Saturday 5 March 2016

Mansfield Town 0 v Yeovil Town 1 - SkyBet League 2

Mansfield Town (0) 0
Yeovil Town (0) 1
Ryan Dickinson 90+1
Admission: Season ticket duty
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 2,713 (183 away)
Mansfield Town:
Shearer, Alfei, Collins (C), Tafazolli, Benning, Chapman (Thomas 81), Clements, Daniel (Yussuf 63), Lambe, Baxendale (Kavanagh 75), Green
Unused subs - Jensen, Rose, Beardsley, McGuire
Yeovil Town:
Krysiak, Dickson, Smith, Ward, Roberts, Tozer, Dolan (Campbell 56), Laird, Cornick (Goodship 79), Zoko (Bird 56), Dawson
Unused subs - Weale, Sokolik, Lacey, Lita
In the aftermath of Yeovil's very fortuitous one nil smash and grab ram raid of a win, secured via an injury time goal, I overheard a disgruntled supporter claiming that Adam Murray is the worst Mansfield Town manager ever and that the team were the biggest load of crap he's ever clapped eyes on. He went on to say that he'd seen more fizz in a glass of Alka Seltzer than in that Adam Chapman.
I challenge anybody to name me three things that are more effervescent than a glass of Alka Seltzer and would need to question Mr Angry about how many Stags managers and teams he's ever watched in his entire life, there have been far worse performances than this over the years.
Granted, that doesn't qualify this afternoon's open exhibition of profligate finishing as being wholly acceptable, but I bet he wasn't at this game... CLICK HERE
Sure, things aren't perfect on the pitch, but the progression that has been made compared to the previous few years, is quite remarkable.
I actually think that some people are blowing a gasket because their expectation levels went off the scale, when Mansfield looked like nailed on certs for a play off place a couple of months ago.
Truth is, they are still only two points away from bagging a spot in the end of season lottery and back in August any realistic supporter would have ripped your arm off (and probably their own too) to be in such a position in March.
Truth is, the Glovers should have been dead and buried given the number of chances the Stags had seen go to waste, as the visitors lived dangerously until the 91st minute when Ryan Dickinson slotted home Brandon Goodship's cross. Shit happens!
Ooh heck, look at that storm heading here from Berry Hill way.
But, when Reggie Lambe's stinging shot crashed back off the crossbar, it signalled to me, that no matter what they were trying to do out on that sticky old pitch this afternoon (and all credit to the ground staff for getting the game on in the first place), it just wasn't going to be the Stags day.
And no amount of catcalls and singling players out to demonize, was going to change that.
Maybe playing two up front, instead of tinkering with formations, taking some of the burden off of Matt Green and freeing him up from his target man duties and holding role until those who are positioned more deeply can get up in support, would allow him to do what he does best instead.
One up front also loses a great deal of momentum and impetus, because while Green is waiting on some company to arrive who he can lay the ball off to, it also gives the opposition defence ample time to reorganise and plug any gaps that an extra man could've exploited during the initial window of opportunity.
But hey! What the bleedin' hell do I know, eh!?
I am a massive advocate and supporter of Adam Murray as a manager, he is an asset to Mansfield Town on many levels and he is bound to make the odd mistake from time to time, as he (quickly) learns his trade under the ever watchful and critical eye of the Field Mill faithful, who may by now, possibly have gained a reputation for not being easy to please.
Well, least-ways, that is true of the more outspoken elements of the crowd.
Nothing ventured nothing gained kids!
Above, the steel work is in place ready for erecting
the old Wembley scoreboard at the One Call Stadium/
Field Mill any time now.
Below, at Wembley Stadium in all of it's pomp
Yeovil played like any away team who've ever been content with a draw on their travels, they had a scrum half at centre half called Darren Ward who could kick the ball higher than any other footballer I've ever seen before. Good luck to them, they've got a master plan to claw themselves away from the relegation zone and in a horses for course kind of way, it's working.
Any road, I'm quite sure you've quite had enough of my rabbiting on about the mighty Stags for one day, so here is the match report from the Mansfield Town Official Website and the STAGSNET website overview, written by my good pals Martin Shaw and Simon 'Koeman' Chamberlain.
I have an emergency appointment to have a wisdom tooth extracted this evening; it can't be any more painful than watching two Stags teams lose on one day.
183 happy Yeovil fans.