Archived News from November 2020
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CLOUGH, MAYNARD AND STEVE BALL REACTION
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Boss encouraged by unbeaten spell
mansfieldtown.net, Friday 20th November 2020 Despite being ‘disappointed’ with just a point against Colchester United this evening, manager Nigel Clough says it is ‘extremely encouraging’ that the Stags have embarked on a six-game unbeaten run. Striker Nicky Maynard fired the amber and blue into the lead on 67 minutes with a stunning effort, but Colchester equalised late on, as Luke Norris lobbed the ball over the onrushing Marek Stech. The Mansfield boss says that his side did enough to win tonight’s match. “We could have had the three points tonight,” he told iFollow Stags. “I thought we were comfortable and restricted them to so few opportunities. “It’s one misjudgement from Marek [Stech] with ten minutes to go, and all of a sudden, they have a lifeline. “I thought we looked the more likely to get the second goal, and we had a few situations tonight where we could have had that. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2020/november/clough-post-colchester-united/ “We didn’t quite manage it and I’m very, very disappointed not to get the three points. “I thought Nicky’s goal was a brilliant strike. He’s just turned and hit it instinctively, in off the bar, it’s a brilliant finish. “It was another good performance - we’ve just played two top six sides and we’ve got four points, which could have been six. I thought there were a lot of good things out there again tonight. “Colchester had a lot of the ball in their own half, and didn’t hurt us too much. We responded well late on - I’ve seen teams crumble in those situations and lose the game 2-1. “We didn’t do that - we went pressing to see if we could go on and get the winner. “It’s a six-game unbeaten run [that we’re on]. When a team has hardly won a game [this season], I think that is extremely encouraging.” Nigel Clough says that the Stags must improve on their decision-making when finding themselves in key areas of the field. “We still have to get better on the ball, so we’re still working on being better and more comfortable on the ball,” he added. “We were set up to attack - we wanted Stephen [McLaughlin] to get crosses in and our full-backs to join in. “I think that worked okay. I thought we created enough tonight. Jordan [Bowery] should’ve taken one [shot] instead of crossing it, and Nicky could’ve made a better decision in the second-half to play Jordan in. “I thought we had very good situations, we just have to make more of them.” The boss also revealed the Stags’ schedule in the build-up to Tuesday evening’s match at home to Harrogate Town. “It’s a weekend off for the lads who have played. It’s the same lads again, who have played week-in, week-out, so they’ll get a break over the weekend. “The rest of the squad and the subs will be in for a session in the morning, and then everyone is in on Monday to prepare for Harrogate on Tuesday night.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Nigel Clough’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later this evening. ----------------------- Nigel Clough frustrated after Mansfield Town are held by Colchester United chad.co.uk, Friday 20th November 2020 Boss Nigel Clough admitted his frustration after Mansfield were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Colchester United. Nicky Maynard fired Stags ahead with a long-range piledriver on 67 minutes. But they were pegged back when Luke Norris levelled with five minutes to go after Marek Stech raised out for the ball and was lobbed. The draw stretches resurgent Mansfield’s unbeaten run to six games, but leaves them still waiting for their first home win of the campaign. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/nigel-clough-frustrated-after-mansfield-town-are-held-colchester-united-3043245 “We should have had the three points tonight easily,” said Clough. “We were pretty comfortable for most of the night and it was one misjudgement by the keeper that gave them a lifeline that they didn't look like getting. “I thought we looked more like getting the second goal and it's disappointing not to get all three points. “I think based on the chances created we deserved to take the points. I would have expected us to hold on and win.” But he was keen to take the positives out of the game and believes it’s only a matter of time before Stags turn draws into wins. “It was a good performance,” he added. “We have four points from two games against top six sides, and we should have had six. “Colchester knocked it about well, we want to get to that sort of level. “We responded well