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Mansfield Town 1-0 Chorley (Nicky Maynard) | FA Cup First Round | Saturday 9th November 2019 | One Call Stadium  *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations*
I remember as a youngster really loving the FA Cup and its magic, I think the first real time it got under my skin was the season we ended up playing Newcastle in round three. Since we’ve had even more great cup adventures, non-more-so than the season we played Liverpool at home – every cup run had its highs and lows, and despite a 1-0 win over Chorley potentially being the start of another great cup experience, I can’t help but think it’s another chapter in our frustrating story of the 2019/20 campaign. I also used to be fancied by magic tricks, I’ve this memory of my uncle pulling biscuits or money from my ears – but a few years ago, I worked with a “magician” (I use the term lightly) who tried to perform some tricks, but got it badly wrong and basically ruined the elusion – ever since I think I’ve become a cynic and after yesterday’s lacklustre victory, my cynical nature has infected my love for the cup. Before I go on, it’s important to say that ultimately all that matters is the fact the Stags got the job done and progressed to round two – but for me, Mansfield Town looked well below par and far from the team we expect, and in fairness know, is locked deep within that dressing room. Not for a second was I expecting Mansfield to come out and put three or four past Chorley who despite winning just two games all season, are actually a hard team to break down – but what I was expecting was a little more effort, care and desire to go out and win a game of football. There’s being cautious and patient in approach play and then there’s how Mansfield played in the first half basically! Chorley didn’t really make it hard for us, that’s no disrespect to them by the way – they simply didn’t need to, we made it hard for ourselves by being so negative with the ball, you could see certain players asking questions of each other – I actually felt sorry for John Dempster because he could do little about it. Naturally he’ll take the blame for the continued negative home form along with his staff, but the players need to stand up and be counted too – I’m again reading lots of comments about a change in the dugout, but cynical me is starting to wonder if the change needs to be there, or out on the pitch because it’s the players who are struggling to understand the basics of how to effectively play – the same players who had the same issue in the final 4/6 games of last season, when promotion was thrown away. I was sent a screenshot of what Neal Bishop wrote on Facebook after the game about being booed after winning, I agree with him to be fair – a snippet reads “People need to let the disappointment of last season go, we messed up, we didn't get promoted, we're truly sorry, but the negativity and toxic atmosphere that currently surrounds our club, at home games, is not going to turn back time. I would say stop scapegoating people and get behind the boys, because the truth is the lads prefer playing away from home at the minute, and that should never be the case.” I’d say that 95% of the anger and disappointment from supporters comes from being so close to success last season, but that was then and this is now. We have a new manager DEAL WITH IT with a new way of thinking, if anything this is a season which should have been heighted as one of transition and rebuilding, but for one reason or another, expectation and ambition has put Dempster and the squad in a vice of pressure to go one better and claim automatic promotion. I back John Dempster to succeed, I haven’t booed once and whilst I may be frustrated at the below par football being played, will not become a boo boy. Deep down after his appointment, I sort of resigned myself to at least another season in League Two after this one to allow wounds to heal and a changes to really have an impact – I truly hope I’m wrong and it clicks, like it did for Paul Cox in his second season, after January and we achieve promotion. Yesterday was below par from the players, you can’t hide away from that – BUT, it is also yesterday, in the past with no way of changing the outcome – a bit like last season really. We got the goal we needed to squeeze us into round two and now we move onto Burton, which will no doubt see those needing minutes get game time, followed by two away games in the League, let’s go out and win them both and come into December with a more positive heart of hope. The season of goodwill and cheer is around the corner; in more than one way I hope! Let’s act that woeful magician I once met, and show we’ve got plenty of tricks up our sleeves! MATCH RECAP Captain Pearce missed out through injury once again meaning Mal Benning took the armband once again, Conor Shaughnessy missed out – having not been given permission to become cup tied by parent club Leeds United, Willem Tomlinson took his place in the only change – Danny Rose returned to the bench. Click HERE to read the clubs official match report FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 1-0 Chorley STAGS: [4-3-1-2] Conrad Logan | Kellan Gordon, Matt Preston, Ryan Sweeney, Mal Benning © | Alex MacDonald (CJ Hamilton 64), Neal Bishop, Willem Tomlinson (Jacob Mellis 78) |Otis Khan | Nicky Maynard, Andy Cook (Danny Rose 72) Unused Subs: Bobby Oljenik, Alistair Smith, Omari Sterling-James, Jimmy Knowles *The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations* Comments are closed.
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