Archived News from March 2020
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STAGS WIN FEISTY ENCOUNTER AT NORTHAMPTON
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English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Northampton Town 1 - 2 Mansfield Town Smith 90+5. Hoskins sent off 11 Rose (pen) 12, Tomlinson 74 Attendance: 5666 (767 from Mansfield) Date: 7 March 2020 Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at the PTS Academy Stadium, Sixfields Mansfield Town won 2-1 at play-off chasing Northampton Town this afternoon in a feisty, incident-packed and exciting game. In truth, the Stags should have won more comfortably after missing a succession of golden chances in the second half to kill off the game. Mansfield took the lead after just 12 minutes following a Northampton corner when Harry Charsley charged down an attempted ball forward from Sam Hoskins on the halfway line, Charsley surged forward and was through on goal, one-on-one with the keeper when he was deliberately pushed over by Hoskins from behind. The contact from Hoskins started outside the area but continued inside the area. It was a clear penalty and Hoskins was correctly shown the red card as he made no attempt to win the ball. Danny Rose stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way. Northampton should have been reduced to 9 men after 38 minutes, when captain Charlie Goode, already on a yellow card, deliberately and cynically brought Nicky Maynard down from behind. The referee gave the free kick but bottled his decision to show a second yellow card, presumably in fear of further inciting the angry home fans. Then in stoppage time at the end of the first half, Goode bundled Maynard over again, and incredibly the referee gave him a final warning. At half time, Northampton switched to a bold 3-3-3 formation in an attempt to get back into the game, and created a couple of chances as substitute Harry Smith headed just wide and just over the bar. But the formation switch gave Mansfield plenty of room to attack the home side and the Stags created a number of chances where they outnumbered the Northampton defence. Will Tomlinson was in space in the box but somehow fired over the bar from 6 yards after Watts and Hamilton set him away in the area, and then CJ Hamilton and Maynard broke from a Northampton corner and Hamilton lashed the ball wide from close range. But the Stags did make the game safe after 74 minutes when a Northampton long throw into the Stags box from Goode was headed away by Tomlinson, Hamilton cleared the ball towards the halfway line, where Maynard held it up, turned and laid the ball into the path of Tomlinson who was clear of the last Northampton defender but still inside his own half so not offside, Tomlinson charged forward and slid his shot low past the keeper into the bottom right corner of the net. Great play from Tomlinson who ran the length of the pitch to score. Credit also to Maynard for the assist. Northampton didn’t look like coming back after that but out of the blue pulled a consolation goal back with a minute left of stoppage time as a high ball forward from Nicky Adams into the area was headed over Aidan Stone by Harry Smith, who got away from the static Hayden White, on as a late substitute for Kelland Watts. A poor goal to concede, which had some similarities to Smith’s equaliser in the game between the sides earlier in the season. The Stags were deserved winners, with the back three of Ryan Sweeney, Krystian Pearce and Kelland Watts defending well. Northampton launched long throw after long throw into the Stags box and mostly these were dealt with well. Behind them, keeper Aidan Stone had a good game with a couple of good saves, and some decisive punches away. In midfield Harry Charsley, Will Tomlinson and Neal Bishop had their best game together as a unit. Up front, Nicky Maynard had a good game, leading the line well, strong and decisive, and laying off some quality passes. A morale boost for Mansfield and any lingering fears of relegation surely removed with a 16 point gap and vastly superior goal difference to bottom club Stevenage. Mansfield made one change to the side that lost at Cheltenham in the last game two weeks ago. Joe Riley returned to the side in place of Hayden White. Manager Coughlan explained pre-match that Riley had got himself back fit and he was looking for one of Riley, White and James Clarke to nail down the shirt. No Bobby Olejnik on the bench, with Coughlan explaining that Olejnik had had a problem in training this week and had not been quite right. So 16 year old youth team keeper Maison Campbell came into the matchday squad. Tyrese Sinclair also came on to the bench, in place of Clarke. Sinclair is back from loan spells at Radcliffe Borough and Basford United. Sinclair had come on as substitute earlier in the season in the Leasing.com Trophy game against Everton U21. FULL REPORT IN THE MATCH CENTRE ---------------------------- Mansfield Town end poor away run with win at Northampton Town chad.co.uk, by Agency (Sports Reporter), Saturday 7th March 2020 MANSFIELD Town stopped their rot on the road with a welcome 2-1 win at 10-man Northampton Town. The struggling Stags picked up their first away win since New Year’s Day thanks to goals from Danny Rose and Willem Tomlinson. Substitute Harry Smith grabbed a late consolation for the hosts, who played with just 10 men for 80 minutes. Joe Riley returned to the starting line-up in place of Hayden White in the only change to the side that lost 1-0 at Cheltenham Town last weekend. Teenagers Maison Campbell and Tyrese Sinclair were both named on the bench by boss Graham Coughlan. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-end-poor-away-run-win-northampton-town-2440551 Stags’ shot stopper Aidan Stone had to have his wits about him early on to keep out Nicky Adams’ free-kick. Northampton were down to 10 in the 10th minute when Sam Hoskins was sent off for chopping down Harry Charsley in the box. And Rose made no mistake from 12 yards as he sent Steve Arnold the wrong way. The visitors really had their tails up after going ahead. It was almost two when Kelland Watts headed Rose’s strike just over the bar. Watts tried an audacious effort from distance, but Arnold was easily able to claim it. CJ Hamilton’s teasing cross was headed just wide as the Stags threatened towards the end of the half. At the other end Stone showed quick reactions to get to and keep out Scott Wharton’s header. Moments later Rose was superbly kept out by Arnold before Charsley’s follow-up was scrambled clear. Joe Riley rattled the bar with a stoppage-time free-kick (comment by Martin - it was over the bar). Half-time substitute Harry Smith almost made an immediate impact when he headed wide at the back post. Just before the hour Willem Tomlinson squandered a glorious chance to put the game to bed when he blazed over from inside the box. Stones make a fantastic tracking-back stop to tip Lloyd Jones’ header over. And the keeper produced another fine save to keep out Wharton’s headed effort. With 16 minutes left Tomlinson wrapped the game up with a calm finish. Deep in stoppage time Smith denied Stone a deserved clean sheet when he headed home. Northampton: Arnold, Goode, Turnball, Wharton, Marshall (Smith, 45), McCormack (Jones, 65), Watson, Adams, Hoskins, Morton, Oliver. Unused subs: Cornell, Lines, Pollock, Anderson, Jones, Harriman. Mansfield: Stone, Sweeney, Pearce, Watts (White, 87), Riley, Tomlinson, Bishop, Charsley, Hamilton, Rose, Maynard (Davies, 82). Unused subs: Campbell, Benning, Evans, Sinclair, Knowles. Referee: Peter Wright. ---------------------- Hoskins sees red early on as 10-man Cobblers slip to Stags defeat northamptonchron.co.uk, By James Heneghan, Saturday 7th March 2020 Sam Hoskins was sent for a very early bath as Cobblers' promotion hopes took a hit when they were beaten 2-1 by struggling Mansfield Town in a bad-tempered affair at the PTS Academy Stadium on Saturday. Cobblers started so well against the lowly Stags but Hoskins' red card, on just 11 minutes, left them with a mountain to climb, especially once Danny Rose stuck away the subsequent spot-kick. The hosts kept at it and had chances to level but defeat was essentially confirmed with 16 minutes to go when Mansfield caught Town light at the back and Willem Tomlinson finished coolly. There was no mistaking that referee Peter Wright had been the star of the show though. He regularly lost control and gave a series of baffling decisions, much to the frustration of players on both sides. That made for a niggly and fractious game but the result of it was victory for Mansfield and a damaging defeat for the Cobblers. https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/football/hoskins-sees-red-early-10-man-cobblers-slip-stags-defeat-2440549 Northampton's automatic promotion hopes are now definitely over but they do remain in the play-offs, albeit only by a point from Port Vale. Keith Curle kept faith with the same team that won at Grimsby last time out and Cobblers enjoyed all of the early possession with Nicky Adams' free-kick excellently tipped over by Aidan Stone. But Town's strong start unravelled in disastrous fashion on 11 minutes as they suffered a double blow. Hoskins, the only man back, saw his attempted clearance blocked and the ricochet fell kindly for Charsley, who raced through on goal. He was about to pull the trigger when nudged in the back by Hoskins and the referee was quick to point to the spot before also sending off the Town man, who made no attempt to play the ball as the last defender. Rose sent Steve Arnold the wrong way to make it 1-0 and suddenly Town were facing a tall order, trailing and down to 10 men with nearly 80 minutes still to play. The early red card set the tone for a bad-tempered and frenetic first-half that saw players from both sides regularly confront each other as referee Wright lost total control of the game. Alan McCormack was at the centre of it, regularly surrounding the referee and venting frustration at Mansfield's apparent play-acting, while Charlie Goode might also have been lucky not to be given his marching orders when, on a yellow, he committed a needless foul just outside his box. There was little to shout about in terms of the actual football but Town did a good job of stifling their opponents to keep themselves in the contest for as long as possible. There was one moment of alarm a few minutes shy of half-time when Rose's shot from an acute angle was palmed away by Arnold before Charsley's follow-up effort was headed off the line by Goode. Cobblers battled away gamely with their numerical disadvantage and almost levelled in first-half stoppage-time through Vadaine Oliver's bicycle kick, which flew just wide. Harry Smith replaced Mark Marshall at the break and Town, now lining up 3-3-3, started well in the second-half with Smith and Goode heading off target. They also seemed to have a strong penalty shout turned down when Scott Wharton took a blow to the face when challenging for the ball inside the box. Town's attacking approach was admirable but it left gaps at the other end and Mansfield almost exploited the space when Tomlinson got into the box and clipped the crossbar. Smith's volley cleared the crossbar on the hour while Lloyd Jones' header was tipped over and Wharton's flick pushed around the post. But the game was put to bed with 16 minutes to go. Mansfield had been threatening on the counter all half and they finally made one breakaway chance count through Tomlinson, who coolly rolled into the bottom corner. Cobblers did get one back deep into stoppage-time when Smith headed home Adams' cross but that came far too late to influence the outcome. Match facts Cobblers: Arnold, Goode (c), Wharton, Turnbull, McCormack (Jones 65), Watson, Hoskins, Marshall (Smith 45), Adams, Morton (Pollock 68), Oliver. Subs not used: Cornell, Harriman, Lines, Anderson Mansfield: Stone, Pearce (c), Bishop, Watts (White 87), Tomlinson, Sweeney, Riley, CJ Hamilton, Charsley, Rose, Maynard (Davies 82) Subs not used: Benning, Evans, Sinclair, Knowles, Campbell Referee: Peter Wright Attendance: 5,666 Mansfield fans: 767 -------------------- |
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