Mansfield Town 2 Stockport County 1 ( Football League 2) Saturday 20 August 2022

 

 

 

 

County slumped to another unwelcome defeat today against Mansfield Town at the One -Call Stadium.

We weren`t robbed, cheated or otherwise short changed, indeed the Stags looked reasonably un-flattered by the 2-1 win to me.

They didn`t have to work that hard to claim the points either, as County looked as disjointed as it was possible to be setting their opponents up time after time with a game long series of unforced errors.

Mansfield`s Swan was top man on the park and County`s chagrin might have been even greater had his colleagues made more of just one of the situations he set up for them deep in County territory.

They didn`t and County looked to have survived and better as Sarcevic gave them the lead on 53 minutes.

Sadly, the lead lasted less than a minute before M.O.M Swan equalised for Mansfield, County going behind just another 3 minutes on from this.

DC began a series of personnel changes not long after as County tried in vain to salvage the game, but the damage was done early doors for me when we decided to split up the back 3 of Brown, Lewis and Johnson, pushing Brown forward into the Southam- Hales spot from Tuesday, bringing Horsfall into the middle of the three whilst pushing Lewis to the right sided CB position.

This really did not work and at times we looked very suspect at the back and overrun in midfield to boot which compels me to ask why Hippolyte did not start having done well on Tuesday making a substantial contribution to the goal?

County supporters suspect they know Hippolyte`s worth and started singing his name well before kick-off continuing throughout much of the game, but Hippo, like Crankshaw who similarly did well to set up County`s winning goal v Colchester and promptly disappeared to the bench, must wonder what they have to do to get the nod from the boss!

 

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Back to 3 o`clock and 968 County supporters were making a fearsome noise from the Away End in fact they had been doing so for nigh on 30 minutes prior.

It was just what County needed – Wootton did not need the early thwacking he received from Perch, or Kitching the similar welcome coming his way from Clarke, but the blues made nothing from either free kick, Lewis coming closest with a header from the second one which home keeper Pym held comfortably.

The 6th minute saw Swan slink in behind the County cover for the first time pulling a neat ball back from the by-line. This was not a great moment for County but somehow, they survived the experience with the score still 0-0.

Apart from Swan I was not overly impressed with our hosts- they were frequently working a good position ( a corner for example 9 minutes in )but failing to capitalise on them- I point in the direction of  O`Toole whose header flew wide from a corner.

McLaughlin had his moments for Town but the 13^th minute wasn`t one of them as Jaros beat him to a potentially tasty through ball from Swan.

County were having to work hard now- Croasdale and Camp, then Lewis in action breaking up raids from the home side.

We reached half way in the first half watching the seemingly obligatory League 2 Pantomime as Lapslie fancied….a penalty….a free kick…a red card for Lewis as the pair tangled in the box. He was disappointed as County got the free kick.

If that was reassuring from the officials the next action wasn`t. The free kick awarded to Mansfield was to say the least questionable, but not as much as the corner that came from it, the ball having flown out without touching anyone of either side! Thankfully Jaros dealt with this but………..

 

 Jaros claims from corner.

 

 

 

Then for a few seconds we thought we had a chance to square the circle as Croasdale was clear and one on one with Pym. Croasdale`s strike had direction but not enough power to beat the keeper who beat it out bravely – chance gone!

Croasdale had another sight of goal just a minute later lifting the ball over the bar, but as chances go the best came next and fell to County`s opponents.

Almost inevitably Swan was involved, and he was beyond Horsfall in an eye`s blink. Drawing Jaros off his line and less than a yard out- he should have done better, instead his snatched effort hit the side netting to the accompaniment of unkind laughter from the Away End.

Swan was not done,

 and he put County under the cosh for a time after that miss. The pressure was halted by Lewis who then sent Sarcevic darting clear with a neat long ball. It looked good…..and then it didn`t as the liner had his flag up for offside.

More pressure on County followed- Jaros doing well to keep McLaughlin`s shot out….Lewis doing similar to block another effort from the same player. Corners came and went but the delivery from Town lacked threat thankfully.

Madden and Wootton did their best to make Town pay the price on the break, but it was Mansfield who did the major part of the attacking in what remained of the half.

Lewis did well at the hub of rescue ops as County found themselves under continued pressure. A neat block by Kitching saving County`s bacon into added time after Swan`s colleagues again failed to make anything of more good work by him.

