We Are The Stags Online

The Stags went down 2-0 in a very poor match against Harlow Town last night. A first half goal from Ryan Kirby after 32 minutes from a right wing cross and a penalty in the second half which gave Simon Tickner a second yellow card meant that the Stags remain in 10th place in the division. It was very worrying that the Stags could not muster any kind of reply to the goals and are getting further behind the play off places.

Manager Hakan Hayrettn is actively seeking to remedy the situation and ther could be some good news before Saturday's home match against Rothwell Tn.

Stamford hit four goals against an out of sorts Waltham Forest side but the match could ultimately be seen as quite a boring affair in which the home side had control for all but 20 minutes of the game but really looked nothing special.
The game started in the worst possible way for the Stags when Gareth Pritchard opened up the Stags’ defence which looked rather ragged already. His pass found Martin Wormall, in acres of space, who had the simplest of shots for the first goal.
For the next 20 minutes it was the Stags who looked the better side as they began to push forward. Both down the right wing and through the centre the Stags looked the better team. However, it took until the 20^th minute for the Stags to have their first meaningful shot on goal, this from Mas Jallow after some good work by Orolionishe on the left.
On the 25^th minute Stamford had their second shot on goal after a weak punch out from Hasler. The Stags had enough men back to smother the attempt. But the tide had begun to change and Pritchard headed over from a free kick.
The game swung out of the Stags’ reach after only 32 minutes when, after five minutes of sustained pressure from Stamford, Forest broke out and mounted a good attack but they were not quick enough back having once lost the ball and the Wormall – Pritchard combination opened up the shallow Stags defence for Pritchard to score. Within two minutes they’d found the net for a third time for Mark Foster to score from 20 yards.
With only 11 minutes of the second half gone, goal number 4 fell to Angel this time assisted by Pritchard and Wormall.
The Stags could find no way back into the game and became increasingly frustrated by the “professional” attitude adopted by some Stamford players. Half way through the second half, Marc Ward was sent off for getting a second yellow card.  To be fair, he had been warned by the referee on a number of occasions.
Stamford took all three points with nothing more than a workmanlike display, and that is the problem for the Stags at the moment: getting beaten by average sides who know how to remain solid and use every “professional” trick in the book, experience won over raw talent!

A storming display of finishing by two goal Jermain Hughes led the Stags to the final of the Essex Senior Cup for the first time in many years. His attacking prowess and the impeccable display of defenders Marc Ward, Carlos Brown, Glen Harvey and ‘keeper Charlie Hasler meant that their higher division opposition barely got a look in in the second half of the game.

The game started with Swifts in full flight as they swung the ball over all areas of the park and it took fifteen minutes for the Stags to come to terms with this as they defended resolutely. It took until that time for the Stags to have their first shot whilst Swifts should have been ahead by two goals.

The first half ended in equality but the second half was a different story. The Stags kept Swifts down to only long range shots whilst their won front runners began to get to the goal line and put in their crosses.

The Stalemate was broken on 54 minutes when Papy Kanyuka beat the left back and swung over a cross which Hughes headed in neatly at the far post, the ‘keeper having been pulled towards the front post. Both Marc Ward and Wesley Thomas went close on a number of occasions whilst the Stags applied the pressure.

Hughes popped up once again twenty minutes later to head home from a corner after the Swifts defence had taken their eyes off him once again. Then it was left for Wes Thomas to seal the tie with four minutes of the match left when he broke through. the middle of the static Swifts defence to shoot home under the advancing ‘keeper.

The only question left is whether this was the semi final or the final. With both of the other semi finalists under FA and Essex FA investigation after their tie was abandoned for an all out pitch brawl, it is possible that both teams could be thrown out of the competition. One remembers us being thrown out of the competition for playing an ineligible player. On those grounds the FA should give them both a fair play award and let them play in the final!

By Tony Brazier

A Rudi Hall strike on the 76^th minute was enough to win this local derby and take Enfield Town to the top of the table. Town started the stronger but Forest defended well and restricted the visitors to long range shots.

Forest front man Leon McKenzie was taken to hospital  after twisting his knee with only 11 minutes of the game played, this depleted their strength up front. Both sides began to give away free kicks for niggling fouls but it was Forest’s Jermain Hughes who had a good chance to put the home team in front just before the break, unhappily his shot was easily saved by Hall.

