Ifollow thread v the Stags from the Globe

[Freez]

Roche Mills Lavelle Yarney Conlan Cranston Hedley Mandeville Ellison Oliver Leitch-Smith subs Halstead Thompson Oates Oswell Mendes-Gomes Brownsword Piggott

Stags - Olejnik BennIng Preston Pearce c Bishop Mellis Khan Sweeney Walker Hamilton Rose subs Logan Butcher Elsinore Sterling-James Law Gibbens Graham

Ref is Rob Lewis

Myself and Glen again this very evening, text in on 07890 851399 last us n clear or post on this thread, join us soon

BTW Wildig is now injured, joining Flemo, Tutte, Kenyon, Oates so hence Hedley making his first start in League 2

[black morse]

So we are down to the walking wounded on the bench...Oates!

[Bare bum]

Thommo?

[Freez]

Yes, Thommo, Oates and Gomes not really fit, just fleshing the bench out!

[black morse]

Northampton 1 up so we drop a place.

[black morse]

Notts County beating MK Dons. We drop another place

[Phil Anderer]

Watching the BBC live text I'm wishing I didn't have the lurgy. Sounds exciting.

[paschahound]

Their goal was totally against the run of play. Don't deserve that at all.
We've been far better than them so far. Hope the long run of bad luck isn't coming back again.

[Ntini]

Their goal was totally against the run of play. Don't deserve that at all.
We've been far better than them so far. Hope the long run of bad luck isn't coming back again.

We’ve been on top but haven’t created enough quality chances so far. Certainly a better 1st half performance than Saturday. Kev is surely going to come off at HT - picked up a silly yellow and he’s been lucky with 2 challenges that were a bit risky. We can’t afford to lose a man when we’re the better team. Onward and upwards, we are still in this for 3pts.

[drretro]

Haven't been able to pay attention to the match due to work, but the first update I saw was a comment on Twitter about appalling officiating.

Oh dear. It's one of those days again, is it?

[Ntini]

Really disappointing tonight. It pains me to say it but I feel like that was a gutless performance from many and we just lacked desire in the second half. Their goal took the wind out of our sails and we never really recovered.

Poor use of subs again - too late and a bit odd really. We were struggling in the middle of the park and off goes Hedley (who I thought was playing pretty well and with maturity). From then on we lost our shape and nobody seemed to know what they were doing. Another 3 points lost for me, as a team that we could easily beat are made to look like title contenders at the Globe.

[Freez]

To be fair, we weren't at the races second half and only Baz kept us in it.
They have no injuries, we have eight, and it showed in the end.
Agree that Hedley did well, personally I'd have had Kev off before him.
Gave their all but the lack of guile in the middle with Tutte, Wildig and Flemo all out has taken its tole tonight.

[CityShrimp]

I thought we played some very good football in the first half but it’s the same old story of playing well, battering then but having no goals to show for it and then getting sucker punched.

Unfortunately losing most of our games, playing brilliantly, will still see us relegated. We need to find a way to get points on the board by any means possible.

[Westgate Wanderer]

Yet another average organised side takes home 3 points from The Gloom Arena! 6 defeats out of 8 at home isn't good enough. Injuries will be put up as an excuse, bad ref, it was windy tonight, they were physical blah blah blah... change the record. 10 defeats, the joint worst (with Macc) in the league. Tonight there was no grand valour in defeat, just a dismal whimper. In the bar afterwards it peaked at 25 but within half an hour there were about 8 with 4 from Mansfield. We will be playing Halifax home and away next season

[Posh]

The idea that we should be winning games like last night with what we have is deluded.

- We’be got 9 players out injured including most of our midfield
- Our midfield includes a left back; a 39 year old; and a youth team player on full debut
- Our attack is led by a player with 6 league goals in 3 years
- Ww had a bench full of crocks bar two strikers who wouldn’t have seen the ball

Given all that I thought we were excellent in the first half but unsurprisingly drifted away as the legs of Headley and Kev went. Could have played Oswell or Piggott but I’m not sure what they could have done much differently because, bar Liam Mandeville, we didn’t have any creativity in midfield, although Oliver should have stuck his header away.

Need to get King Tutte and a few others back or it will remain a wah-wah hut of moaning for some time yet.

[al1]

I think you will find that Mansfield had at least 2 players out who are recovering from injuries and one player suspended after a red card last game!

[Seasider9601]

Mansfield Town view on the game:

