U's 2-1 Mansfield: Another memorable Stag do
Tuesday 10th March 2009 - U's 2-1 Mansfield: Another memorable Stag do
Charles Hyde knew all about the power of the full moon. A labourer who committed a series of murders in the 1880s, he was acquitted of his crimes on the grounds that he was under its spell; the Lunacy Act of 1824 had already stated as accepted fact that people were liable to go (temporarily) insane when the moon was full. Indeed, the very words 'lunatic' and 'lunacy' were of lunar origin and intended to specifically denote that particular kind of madness. Hyde was said to be a direct inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Jekyll and?' No mention of werewolves, though.
The full moon shone its wan orange glow over the Abbey on Tuesday night, promising a special evening of footballing, if not murderous, action after United's inspired showing at the weekend. Mansfield have provided memorable opposition at the Wembley of the Fens before, of course; United's 3-2 victory clinched their first ever promotion to Division Three on the last day on the 1972-73 season, and 26 years later the U's equalled their highest ever League goal spree with a 7-2 mauling of the hapless Stags.
The current Mansfield side did not promise a feast of goals, however. New manager David Holdsworth, twin brother of former U Dean, took over just after Christmas and seems to have passed his defending prowess on to his team, leading them to six wins and two draws in nine games since the New Year in which they have scored seven times and conceded just two.
The Stags' side contained some familiar faces in former U's Matt Somner and Robert Duffy and veterans Mark Stallard, Adie Moses, Ryan Williams and keeper Alan Marriott, plus a player who seemed to be named after a sliced cheese snack in Jon D'Laryea. A third ex-U, 'Countdown' wiz Neil Mackenzie, was on the bench.
The bench was the only place that saw a change for the hosts, Aaron Grundy replaced by Danny Crow, fit again after a bout of food poisoning. No, really. The Abbey was markedly less full than for the visit of the champions elect (or are they...?) on Saturday, but there was still a buzz of expectation after United's tremendous victory.
It was awards time before kickoff, Our Gary picking up Manager of the Month after an almost 100% February and Paul Carden receiving both Player and Goal of the Month for his stormer against Oxford in, er, January.
It was Mansfield, however, who started the better, looking full of confidence on their current run and knocking the ball around nicely. More tellingly, they were working tirelessly in pressing United, closing them down and allowing their ball players no time on the ball at all, and it was the visitors who dictated the tempo in the early stages.
Stags right-back Gary Silk had the first shot on 3, blasting over from 25 yards, then tricky wide man Nathan Arnold, the only gloves wearer on the night, curled one wide a minute later, while Somner also tried his luck on 7, also wide.
United were being given no time or space in which to play, and subsequently were devoid of creativity or any sort of quality possession. Most dangerous moment so far came on 11 when Stallard was fouled by Wayne Hatswell and Williams whipped the free-kick into the box, it skidded off Hatswell's head and was bound for the top corner until tipped over the bar by a flying Danny Potter.
Five minutes later Williams gained another free-kick closer to the box when fouled by Jai Reason, but his would-be curler sailed harmless over the NRE and into the car park. Epic fail. On 18 Courtney Pitt reciprocated after Robbie Willmott was felled by Somner, and sent his free-kick into the South Stand. So far, so "What...!"
But the U's proceeded to at least gain some sort of foothold in the game. A minute later Stallard fouled Hatswell and his free-kick dropped to Scott Rendell ten yards out, but he was just too slow to pull the trigger and Scott Garner blocked well. From the ensuing Pitt corner, Willmott met the ball on the run like he did at Lewes but this time nodded wide of the near post.
Next up, Hatswell tried one of his super long-range howitzers when no-one closed him down midway into the Mansfield half and left-back Paul Mayo scuffed it away for a corner, but Pitt's delivery was disappointingly tame. The visitors retaliated with a Stallard shot on 25 which Potter smothered well, and they remained on top with United's middle four still struggling to make much of an impact on their hard-working and efficient counterparts.