Forest started the stronger in the second half when their best chance fell to Wes Thomas but his shot lacked the power to trouble Hall. Moments later he made amends by beating the Town offside trap and sending a lovely cross over but Richard Georgiou was just unable to profit from it.

By Tony Brazier

After Saturday, The Stags needed to regroup and show that they are still a force to be reckoned with, and Tuesday’s match at Sittingbourne proved how resilient Hakan’s young charges can be.

Sittingbourne were able to field probably their strongest side since September, but were giving a debut to goalkeeper Rowan Arnott who proved to be the busier of the 2 keepers over the 90 minutes. For Forest Marc Ward passed a late fitness test to make the starting 11.

Sittingbourne started strongly but Didier Batunga broke up the attack to set Afolabi Orilonishe free, but he was just offside. Batunga was then provider to Wesley Thomas who shot over the bar.

Sittingbourne back and forced an early corner, but Marc Ward and Charlie Hasler dealt with the danger. Glen Harvey then blocked an effort by Lee Hockey at the expense of a corner.

On 7 minutes after a sequence of throw-ins Mark Lovell crossed to the unmarked Hockey, but he dragged his shot wide. From the goal kick Leon Belton-McKenzie fed the ball to Richard Georgiou who passed to Thomas, but again his effort was just off target. The resultant goal-kick was intercepted by Georgiou, and Thomas found Belton-McKenzie, but his header was deflected for a corner.

For Sittingbourne a clearance by Joe Dowley was helped on by Lee Browning to Hockey whose shot was blocked, and Mitchell Sherwood put the rebound wide.

Further pressure by Forest saw Glen Harvey play the ball through to Georgiou, but from 20 yards his shot skimmed the bar, then Bai Masse Jallow and Darren Duporte linked up, but the final shot was well taken by Arnott. Mid way through the half a fierce cross by McKenzie was well taken by Arnott.

Sittingbourne played the offside trap and regularly caught Thomas and McKenzie beyond the second-last defender.

Pressure from Sittingbourne saw a low shot by Kieran Marsh turned away by Hasler, and soon after Carlos Brown and Ward were called upon to make important clearances.

Forest made the first foray after the break with a move involving 5 players.

Sittingbourne then earned 2 quick yellow cards. James Campbell was booked for a late tackle on Orilonishe after he had beaten 2 defenders and was about to burst into the penalty area. Then Hockey brought down Jallow to join his captain in Mr Hoare’s notebook. The resulting free kick was played to McKenzie, but his shot just missed its target.

Forest looked the most likely to score, but again were met by stubborn resistance in the Sittingbourne defence.

On 70 minutes McKenzie fouled Toby Ashmore and became the third player to receive a yellow card.

However Forest continued to press and forced to quick corners. On 75 minutes Thomas’ shot from the second was blocked and cleared by Ainsworth. The home side’s attack was forced wide, but a mis-timed challenge by Georgiou earned them a penalty, which Mark Lovell placed just beyond Hasler’s reach.

A late challenge by Harvey on Browning earned him a booking, but he got back to clear the resulting free kick for a corner.

With 10 minutes left Ward collected the ball just inside his own half and made a surging run towards the home goal. He slipped the ball left to McKenzie, who sent back a pin-point return for Ward to fire into the top corner from the edge of the box for a deserved equaliser.

Browning and substitute Ricky Spiller made progress down the left flank to win a corner for The Brickies, and the cross was met by Hockey but clipped the top of the bar. At the other end Kanyuka saw his effort blocked.

Forest pressed for the winner and Ricky Spiller cleared a Hughes effort off the line.

Two minutes from time saw a bizarre sending off when Sittingbourne’s Campbell having gone off for treatment to a “blood” injury returned to the pitch without being checked by the referee, who had no alternative other than to issue him with a second yellow card.

The home side then settled for their point and blocked off the remaining Forest attacks.

Teams:

Sittingbourne – Rowan Arnott, Toby Ashmore, Joe Dowley, Paul Ainsworth, James Campbell, Kieran Marsh, Lee Browning, Lee Hockey, Mark Lovell, Bradley Spice and Mitchell Sherwood (Ricky Spiller 83). Subs not used Clint Gooding, Peter Taylor, Tristan Knowles and Dan Tanner.

