Composure | Stags 1-1 Colchester United

Sky Bet League Two | The One Call Stadium – Friday 20th November [Teams able to use FIVE substitutes from this game] 

It’s really difficult when you’re in Mansfield’s position to lose composure and pile blame onto a person who makes an error, especially when things look like they’ve been turning a corner. But that’s exactly what we must avoid this morning, following last night’s 1-1 draw at home to Colchester, a fair point and result in my opinion.

Waking up on this Saturday Morning knowing the teams around us could leapfrog us today isn’t a nice feeling – but let’s be honest, a 1-1 draw in our current form vs where we were three weeks ago is far more positive and I fully believe this point will prove to be a very good one this time next week after taking on Harrogate in midweek.

Again the Stags played very well and matched up against an inform Colchester who make it very difficult for teams to take points off of them – we played some good stuff, defended well enough and scored another good team goal, all that was missing was that little bit of spark to kill them game off, but that WILL come.

A lot of people will be looking at Marek Stech’s part in the visitors’ goal, Nigel Clough after the game said he felt it was a mistake – but it’s catch 22 there isn’t it? We make the substitution (O’Keeffe on for Clarke) and just aren’t switched on enough from our goal kick – when they clip a hopefully ball forward – Stech is on his six yard line and has two options, back track or come out – he chooses the latter to try and narrow the angle but gets lobbed.

If he stays put and they score, people will have said “why didn’t he come out” – whatever choice he makes there, he takes flack for it – for me coming out to narrow the angle was the better choice because in that split second when the ball is played, it looks like Rawson and Gordon (tracking defenders) won’t get there first. I’d love to see it from behind the goal to be fair.

Either way it’s not ONE PERSONS error, we’re a team and have to shoulder the blame and responsibility. We’re a team that’s had all confidence and energy stripped of us and are slowly building it back, let’s not take a million steps backwards now by pinning blame on just one person and one moment.

If you want a debate to think about or mull over, the match was the first in the EFL to introduce the five substitutions rule which personally I welcome. The goal scorer, was Colchester’s FOURTH sub of the game, utilising the new rulings well where as we, despite looking leggy, made just one change – but then again, other than freshness, we had no need to change it up, so swings and roundabouts I guess.

All in all, a good point – I feel far more positive about that result and score line than I would have three weeks or so ago, onto the next game we go!  

Click HERE to read the clubs official match report.

STAGS: Marek Stech | Kellan Gordon, Farrend Rawson, James Perch ©, Mal Benning | Harry Charsley, George Lapslie, Ollie Clarke (Corey O’Keeffe 84), Stephen McLaughlin | Nicky Maynard, Jordan Bowery
Unused Subs: Aidan Stone, Ryan Sweeney, Andy Cook, Aaron O’Driscoll, Jamie Reid, Tyrese Sinclair