Stockport County 0 Mansfield Town 2 ( Football League 2) Monday 1 January 2024

 

 

 

This was serious business, in fact very serious business indeed!

Mansfield gave us a comprehensive lesson in footballing skills at Field Mill earlier in the season and, prior to today`s match, they stood second, one place behind us in the division whilst still playing progressively having been beaten just once in 23 starts.

Thus, few at Edgeley Park would have felt anything other than this would be the sternest test possible for County to face, and that`s precisely how it turned out  as the Stags were just too resourceful for the blues, in a game littered with fouls ,injuries and stoppages that saw top quality football thin on the ground at times.

Injuries to Pye early on that forced him to be substituted and Knoyle, who was stretchered off early in the second half hit County hard and will do so again as both add to the already lengthy list of injured players not available to us.

It was not that County did not try, they certainly did but they found Nigel Clough`s side in highly combative form – perhaps a shade or two more so than is acceptable at times, but it worked and despite surviving some distinctly hairy moments at the back under fire from  County , with the blues pressing for the opening goal they were hit on the break -two late goals from substitutes Stephen Quinn and Davis Keiller- Dunn sealing the win for the visitors.

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There was a huge crowd inside EP at the start and the away blocks in the Pop Side were pretty much bulging with Mansfield fans, but almost straight away we were looking calamity in the eye as Pye went down under pressure allowing Oates a run at goal. A neat intervention by Horsfall cleared the danger but not the calamity bit as Pye had to be replaced by Richardson not long after- the substitute slotting in at RWB, with a back 3 of Knoyle, Horsfall and ( interestingly) Wright on the left.

 

906 Mansfield supporters.

 

 

 

 

That was not a great start and worse beckoned with Clarke going right through Horsfall with a really poor challenge next. He got a yellow card, but he was a lucky lad!

County went close next as excellent work by Camps set a real chance up as Bailey lurked at the back post, but he put the ball wide- chance gone!

Cue a melee inside the Mansfield box but despite the best efforts of Madden and others it stayed 0-0.

I suppose some might have thought it was time for some karma but it looked a bit risky as Horsfall repaid the earlier `compliment` from Clarke. The free kick ushered in real danger, but when the kick was lifted over by Maris , Aden Flint lumbered in to head the ball wide.

On it went with Madden and Bailey working hard to find an opening for County, and the Stags replying with a trademark quick break that in no time saw Clarke  looking lethal where he shouldn`t – in County`s box. Thank fully he had Wright for company and splendid company he was too, providing a halt to County`s angst and Clarke`s ambitions with a brilliant tackle!

Then some more of the boorish stuff brought more delay and annoyance as Oates left his leg where it should not have rightly been as Hinchliffe made to gather.

Both players went down with the Cheadle End baying for a red card for Oates but with his teammates constantly in Referee Middleton`s ear that was never going to happen was it!

Oates was then  substituted , Lucas Akins coming on in his place, and having a decent game for Stags!

Halfway through the half we looked about to see an opening goal, and for County, as Madden worked the ball clear nicely before picking Touray out as he cut inside from the left. It was another chance but again we did not take it, Touray`s shot drifting wide of the far post.

County continued to probe  – Richardson unlucky with a run down the right, Camps faring similarly not long after …..Richardson to the fore again halting an embryonic Stags break.

It was looking promising, but the back door had to be watched constantly – Horsfall on hand to block a shot from Akins that was destined for better things one moment- Touray doing just enough to ensure that Clarke could not hit the target with his shot as he took aim in the box.

Richardson showed again next with another tasty run that had Stags in disarray in his wake, but his final ball was just too strong for Madden to fashion the required finish .

It went end to end for a time – Knoyle doing well stopping a run by the dangerous George Maris on 36 minutes….Wootton hauled down by Cargill for a free kick that came to nought……..then a really tasty moment as Bowery surged beyond Touray down the right picking Clarke out for a shot that was heading in when Hinchliffe`s dive saw him fingertip it round the post. Madden headed the incoming corner out from under the bar smack on 45 minutes.

We then had 8 minutes added time to sort – it was mainly forgettable stuff that went down in this period save for Madden going close after Croasdale had won possession in lively style, and another characteristically efficient defensive header from the County skipper as a free kick headed goalward.

Nil/ nil at the break did not seem a bad reflection of how the game had so far panned out, but we would be looking for better in the second half for sure!

 

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For Half Time entertainment today :-

One  of my favourite covers , with a few more on the dropdown, enjoy …….

https://youtu.be/FyFwko9O2UE?si=kPetLXfn9den4c86

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 Then the re-start saw two pivotal moments change  the course of the game- the first came 3 minutes into the half when Jayden Richardson got in behind the Stags down the right. He had Cargill for company, and he made contact with the County player who crashed down in the box.

