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Archived News from August 2019

STAGS’ FIRST WIN OF SEASON AT CARLISLE
22nd August 2019 14:41


English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Carlisle United 0 - 2 Mansfield Town
Rose 29, Maynard 45+4
Attendance: 4576 (292 from Mansfield)

Date: 17 August 2019

Martin Shaw at Brunton Park

Mansfield Town picked up a much-needed first win of the season away to Carlisle United this afternoon with a terrific performance full of steel and determination. After three consecutive 2-2 draws, with poor defensive displays, having to come from behind each time and having a man sent off in both of the league games, the Stags were desperate for a clean sheet and to keep 11 men on the pitch. Boss John Dempster sacrificed a bit of flair, leaving CJ Hamilton and Otis Khan on the bench, and going for steel in midfield, selecting Neal Bishop, Will Tomlinson and Alex MacDonald, and it worked an absolute treat.
The Stags scored twice in the first half, as Tomlinson crossed from the left to the far post where Danny Rose smashed a fabulous volley into the net from a tight angle. Great technique from Rose, who was continuing his return to form, and a great cross from Tomlinson.
That came after 29 minutes, then 4 minutes into stoppage time at the end of the half, Hayden White chipped the ball forward from just inside his own half, Danny Rose headed inside to Nicky Maynard who sent a first time shot from the edge of the area into the bottom left corner of the net. A really good finish from Maynard, and a clever header inside from Rose, similar to his header to Khan in the Newport game from which Khan won the penalty.
The build-up to the second goal left many, including me, perplexed. The referee had stopped play and it wasn’t clear why, and he then lectured Alex MacDonald and Krystian Pearce, before play restarted with White chipping the ball forward. At half time, I spoke to the Carlisle video analyst who told me that the ball had hit the referee, who had therefore stopped play according to the new rule this season, and restarted play dropping the ball for a Mansfield player, since Mansfield had last touched the ball. I had not spotted that the ball had touched the referee. So the rule was correctly applied, but Carlisle fans were already unhappy at the referee and at Mansfield players in equal measure mostly because they thought that Stags players had been play-acting, such as Will Tomlinson when he’d had the audacity to be kicked in the head by a Carlisle player. The build-up to the second goal didn’t improve their mood!
Former Stag Nathan Thomas had been involved in creating a couple of shots for himself in the first half which were saved by Logan, while Logan also saved well from a shot from Harry McKirdy. The best chance for Carlisle came when Thomas crossed in from the right and McKirdy swept a first time shot over the bar from 10 yards.
Into the second half, and the key question was: could the Stags keep a clean sheet? The answer was emphatically yes, in fact so well did the Stags keep Carlisle at bay that the home side didn’t even come close to scoring, with Logan not called upon, and no near misses. In the end, a very comfortable 2-0 win for Mansfield, and delight for the players and fans at the end, and of course for manager Dempster with his first win.
Plenty of really good performances throughout the side. Danny Rose was just brilliant throughout, not only up front, but winning plenty of headers from Carlisle set pieces at the back. The defence of Hayden White, Krystian Pearce and Ryan Sweeney, plus wing-backs Kellan Gordon and Mal Benning, was right back on form, solid as a rock, and the midfield was full of steel. What was noticeable was just how many times Mansfield won the ball all over the park, and especially in midfield. A terrific away performance.

The Stags are now at home to Leyton Orient on Tuesday. Get to the game if you possibly can, but if you can’t, you can watch the game on iFollow Stags for a match pass of £10.

John Dempster started with a 3-5-2 formation. There were three changes from the league game against Morecambe and five changes from the cup game against Morecambe. From the league game, in came White, Sweeney and Tomlinson, for Preston, Hamilton and Khan. From the cup game, in came Bishop, Tomlinson, MacDonald, Maynard and Rose, for Smith, Donohue, Khan, Cook and Hamilton. With Hamilton and Khan not included, it was a selection of steel over flair. Andy Cook was not in the 18 and is out for 3-4 weeks with a knee injury picked up on Tuesday in the cup game. Mellis and Preston were out after being sent off against Newport and Morecambe respectively. Donohue was not available for selection. James Clarke and Jason Law came onto the bench.
Alistair Smith came on as substitute in the second half (after his good performance in the cup on Tuesday) for his football league debut.

