Mansfield Town Vs Bristol Rovers, One Call Stadium, Mansfield, Sky Bet League 2, Saturday 17th October, 3:00PM Kick Off Stags Info: http://www.not606.com/threads/a-guide-to-sky-bet-league-2-2015-2016-season.302580/#post-8013023 All the news and build up to Saturdays game will appear on this thread its also the match thread. Don't forget to vote on the poll above it closes on Friday at 3:53 PM My Prediction: The Stags are yet to lose at home so maybe a point won't be a bad outcome - Stags 1 - 1 Gas (Bodin)
The Stags have drawn a lot of games at home and are going well. But we're in such good form I think our lads can give them a big thank you present for sending us down...
Haven't been over to Field Mill in Yonks, hard one to call this, just hope it doesn't go the same way as my last visit there, 5-0 I think and didn't a certain Keith Barrington Cassells get all of them ? or maybe pretty much all of them....now incidently one of Hertfordshire's finest !
I think he'll treat it like any other game. I know he used to play for Mansfield but DC is a very forward-thinking manager who doesn't like to dwell on the past.
TEAM NEWS: Stags have a clean bill of health heading in to Saturday’s fixture, with manager Adam Murray having a positive selection headache with the full playing squad at his disposal. Chris Clements made his return from a groin injury as a late substitute in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Newport so will no doubt be in contention again. However Murray may opt for a change in personnel to combat the system played by The Gas. Mansfield-born Rovers manager Darrell Clarke also has his full complement available for selection as he heads back to his hometown looking for a way to mastermind another away victory. The trio of Ellis Harrison, Tom Lockyer and Jake Gosling have all seemingly returned from international duty unscathed. RECENT FORM: The victory over Newport last weekend stretched the Stags’ winning run to three, with only one defeat in total from their last nine league fixtures. Mansfield currently sit in fourth place in the Sky Bet League Two table, but if results go their way they could climb as high as second by 5pm on Saturday. Bristol Rovers are back in action having been handed a weekend off after their match with high-fliers Wycombe was postponed due to international call-ups. The Pirates currently sit in 13th spot with just five points separating them from the play-off places, with their away form significantly contributing to that fact. Rovers have only lost one of their six matches on the road, picking up 13 points from a possible 18 as a result. PREVIOUS MEETINGS: This Saturday’s match marks the 50th meeting between the two sides; with their first fixture dating all the way back to 1931 when the pair played out a 1-1 draw in the old Division Three (South). Rovers have the edge in the head-to-head record winning 20 matches to Mansfield’s 16, but the Stags did avoid defeat in the two fixtures in the 2013/2014 campaign, their most recent meetings to date. A late own-goal at One Call Stadium secured the Bristol club a point after Lee Stevenson scored midway through the first half to hand Mansfield the opening goal. In the reverse fixture, a volley from Colin Daniel on the last day of the season condemned their opponents to relegation to the Conference after a 94-year stay in the Football League. OVERALL RECORD: WON 16 DREW 13 LOST 20 MATCH OFFICIALS: This weekend’s referee is Mark Haywood and his assistants will be Richard Bartlett and Matthew Donohue. The fourth official for the fixtures is Mark Dwyer. Mr Haywood has handed out 31 yellow cards and two red cards in the ten fixtures he’s taken charge of so far this campaign, with his last match being Oxford United’s 3-1 away victory over Accrington Stanley in League Two on 03 October.
A difficult won to call. We're motoring away from home at the moment, but they're a decent side on a good run. I'm going for 2-2 (Lines (pen), Easter) So it's Darrell's home town and one of his former clubs, plus the Stags sent us down. Should add a little spice to the game!