Waltham Forest – Charlie Hasler, Glen Harvey, Didier Batunga, Marc Ward, Carlos Brown, Darren Duporte, Bai Mass Lette Jallow, Richard Georgiou (Papy Kanyuka 78), Wesley Thomas (Jermain Hughes 76), Leon Belton-McKenzie. Subs not used Sosthene Hugues Guei, Nicky Stevens and Nejdet Hussein.

Attendance 131.

A bad day at the office or a wake up call? Whichever, the Stags did not do themselves justice in this table topping tussle. Strangely, the first half, when only two goals were scored, saw the Stags as a largely ineffective strike force with a defence trying to keep Wood at bay; conversely the Stags let in 4 second half goals but looked 100% better in the attacking department.
Right from the start Wood took the initiative and piled on the pressure with ‘keeper Imber wellying the ball upfield at every occasion and Mark Smith at the back cutting out almost every ball attempting to reach the Forest forwards.
The writing was on the wall when, in the 13^th minute ex Stag Ian Cooper received the ball in front of an almost open Forest goal but he managed to slash the ball well wide of the mark. Then came first goal came after 15 minutes when the ball came to Darrell Cox about ten yards out from goal he flicked a somewhat speculative scoop over his right shoulder; unhappily the Forest ‘keeper Nej Hussein was off his line and the ball went over his head into the net.
There was little joy from the officials either when, a few minutes later, Wes Thomas seemed clear through on goal and was brought back by an extremely late flag. Had Thomas scored , things might have been different but, instead, Wood began to pile on the pressure again and won a free kick from an innocuous looking tackle. The Forest wall seemed badly lined up and the ‘keeper was badly placed behind it as Michael Black shot home from thirty yards without bending the ball around the wall or the wall breaking.
Five minutes before half time, Marc Ward had to go off injured, his replacement was Richard Georgiou. This meant a reshuffle at the back with Batunga going to central defence and Orilonishe dropping to left back. Even though the Stags were to mount a few more attacks, these were easily dealt with by the home side.
The second half was a very different affair though. The Stags entered the field with new purpose and looked on for a goal.
Almost straight away Thomas broke through the home defence and made for the by line. His cross looked to be a winner but it just evaded the two Forest men coming in unguarded at the back post. Then a few moments later a cross came in from the right and Imber dropped the ball (complained to the referee as all cotton wool ‘keepers do) whilst Kanyuka had a stinging shot that went just wide. Imber got it wrong again when he went flapping for a corner kick that made its way to Kanyuka but he was unable to get any power on the header that went just wide.
The reward for all this endeavour came on the hour when Wood undeservedly got the third through Cox after the Stags defence failed to make any kind of attempt to stop players running through the penalty box.
Then things looked brighter when Thomas scored on 68 minutes with a beautiful header after a cross from the left.
This heralded a fight back and the midfield with Kanyuka on the right began to cause the home defence lots of trouble. However, it was the frailty in the Stags defence that allowed Chris Watters to come in from the right without a tackle being attempted, he passed to Leon Archer to score what was a simple tap in.
Cox went on to complete his hattrick and Greg Morgan scored in the 4^th minute of injury time.
Nothing went right for the Stags; even when  Tommy Williams pulled Kanyuka so far back by the shirt he looked like he was a washing line, the referee gave the “Nelson” touch.
The good news: Daniel Charge and Getro Kilapi were on the bench. Charge made his debut late in the second half and looked good.

(Short Report)

When two teams can serve up such an exciting game as this, there can be nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon! Both teams wanted to play football, both teams wanted to win.

From the start it looked like the Stags were going to get three points and when Fola Orilonishe out paced the Dartford defence to cross for Leon McKenzie to shoot home after 24 minutes everything looked rosy. Both teams looked for the next goal but had to wait until the 43^rd minute when Henry headed in from a corner for Dartford’s first. Was there a foul on the home ‘keeper, the referee (who had an excellent game) said no.