Hatswell got in the way on another Stallard effort on 32, then tried a long-range free-kick up the other end which Marriott could only hold at the second attempt, but on 34 the visitors grabbed the goal which they had been threatening.
Dan Gleeson was penalised rather softly for a challenge on Duffy and from the free-kick the crafty Williams played a one-two, advanced into rather too much space afforded to him by United, and measured a teasingly floated cross to the far post where Duffy was lurking to head firmly into the net. 1-0.
Duffy reacted as if he had just scored the winner in the World Cup Final rather than a four-yard tap-in, and his ludicrously over-the-top celebration, in which he clearly goaded the denizens of the NRE, was rightly punished by a yellow card. The guy was only at the Abbey for a month in 2005, failed to score a goal and was let go, and frankly there were probably few people at that end who even remembered him, so his reaction was all the more bizarre. He still kept pointing to the name on the back of shirt while being lectured by the ref, perhaps frustrated by most supporters' reaction of "...Duffy, you say? No, sorry, doesn't ring a bell..."
United attempted to respond, Rendell seeing a snap shot blocked by Garner, then on 38 Mayo picked up booking number two for a fairly wild lunge at Willmott and Hatswell's daisycutter of a free-kick was gathered without too much fuss by Marriott.
Hats had one more chance at goal with a 25-yard fizzer over, then the half fizzled out for United as Mansfield went into the break with a deserved lead, their game plan to snuff out their hosts' creative threat having worked a treat. Time for some inspirational words from Mr Brabin during the break: Cry God for Gary, England and St George (Rolls).
There was no reason to change the line-up at this stage, so the substitutes warmed up on the pitch as usual, and Andy Parkinson showed what side of Liverpool he bats for by a gesture of delight at the news over the PA of the Reds' 2-0 lead over Real Madrid. We were more concerned with the score at Barrow, where our nearest rivals' travelling army of four (approx.) supporters had witnessed a goalless first period.
It is not recorded exactly what Our Gary said to his charges over the oranges and Lucozade Sport, but whatever it was must have bordered on the positively Churchillian as United ripped into the Stags from the off like a pack of ravenous werewolves at full moon. Now playing at their own rapid pace, with the wingers encouraged to run at the opposition and players streaming forward in support, Mansfield were quickly pinned back into the final third and, for much of the second half, kept there.
Within a couple of minutes Reason had had a blast at goal, deflected for a corner by D'Laryea, and on 49 United's positivity and use of pace and width had carved out an equaliser. Some neat inter-passing culminated in Paul Carden sending Willmott galloping down the right touchline, and his cross was inch-perfect for Rendell to steal a march on the Stags defence and soar, onside and unmarked, to arrow a header unerringly past Marriott from eight yards out, seeming to hang in the air like a tousled, wingless angel as the ball billowed the net. The poacher strikes again: 1-1!
Now the amber army was in full voice, roaring its heroes on. We wanted three points. Marriott clutched a Hatswell header from another Willmott cross, then the visitors reminded us that they were still a threat when Stallard almost wriggled through, but just as he appeared to have the goal at his mercy Hatswell produced a superb saving tackle.
Back came the U's. On 55 a coruscating Tonkin run forced a corner which Pitt lofted over, Marriott punched unconvincingly to Rendell on the edge of the box, but his attempt at a tricky volley drifted past the far post. Then Pitt's clever free-kick was curled low to Rendell at the near post, but he drove it first time just wide.
Mansfield boss Holdsworth could see that change was necessary, and within a few minutes he had withdrawn both strikers, Stallard and Duffy, in favour of Aaron O'Connor and Louis Briscoe. "You're (censored) and you always were," sang the NRE to Duffy. Ah, so they had remembered him after all.
The mercurial Arnold looked to be the visitors' greatest threat, and on 62 he made a phenomenal run from his own half which took him right into the United box, but with the goal at his mercy he somehow screwed his shot wide. Reason looked determined to break his duck for the U's and he tried a sighter from distance on 63, only just wide, and two minutes later his through ball down the left channel set up Holroyd for a dart past Garner, who promptly hauled him down just outside the area. Yellow card.