It was nil/ nil at half time and notionally all to play for.

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County gave possession away cheaply straight from the start of the second half- the pressure being eased by a free kick for a foul on Wootton but it was not a good start.

Then we thought we had turned a corner only to see a burst of blue attacking end with Wootton`s header smacking into an upright.

 Wootton unlucky with header .

 

 

 

 

And then we had…. As more pressure and a decent bit of play saw Sarcevic`s sensational strike  give County the lead.

 1-0 courtesy of a Sarcevic sizzler !

 

 

 

 

Cue much celebrating behind Pym`s goal but it lasted less than a minute before Town were level taking advantage of slack work from County to equalise   through Swan whose left footed cracker of a shot ignited the home specs fuse- we suddenly realised that they were here!

And the locals had more to celebrate with a couple of minutes. It stated with another quick interchange of passes by the men in yellow as County defensive cover melted in the face of it. Jaros did well to keep Lapslie`s shot out but not the follow up from Clarke who buried his effort into the net  under the keeper`s dive giving Mansfield the lead.

Despite the setbacks County`s supporters still kept up a deafening wall of supportive sound from behind Pym`s goal- surely this would galvanise the blues!

But I looked up to see Mc Loughlin tearing great lumps out of the right side of County`s back line- the cross came to nothing but it was not a great County moment.

With the hour mark passed, Pym had some work to do nipping off his line to beat Wootton to Madden`s deft flick in the box, but County kept losing concentration and with it possession, and thus failed to build on an encouraging if short passage of play.

Next off we saw a triple change from DC as Crankshaw, Rydel and CJ took the place of Wootton, Johnson and Horsfall.

There was no immediate change however indeed McLaughlin was at it again taking advantage of slack work at the back by County- Lewis was able to clear his lines which ended the angst for now.

Kitching did well under pressure next, before Hartigan gave us some theatricals as he rolled about on the deck following a perfectly legal tackle from Camps who was seeking to break up the latest Town raid and send County on a run.

In the end the theatricals won out as Mansfield got a free kick but no more thanks to a brave block by Croasdale.

We went into the last quarter hour with County trying to get back in the game, spurred on by a series of fouls by Town. County went close -but Sarcevic`s saw his shot fizz wide of the post.

 

 County close late on....

 

 

Cue more County changes as with just 14 minutes left Hippolyte and Evans came on for Camps and Sarcevic.

Before we could see how the new faces would fare, a tangle involving Lewis and Kitching    almost upset the County apple-cart again but Jaros rescued our blushes.

But more potential embarrassment surfaced quickly as Mc Loughlin forced a corner for Mansfield. County`s back line were in disarray at this point- Jaros having to punch clear under pressure as the blues surrendered possession.

It was not great to watch.

County did make a fist of clawing another goal back , but Crankshaw`s free kick as added time was announced  was cleared.

 

 Late pressure from County.

 

 

 

A foul on Brown ushered in another County free kick and with it  more hope but this disappeared with Pym`s timely punched clearance under pressure.

That was more or less the last real chance to either team- both kept working at embarrassing the other but without conspicuous success.

It was a relief to head for the exit and take the Flyer home.

I`ve said enough I think, we have a chance to redeem ourselves when Leicester visit us on Tuesday- ridiculously perhaps…..do not write us off for that one, and if we can …then that just might be the catalyst for a revival of our season.

I was wearing my 96-97 promotion season shirt today and perhaps we would do well to remind ourselves that we had a similarly abysmal start to that season and just look how we finished it off!

 

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Mansfield Town line up:-

Pym, Bowery, O`Toole, Perch, Harbottle, McLaughlin ( Gordon 89), Clarke ( Gale 89), Hartigan ( Hewitt 80), Maris ( Wallace 62), Lapslie, Swan ( Hawkins 89).

Subs not used : Flinders, Cooper .

 

Stockport County line up:-

Jaros, Lewis, Horsfall ( C Jennings 61), Johnson ( Rydel 61), Brown, Kitching, Camps( Hippolyte 76), Croasdale, Sarcevic ( Evans 76), Wootton ( Crankshaw 61), Madden.

Subs not used: Hinchliffe, Quigley.

Attendance 6924 ( 968)

 

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