“Penalty” was the unanimous cry from the Cheadle End, but the referee was having none of it- no penalty.

In way less than a minute on from that last action came Mansfield`s very decisive response as their next attack saw Clarke`s precisely delivered cross put away coolly by the predatory Maris.

It was 1-0 to Stags and an uphill drag now for the blues.

Buoyed by this success, Mansfield came at County again straight away – Wright doing well for the blues to stop a run by McLaughlin that promised much.

McLaughlin was centre stage again a while after but at the other end clearing a Camps shot off the line with County buzzing busily like bees round a flower. “Handball” was the cry midst the activity and a defender was the suspect but Mr Middleton saw no penalty. He did give us a free kick moments later for a further foul, but the blues were unable to make the kick count.

County then came under the cosh via a series of Mansfield free kicks and matters took on a decidedly darker hue around the hour mark as 3 players went down in a heap in the County box.

One of them ( Kyle Knoyle) stayed down and it was of great concern to all to see him eventually stretchered off .

Tanto came on in Kyle`s place, which now saw County with a  notional back 4 looking as follows- Richardson , Wright ( now back right), Horsfall,  Touray- Richardson and Touray licensed to get forward.

County did get some free kicks but the next one mirrored the bulk of these - won as Wootton was hauled down by McLaughlin and then wasted- Bailey sending this one over everyone`s head.

Then with 10 minutes normal time left I wondered if I might be eating my words as panic set in at the back for Stags as Reed hacked Croasdale down. Camps hoisted the free kick into the box where Horsfall rose above everyone to head it back across goal where Tanto looked to be fouled by Aden Flint.

Did the Cheadle End really need to cry “penalty”? Well, they did but it wasn`t according to Mr Middleton who gave Mansfield a free kick instead- Tanto`s angst increased again when flagged offside moments later.

Powell was now on for Croasdale and this signalled renewed assault on Mansfield goal by the blues, but press…cross…shoot as they might, nothing was coming off for them.

Indeed they almost imploded allowing the predatory Keiller-Dunn to nick the ball and pick out Quinn within sniffing distance of goal. This was one pass too many by the Stags and the chance evaporated as Hinchliffe made the save and kept Quinn`s effort out!

Back came County, perhaps inspired by the escape, but somehow Mansfield survived after Touray had threatened down the left.

It continued with Madden`s looping header clearing the bar from a Powell pass on 89 minutes.

Then, with 13 minutes added time just announced, Richardson was played clear down the right his cross reaching Tanto whose header was somehow clawed off the line by Mansfield keeper Christy Pym.

Stags replied via Flint, but Wright stopped the rot for the blues with an excellent blocking tackle!

But mostly these final minutes were spent watching County trying to nick that elusive equalising goal – Powell was certainly trying but his header 9 minutes into added time was just kept out on the line. But he was not spent, and he followed that up with a terrific shot that was heading into the bottom right corner of the net until Pym`s dive saw him push the ball round the post!

Another 3 minutes and the game was decided as County lost possession to Clarke allowing Keiller -Dunn the ball deep in County territory. He had fluffed a similar chance 2 minutes earlier but this time he made no mistake drilling a firm finish into the County net to make 906 lives infinitely happier- Mansfield now led 2-0 and with about 1 minute left that was game over!

That was not the result we wanted, but we half suspected that Mansfield definitely had such a punishing outcome in their locker.

We lost the game, Mansfield had more to draw on, on the day, and obviously played as well as they have repeatedly done home and away this season, so we take the defeat and move on.

We now have nearly a fortnight off before Walsall on the 13^th, and that will do us no harm.

Also we remain atop the division, with all still to play for .

We have lost seemingly vital games late on in season`s to promotion rivals before and gone on to be Champions, so we remember that perhaps also!

Finally best wishes to Kyle Knoyle and Ethan Pye our latest casualties I hope both recover well !

 

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe , Knoyle ( Olaofe 65) , Horsfall , Wright  , Pye ( Richardson 8) , Touray , Camps, Croasdale ( Powell 82) , Bailey , Madden , Wootton.

Subs not used : Smith , Byrne , Mee , C Johnson.

 

Mansfield Town line up :-

Pym , Johnson ( Reed 29) , Flint , Cargill , McLaughlin ( Williams 72) , Brunt , Lewis ( Quinn 72) , Clarke , Maris ( Keiller-Dunn 72) , Bowery , Oates ( Akins 20) .

Subs not used : Flinders , Swan.

 

Attendance: 10334 ( 906)

hedgegrower

 

Some images from Andrew Machin.......