Reason curled an angled free-kick under the bar, punched away by Marriott, but the ball just kept coming back, and eventually Rendell nodded wide from a Gleeson cross.
Unfortunately Holroyd had sustained an accidental boot to the face in the build-up and his nose looked a right mess, the striker's right hand literally covered in claret in an attempt to stem the flow. Greg Reid was soon on hand to help him from the field, and his evening was over. Andy Parkinson came on wide right, Willmott moving into the middle alongside Rendell.
Mansfield enjoyed a brief renaissance as United reorganised, O'Connor firing wide, then back came the hosts. Reason, now running the show from the centre alongside Carden, sent Willmott away down the left, and as he cut inside to the edge of the box he had four colleagues to pick out, but chose instead to shoot with unerring inaccuracy, well wide of the near post.
Hatswell essayed another bouncing bomb from distance, Marriott falling on it, and still United streamed forward from all angles, belief oozing from every pore. The visitors, so cool and in control during the first half, could do nothing except hang on grimly, their midfield utterly overrun by the hosts' sheer exuberance and unable to get any sort of supply through to their forwards.
Ten minutes from time Holdsworth tried his last throw of the dice, introducing Scott Gardner for the tiring Arnold, but it failed to stem the one-way flow. Pitt fed Willmott to make a tremendous run to the byline and pull it back for Parkinson but, with the goal at his mercy, Somner made an heroic block on the penalty spot.
Then it was Pitt's turn to dance into the box and he appeared to be clearly brought down by Moses, but the ref was having none of it. And he had been doing so well, too. It got worse for Courtney on 84 when Parkinson arrowed a low cross across the edge of the area and Pitt, under pressure, swung wildly with his right foot and missed the ball completely.
It would have been easy for the team, and the supporters, to mentally throw in the towel and think "It's just not our night." But we were having none of it; recent performances seem to have engendered a new confidence into both watchers and watched.
Pitt was withdrawn on 87 after a splendidly industrious second half, and United continued to press. Willmott slipped it back to Reason in the 'D' and his tremendous shot looked goalbound all the way until stopped by an excellent save from Marriott. As the fourth official indicated four additional minutes, Reason floated a ball into the box and Crow's cushioned header set up Rendell, but with Garner breathing down his neck he could not make the right contact when any sort of shot would surely have flown past the keeper before he could move.
Suddenly Mansfield were making one last break, and they finally set up Briscoe for his first shot of the match, but Potter was equal to it. Back again poured the unquenchable U's, Reason letting fly again to gain another corner, and at 90+3 the breakthrough at last came. Carden flighted the flag-kick to the far post, Crow rose as if on a giant pogo stick to nod back into the danger zone, and from the throngs of the most crowded box imaginable, there was the indefatigable Reason lunging in to ram a bullet header home. Cue bedlam: 2-1!
There are few things more satisfying than scrambling a last-minute winner which you were unsure would ever come, and Reason celebrated his first ever senior goal with joyous glee, shared with all four corners of a ground which seemed to be shaking with good vibrations.
Almost simultaneously, Barrow were notching the winner against the village people. United saw out the remaining seconds with ease and were up to second in the table, setting their sights on Burton, once unassailable leaders who all of a sudden are starting to look vulnerable.
Today was all about belief against impressive, in-form opposition. You and I may not believe in the power of the full moon, but there was certainly a force driving those players on tonight. May we be howling for a good many weeks yet.
Statto Corner
United have now gone nine league matches unbeaten. This is their longest run since a 14-game run which encompassed the last two of the 2006-07 season and the first twelve of 2007-08.
Today was the first time this season that the U's have come from behind to win a match. They accomplished that feat six times last term.
Robert Duffy made a grand total of seven appearances (3 starts and 4 as sub) for United at the start of the 2005-06 season without scoring, before moving on to Kettering, then Oxford, for whom he played twice without scoring against the U's in 2007. He also appeared for Rushden in their 4-0 LDV defeat at the Abbey in 2002, so he has now played four times against United without ever being on the winning side.