It was a sunny and windy day in Cumbria. The wind was behind Carlisle in the first half, but was quite light at that stage. It picked up markedly for the second half when it was behind the Stags, which was helpful for Mansfield.

FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE

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MATCH REPORT: Mansfield Town off the mark with fine win at Carlisle United
chad.co.uk, Saturday 17 August 2019

Mansfield Town picked up their first win of the season with a fine 2-0 win at Carlisle United this afternoon.

Super strikes from Danny Rose and Nicky Maynard did the damage as John Dempster enjoyed his first victory as boss.

https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/match-report-mansfield-town-off-the-mark-with-fine-win-at-carlisle-united-1-9941636

The Stags had drawn their opening two league games and continued their unbeaten start with a n excellent win at Brunton Park.

Mansfield named three changes to their starting line-up as Hayden White came in for the suspended Matt Preston with Ryan Sweeney and Willem Tomlinson replacing Otis Khan and CJ Hamilton.

The Stags had to weather an early storm as the hosts came bursting out of the blocks - with shot stopper Conrad Logan making a string of fine saves before the break.

Logan got down to keep out Nathan Thomas early on, before doing well to catch the winger’s deflected strike minutes later.

The third save was the best of the lot as Logan denied Harry McKirdy’s well-struck effort.

Thomas and McKirdy linked well to force a chance for the latter to blast over the bar.

Against the run of play Rose produced a stunning strike to open the scoring in the 29th minute.

Tomlinson found the striker, who powered home a fine volley to notch up his third goal in four games.

And Rose turned provider deep in first-half stoppage time as the Stags doubled their advantage.

Rose flicked the ball on for Maynard, who unleashed a fine strike across the ‘keeper.

On the hour, the Stags saw shouts for a penalty waved away after Sweeney went down inside the box.

The Cumbrians pushed to get themselves in the game, but failed to test Logan.

Mike Jones lashed an effort over for the hosts.

White and Byron Webster were both booked for an off-the-ball clash which resulted in some handbags.

CARLISLE: Collin, Elliott, Webster, Knight-Percival, Iredale, Bridge, Jones, Scougall (Olomo, 71), Thomas (Hope, 79), Loft, McKirdy (Sorensen, 56). Unused subs: Gray, Mellish, Branthwaite, Sagaf.

MANSFIELD: Logan, White, Pearce, Sweeney, Gordon, Bishop (Khan, 89), MacDonald (Smith, 86), Tomlinson, Benning, Rose, Maynard (Hamilton, 72). Unused subs: Stone, Law, Clarke, Sterling-James.

REFEREE: Carl Boyeson.

ATTENDANCE: 4,576 (292 away).

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First-half double sees Carlisle Utd beaten at home by Mansfield
newsandstar.co.uk, By Jon Colman @joncolman
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/football/carlisle-united/17843969.carlisle-united-v-mansfield-town-team-news/

Carlisle United 0 Mansfield Town 2: Carlisle United suffered a second successive League Two defeat as Mansfield's Danny Rose and Nicky Maynard struck on a frustrating afternoon at Brunton Park.

The Stags forwards both scored in the first half as ref Carl Boyeson also came in for stick from home fans.

United could not find a way back and created little in the second half, failing to score at home for the first time under Steven Pressley.

Nathan Thomas and Harry McKirdy went close early on but the Cumbrians seldom looked like overhauling Mansfield's lead.

They started brightly with Thomas twice testing keeper Conrad Logan and McKirdy also being denied.

At the other end Nathaniel Knight-Percival did well to deny Rose, and then McKirdy put a good chance over the bar after Thomas had crossed.

Rose then opened the scoring for Mansfield on 29 minutes when he volleyed home at the far post after being picked out by Will Tomlinson's inswinging cross.

Byron Webster did enough to deny the striker another, but Maynard then doubled the visitors' lead seconds before the break.

It came when a drop ball - seemingly awarded after the ball struck the ref - was fed forward to Rose, and his lay-off was drilled home by Maynard.

