Stags 2-2 Port Vale | Pushed to the limit

Mansfield Town 2-2 Port Vale (Nicky Maynard, CJ Hamilton) | Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 26th December 2019 | One Call Stadium

*The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations*

“My working hard and their working hard are two different things” they’re the words of Stags boss Graham Coughlan, speaking after his Stags side rescued a draw from the jaws of defeat against Port Vale, a match the Stags perhaps should have won – but a game in which the new Stags manager, certainly learned a lot about his new squad.

To be fair to the players, I’d have questioned the character in the dressing room to respond and fight back from being two-nil down a few weeks ago, given our lack of finishing touch and low confidence, something which is still evident, but thanks to goals from Maynard and Hamilton, perhaps a corner has been turned.

Let’s face it, this season has been like watching someone try and keep the titanic afloat with a colander, we needed someone to bring some buckets and put together a better plan of action – and whilst Coughlan has had very little time on the training pitch, his ideas are being implemented.

The Christmas period brings the games thick and fast which isn’t helping our cause at the moment, I think the players are in for a big wakeup call when things settle down into the more traditional Saturday to Saturday schedule with plenty of work to do.

Confidence is a big issue having not won a league game since the end of October at Walsall, hopefully the draw from being two goals down will bring a bit of a bounce into the players – but the fitness is a clear issue as Mansfield seemed to really struggle after 50 minutes and allow Port Vale to go two goals up through soft defending.

Coughlan and his team need time to get the work into the players, we are in a dog-fight at the wrong end of the table right now so let’s be patient and all dig in together and send out a message that this Mansfield Town side can still fight, it can still battle, and it will not lose without being pushed to the limits.
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Yes, we should have won, a draw is a good result considering how the second half played out – let’s go and back that up now with a win at Bradford to end the year, and decade, on a high. 

Match Recap

Questions over fitness were raised following the 1-1 draw on Saturday, but Coughlan stuck with the same starting line-up heading into the Boxing Day clash – looking to see if the players could react and start to build some form, having not won a league game since October.

The Stags started well and could have been ahead inside a minute as Danny Rose fired narrowly wide from Andy Cooks’ flick-on, five minutes’ later Willem Tomlinson sent in a pitch perfect ball which skipper Sweeney nodded over, before Rose set Hamilton on eight minutes – the winger couldn’t get his effort on target.

Andy Cook showed real grit on 15 minutes to steal play back and charge forward, he was upended on the edge of the area just before unleashing a shot, Mal Benning stepped up to take the resulting free kick but hit his curling effort just over the bar.

Mansfield had a golden chance on the half-hour mark as Hamilton’s deflected shot fell for Rose at the back post, the leading front man was left frustrated as the open goal gaped – the effort, sailed over.

Bobby Oljenik watched on with 32 minutes played as Amoo headed wide from close range unchallenged, before the Stags keeper made a splendid save on 39 minutes, getting down low to acrobatically palm Joyce’s long range effort away from danger as the visitors grew more into the game.

Alex MacDonald set another Stags chance on 40 minutes which saw Brown in the Vale goal deny Cook from close range, Mal Benning then ensured the Stags went into the dressing room level, with a fine challenge on the stoke of half-time as Burgess broke free inside the Stags box for the visitors.

The second half saw a much quieter start and Mansfield looked flat and running on empty, Neal Bishop nearly gave Mansfield a boost on 52 minutes with a long range volley, but after hitting wide, Vale went down the other end and scored, as the Stags failed to clear a low cross and allowed Smith to put Port Vale in front.

Mansfield then shot themselves in the foot as Rose missed what appeared to be another sitter as Hamilton picked out the front man who turned the ball wide of target. On the hour mark, Andy Cook spun well and fired towards goal only to be denied by Brown.

A second goal was coming for Port Vale and it arrived on 66 minutes after a corner, Legge got the final touch as the ball forced its way over the line.

Nicky Maynard and Otis Khan were then thrown on for MacDonald and Rose on 68 minutes, before seven minutes later Bishop made way for Mellis – the fresh legs lifted Mansfield a little and the Stags pulled one back with nine minutes remaining – Nicky Maynard latching onto a flick on to powerfully convert beyond Brown to make it 2-1.

The Stags faithful then upped the noise levels and something on the pitch clicked, as in the third minute of four added, Mellis picked out Hamilton who smashed into the bottom corner to level things up – stealing a point from the jaws of defeat.

FULL TIME: Mansfield Town 2-2 Port Vale | Attendance 5,565 (953)

STAGS: [4-4-2] Bobby Olejnik | James Clarke, Matt Preston, Ryan Sweeney ©, Mal Benning | CJ Hamilton, Neal Bishop (Jacob Mellis 75), Willem Tomlinson, Alex MacDonald (Otis Khan 68) | Danny Rose (Nicky Maynard 68), Andy Cook Unused Subs: Conrad Logan, Krystian Pearce, Jimmy Knowles, Craig Davies  

*The views expressed in this article, are solely those of the writer and not those of their associated organisations*