DC said: "I want to win every game we play in, but for me this game has a little bit extra on it because they are my hometown club and they were also the team that beat us on the day we were relegated." http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTO...-game-admits/story-27992265-detail/story.html
By Gerry Prewett Having sat out last weekend due to international commitments Bristol Rovers face another away trip to another high-flying team. This time they take on fourth placed Mansfield Town at the One Call Stadium. The Stags have won half of their League games so far and have suffered just two defeats. They completed their third win in a row when they defeated Newport County 3-0 on Saturday. Despite dominating first half possession the home team could not get past County’s rearguard and it wasn’t until the 50th minute that it was pierced. Malvind Benning’s cross from left was gently laid back by Jack Thomas to allow Craig Westcarr who smashed it past Joe Day from just inside the six yard box. Newport hit back with two corners, but they were pressured again as Day was forced to tip over a Matt Green shot and then pushed away a Ryan Tafazolli header. On 70 minutes Jack Thomas picked out Benning just outside the area and he crashed a stunning shot high into the Newport goal. Adi Yussuf was a late change and scored from the edge of the area in the first minute of added time as Mitch Rose found him with a square pass and he slotted in just inside the right post. The first ever League meeting between the Stags and the Pirates took place on 19 September 1931 and ended in a 1-1 draw at Eastville. Billy Routledge scoring for Rovers and Ernie England scoring a penalty for the away team. The return match at Field Mill saw Rovers run out 3-0 winners, ironically their best ever result at Mansfield, with Routledge, Ronnie Dix and Tom Cook notching the goals. Looking back at some of the home games, on 4th January 1958 the clubs met in the F.A. Cup and Peter Hooper (2), Alfie Biggs, Dai Ward and George Petherbridge thrilled a 20,446 Eastville crowd as Rovers ran out 5-0 victors. The opening day of the 1964/65 season saw Rovers win 4-1. Robin Perry in his Evening Post match report described the performance as “Efficient and often exciting….in the style that has become traditional under the Tann management”. Harold Jarman opened the scoring after just four minutes and Johnny Brown scored a second goal very shortly afterwards. Alfie Biggs netted the third and Jarman created the fourth for Ian Hamilton. Peter Morris the Stags left half netted a consolation goal eight minutes from time. The following season Rovers were in a shocking slump and had their longest spell ever without a win. Then they suddenly saw off Grimsby with two goals in four minutes and beat Brentford away 5-0. Their next home game was against the Nottinghamshire team. Alfie Biggs headed Rovers into a second minute lead, scored another 22 minutes later, which was quickly followed by a Johnny Brown goal. Bobby Jones and Roger Frude added quick second half goals before Johnny Petts sealed a 6-0 victory with just four minutes left. A game in Bristol on 19 March 2005 was a real thriller, with the Stags taking an early lead but Rovers scoring twice before half-time to go in 2-1 up at the break. Two goals in three minutes, just after play resumed gave the advantage to the Nottinghamshire team and a Callum Lloyd goal on 68 minutes seemed to have ensured that all three points were going back to the midlands. Rovers’ determination was not to be underestimated and two goals in the last 10 minutes ensured a remarkable 4-4 draw. That result was the second time that the teams shared 8 goals in Bristol. The previous occasion was 15th October 1966. Alfie Biggs, Harold Jarman (2) and Kenny Ronaldson scored for the home team and John Rowland (2), Tommy Mitchinson and Stuart Brace scored for the Stags. In some respects that match was even more fabulous in that the half-time score was 0-0! In Nottingham the story has been very different. Rovers first six visits after the War all resulted in defeat. During that time they scored one goal and conceded fifteen. They finally broke the sequence with a 0-0 draw on 26th October 1968. Rover’s worst result at Field Mill came on 31st January 1987 when they went down 5-0. Things have improved of late and Rovers’ last five visits have seen them collect two wins and three draws. The last of those games was on 12 October 2013. Lee Stevenson’s goal, from Mansfield’s only quality first half attack, separated the sides at the break. Relentless second half pressure from John Ward’s side finally paid off after 83 minutes when a shot from Alefe Santos was deflected past home keeper Alan Marriott by the