Post-Match Thread and Ratings Mansfield Town 1 - 1 Southend United

[dannypav]

Like how solid we've become at the back.
A solid shift from everyone involved.
The refs got a massive problem with Xmas nearly here. Was this his 'lose a bit of weight before xmas' look!! Fxxk me, ok it's league 2, but there has to be a standard of fitness and competence surely!. Disgusting exhibition of refereeing I thought.
I'm quite a fan of MMs man management, but really not a fan of making triple substitutions in one go. It instantly created confusion and stops any chance of momentum. Even staggered just a bit the players can bed themselves into the game.
Mustnt be negative tho, it's a good sign of improvement this feeling that we maybe should have taken 3 points. Happy with one in hindsight.
the positives. ..well done eggbrI today, my motm.
ox was big today. Made the difference.
Macca was great but on that pitch was never going to get through the game.
just want clifford, macca, oly, back for the next game with JD back and another 3 pts please

He can’t stagger them.
5 subs but can only be done 3 times

 

[Strykr]

Completely agree about the volume of substitutions. Completely disrupted our game.

 

[kentblues]

He can’t stagger them.
5 subs but can only be done 3 times

Exactly and the pitch being so heavy and awful played a part along with injuries

 

[mfurok]

Comforting to understand that our resurgence has coincided with the abandonment of more than two months of playing backwards, tippy tappy crap.

 

[Bearded Shrimper]

I think this result shows the inexperience of MM to many changes in the last 15 mins

Problem was he was forced to make changes then or not at all. I don't think the changes worked, but I get why he did.
I'd have gone ANG rather than Howard wide, and I don't see what Taylor brought, or Halford actually. I'd have rather Halford for McCormack straight swap in positional terms

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

On EFL Quest they were in no doubt that it ought to have been a penalty. Bizarre decision by the ref..

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United manager Mark Molesley was staggered the Shrimpers were not awarded a penalty during this afternoon's 1-1 draw at Mansfield Town.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[Evening Echo]

JAMES Olayinka helped Southend United pick up a 1-1 draw at Mansfield Town despite not being at full fitness.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[Barling Magna]

Oh no........

 

[Barling Magna]

So were the Mansfield fans on their own forum. They were lucky to get a draw today because of the penalty decision and unfortunate injuries to three of our crucial players which affected us badly.

 

[Moley]

I think this result shows the inexperience of MM to many changes in the last 15 mins

Nothing to do with getting injuries and on a heavy pitch needing fresh legs no?

 

[Evening Echo]

ALAN McCormack and Tom Clifford both suffered injury setbacks during Southend United's 1-1 draw at Mansfield Town this afternoon.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[bazzashrimper]

He didn’t want to make that treble substitution. There were 20 minutes left when macca got injured, our third enforced sub. It was our last available stoppage for subs. He probably made the right call on Acquah as nothing was sticking. Akinola hasn’t done 90 mins as he’s getting up to fitness, so probably needed the hook too. I think the mistake was to bring on Howard in front of ANG, but I can see why he did that too. It does scream that the squad is still a bit light in numbers, not that the manager somehow made a terrible call

 

[Evening Echo]

MANSFIELD Town boss Nigel Clough was furious with his side’s poor first-half display as their dire home run continued with a 1-1 draw against Southend United.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United manager Mark Molesley feels Rob Howard fully deserved his first team debut.

Read more on this story


Help with Echo links

 

[crangoner]

Been said enough times that most sensible people would have taken a point if it were offered to them before the game, but it's more a pyrrhic victory than anyone would have wanted.

We've suffered injuries to key players (Clifford, Olayinka and McCormack) and Molesley's going to need to be cautious about how he goes about his team management for the coming week
Also, the players were run ragged on some awful turf, and as we saw on Tuesday, Roots Hall isn't exactly in fine fettle at the minute.

Other absences reduce the squad depth further going into Boxing Day, so it's going to be a tough game on the face of it. Morecambe at least took the wind out of the other lot's sails yesterday and we need to hope there's fire in the bellies of those involved in the dead rubber humiliation from earlier on in the season.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Pitch was shocking. Ref was shocking. We woz robbed. That about sums it up!

I was wrapping presents so wasn't as focused on the game as normal but, it seemed it was a game we really needed Demi for on that pitch, to have neither him nor Macca there in the later stages of the game is, I think, how we lost control in the middle. We had no-one marshalling and I struggled to understand the triple substitution personnel changes - let's be clear, not the why, but the who.