Matt Somner played 24 times without scoring for the U's in their last Football League season on 2004-05. He has subsequently appeared four times against his former employers, twice for Aldershot in 2005-06, and twice for Mansfield this season.
Neil Mackenzie has played for nine different clubs since leaving the Abbey in 2000, and has signed for Mansfield twice, but has only played against the U's once, for Macclesfield in their 1-0 win at the Abbey in February 2005.
David Holdsworth faced the U's four times as a player, twice for Watford in 1991 and 1993, and twice for Scarborough in the FA Cup of 2002-03. His twin brother Dean appeared three times for United in January 2007, scoring once, after playing against us twice, for Brentford in 1991 and for Bolton in their 3-1 Abbey FA Cup win in January 2000.
Player Ratings [second half -deduct two marks each for that first half!]
Potter 8. Almost always looked in control.
Gleeson 7. Decent effort.
Hatswell 8. Marshalled the defence well and was a menace shooting from distance, too.
Bolland 8. Used those spidery legs to good effect.
Tonkin 9. Exemplary exhibition of left-back play.
Willmott 8. Tortured Mansfield with his pace and positivity, just needs to move his final delivery up to the next level.
Reason 9. At the heart of everything good for United in the second half.
Carden 8. Tireless and cool at the same time.
Pitt 8. Improved as the game wore on. We won't mention the air shot. Much.
Holroyd 8. Ran the Stags ragged.
Rendell 8. Led the line well, despite looking under the weather in the first half, and that knack for being in the right place at the right time is priceless.
Parkinson 7. Solid and useful contribution.
Crow 7. Only on for five minutes but made the most of it with some splendid touches.
Match Summary
United were outplayed in a disappointing first half, but roared back in the second with a superb display of sustained attacking football, and thoroughly deserved the winner that they snatched right at the end. A breathless, unforgettable and really rather special Abbey night.
Man of the Match
Anthony Tonkin. The only United man to play to his normal standard in the first half, he kept it up impressively in part two with immaculate defending, good support and crossing when pushing forward, and several thrilling, jet-heeled runs at and through the heart of the Mansfield defence.
Ref Watch
Kinseley 8. Fairly unobtrusive, not too fussy, sparing with the cards and tried to keep play flowing. Only ricket was in denying Pitt a penalty, but his booking of the foolish Duffy was spot on.
Becky's World of Wit and Wisdom
"Champion the right to be yourself; dare to be different and to set your own pattern; live your own life and follow your own star." [Bristol Rovers, 28/2/92]
Hello... Goodbye
Happy 22nd birthday today to Ben Farrell. Since his signing in January last year he has amassed two red cards and three goals in 32 appearances in all competitions.
The legendary Terry Fleming made his United debut on this day in 2001, in a 3-2 home defeat by Wrexham. He notched a grand total of five goals in 125 appearances over just under three years and achieved the possibly unique distinction of getting himself sent off in a pre-season friendly, at Soham in 2003.
Another 10th March debut boy was Mike Bennett in a 2-0 home defeat by Cardiff in 1984. This classy left-back, a signing from Wolves, appeared 84 times in black'n'amber, all from the start, without scoring before departing for Bradford two years later.
Alex Russell played his last game for the U's on this day in 2001, in the same game in which Terry Fleming made his debut. The stylish midfielder scored eight goals in 98 games for the U's then moved on to Torquay, and is now back in Devon on loan from Cheltenham to Exeter.
Mick Leach made his last appearance for United before his retirement on this day in 1979, in a 1-0 home defeat by Notts County. An unsung but useful member of an excellent QPR squad for fourteen years and over 300 appearances, he only played 20 times for the U's, scoring once in a 3-1 win at Stoke in November 1978. He went on to coach at Chelsea before, sadly, passing away at the age of just 44 in January 1992.
Soundtrack of the Day
La Roux 'In For The Kill'
Andrew Bennett
Andrew's previous match reports
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