Archived News from September 2019
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STAGS BEATEN AT CRAWLEY
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Crawley Town 1 - 0 Mansfield Town Lubala 53 Attendance: 2068 (292 from Mansfield) Date: 14 September 2019 Martin Shaw at Broadfield Stadium Mansfield Town were beaten 1-0 at Crawley Town this afternoon to drop to 16th place, 5 points outside the play-offs, and 7 points outside the top 3 after 8 games played this season. The only goal of the game was a fluke as Bez Lubala’s shot from outside the area took an outrageous deflection off first Matt Preston and then Krystian Pearce to loop over and wide of the stranded Conrad Logan and into the net after 53 minutes. It was tough luck on Logan who deserved to keep a clean sheet having superbly saved Lubala’s well-struck penalty in the first half, also saved another shot from Lubala with a firm hand in the first half, and then tipped yet another Lubala shot around the post in the second half. Logan also did well clearing outside his area when CJ Hamilton sold him short with a terrible backpass from the halfway line. The penalty was awarded after 26 minutes when Reece Grego-Cox went down far too easily as he and Krystian Pearce tussled for the ball just inside the area. The softest of penalties and a poor decision from the referee, with justice done as Logan saved the spot kick. The Stags’ defending has let them down previously this season, but today this was a decent display from the defence, coupled with a terrific goalkeeping display. Today, the Stags let themselves down in front of goal, creating several glorious chances but not making them count. Early in the game, Jacob Mellis laid a nice ball into the path of Nicky Maynard who fired across the keeper and wide of the left post. After 32 minutes, Mellis played a superb ball forward from the halfway line to set Maynard away into the area, Maynard unselfishly squared to Danny Rose inside the area and completely unmarked. Rose had just the keeper to beat and probably should have shot first time, but elected to take a touch before shooting, but his first touch was terrible taking the ball through to the keeper. Rose looked distraught with himself for missing an absolutely golden chance. CJ Hamilton then did well after 42 minutes cutting inside from the left and fired a right footed shot which Crawley keeper Glenn Morris did well to parry away. Into the second half, and just after Crawley took the lead, Kellan Gordon should have equalised when Alex MacDonald did superbly to get to the byline on the left and pull back into the middle creating a great chance for Gordon who fired just over the bar from 14 yards when he should have scored. Two minutes later, MacDonald crossed to Rose who knocked down to himself and fired in a shot which was blocked. Then brilliant play from MacDonald to win the ball inside his own half and slide a great ball forward into the path of Rose, who ran into the area and tried to fire into the bottom corner with a toe-poked shot but the keeper saved. A minute later, a double chance for Conor Shaughnessy as he turned a Mellis corner goalwards only for it to be cleared off the line by a defender, Mellis then crossed in again and Shaughnessy headed wide. And two minutes after that, MacDonald crossed from the right and Maynard got up well to head down but Morris saved low to his right. And finally, after 87 minutes, Omari Sterling-James’ free kick was blocked by the Crawley wall, but came out to Mal Benning whose piledriver volley produced a great save from Morris. Overall this was an even game but the Stags weren’t good enough in front of goal to come away with any points. Huge frustration for Mansfield and their 292 travelling fans. On to Tuesday night, as Cambridge United visit the One Call Stadium. The Stags need to start putting in performances where they mix a solid defensive display with being more clinical in front of goal. If that can happen, the Stags can start to climb the table. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ------------------------------------ MATCH REPORT: Crawley Town 1-0 Mansfield Town chad.co.uk report by Agency, Saturday 14 September 2019 Conrad Logan’s penalty save was in vain as Mansfield Town went down 1-0 at Crawley Town. Bez Lubala’s 53rd-minute effort separated the two sides after Logan had earlier denied him from 12 yards at Broadfield. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/match-report-crawley-town-1-0-mansfield-town-1-9995725 Manager John Dempster named an unchanged line-up from the side which picked up the club’s first home win of the season against Scunthorpe United last time out. The visitors started brightly with Nicky Maynard lashing wide after a slick team move. CJ Hamilton put Logan under pressure with a poor back pass, but the Stags’ stopper kept his cool to avert the danger. Five minutes later Logan was called upon again after Krystian Pearce hauled down Reece Greco-Cox in the penalty area. And Logan spared the defender’s blushes by guessing correctly to keep out Lubala’s spot kick. The Stags had to soak up the pressure as Ollie Palmer nodded over and Lubala fired into the side netting. Crawley keeper Glenn Morris made his first save just before the break when he kept out Hamilton’s stinging strike. On the stroke of half-time Logan made another fine stop to frustrate Lubala. The break brought a change in fortunes as Logan was beaten by Lubala’s deflected effort in the 53rd minute. Mansfield almost responded in the perfect fashion, but Kellan Gordon blasted over. The Stags started to string together some decent chances around the hour mark. Just after the hour Alex MacDonald found Danny Rose who could only fire tamely at Morris. And moments later Conor Shaughnessy saw his effort agonisingly cleared off the line. Summer signing Maynard was denied his third goal of the campaign when his header was well saved by Morris. The Stags had their foot on the gas, but couldn’t quite create a clear-cut chance to level late on. Jacob Mellis’ inviting cross just evaded the head of Rose with the goal gaping. Late on Logan produced another top stop to keep out Lubala. Right at the end Malvind Benning’s ferocious volley was well saved by Morris. Crawley: Morris, Sesay (Young, 69), Sendles-White, Tunnicliffe, Doherty, Bulman, Ferguson (Enigbokan-Bloomfield, 65), Greco-Cox, Camara, Lubala, Palmer (Allarakhia, 80). Unused subs: Luyambulu, Nathaniel-George, Galach, Francomb. Mansfield: Logan, Preston, Pearce, Sweeney (Benning, 63), Gordon, MacDonald (Afolayan, 71), Shaughnessy, Hamilton, Mellis, Maynard (Sterling-James, 71), Rose. Unused subs: Stone, Smith, Bishop, Khan. Referee: Scott Oldham. Attendance: 2,068 (292). --------------------- Crawley Town 1 Mansfield Town 0: Lubala atones for penalty miss to claim hard-fought Reds win wscountytimes.co.uk, by MATT POLE, Saturday 14 September 2019 Bez Lubala made amends for his first half spot kick miss as he fired Crawley Town to a 1-0 home win over Mansfield Town this (Saturday) afternoon. Lubala saw his penalty on 26 minutes superbly saved by Conrad Logan, in a first half full of chances for the Reds. But the 21-year-old struck on 53 minutes to extend Crawley's unbeaten run in League Two to four, and move The People's Pension Stadium outfit up to eighth. https://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/sport/football/crawley-town-1-mansfield-town-0-lubala-atones-for-penalty-miss-to-claim-hard-fought-reds-win-1-9071311 The visitors had the game's first chance on four minutes. A lovely weighted ball from Jacob Mellis played in Nicky Maynard but the former Bristol City striker skewed his attempt wide of the target. Three minutes later the Reds hit back with two chances in as many minutes. Reece Grego-Cox did well to nick the ball from a Stags defender on the edge of the area before squaring the ball to Camara. The Bissau-Guinean set himself but his powerful shot was well blocked by a Mansfield defender out for a corner. From the corner Nathan Ferguson whipped a delicious ball into the box for Ollie Palmer, but his deft flick was easily taken by keeper Logan. Crawley had a massive penalty appeal turned down on 17 minutes. A lovely flowing move from the Reds saw Grego-Cox fizz a pacy cross into the box towards Lubala. Although the ball was plucked out of the air by Logan, the Reds starlet was bundled over by a Stags defender off the ball. A huge roar came up from the stands, expecting a spot kick to be awarded, but referee Scott Oldham remained unmoved. On 21 minutes an under-hit backpass from Mansfield's CJ Hamilton sent Camara haring through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. But the Stags stopper did well to spare Hamitlon's blushes, racing