Our nearest geographical opponent, so a “Local Derby" even if Mansfield doesn’t really feel quite like Rotherham or Barnsley, not even on a par with Scunthorpe who I never really thought of as a deadly foe in the same way as the previous two. Mansfield is the sort of place that you never passed through on the way to anywhere else, so you had to actually have a reason for going there and I only remember going there once for a football match and once when I was learning to drive in the 50s and my father who had business there was allowing me to act as his chauffeur in his Austin A30 for a few worrying (for him) weeks ahead of my test! We lost the match that I later went to I think, which would have been 20 years later and sat in the stand which they famously bought from Hurst Park racecourse.
Mansfield have never escaped from the third tier as far as I know, although I don’t really recall them being in danger of losing their league status either in all the years I’ve followed football. They were in the upper reaches of L2 when we were last there and a useful team under Steve Evans, now performing his temporary miracles at Stevenage.
They now have the much-respected Nigel Clough in charge and he always seems to be able to field a competent team. And for the first time we can look comparatively at results against common opponents. They have won 3 and lost 3, but they have performed well judging by their stats and may have been unlucky not to have got more from the defeats. The other interpretation would be that they have been poor finishers.
Thus far, like Rovers, they have played Salford, Stockport and Sutton, beating Stockport at home, but losing to the other two away, yet the games have been close. They also beat 10-man (for 45 minutes) Wimbledon 5-2 at home. At Orient they lost by a single goal in another close match.
So again, we face a tough challenge before we can look forward to what we might hope will be a run of less testing encounters.
McS’s teams have been resilient and have not won comfortably, yet there is solid organisation and confidence amongst his players. Tomlin has yet to be rewarded for his incisive attacking contributions. So, I do not think we will be any weaker than last time we played and perhaps Taylor might feature and begin to show the kind of form which we saw from him before his injuries.
So, given our recent form, it would be pessimistic to expect anything but a win and therefore I am going for a 2-0 victory - Rowe/Tomlin.
DPL v Mansfield Town
posted on 3/9/22
I forgot to mention a scorer - I'll say Rowe on his 200th appearance. If for some reason he does not start, Tomlin.
posted on 3/9/22
Having a break in Wharfedale with intermittent signal so will post now whilst I can.
Rovers 2-1 Mansfield
Miller to score ⚽ if not playing, Rowe to score.
posted on 3/9/22
Another tough game against a team that will bring significant support. I think we'll fare better than last time we played Mansfield. 2-1 to Rovers. Miller / Tomlin.
posted on 3/9/22
1-0 rovers win Rowe with goal
posted on 3/9/22
Oh dear, what can the matter be!
Rovers 1 (Tomlin) : Mansfield 3
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 21 >>>>>> 21
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 33 >>>>>> 33
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 23 >>>>> 23
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 33 >>>>>> 33
Nookie>>>> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 17 >>>>>> 21
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
>>>>>>>>> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 133 >>>>> 141
posted on 3/9/22
Well, I spoke too soon. A worse result than last time.
posted on 3/9/22
Sounds like we were out thought and out fought. Second best. The youth wasn't experienced enough and the experienced not quick enough.
posted on 3/9/22
Total B/F was wrong - now corrected
Rovers 1 (Tomlin) : Mansfield 3
>>>>>>> Scorer > Score > Result Bonus > Total > Pts B/F > O/all
Donaldo>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 21 >>>>>> 21
PDXMickey> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 33 >>>>>> 33
BVZ>>>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>>> 0
Crazy>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 23 >>>>> 23
Mooligan>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 33 >>>>>> 33
Nookie>>>> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 17 >>>>>> 21
Selby>>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 0 >>>>> 6 >>>>>> 6
>>>>>>>>> 4 >>>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>> 0 >>>>> 4 >>>>> 133 >>>>> 137
Sorry
posted on 4/9/22
The extended highlights exhibit some really good football from Rovers, but Mansfield showed individual skill of a level not visible from other teams we have been up against.
It was not possible to assess whether Taylor made any useful contribution and I will have to delve into the match replay to find out.
I suppose that both open-play goal strikes that Mansfield had could be branded exceptional at this level and not all refs would have given them their penalty which was a risk that our defender ought not to have taken because Lapslie was not immediately threatening a shot.
Mansfield have identified themselves as real rivals, but I am not downhearted.
posted on 4/9/22
I also think Mansfield showed some of the best skills we have seen from opposing teams. Their first goal was one of those 1 in 100 attempts that work to that degree, and the move for the second was good. I thought the penalty was harsh, but that was a risk Maxwell should not have taken.
While Mansfield did out think and out play us all over the pitch much of the time, we did have bad luck with that great strike from Hurst hitting the post, and the excellent save from Miller's header.
We really failed in mid-field with poor service to the forwards. Taylor hardly got a look-in and so it was hard to judge what he can add.
To me Biggins was poor (to be honest I've yet to see much in him other than work rate which was missing this game), Molyneaux is nowhere near what he showed in pre-season, Maxwell is not near what showed n earlier games, and Clayton's passing was below his normal standard. Faulkner has his weakest game so far, but still is an excellent prospect. He often played backwards which resulted in a wild kick by Mitchell which anyone's could have done earlier. Overall, the 100% efforts seen in all games so far was missing with some players.
One cannot fault Mitchell for any of the goals, but he has to vastly improve his distribution which is terrible.
I'm sure McS will sort out the effort issue before the next game, and so I'm still optimistic about the future.