We Are The Stags Online

Right from the start it seemed there were going to be a hatful of goals with a Town forward missing an open goal within the opening minutes.

The Stags hit back immediately with a cross park flowing move that ended with Papy Kanyuka crossing for Richard Georgiou, his defence splitting pas found Wesley Thomas who ran through and slotted home from 10 yards. Unhappily he the goal did not stand as, it seems, he was marginally off side.

The Potters Bar defence then wilted for a while and gave the visitors four or five half chances which could easily have been converted into goals: Darren Duporte side swiped at one and went narrowly wide then ‘keeper Chris Fitkin saved at Leon Belton McKenzie’s feet. He was unable to hold the ball and Kanyuka took up the running from the inside right position but shot into the side netting.

The 26^th minute proved to be the turning point for Town as Kanyuka’s poor pass was intercepted in midfield by Neil Jordan. With the Stags pushing up James Armstrong collected Jordan’s pass and sent it to the left attack of Richard Howard who scored unattended by any visiting defender. A good goal but totally undeserved on the play up to that point.

Town went on to have marginally more of the possession whilst the Stags had difficulty in finding their men with a telling pass.

On 40 minutes Town had a golden chance to end the half on a high when Jordan found himself in front of goal with only Charlie Hasler to beat but his tame shot was food and drink to the Stags ‘keeper.

So, it was the Stags who ended the first on the ascendancy when Richard Georgiou repaid the persistency of Stags’ efforts by slotting home after some excellent work by Wesley Thomas who made the ball available for the through run by Georgiou: a well worked equaliser.

The first attack of the second half came from Town on 47 minutes but ended with a rather tame header from Howard. Fifteen minutes later, with the Stags pushing up once again, Howard was through again racing after the ball in front of the penalty box. Hasler came out and made two tackles worthy of a centre back.

Two or three chances then fell to McKenzie and Thomas before missing an excellent opportunity on 67 minutes when McKenzie managed to get the ball out to Orilonishe on the left: a first time shot looked a certain goal but he over ran the ball and lost the chance.

All the hard work paid off after 72 minutes when James Chrysanthou joined the attack and was fouled ten yards from the corner post. Didier Batunga mad the journey from left back to take the free kick which was a pinpoint cross to McKenzie who headed home before the home defence could make a move.

Town went straight on the attack and might have scored through Winger but for an excellent save from Hasler. For the final ten minutes, the Stags chased everything as if it was a spring day and the game had just started. They closed all the Town players down and forced them into many passing errors.

The Stags could have had another two goals but, in the end, the three points were bagged.

You don’t often get a double in the season, so the odds on getting a treble at our level must be quite high, but this is what the Stags did against Aveley last Tuesday. Manager Hakan Hayrettin decided to rest a few players and give others the chance to win a starting place in the next match. There were also injuries to Fola Orilonishe, Simon Tickner and Dave Bastian to sort out. Thus, a fairly unfamiliar starting 11 took the field.

The first chance on goal fell to ex Stag Danny O’Sullivan going in for a header but missing the crossbar by inches. This was a time for the Stags to take warning and get settled. This they did not do. On 16 minutes they fell to Aveley’s only set piece: a free kick from the right, sent over to the two big guys on the back post. The ball was then sent to the front post for Kevin Marsden to head into the net. Simple but effective …….once…That was the last time it worked all night although they tried it a few times, the inability to vary the attack may have cost Aveley dear.

The Stags went straight on the attack with Jermain Hughes getting in to put the ball just over the bar. However, by 21 minutes, he popped up again on the right hand side of the penalty box to smash home the cross from a corner.
This heralded more chances for the Stags with Jerky and Glen Houghton prominent. The half then petered out to a stalemate.

As has become the habit, the away team started the half by pushing up field but there was no way through the home defence. Soon  it was the Stags who began to look the more incisive with Houghton having a good time on the left and shooting over from just outside the penalty box.

On 57 minutes the home pressure told and a free kick was won just outside the penalty area on the right was gratefully headed home at the far post by Sean Crossley.

From then on the Stags were in control of the half until the final minutes of injury time when Aveley had two golden opportunities to score but, on both occasions missed when the easier option would have been to put the ball into the back of the net.

The Stags’ November could not have started more badly: knocked out of the League Cup on Tuesday they faced their “bogey” team Barton at the Lodge and fared little better. The build up was no help with the loss of the influential Carlos Brown from the centre of defence and Fola Orilinoshe down the left side: both injured in the midweek fixture. This meant no steadying influence at  the back and no incisive thrust coming from the left side.

Barton were out of the traps like whippets and had the Stags penned back straight away then won their first corner within a minute.

Things stared to go badly as early as the 4^th minute when the Barton were awarded a free kick way outside the penalty area in a central position. (The fact that the infringement was to be one of many which were only seen by the referee is neither here nor there.) Tony McNally’s tame free kick was allowed through the defence for the first goal. There was no power behind it and it should not have been allowed to go through the packed defence. ‘Keeper Charlie Hasler seemed unsighted as he dived to the left in a vain attempt to keep the ball out of the net.

As the referee became more officious more free kicks were awarded around the Stags penalty area. This kept the pressure on the home side and they could not get the ball out of there own half in order to put any pressure on their opponents.

This is not meant to blame the referee for all the Stags’ woes as Barton were playing very well: they closed down quicker and won the majority of second ball. They made things happen for themselves whereas the Stags reacted more slowly to each situation.

Barton began to get many chances and really could have been three ahead by half time. One such chance was when top scorer Paul Barnes found himself inside the six yard box but managed to shoot wide.

It took twenty minutes before the Stags were to have their first crack at goal from what seemed to be the first free kick awarded against Barton. The free kick was well taken but McKenzies kick which went around the wall was also just inches too high.

This gave the Stags some confidence and they had what was their best spell of the half being awarded a number of free kicks around Barton’s penalty area but still were unable to give ‘keeper Steve Graham much to do.

Barton returned to the attack and Paul Whyte was the next to miss an open goal when a Forest defender lost the ball on the edge of his own penalty area to Whyte but he threw away the chance shooting wide form five yards.

Two more good chances fell to Papy Kanyuka and Wesley Thomas, who brought out a great save from Graham.

The Stags could not find a way back into the game as forced changes in the seemed to unsettle them. Barton went further ahead on 45 minutes when, man of the match Paul Barnes slotted home from short range after the Stags had given away the ball in Barton’s half through another off side decision.

Forest looked better at the start of the second half but the improvement was short lived when Barnes scored again from close range on 67 mins. The job was completed by substitute Adam Cunnington’s short range header home. A deserved win for Barton, now an out of sorts Stags must regroup for next Saturday in the hope they do not meet a team as on the ball as Barton were or a referee who so out of form as today’s poor specimen.