That ended an infuriating half from a Cumbrian point of view with the home contingent exasperated by a host of Mansfield free-kicks that were awarded and slowed the game down.

Home fans accused ref Boyeson of failing to get a handle on such situations, while United could not find a way past the visitors.

Thomas tried his luck after the break before Pressley sent on new signing Elias Sorensen for his debut on 56 minutes.

The Newcastle man, though, enjoyed no real scoring opportunities as Carlisle toiled and Mansfield sat on their lead.

Webster beat Rose to a Kellan Gordon cross to keep it at 2-0, while a series of set-pieces yielded nothing for Carlisle.

Thomas fired a free-kick into the wall, Ryan Loft headed tamely over and Sorensen had a shot blocked as Carlisle struggled to create any serious opportunities.

They must now try to bounce back at Cheltenham on Tuesday night.

United: Collin, Elliott, Iredale, Webster, Knight-Percival, Jones, Scougall (Olomola 71), Bridge, McKirdy (Sorensen 56), Thomas (Hope 79), Loft. Not used: Gray, Mellish, Branthwaite, Sagaf.

Booked: Webster

Mansfield: Logan, White, Pearce, Sweeney, Gordon, Bishop (Khan 89), Tomlinson, MacDonald (Smith 85), Benning, Rose, Maynard (Hamilton 71). Not used: Stone, Clarke, Sterling-James, Law.

Goals: Rose 29, Maynard 45

Booked: Sweeney, White, Tomlinson

Ref: Carl Boyeson

Crowd: 4,576 (292 Mansfield fans)

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Carlisle Utd must find a better way forward after Mansfield deliver a day of frustration - match report
By Jon Colman @joncolman
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/football/carlisle-united/17845603.carlisle-utd-must-find-better-way-forward-mansfield-deliver-day-frustration---match-report/

Carlisle Utd 0 Mansfield Town 2: No, the expected epidemic of head injuries to Mansfield’s players has not materialised, two days on. And no, this won’t be 2019/20’s highest-grade refereeing performance - it had better not be, at least.

But from this deeply unsatisfying spectacle, a question still arises. Can this Carlisle team find a way when the prevailing conditions are against them? Can they figure out how to hurdle annoyance, instead of run straight into it?

Four days before this defeat, Steven Pressley’s side had made merry on Barnsley’s green acres. The home team tried to play constructively, offered no apparent gamesmanship and were skilfully picked off by the Blues.

Then came Mansfield, two levels down from the Tykes. They slowed the game down, hit the turf repeatedly and made Carl Boyeson whistle so often one thought the official was auditioning for One Man and His Dog. It was tactical, it was cunning, it was on the edge of acceptability at times and some way over it at others.

Yet it also produced a 2-0 away win, managerial nirvana for John Dempster and, perhaps, something other teams may heed when considering whether there is a sort of approach Carlisle find hard to overcome.

This United at their best have goals and danger in them. Chasing a two-goal deficit against a side who had niggled and poached their way in front? A different matter, on Saturday’s evidence, and while this remains very early in their season they still go to Cheltenham tomorrow needing to avoid its first little rut.

It will be a quest to avoid three straight league defeats because Carlisle, having stumbled behind here, were sterile after the break against a Mansfield side content to sit on their lead. Dempster’s defence and midfield were in the right places and United, going forward, were uninspired.

Pressley, after the game, could hardly avoid referring to the Stags’ “antics”. He also made the point that Boyeson, who came in for fearful stick from home supporters, was duty-bound to stop the game any time a player went down suggesting a head injury. “I’d like players to behave better,” he said.

Amen to that. But United’s manager also accepted his team had not defended Mansfield’s goals well enough, nor shown enough wit up front. They had at Barnsley, and to degrees against Crawley and Swindon, so the hope is this will be the rarity, not the norm.

This game was a curiosity in one sense, because it was Carlisle’s first blank day at home under Pressley. It did not seem destined to end that way in the first 20 minutes, when United attacked with decent hunger, even as the first soft free-kicks began to unsettle the flow.