The second half saw the same end to end pure football from both sides and things looked good for the Stags when Wes Thomas headed home an Orilonishe cross on 59 mins. Jermain Hughes continued to take the Dartford defence apart from the right wing but it was a defensive nightmare that brought Dartford level on 75 minutes when home defender and ‘keeper Nej Hussein failed to communicate and Harvey headed in for the og.

The game swung back to the Stags and at least three shots were blocked on the line before ‘keeper Kevin Hudson made an amazing save from Darren Duporte to save the point for Datrtford.

Forest looking for their third win in succession against lowly Great Wakering, had Matthew Judge starting up front and kept Nej Hussein in goal, this as reward for good showings in the previous two matches.
 Great Wakering came to the Lodge with a game plan that almost got them three points: a great deal of shouting was a minus to their plan but the way they hassled the Stags every time they got the ball meant that the home team had little time on the ball and were often pressured into making passes that were hurried and inaccurate.
The opening two minutes looked quite good for the Stags, they put Rovers under some pressure but all went wrong in the 3rd minute when Rovers took a surprise lead. Rovers counter attacked after the Stags had lost the ball and play came to the Stags half 40 yards out from goal.  Joel Etienne Clarke stole the ball from home defender Marc Ward after he’d slipped; his quick pass to Steve Butterworth opened up the home defence and Butterworth was able to cross for Neil Richmond to score at the near post. Really a very good goal.
Rovers continued to press and could have gone further ahead on 20 minutes when Batunga gave away a free kick on the left touch line. The kick was swung over and Buterworth was able to rise and head goalward bringing a good save from Hussein. Thankfully, the flag was raised for off side.
After half an hour had passed, the Stags seemed to be starting to find their way forward and began to look more menacing but they were still suffering from the close attentions of the Rovers marking which was still very effective.
Rovers applied more pressure and won a series of corners around the 40 minute mark.
Things changed however, on the 43^rd minute when Papy Kanyuka made space for himself on the right and cut back a perfect ball to the edge of the six yard box: Afolabi Orilonishe was on hand to stab the ball home with Rovers defenders having left him unmarked. Suddenly the Stags burst into life and had three more scoring chances before the end of the half. Both Orilonishe and Matthew Judge turned on the style and Rovers looked punch drunk until the whistle to end the half.
Forest must have wished that there was no interval when they returned to the pitch, they were unable to replicate the play of those final first half moments. Rovers were able to compose themselves in the break and effectively shut out the home side for long periods.
On the hour Rovers attacked and had three chances in the space of ten seconds, they hit the post, miss kicked and brought a brilliant save fro Hussein which probably earned the home side the points.
That’s not to say that Rovers did not get let off too. Once again Kanyuka was involved on the right wing. H cut into the box again and passed to Thomas whose first time shot was stopped on the line by John Heffer.
Then Orilonishe had a really good chance when he broke down the left wing but he was cynically upended by Butterworth who was yellow carded for his troubles.
The game ended with Stags ruing their missed chances, they could have taken all three points on the 90^th minute after Kanyuka, once again, got the ball over to Thomas whose deft header was well saved by Harrison.
Both Rovers and Forest had chances to get the winner, indeed Forest must thank ‘keeper Nej Hussein for some great ‘keeping which allowed a divisionof the spoils.

Although Harlow probably had 60% of the possession, they had very little cutting edge to their attack and only had two shots on target during the whole match. Conversely, the Stags looked dangerous every time they attacked and could have scored on a number of occasions.

For the opening ten minutes it was Harlow who had the majority of the possession but even from that early stage it was possible to see that the Harlow side lacked any kind of bite up front.

In those early stages it was also obvious that the home attack was much more penetrative with Kanyuka, back to his old form, running at the Harlow rearguard. It took twenty minutes for the first real chance to materialise and that came from a Kanyuka cross which had to be put out for a corner by Kevin Warren.

Soon Stuart Houghton began to make an impression on the left. In the 31^st minute he slammed over a lovely cross which ‘keeper Jamie Riley could only tip onto the onrushing Danny Chapman; the ball cannoned off him onto the post and out for another corner. Another attack and an excellent cross from Kanyuka presaged forthcoming events. On 32 minutes he crossed again for Houghton who put the ball low and hard into the penalty area where Jermain Hughes was running in to score.

An excellent goal from an excellent piece of football.