STAGS WIN AT MORECAMBE WITH BISHOP’S SUPER STRIKE

Mansfield Town ended their run of six consecutive away draws with an important 1-0 win at Morecambe this evening, thanks to a super goal from Neal Bishop. Otis Khan’s corner from the right came to Bishop just outside the area on 36 minutes, Bishop chested down and smacked a cracking shot into the bottom left corner of the net. It was a goal worthy of winning the game and the highlight of a man of the match performance from Bishop, who was returning from a one match suspension. Mansfield were deserved winners on a windy evening on the Lancashire coast. The Stags could have won by more. Mal Benning’s cross-shot from the left hit the inside of the post and rebounded into the keeper’s arms on 11 minutes, Matt Preston headed over from a lovely Khan cross on 13 minutes, Danny Rose had three chances in 3 minutes at the end of the first half but didn’t hit the target with any of them. Into the second half, and the Stags had a number of shots from around the edge of the area through Bishop, Rose, Khan, Walker and then Rose again that were either close or brought a save from the keeper, while CJ Hamilton had countless runs down the right into the area but didn’t make the most of opportunities to set up a chance or have a shot. At the other end, the Stags defence was solid with chances few and far between for the home side. Bobby Olejnik made a good save from A-Jay Leitch-Smith, Jordan Cranston sent a deflected shot just wide, Vadaine Oliver headed over and Leitch-Smith sent another curling shot just wide, but that was about it, and the Stags held on through 7 minutes of injury time for the victory, which was a huge relief to the travelling 144 fans who have previously seen the Stags concede late equalisers three times this season. Overall a decent performance, with the Stags working so hard, epitomised by great work rate from Tyler Walker and Danny Rose up front, while both wing-backs Hamilton and Benning covered huge distances getting forward and back.

The Stags are now unbeaten in 10 away games, which equals the club record set in the Conference in 2011, and is the club record in the Football League. The Stags are 4 points behind the play-offs with 2 games in hand. Second-placed MK Dons are the visitors to the One Call Stadium on Saturday.

The Stags made two changes from the side that drew at Swindon. Neal Bishop returned from suspension, while Will Atkinson was suspended for one game. Tyler Walker returned to the side. Timi Elsnik dropped to the bench. CJ Hamilton reverted to right wing-back. Craig Davies, Alex MacDonald and Hayden White remained out through injury. Morecambe made one change from the side that was unfortunate to lose to Colchester on Saturday. I had watched extended highlights of that game, and they should have won it. 19 year old Ben Hedley came in for his first league start in midfield, in pace of Aaron Wildig. Morecambe were also without influential midfielder Andrew Tutte. Former Stags striker Vadaine Oliver was up front.

Conditions were difficult with a strong wind, though the pitch was better than it has been on many previous occasions to the Globe Arena.

[Ntini]

The idea that we should be winning games like last night with what we have is deluded.[/b]

- We’be got 9 players out injured including most of our midfield
- Our midfield includes a left back; a 39 year old; and a youth team player on full debut

I'm not sure it's deluded to think we had better players who could have been deployed in better roles. I firmly believe that pretty much all teams in L2 can beat each other, injuries or not.

I thought Cranston did a good job on Saturday and again last night and also thought Hedley had a good game until he was removed prematurely leaving a massive hole. Why Kev was left on, when he has done little for the last two games, is beyond me. It seems his legs have finally gone and his head just didn't seem like the Kev of last season.

- Our attack is led by a player with 6 league goals in 3 years
- Ww had a bench full of crocks bar two strikers who wouldn’t have seen the ball

Maybe if we tried the guy who stuck 27 in the onion bag last year we might see a different outcome. We also struggled out wide and if Mandy had been brought in the middle, in front of Hedley & Cranston as a 3 with Mills & Conlan overlapping, I reckon the forwards would have had much better service.

[Ego Tripping]

Jagne out for season. Wildig might need an opp. Old, Tutte, Flemo & Kenyon obviously all out. Mendes-Gomes, Oates & Oswell also apparently struggling as well. Thommo miles off but went on the bench to make the numbers up. Any club with this number of first teamers out would struggle

[redrobo]

No disputing that our injuries are having a detrimental affect on team selection BUT that doesn't excuse are unwillingness to have a shot on goal or even try a speculative one. Twice Mansfield have speculative shots from outside our area and one ended up a goal. it's also no excuse for opposition wingers to be givne the freedom of their wings that our full backs especially Conlon seem prpeared to do. Surely Jim as an outstanding defender in his days knows that threat that can come from wing play if a full back allows the winger too much space. Time after time last night their right winger had acres of room in which to collect the ball, control it and then proceed to make ground before any attempt by Conlon and others to win the ball until it was either inside or or the verge of our goal area.

At no time did we look capable of getting back into the game and why Kevin remained on the field for 70+ plus minutes as on Saturday is beyond me.

Maybe someone can explain why Oswell isn't given more game time or is it that our management team don't rate him despite his goal scoring record last season and the apparent effort that we put into getting him which would surely suggest he is given more time to impress. The odd reserve game will do nothing for his confidence. He has to be given first team action and the service he needs to score which is a problem that seems to have befallen on us once again.

The only bright sparks for me last night were the performances of Mandy, Sam and the make do midfielder Cranston.

[Ego Tripping]

Er see above.

[Seasider9601]

his head just didn't seem like the Kev of last season.

His mum sadly passed away around 2 weeks ago........

[marky No.1]

Oswell was awarded man of the match last week, then he disappears

[mrpotatohead]

if thats what you really thought "Peters". why were you shouting "Unlucky lads..you were the better team...beaten by the officials" when you applauded the team off?

[Andy D]

Was working last night, but pleased to see people praising Cranston.

In midfield he reminds me of a L2 equivalent of Kante reacting and breaking up play in midfield.

It could be where other clubs have got it wrong with him not playing him in this role.