Nathan Thomas’ early intention was to cut in and shoot early rather than drive deep into the channels. This had benefited United in their first home game but not here. Conrad Logan saved twice at his near post and Harry McKirdy also drew a parry from the keeper. This came as Carlisle pressed well, winning the ball in midfield and building eagerly.

Their best opportunity came on 26 minutes yet it rather summed up the afternoon that they could not muster anything similar afterwards. McKirdy got under his finish when Thomas crossed invitingly and, from there, the course was less smooth.

Crucially, they fell behind when trying to pick a way through the stop-start events. Danny Rose had earlier been denied by Nathaniel Knight-Percival but this time the striker found space at the back post to volley home, after Mansfield had worked the ball well across the front of United’s box and isolated Will Tomlinson to cross.

In between various outbreaks of uproar when more visiting players went down, Carlisle were not dynamic in trying to gain parity. Ryan Loft enjoyed no chances as central striker and United could not locate the panache the visitors did in first-half added time.

The drop ball given by Boyeson appeared to be based on a new rule that applies when the ball strikes the ref and diverts play. The goal that resulted was based on older truths: that United simply did not defend well enough when Rose met the ball, laid it off and Nicky Maynard cracked it home.

Sometimes simplicity can cut through the noise, of which there was plenty when Boyeson was hollered down the tunnel. When Carlisle came back out of it, they made heavy going of their attacking task. Thomas shot wide and then Elias Sorensen made his debut on the left of the attack, but United’s passing was sub-par and there was no venom to their raids, little craft also coming from midfield.

Noting down their genuine attacks does not require much ink. Thomas put Loft in at one stage but the big striker slipped as he shot. Byron Webster was blocked as he tried to meet a corner and Mike Jones half-volleyed over.

Jack Iredale gave them some decent width on the left but United’s crosses and set-pieces yielded very little. One corner saw Webster and Hayden White booked for a skirmish, while Sorensen’s only shot of note collided with a black shirt. Knight-Percival nodded a late delivery wide.

Otherwise? It was a toil against a side who stirred a couple of times in attack but in the main did not need to. Dempster’s players, led by Krystian Pearce at the back, smothered the game effectively and although Carlisle ended with four forwards on the pitch it still did not give any extra coherence - or the likelihood that Logan’s goal would be breached.

“We have to find the answers,” Pressley said. “We need to have the quality to break teams down.” It was easier said than done on this occasion, and while it is clear enough what this United team would like to be, we are yet to learn whether they can change colours when the situation demands it, in a division riddled with inconsistency (refs included) and where adaptability is key.

United: Collin, Elliott, Iredale, Webster, Knight-Percival, Jones, Scougall (Olomola 71), Bridge, McKirdy (Sorensen 56), Thomas (Hope 79), Loft. Not used: Gray, Mellish, Branthwaite, Sagaf.

Booked: Webster

Mansfield: Logan, White, Pearce, Sweeney, Gordon, Bishop (Khan 89), Tomlinson, MacDonald (Smith 85), Benning, Rose, Maynard (Hamilton 71). Not used: Stone, Clarke, Sterling-James, Law.

Goals: Rose 29, Maynard 45

Booked: Sweeney, White, Tomlinson

Ref: Carl Boyeson

Crowd: 4,576 (292 Mansfield fans)

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MATCH REPORT: United 0 - 2 Stags
carlisleunited.co.uk, by Andy Hall, 17 August 2019
https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/2019/august/match-report-mansfield-town-home-game/

United's second home game of the season was against another of the division's fancied sides as the Stags of Mansfield came to town.

Midfielder Canice Carroll missed out having picked up a three-match suspension following his sending off at Swindon last week, but striker Hallam Hope was back in the fray having declared himself available again for the midweek trip to Oakwell.

The Blues had another new face within their ranks, highly-rated Newcastle United striker Elias Sorensen, with some real selection problems for the manager ahead of kick off.

With his team having played so well on Tuesday night manager Steven Pressley went with the same starting eleven, with Sorensen drafted onto the bench in place of Aaron Hayden.

An early free kick from MacDonald had the away strikers interested but a firm connection was lacking and the ball skipped through to Adam Collin.

