] late equaliser against Lincoln, the lads dug in for that. Lincoln almost celebrated the win when they scored the first one. “There should be no need for motivation. We’re up near the top of the table and we have a chance of automatic promotion. “Adding to the points total and where you’re sat in the league is always the motivation. That’s where you get pride from. “Continual improvement is something that should happen day-in, day-out, and it has been with this group of players.” The manager also provided injury updates on the trio of Matt Preston, Ryan Sweeney and Danny Rose. “I did expect to have Matty Preston back now. He’s been working around the clock. He’s having round the clock medical attention. “There’s something that’s just not feeling right and we’ll probably have to take him for a scan to get to the bottom of it. “He’s missed too many games and he’s influential for us. When we’ve had that backbone of the back-three or back-five, we’ve been really solid. “Sweens [Ryan Sweeney] is in the middle of his [concussion] protocol. He’ll get through a light training session tomorrow and we’ll see where he is Sunday. “If there are any signs of nausea or headaches, we start the process again, which is the difficulty with concussion now. “We have a duty of care as a football club [to care for players]. I think it’s right that it [concussion] gets all of the attention that it deserves. “[With Danny Rose] he’s probably not healed as well as we’d hoped after four weeks. He’s probably going to be out for another three or four weeks. “It’s a killer really for Dan as we thought he’d be around non-contact training this week. We have to make sure than Danny comes back fully fit and flying. “We might have him for the last few weeks of the season. There’s no one more gutted than Danny to hear the [injury] news.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the manager’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. Tickets for Monday night’s big match against Lincoln can be purchased by clicking HERE. ----------------- Sidelined Mansfield Town defensive duo making progress, says David Flitcroft chad.co.uk, Friday 15 March 2019 Defenders Matt Preston and Ryan Sweeney are both progressing in their bids to return to first team action with Mansfield Town. Stags boss David Flitcroft gave an update on the defensive duo’s fitness ahead of Monday night’s televised derby with Lincoln City. Flitcroft would like to see the pair back and available for selection but said both individual’s long term health must come first. On Preston, who has been suffering from a niggling knee injury, Flitcroft said: “I did expect to have Matt Preston back by now. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/sidelined-mansfield-town-defensive-duo-making-progress-says-david-flitcroft-1-9653229 “He’s been working around the clock with the medical staff. “There’s something which just isn’t feeling right. “We’ll probably have to take him for a scan and get to the bottom of it. “It’s taking too long for me now - he’s missed too many games. “He’s influential for us, he’s important to us and again when we’ve had that backbone of a back three or back five we’ve been really solid. “I do feel like we miss him. It’s a little bit frustrating to be honest but I just want him right and back training with us.” Sweeney is still under treatment for concussion from last weekend’s match at Port Vale. “It’s a bit of a strange week with having the Sky game on Monday,” said Flitcroft. “It has given us more of a chance to assess him. “If there is any signs of nausea, sickness or headaches then we start the process again and that’s the difficulty with concussion. “Some people think it’s overkill but for me it’s not. “We have got a duty of care as a football club and I as a manager. The medical staff have got to have full autonomy, we’re talking life after football. “I think it’s right that it gets all the attention it deserves and as professionals we do everything in our power to make sure the player gets right.” Meanwhile striker Danny Rose is no closer to a return, with Flitcroft expecting him to be sidelined for a further three to four weeks. --------------- Mansfield Town blow as Danny Rose return is delayed for another month chad.co.uk Promotion-chasing Mansfield Town were dealt a blow with just eight games to go with the news that striker Danny Rose will now be out for another three to four weeks. Rose was expected back in training this week after his double fracture of the jaw at Newport County on 9th February. But the healing has not gone as well as hoped for. “We have had some disappointing news,” said manager David Flitcroft. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-blow-as-danny-rose-return-is-delayed-for-another-month-1-9658995 “But it wasn’t a surprise. I was 10 foot away from the actual injury and he severed a main artery. “They rebuilt his fracture and put a plate in it. But it’s probably not healed as well as we’d have expected after four weeks. “It’s a killer for Dan. We thought we’d have him back in light training and into contact this week. He was pushing for that. “But the surgeon has seen it again and just said it’s not where he wants it to be.” However, Flitcroft remained philosophical, despite Rose staying on the treatment table with fellow strikers Craig Davies and Jordan Graham. “You have got healing processes and you have got guidelines,” he said. “ And, if I am being honest, you have got to go off the player and make sure he comes back absolutely flying. “We might have him for the last three weeks of the season and that’s how I look at things. “When you get the news you have got to see you have potentially got that player and then move on from that. Mansfield Town v Lincoln City: Fans Gallery “You can only ever control what’s in your destiny. There is no one more gutted than Danny to hear that news. “But we want a fit and healthy Danny Rose and in three weeks time we will hopefully get that.” ------------------- Mansfield Town boss David Flitcroft reveals his side’s motivation ahead of Monday’s televised match with Lincoln City chad.co.uk, Friday 15 March 2019 David Flitcroft has said the three points on offer against table topping Lincoln City should be motivation enough for his Mansfield Town players ahead of the televised showdown on Monday night. “We’ve got a chance of automatic promotion,” said Flitcroft. “The Sky cameras are here but that’s not the motivation. The motivation is adding to the points total. That’s where you get pride from, winning football matches, and I’ve instilled that in the group. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/mansfield-town-boss-david-flitcroft-reveals-his-side-s-motivation-ahead-of-monday-s-televised-match-with-lincoln-city-1-9653236 “Continual improvement is something which should happen day-in and day-out. The disappointment is that we’ve not sealed the deal against teams near the bottom. That’s something we need to improve on as the season nears an end.” Stags sit third in the last automatic promotion spot ahead of the weekend’s League Two fixtures before Monday’s showdown at the One Call Stadium, which will see Flitcroft’s men face a flying Imps side. “Lincoln have built a really competitive squad with a lot of talented players, but it’s their hunger, desire, determination and commitment too,” said Flitcroft. “When you have a group of talented players working hard for each other then you get success - that’s what Lincoln are doing at the minute. And added: “Lincoln come here flying but they come up against a Mansfield Town side at home, who have only been beaten twice. “The lads have a real affinity with the supporters here. “The last three games have allowed us to swell the crowd with the offer the owners have put on. The connection with supporters is vital and the lads really love playing here. “The added stimulus is the Sky cameras - you want players to give an account of themselves. “They’ll have families watching at home - that’s who you do it for - everyone’s got their own individual cause.” And there’s no place like home for Flitcroft. “We put teams on the back-foot at home and hopefully that’ll be no different when we turn out on Monday night,” said Flitcroft. “We’re looking forward to it. We’ve had time to prepare for it because they’ve moved it to Monday. “It gives me a chance to go out on Saturday to watch Crewe after we’ve done a training session. It gives us a chance to alter the planning and the working week.” ------------------- Danny Cowley interview with BBC Radio Lincolnshire "I think the two clubs, because of the location, they're doing well this season like ourselves, there's a natural rivalry and it drives standards." Asked about Mansfield's celebrations after a late equaliser at Sincil Bank in November: Cowley added: "I think you always choose to keep certain things close don't you, we've been really pleased with both performances against Mansfield this season, I thought we acquitted ourselves well in the Checkatrade trophy. "In the home game I think we probably should have got the second goal but credit to Mansfield they pegged us back with an excellent worked goal at the death. "Whenever you concede late it's always a painful one. "We're respectful of the fact that going to Mansfield is always going to be tough they've a fantastic record at home. "They've got some top players and some of the boys they've got playing for them should be playing higher. "They've got a model where they've loaned some players, from a feeder club, that are significantly better than the level. And as a consequence they've been very successful this season. Credit to them. "We look at their playing personnel and it's as good as it is, if not the best in the league. "We're under no illusions we know how tough Monday night will be but we're in a good moment ourselves and we've got a real collective togetherness and spirit in the group. "Everyone is fighting for the cause and that can be very powerful." ----------------------- |
Latest | March 2019