late on after they scored. I have seen teams crumble and lose the game 2-1 and we didn't do that. “It's a six game unbeaten run and only a matter of time before we turn draws into wins.” ------------------- Stags moving in right direction, says goalscorer mansfieldtown.net, Friday 20th November 2020 ‘We’re moving in the right direction,’ striker Nicky Maynard stated after Mansfield Town’s 1-1 draw with promotion chasers Colchester United. The Stags capitalised upon their bright start to the second period against the U’s as Maynard crashed the opener against the underside of the bar. However, substitute Luke Norris restored parity for the away side with five minutes remaining via a delicate lob - leaving both sides to share the points on Friday evening at One Call Stadium. “We’re moving in the right direction,” the goalscorer told iFollow Stags. “We just have to look at the positives and move towards the next game on Tuesday. “I tried to get on the ball a bit more with where the gaffer wanted me to play. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2020/november/maynard-post-colchester-united/ “I think the idea was to get on the half turn, drive at them, play through balls and get shots off, the same with Laps [George Lapslie]. The pitch didn’t help too much with the way we wanted to play but that was for both teams. “I don’t feel as though I’ve been getting enough shots off this season and I’m trying to work on getting half a yard and getting more shots off. “But then there’s right and the wrong time to do it and I think for the goal it was the right time, but then there was another shot I’ve had which has gone miles over. “Looking back, I could have just slid Jordan [Bowery] in and he would have been through on goal. As I say, though, I’m happy to be on the scoresheet.” The 33-year-old’s latest strike subsequently extended Mansfield’s unbeaten run to six games in all competitions but he acknowledged it could have been a fourth-successive victory. “Six unbeaten, still not enough wins for our liking but we’re not losing games and these draws can easily turn into wins. “We just look onto the positives and hopefully come away with three points [on Tuesday]. “We spoke about that [conceding late goals] in the changing room just after the game, saying the last five or ten minutes we seem to have our backs against the wall. “It was the same at Forest Green but we held on because of our two-goal cushion. Tonight we tried to hold on, they didn’t really bother us at all but one lapse in concentration at the back cost us a goal and that’s football. “We can’t beat ourselves up because we deserve three points so we’ll go into Tuesday’s game high on confidence.” And the former West Ham frontman also touched upon Nigel Clough’s impact since his arrival on November 06. “He [Nigel Clough] has given us the freedom to play and enjoy ourselves,” he continued. “Training’s been hard but enjoyable at times. The lads have trained with smiles on their faces every day, laughing and joking while putting the work in. “We’ve got a good group of lads that want to do well for Mansfield Town. The gaffer’s just said go out and play how you’re capable.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Nicky's interview in full on mansfieldtown.net/ifollow. ------------------ Clough brings new sense of freedom to Mansfield Town, says Nicky Maynard chad.co.uk, Friday 20th November 2020 Mansfield Town are playing with a new-found freedom and enjoyment under Nigel Clough, according to Nicky Maynard. The new Stags manager saw his side stretch their unbeaten run to six matches following last night's 1-1 draw with Colchester United, his first in charge at One Call Stadium. “He has given us the freedom to play and enjoy ourselves," Maynard, who opened the scoring, told iFollow Stags. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/clough-brings-new-sense-freedom-mansfield-town-says-nicky-maynard-3043342 “Training’s been hard but enjoyable at times. The lads have trained with smiles on their faces every day, laughing and joking while putting the work in. “We’ve got a good group of lads that want to do well for Mansfield Town. The gaffer’s just said go out and play how you’re capable.” U's keeper Dean Gerken held his head in his hands after Maynard's 20-yard strike flew through his grasp and into the net. But opposite number Marek Stech was also left wondering what he could have done differently after Luke Norris equalised in the 85th minute, lobbing the onrushing Town keeper. But despite the late leveller - which left Clough ‘disappointed’ - Maynard believes the only way is up for Town. He added: "We’re moving in the right direction. "We just have to look at the positives and move towards the next game on Tuesday (at home to Harrogate Town (KO 7pm)." ---------------------- Mansfield Town will host Harrogate 'high on confidence' - Nicky Maynard chad.co.uk, Friday 20th November 2020 Nicky Maynard believes the Stags will face Harrogate Town full of confidence - but added that the club needs to pick up more victories. Maynard was on target for Mansfield Town in Friday's 1-1 League Two draw with Colchester, which saw them stretch the unbeaten run to six matches. "Six unbeaten, still not enough wins for our liking but we’re not losing games and these draws can easily turn into wins," Maynard told iFollow Stags. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-will-host-harrogate-high-confidence-nicky-maynard-3043496 “We just look onto the positives and hopefully come away with three points (against Harrogate)." Simon Weaver's Harrogate side, promoted via the National League play-offs last season,dropped to 14th in the League Two table following Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Leyton Orient. They are winless in six league games and travel to face Mansfield on Tuesday (KO 7pm). Letting in late goals has been a problem for the Stags so far this campaign, with 12 of the 29 goals conceded in all competitions coming in the final 15 minutes. And Maynard says it is something the club are desperate to cut out, adding: "We spoke about that in the changing room just after the game, saying the last five or 10 minutes we seem to have our backs against the wall. “It was the same at Forest Green but we held on because of our two-goal cushion. "(Against Colchester) we tried to hold on, they didn’t really bother us at all but one lapse in concentration at the back cost us a goal and that’s football. “We can’t beat ourselves up because we deserve three points so we’ll go into Tuesday’s game high on confidence.” ---------------------- Colchester United boss Steve Ball on Mansfield Town draw By Jonathan Waldron JonWaldron1 https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/sport/18888459.colchester-united-boss-steve-ball-mansfield-draw/ COLCHESTER United boss Steve Ball felt a point was the very least his side deserved after they struck late to draw 1-1 at Mansfield Town. The U’s needed a well-taken 85th-minute equaliser from substitute Luke Norris to earn them a draw in their League Two clash, at the One Call Stadium. Nicky Maynard had given the Stags a 67th-minute lead but the introduction of four substitutes - for the first time in a league game for the U’s - and a switch to a more attacking shape, paid dividends for the visitors. Ball said: “I think we’ll take the point in the end. “I thought we dominated possession and in the first half, we had a great chance with Noah Chilvers. “I thought we looked good on the ball and looked good in possession. “It was a bit of a freak goal to concede but I thought we really got to grips with it in the last 20 minutes and we deserved the point. “Nos (Luke Norris) showed composure to lift it over the keeper. “We went with a 3-4-3 which was quite an aggressive shape, with Cohen (Bramall) has left-sided centre-half. “It left it open a little bit but what really impressed me was that they really retreated after that and even after we scored, there was only one team going to win it. “We went for it and we just want to do that this year. “We want to come away from home and be a real threat and if we’re losing a game, really go for it and try to not only pick up a point up but go and get the three. “There’s disappointment because we feel that we should be winning games but having been here a long time, you win your home games and you pick up your away points.” Colchester moved up to sixth spot in the table with the draw while Mansfield have now gone six unbeaten in all competitions. The Stags have enjoyed a resurgence under newly-appointed boss Nigel Clough, as they move away from the foot of the table. Ball added: “Nigel (Clough) has got them going here and they’re a much-changed team, in terms of picking up results. “You can certainly see the confidence in them in terms of their organisation and work for each other. “But I do believe we were the better side over the 90 minutes. “They went with a flat four and they dropped George Lapslie a bit deeper - they’ve got some quick players and some quality players and a fit edge to them. “But I thought we popped it really well and created some really good chances - we should have won the game.” ---------------------- David Sharpe @DavidSharpe91 We had our highest viewing figures of the season on iFollow last night! Thank you for your support, it’s much appreciated. Unbeaten in 6 and we move onto Tuesday night under the lights. #Stags ---------------- |
Latest | November 2020