Good hold up play from Loft brought Thomas in from wide at the other end but he couldn't find space for the shot as Benning closed the gap.

A forward run from Elliott followed and it was Thomas who asked for it once again as he moved away from his man. A shot from distance came in but it lacked power and Logan gathered it up.

United stayed forward and Loft did well to regain possession as he nipped in to steal it from Sweeney. A reverse pass sent McKirdy through but White recovered quickly to block the shot.

More good work from Elliott released Thomas again, and he jinked into space before letting one fly. A deflection took the sting out of it, and Logan dropped smartly to complete the save.

It was all about Carlisle and lovely control from McKirdy 22-yards out saw him take it into his stride. He had just one thing in mind as he skipped forward but Logan dived long to parry the fierce strike away.

The corner delivery was a whisker away from being finished off by Knight-Percival, and Jones was unlucky to see his drive from the edge of the box hit a body and spin away to safety.

Mansfield attacked in numbers on the quarter hour and they thought they'd done enough as a low cross skipped across the face of goal. Maynard threw himself at it but it was an inch in front of his toe.

Danny Rose had to be watched closely when he stole a yard as the Stags came again, but an excellent block from Knight-Percival allowed Collin to take his time as he took the ball into his arms.

The Blues crafted a real chance on 26 minutes as they carved their way through the static Mansfield defence. Bridge and Elliott were involved, and an inch perfect cross from Thomas found McKirdy arriving late on the penalty spot. He tried to guide his volley at the target but he couldn't keep it down and it flew over the bar.

Mansfield took the lead against the run of play moments later when a floated cross dipped late at the back stick. Danny Rose thundered through the packed box and he left Collin with no chance as he rifled a bullet of a volley into the top corner.

The game became scrappy as the visitors slowed things down, and a curler from Thomas just before the break was the culmination of a rare attack following the goal.

United tried to pass their way into the box as they moved the ball from right to left, with Thomas, Bridge and Jones at the heart of it, but the overlap from Iredale brought a touch from an outstretched leg as he tried to feed it into the mix.

The Blues were given a real mountain to climb in time added on for the half when the referee stunned everybody as he brought play to a standstill on the half way line, when he appeared to try to explain that the ball had hit his boot as Gordon tried to clip it through the lines.

He eventually dropped it at the feet of a Mansfield man and 20 seconds later it was in the back of the Carlisle net as a half clearance from a huge punt forward was smashed into the bottom corner by Nicky Maynard.

Mansfield kept a tight shape after the break and Logan was untroubled by a shot from Thomas which bent behind as he angled a run in from the right. McDonald volleyed wide at the other end as the game struggled to find any kind of rhythm.

Sorensen came on for McKirdy with 35 minutes left to play, to make his debut, but the next action was at the Waterworks End as Mansfield's Rose tried to make a cross from MacDonald count. Webster shadowed the run and nodded it behind before the forward could strike.

A pass from Elliott to Thomas gave hope that United were about to create something but the final ball for Loft had just too much on it. The striker got there on the slide but he couldn't apply any power.

Set pieces came and went for the hosts, with Thomas finding the wall and a deep corner cleared before Knight-Percival could head it, and a whipped delivery from Bridge had to be nodded over his own bar by Sweeney as Sorensen ran in. Jones poked a half clearance from that one over the target as it came at him through bodies.

A tussle between Webster and White in the Warwick Road End penalty area briefly raised temperatures, but a yellow for each player was a reasonable outcome.

United had plenty of the ball in the Mansfield half through the closing minutes, but they couldn't make an impression and the Stags were able to see it through to claim their first win of the campaign.

+++++++

Goals

Mansfield Town - Rose (29), Maynard (45)

+++++++

Bookings

Carlisle United - Webster (79)

Mansfield Town - Sweeney (67), White (79), Tomlinson (88)

+++++++

Teams

Carlisle United - Carlisle United - Collin (gk)(c), Elliott, Webster, Knight-Percival, Iredale, Scougall (Olomola 71), Jones, Bridge, Thomas (Hope 79), Loft, McKirdy (Sorensen 55). Subs - Gray (gk), Mellish, Branthwaite, Sagaf.