outstretched leg of defender Keiran Murtagh. A Junior Agogo double secured a rare away win on 7 August 2004. On 28 December 2005, Nathan Arnold, Adam Rundle and Allan Russell scored for the home team whilst James Hunt and a Richard Walker double (including a penalty) replied for the visitors. On 7 April 2007 a Steve Elliott goal secured maximum points for Rovers. Those recent results have been very much against the grain as the overall record stands at 5 wins, 6 draws and 13 defeats for Rovers in the mining town. Town’s last home win over Rovers was on 6 April 2002 when a team containing Craig Disley, scored goals by Adam Murray and Andrew White to secure a 2-0 home win. Speaking ahead of this weekend’s game Town Boss Adam Murray said, "We know that they will bring a different challenge to us but we've got good players who can adjust to anything they need to. We've had a super start and we've probably blown everybody's expectations already for what they expected us to do in the first quarter of the season. That's not enough for us because we still know there's more in us; we're probably functioning at 70 per cent and the other 30 per cent will be what keeps us in the top group. Winners strive to be greedy and achieve as many points as they can, and that’s this group's target. Speaking about his coaching duo Micky Moore and Richard Cooper, he added: "I know at the time I got the job people were saying that they didn't know if they have the experience. They're two of the most enthusiastic, qualified, modern and inspirational people that I could have by my side.” "Micky knows the game, he's got more contacts than anyone I know and he's a thinker. Coops is a young coach, he's got great ideas, he brings a freshness and he's a motivator as well. We've got a difference in character and ideas and it works." "There's more British coaches and managers getting a chance in the game. I think the energy around young coaches rubs off on your group, which is what I've found. I've wanted to learn from the bad times and good times. I haven't got the knowledge of a 50 or 60-year-old manager, but at the minute I don't want that. Ultimately I want to be my own man and a lot of young coaches I speak to are the same.” "The modern game is moving forward rapidly; formations are a lot more fluid and teams go from formation to formation in the space of 20 minutes, sometimes without knowing they're doing it. That's the game now and it's exciting for English football - the more of our own we can push through, the better." Meanwhile Stags Captain and former Bolton Wanderers stalwart Nicky Hunt expressed his views, ”We've got to keep our standards high that we set in pre-season, we've got a fit squad and obviously we'll do what we can to get the points on the board. Once we get to 90-100 per cent you'll see another gear change from us and hopefully we'll put on a performance for the crowd.” "It's a great honour for me to be captain of this club - it brings a lot of added impetus to your game but it's nothing that I can't handle and long may it continue in my eyes. We enjoy coming into training every day and the lads are buzzing, it's great to be around a football club that are doing so well and a town that are buzzing off us really." "The more press you get in the paper, the more pressure it puts on players, especially the younger players that we've got. For me it's great, I'd rather go through my life without being in the papers and going under the radar because I'm that type of person." Speaking about the coaching methods at the club he went on to say of Murray "He's got his own philosophy and the players are 110 per cent behind that and he's been great for us. It has been working for us as you can see by the fitness of the squad. We leave no stone unturned which is good because we know what we need to do. It's drilled into us so there's no excuses on the Saturday."
Radio saying DC left Mansfield as a player not under good circumstances and also following the relegation too, DC wants to win this game more than any other!
Mansfield has an easy chance just 6 yards out with the keeper to beat following poor defending but the Mansfield player went for power and blazed it over the bar! Lucky!
Rovers currently sit 13th in the league and we have now faced 9 of the 12 teams above us. 3 teams yet to play in the top 12 is Exeter who are 11th, Wycombe who are 6th and Carlisle who are 9th.
Not a great start so far. Scrappy and Mansfield having more of the ball and throwing in plenty of crosses.
Radio thinks around 800 gashead have made the trip. Thats good considering the last 2 league games were both away and were both long trips to Hartlepool and Morecambe. Mansfield is a bit of a trip too near Chesterfield.