Was Clifford's injury in the same as the dead leg a few matches ago? I hope not as it might mean an underlying issue - he's a solid left back with a great dead ball technique. We've actually got a few of those now.

Bit confused as to why Harry Phillips wasn't included in the subs, when it was obvious that Macca was unlikely to last a full game.

I don't think we generally do very well against Nigel Clough's sides so to take a point is actually a good result for us. I guess it is the manner of it that's frustrating. The ref couldn't have been more of a homer if he'd tried - Acquah is clearly being fouled just before the "penalty" and he continuously gave fouls against us in the first 30 minutes. Egbri was getting flattened a lot too.

It's good to see that we have players now who aren't afraid to have a shot, much of the last few seasons we've just tried to walk it into the net.

I think Clough's substitutions and half time talk won them the point, they came out a totally different side for the 2nd half, while we were forced into making substitutions that we ordinarily really wouldn't have wanted to.

Oxley - 7, couldn't criticise today, didn't really do anything wrong, couple of really good saves
Bwomono - 7, thought he coped with McLaughlin well enough when he came on (why didn't he start, anyone know?)
Dieng - 6.5, slightly off the pace compared to previous games
Hobson - 7, solid, again
Clifford - 7, thought this game was going to be his game, started brightly
Egbri - 8, my MOTM, need to be getting this young man on an improved contract!
McCormack - 7, struggled with the pitch I think, but still got stuck in. He will desperately want to be fit for the Colchester game, let's hope he will be able to get across to the others what it means!
Taylor K - 7, looks to be back to his match fitness
Olaykina - 7, another great goal
Akinola - 7.5, coming on massively, some lovely touches. Stonewall penalty
Acquah - 6.5, still not doing it for me

Subs:
Hart for Clifford - 7, did ok when he came on into his more familiar LB role
Klass for Olayinka - 6.5, really want him to do well, but didn't think he did great when he came on, think it was his error led to their goal
Halford for Akinola - 7, I'd have rather seen him take on the midfield role that Macca was forced to vacate but did ok
Taylor R for McCormack - 6, I'm just not seeing what he brings, would much rather see ANG
Howard for Acquah - 6.5, can't say I noticed him too much, but again, would have rather ANG come on.

'Nuff said about the ref already!

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

It's important not to get carried away and that was a good point. Particularly on the balance of the second half, we've become very resilient to pressure. Compare that to the Bolton game just a few weeks ago

We are an improving side but we just have to hope the injury to McCormack isn't serious. as he really makes us tick and we were poor first half on Tuesday in his absense. We are right in this fight with January just around the corner when we can hopefully strengthen

 

[in the know]

He can’t stagger them.
5 subs but can only be done 3 times

True! You're absolutely right. That makes my thoughts on it incorrect as he had no choice bearing in mind the injuries. Good point dannypav. OBL made good points though

 

[rigsby]

On EFL Quest they were in no doubt that it ought to have been a penalty. Bizarre decision by the ref..

If you look like a lump of lard you will probably ref like one.

Halford used his long legs to cleverly turn his man 30 yds from their goal and the ref gives them a free kick. They go down the other end and score.

Macca sussed him and played accordingly. In other words got away with a lot, which is why he is so important to us. Macca and Olyinka are the driving force in the team once they were off we were always going to be on the back foot.

MM was forced on all 3 of his sub windows. He would have liked another 10 from Macca but he also had no option but to save Akinola. The only decision that is debatable is Aquah and he did what 99% of you would have done.....Hauled him off.

With the injuries and it being a tough week on those pitches a point at Mansfield (11 draws so far) is worth more than a point in the grand scheme. Which and just to remind a few of you, is survival not promotion.

In the desperate need to find fault with MM, what has been overlooked on here is some very decent and brave defending. Some great headers, dealt with plenty of crosses and includes Oxley coming off his line for a punch and then really fast and low about 8 yds from his left hand post.

From now on a win a draw and a loss gets us about 50 points and easily safe. From what I have seen in the last few weeks that is more than achievable as long as we don't have more of the injury curse. MM will have to manage his squad carefully for that to happen and us fans will have to manage expectations.

How often do you you get Col U and Orient over Christmas, Shame none of us will be there but after the last week we wont be walking out with our shorts round our ankles. So settle in with the iFollow and be entertained with every tackle and scrap for a lose ball you see and if we have abad touch, so what........Because lets face you have f*** al else to cheer about.