Mansfield Town - Logan, White, Benning, Pearce, Bishop (Khan 90), MacDonald (Smith 86), Maynard (Hamilton 71), Tomlinson, Sweeney, Gordon, Rose. Subs - Stone (gk), Clarke, Sterling-James, Law.

+++++++

Match officials

Carl BoyesonReferee - Carl Boyeson
Assistant Referee 1 - Mark Cunliffe
Assistant Referee 2 - Billy Smallwood
Fourth Official - Adam Herczeg

+++++++

Attendance - 4,576 (292 away fans)

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LOMAS ON MANSFIELD TOWN: John Dempster delight tempered by club discipline suspensions for midfield pair
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Monday 19 August 2019

The look of delight etched on John Dempster’s face at the final whistle at Carlisle United on Saturday said it all.

His first win as a Football League manager gave him pride, elation and relief all at once.

Though his joy must have been slightly tarnished by having to suspend two key players for an alleged off-the-field breach of club discipline.

After so many years in football, Dempster is well aware of the job’s demands and how quickly you can go from hero to zero with supporters.

But even he must have raised his eyebrows at some of the comments made after three very trying games to start a new season with.

Despite a few stutters (and some bright spots), Stags managed to get through those opening three games unbeaten (not counting a penalty shoot-out), so to hear of fans wanting David Flitcroft back was simply astonishing.

Flitcroft was hung, drawn and quartered after successive failures to get the club over the promotion line just four short months ago. How fickle football is!

At least the early Dempster dissenters partially took the heat off keeper Conrad Logan, who had already had to soak up unwarranted flak from a section of own ‘support’ over the first three games.

https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/lomas-on-mansfield-town-john-dempster-delight-tempered-by-club-discipline-suspensions-for-midfield-pair-1-9944692

Appointing any rookie manager has its risks. But every single top flight manager was one once and there is little guarantee a big name/big spender will do any better.

Carlisle away is never an easy game and Dempster adapted his formation and personnel for it to absolute perfection.

Knowing they would have to really dig in and battle, he chose grit and determination over flair and creativity and CJ Hamilton and Otis Khan had to start the afternoon on the bench.

That meant Will Tomlinson started the game in midfield alongside fellow battlers Neal Bishop and Alex MacDonald while the impressive Kellan Gordon continued as right wing back where Hamilton might have hoped he would slot in.

The end result was three points, a first clean sheet, two very good goals and a display that restricted the home side to very few actual shots on goal.

Home fans were unhappy with referee Carl Boyeson, particularly when he suddenly stopped play and awarded a drop ball to Mansfield, who quickly worked it into the net for their second goal.

With this being one of the new summer rules brought in that play must be stopped and the ball given back to the side in possession if it touches the referee, fans could be forgiven for being a little confused.

But the home fans, and certainly the very biased home club Tweets, were unkind about Stags players pretending to be hurt when all looked to be genuinely painful bangs.

Don’t forget this is the club where Matty Blair was jeered from the field on a stretcher, home fans shouting ‘cheat, cheat’ as he was taken to hospital with a cruciate knee ligament injury that sidelined him for a year. So much for a Cumbrian welcome!

On a happier note, this was also the ground where Dempster made his Football League debut in 2001 - a less successful night where his Rushden & Diamonds side were 3-0 when he came on a nervous substitute.

It will now forever be the place where he got off the mark as a manager too.

With four of his next five games at home (including last night’s scheduled home clash with Leyton Orient), Dempster will be hoping he can quickly get the majority onside for the big push ahead.

One thing he does need is squad togetherness and a shared focus.

So the last thing he needed was to have to suspend two of his important midfield players, Jacob Mellis and Dion Donohue, for an alleged serious breach of discipline.

The hugely talented Mellis is no stranger to controversy and was of course famously sacked from Chelsea for letting off a smoke bomb at their training ground as a youngster. But everyone is innocent until proven otherwise.

Dempster will want to get to the truth of what happened as soon as possible and deal with it as it’s hard enough to stay on winning ways when everyone is focused together, let along have distractions like this at a crucial time of the new season.

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