Archived News from February 2020
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STAGS THROW AWAY 2 GOAL LEAD TO DRAW WITH CARLISLE
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Mansfield Town 2 - 2 Carlisle United Maynard 58, 72. Watt 81, Kayode 90+3 Attendance: 4272 (368 from Carlisle) Date: 1 February 2020 Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the One Call Stadium, Field Mill Mansfield Town threw away a two goal lead to drew 2-2 with Carlisle United at the One Call Stadium this afternoon. A low quality match played in difficult windy conditions came to life when Stags top scorer Nicky Maynard scored two cracking goals from the edge of the area in 14 minutes midway through the second half which should have secured an important three points against a workman-like Carlisle side and moved Mansfield further away from the bottom of the table. But Carlisle pulled a goal back after 81 minutes when Elliot Watt sent a speculative shot from 25 yards out on the left which appeared to get caught in the wind and dipped under the bar over a stranded Bobby Olejnik. Three minutes into stoppage time, a needless foul was conceded on the Carlisle right by Ryan Sweeney who put his hand into Harry McKirdy’s chest when he didn’t need to. The free kick, from just inside the right touchline, level with the penalty spot, was whipped in by Elliot Watt and was missed by both Mal Benning and Carlisle’s Gethin Jones at the near post, then missed by Danny Rose, bounced up and Joshua Kayode headed in from close range having got away from his marker Kelland Watts on his home debut. A dreadful goal to concede with Sweeney, Benning, Rose and Watts who all could have done better to avoid the goal. Defending like this has been Mansfield’s Achilles heel all season. Two points thrown away as Mansfield drew 2-2 for the 8th (eighth) time this season in all competitions. Bottom club Stevenage lost 3-0 at home to Leyton Orient so the gap is extended to 9 points for Mansfield, but a huge opportunity to really further away was missed. The Stags remain 4th from bottom and play 2nd from bottom Morecambe next Saturday in a crucial game. Mansfield made one change to the side that lost with a terrible performance at Oldham on Tuesday night. Neal Bishop returned to the side after being rested, in place of CJ Hamilton. Young Kelland Watts, on loan from Newcastle for the rest of the season, who made his debut in midfield on Tuesday, moved into central defence as the Stags switched from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 here. Watts started on the right of the three, with Pearce in the middle and Sweeney on the left, but Watts and Sweeney swapped places during the first half. The midfield three was MacDonald, Bishop and Charsley. MacDonald limped off in the first half with a hamstring strain, the extent of which is not yet known. Craig Davies and James Clarke returned to the 18 on the bench. On transfer deadline day yesterday, Jacob Mellis, Otis Khan, Alistair Smith and Andy Cook all left; Mellis released, while the others left on loan. Young Jack Evans was signed on loan from Swansea for the rest of the season. Evans is a central midfielder who has made just one appearance in senior football, as a substitute for Swansea City in the EFL Cup. He played against Mansfield in a pre-season friendly in Portugal in the summer. The departure of Cook was a major surprise which leaves Mansfield short on numbers up front, with Graham Coughlan explaining that he didn’t want to hold him against his will. Should Maynard and/or Rose get injured between now and the end of the season (one third of the season left), replacement options are: promising youngster Jimmy Knowles, Craig Davies who has been out injured for so long and not played a full game since returning, and the currently injured Jordan Graham, along with Omari Sterling-James who appears to be out of favour though still at the club. All of the replacement options have played minimal first team football for the Stags. Andy Cook, whilst perhaps not well-suited to Coughlan’s high press style of football, was however in good form, having scored three goals out of absolutely nothing in the nine games under the new manager. To let him go, without bringing in a suitable replacement, looks to be something of a gamble. To summarise the transfer window in full, Mansfield brought in young midfielders Harry Charsley and Jack Evans, central defender Kelland Watts, and experienced right back Joe Riley. Out went goalkeeper Conrad Logan, plus the four who left yesterday noted above. Alistair Smith, having gone to Kettering on loan, could be back in a month’s time if needed. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ------------------------ MATCH REPORT: Mansfield Town held after Carlisle United fight back from 2-0 down at the death chad.co.uk, By John Lomas, Saturday 1st February 2020 Despite Nicky Maynard's second half brace to go 2-0 up, Mansfield Town dropped two vital points as fellow strugglers Carlisle United hit back to snatch a stoppage time 2-2 draw at the One Call Stadium. With a powerful wind spoiling the game, it was a scrappy affair with few chances before Maynard took his season's tally to 15 with two deadly finishes on 58 and 72 minutes to put Stags in charge and Krystian Pearce immaculaate. However, Elliot Watt cross sailed straight in on the wind with nine minutes to go to set up a nervous finish in which Joshua Kayode then snatched a gut-wrenching 93rd minute equaliser. Mansfield made one change to the side that faced Oldham as midfielder Neal Bishop returned to the side in place of winger CJ Hamilton in a 3-5-2 formation. Swansea loanee Jack Evans was not signed in time to be involved. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/match-report-mansfield-town-held-after-carlisle-united-fight-back-2-0-down-death-1382454 The United side included ex-Stags Nathan Thomas and Gethin Jones. Stags struggled to clear an early long throw as the strength of the wind was underlined, Mike Jones having a shot blocked. Stags then had to hack a dangerous Thomas corner away from in front of goal as United tried to make use of the powerful gale behind them. But Stags slowly began to find their feet and Maynard was only just unable to latch onto a Riley through ball. At the other Alessandra bundled a shot well over. Thomas tested Olejnik from a 30-yard free kick in the 20th minute, the keeper happy to tip the ball over the bar. MacDonad, who had received treatment for an injury a few minutes before was forced to limp off soon after and was replaced by Tomlinson on 21 minutes. A scrappy passage of play then saw Mike Jones zip a low ball in front of goal where Olejnik was happy to push it away for the Cumbrians' third corner. Stags finally got an effort on target on 36 minutes, but Sweeney's header at Collin from a Benning free kick was tame and easy for the keeper. Mansfield survived three successive Carlisle corners, including an appeal for a penalty after the ball clipped Pearce's hand going out for the last of the flag kicks as a poor quality first 45 minutes ended scoreless. Stags quickly won a corner on the restart which Benning saw end up on the top of the net. On 55 minutes, from a throw on the left, Tomlinson saw his 25-yard shot deflect wide and Pearce was too high with his header from the resulting corner. Charsley was too high from distance soon after as Stags tried to use the wind in their favour. The breakthrough finally came on 58 minutes. Rose controlled a long Olejnik kick downfield and, unable to turn and shoot, he fed Maynard to his right who swept in a superb low finish from 16 yards. Stung by that, United quickly made a double change. However, Stags took an iron two-goal grip on the game on 72 minutes. Rose did well on the left and sent in a low ball to Charsley who laid it back for Maynard to pull the trigger with another fine low finish. Hamilton was given the last 13 minutes in place of Charsley. The visitors snatched a wind-assisted lifeline with mine minutes to go as Watt's cross from the left sailed under the far angle with Olejnik helpless. Watt was booked two minutes later for dissent. Preston replaced hero Maynard with two minutes to go to shore things up. But in the third of four added minutes Carlisle stole an equaliser. Watt sent in a free kick from the right and Kayode was there to touch home from close range and wreck Mansfield's afternoon. STAGS: Olejnik, Watts, Pearce, Sweeney, Riley, Bishop, Charsley (Hamilton 77), MacDonald (Tomlinson 21), Benning, Rose, Maynard. SUBS NOT USED: Stone, Preston, Davies, Clarke, Knowles. CARLISLE: Collin, Hayden, Thomas (Scougall 86), Mike Jones, Alessandra (Guy 59), Watt, Gethin Jones, Webster, Bridge (McKirdy 59), Kayode, Anderton. SUBS NOT USED: Gray, Iredale, Charters, Hunt. REFEREE: Jarred Gillett.ATTENDANCE: 4,272 (368 away).CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Krystian Pearce. ------------------- Kayode and Watt score to snatch dramatic late point for Carlisle Utd at Mansfield Town By Jon Colman https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/18204358.mansfield-town-v-carlisle-united---team-news/ Mansfield Town 2 Carlisle United 2: Carlisle United came from behind to snatch a dramatic late point at Mansfield. Joshua Kayode grabbed an equaliser in the third minute of added time in front of the travelling United fans. The loan striker headed home his second goal in successive games as Mansfield failed to deal with an Elliot Watt free-kick at close range. That came after Watt had given United an unlikely route back into the game when his cross from the left sailed over Stags keeper Bobby Olejnik. The fightback, after Nicky Maynard's earlier double in the second half, extended the Blues' unbeaten run to four games. It also saw Chris Beech's side go 11 points clear of the relegation place. Nathan Thomas and Nick Anderton had Carlisle's best efforts in a scrappy goalless first half. Thomas tested home keeper Olejnik with a 30-yard free-kick in the 19th minute. And left-back Anderton forced a scrambling save from the Mansfield keeper 10 minutes before the break. There were few clear-cut chances in a half played in a strong wind. Unchanged United saw Mike Jones and Thomas have early efforts blocked, while the Stags suffered an early injury blow when midfielder Alex MacDonald went off injured in the 21st minute, replaced by Will Tomlinson. For Graham Coughlan's side, the offside flag denied Maynard when he ran onto a Rose through-ball, and later Ryan Sweeney met a Mal Benning free-kick, Adam Collin saving comfortably. United then ended the half on top and Byron Webster felt he should have had a penalty for handball when his header from a corner was blocked by home skipper Krystian Pearce. A Bridge break, after good work from Alessandra, then saw a cross which resulted in Jones having a cross blocked. Carlisle then went behind to a Maynard goal in the 57th minute. The frontman opened the scoring when he shot low past Collin after Rose had been picked out by a long ball. United were aggrieved with the officials, feeling they should have had a corner instead of the goal kick which saw Mansfield launch their goalscoring attack. Beech responded with a double substitution, bringing on Callum Guy for his debut along with fit-again Harry McKirdy, with Lewis Alessandra and Jack Bridge replaced. But Maynard then grabbed another on 72 minutes, when Harry Charsley laid the ball into his path and Maynard had room to pick his spot with another low finish. It seemed a home win was now a formality but Watt caught Olejnik out with his cross nine minutes from time, scoring his first Football League goal in the process. United then applied late pressure, Watt and Mike Jones having shots blocked, before McKirdy won a late free-kick on the right and Watt's delivery was dramatically turned home by Kayode in front of the 368 travelling Blues fans. It was the Rotherham loanee's second goal in successive games. There was no place in the squad, meanwhile, for deadline-day arrivals Marcus Dewhurst and Omari Patrick. Patrick was not registered in time to be available. Both players travelled to the One Call Stadium, though, Patrick doing some running drills before the game and taking part in the warm-up, and Dewhurst working with fellow keepers Adam Collin and Louis Gray. Ryan Loft was absent through illness. Mansfield: Olejnik, Watts, Benning, Pearce, Sweeney, Bishop, MacDonald (Tomlinson 22), Charsley (Hamilton 77), Riley, Rose, Maynard (Preston 88). Not used: Stone, Davies, Clarke, Knowles. United: Collin, G Jones, Anderton, Webster, Hayden, M Jones, Watt, Bridge (Guy 59), Thomas (Scougall 86), Alessandra (McKirdy 59), Kayode. Not used: Gray, Iredale, Charters, Hunt. Ref: Jarred Gillett. Crowd: 4,272 (368 Carlisle fans) ------------------ |
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