On 38 Harlow had their first real chance when Tobi Ositola found himself free with the ball 15 yards out and at a 45 degree angle to the goal: he shot but wildly over the crossbar.

Half time came with the Stags looking the more complete, adventurous and composed team.

Once the teams turned around it became obvious how much the wind was behind Harlow in the first half, it was now Forest’s turn to come to terms with it in the weight of the passes.

Harlow tried to push on but the half time pep talk had changed nothing, they still lacked bite and, every time the Stags came forward there was danger for the rather ragged Harlow defence.

It was Matthew Judge who was to pull the first save of the half from Riley, indeed he went on to have an excellent half becoming involved in almost every attack. It was not only Judge who was making a mark; Jermain Hughes’ constant running in defence an attack became a nightmare for the visitors. On 61 minutes hegot to the goal line and cut back a beautiful ball which was just too quick for three Stags attackers to get to.

As the half wore on, the Stags mounted even more attacks but the ball stayed ou of the net due to off sides and some luck. In the end, after 92 minutes Kanyuka rose to head home a corner with the last touch of the match.

This was a very much improved Stags performance against a side looking to consolidate a high table position. The Stags used the wings freely and often made Chats’ keeper Louis Green look slightly uncomfortable with his defence and what the pressure from the visitors was asking him to do.

Chats had two promising attacks, one at the very start of the match and one at the very end. In between, the Stags defence really outplayed the home attack in what was a very clean and well fought contest, well refereed by Eltham’s Mr Crouch.

Moments after the starting whistle, Chats’ Brendan Cass found himself running through the Stags’ midfield as if Moses had parted the waters. However, this was not to be a “Wivenhoe” moment: before he could loose a shot both Bastian and Batunga managed to snuff out the threat but it looked dicey for a moment.

Within five minutes, the Stags seemed to have sussed out both their opponents and the playing conditions and began to pass the ball out to both wings with effect. On 7 minutes Darren Duporte beat Andy Boyle Down the left to swing a beautiful cross over for Leon McKenzie, by himself on the six yard box, he seemed to have too much time and uncharacteristically headed over the bar.

Moments later the Stags missed a half chance form a corner then Fola Orilnishe touched on a lovely pass to Wes Thomas who turned and shot just over the bar.

This was the difference in the two teams: the Stags were playing football that would normally only be seen on dry pitches.

Soon Papy Kanyuka (back to close to his old form) got in on the action and came down the inside right channel cutting the ball back for McKenzie whose excellent shot was blocked on the line.

A further indication of the Stags’ superiority was shown by the amount of times both Mark Ward and Nicky Stevens came into the attack. On 17 minutes Stevens was unlucky not to score when Kanyuka laid a square pass into Chats’ penalty area for Ward to flash the ball across the goal only to see Green make a great save diving to his right.

On 21 minutes, Chatham had their first attempt at goal when Billiness met a cross but his header was easily dealt by ‘keeper Nej Hussein.

Soon Stags were on the attack again and Batunga joined the attack to scuff a shot wide from a position he would normally be expected to score from. Chatham attacked the depleted home defence and profited from a mistake in the Stags defence but, in the end the attack petered out with a poor shot that went well wide of the mark.

The last real scoring chance of the half fell to the Stags when Kanyuka was first to a well taken free kick but his header was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Green.

Having played so well in the first half and not scored, the Stags must have wondered where the goal was going to come: the answer was in Matthew Judge who joined the fray on the hour. They’d started the second half by creating three chances early on but that ball was just not going to go in.

With what may well have been his first touch of the ball Judge made himself free on the edge of the Chatham penalty area, he dummied the defender and stole two yards, spotted Green out of his goal and curled the ball deftly around him into the net.

It was not long before Judge was in action again, this time only foiled by the mud. Hw latched onto a long ball out of defence and cut past his defender on the left wing. Once again Green came out to cut down the angle. Judge lobbed for the empty net but this time the strength in the ball was nullified by the mud and a defender was able to scramble back and clear the ball from the line.

The Stags continued to press to make the game safe but in the final moments it took Batunga’s last ditch tackle to prevent Chatham from scoring after a melee in the Stags’ penalty area. If they’d scored it would have been a travesty as the win was a fair result.