quickly off his line to clear. A minute later and the Reds had a half-hearted penalty appeal waved away after Camara went to ground, probably too easily. But Crawley would eventually be awarded a spot kick on 26 minutes. Grego-Cox was pulled down in the box by Krystian Pearce as the Reds winger attempted to accelerate past the Mansfield man. This time referee Oldham pointed to the spot and up stepped the in-form Lubala. But the Reds starlet saw his penalty saved well down low to the left by Logan and the scores remained level. On 31 minutes Lubala had a superb chance to make amends for his miss. The 21-year-old cut in from the left before fizzing a shot away that rippled the side netting. Despite Crawley's dominance in the opening half-hour, the Stags were still posing a threat. A minute after Lubala's chance, Mansfield launched a breakneck counter attack. Maynard found himself through on goal and, perhaps too unselfishly, squared the ball to Danny Rose. But Rose's first touch was awful, taking the ball away from the forward, and the chance was snuffed out by Glenn Morris. The Reds forged another shooting opportunity on 39 minutes. Ferguson, receiving the ball from Camara, fired a low shot from the edge of the area that beat Logan but went mere millimetres past the left hand post. Two minutes before the break Morris was called into a top-draw save to keep the game goalless. Hamilton cut inside before unleashing a stinging effort which was well palmed away by Crawley's number one. The Reds ended the half with another two chances. Lubala's driven attempt was punched away by Logan and this was followed Palmer flicking over from a corner. Three minutes after the restart Palmer was hauled down on the edge of the box and won a free-kick after a superb pin-point ball out of defence from Morris. Palmer stepped up to take the free-kick but his low shot under the wall was straight at Logan. Crawley had dominated large swathes of the game, creating countless chances, and were finally rewarded for their persistence on 53 minutes. Lubala picked up the ball on the edge of the area and fired towards goal. Fortunately for the Reds man his attempt took a huge deflection off a Mansfield player, and looped over the head of Logan to make it 1-0 to the hosts and atone for his earlier miss. The Stags almost hit back with an instant reply two minutes later. Alex MacDonald pulled the ball back on the edge of the D for Kellan Gordon but the midfielder could only fire inches over the crossbar. This signalled an increase in Mansfield's tempo as they went in search of an equaliser. Rose found himself one-on-one with Jamie Sendles-White on 62 minutes. The debutant did well to contain the Stags forward as he hit a weak shot straight at Morris. A minuter late Josh Doherty was alert to clear Mellis' header off the line from Conor Shaughnessy's corner. Maynard then went close with a towering header that was well saved by Morris on 66 minutes. Mansfield continued to grow into the game and pose the Reds problems. 12 minutes before the end a Stags cross from the left was flicked on by Rose into Dapo Afolayan who headed over. This was a let off for Crawely, although it wouldn't have counted as the sub was offside. With five minutes to go the Reds missed a gilt-edged chance to put the game to bed. Grego-Cox skipped past his man before finding Lubala. The goalscorer picked his spot but could only watch as his shot went agonisingly past the far post. Two minutes later the Stags were inches away from levelling. Substitute Omari Sterling-James teed up fellow replacement Mal Benning. The defender let rip with a stinging volley which was superbly saved by Morris. Five minutes of added time was added to the second half and Mansfield began to throw the kitchen sink at Crawley. But the Reds held on for a vital and hard-fought three points. Crawley Town: Morris, Sesay (Young 69), Sendles-White, Tunnicliffe, Doherty, Bulman, Ferguson (Bloomfield 62), Grego-Cox, Camara, Lubala, Palmer (Allarakhia 80). Unused: Luyambula, Francomb, Nathaniel-George, Galach. Mansfield Town: Logan, Preston, Pearce, Sweeney (Benning 63), Gordon, MacDonald (Afolayan 70), Shaughnessy, Hamilton, Mellis, Maynard (Sterling-James 73), Rose. Unused: Stone, Bishop, Khan, Smith. Referee: Scott Oldham Attendance: 2,086 --------------------- |
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