League Two Stags (2) v Rovers (2)

[Sparky]

Walker again very good tonight and thought LOC had a great game.

 

[Ian]

That was a brilliant performance from the lads tonight. It had everything I would want to see from players in a white shirt. They were positive, they battled well, there was desire and passion and we really gave a battling team performance out there. It's the best I've seen them play away from home for a long time. Plenty more of that throughout the season and we will be well clear of trouble.

Probably a fair result in the end as both teams had good chances. It was a excellent point though and it looks like Adkins is finally putting his mark on this team as recent performances have been much better and we are now picking up points.

It shows the lads can do it, they just need some direction and purpose and plenty of Adkins' PMA!

 

[Am on mobile]

A great point 8 out of 12 points gained well done Rover's we will get going away from home soon

 

[frenchrover]

If only we could stop conceding silly goals. We look better going forward but the defence is still quite ragged.

 

[Boz]

It was a good result and probably a fair outcome in all the circumstances. Rovers started brightly, deserved to be in front from a Jolley goal, Saunders could have extended it, only for poor defending from Morris to allow the hosts back into the game and they finished the half on top. Thought Apter's quality goal came against the balance of play, another unfortunate deflection led to the Stags second leveller and with Turnbull's second yellow, Rovers were hanging on a bit at the end, but unlike Crawley, Stevenage etc we did hold out to take a deserved point.

There were a lot of positives; good performances from Davies and O'Connor at the back, Walker in the middle of the park, with some cool ball retention under pressure, (though he needs to work on the free-kicks!) and a well-taken goal and some good work from Jolley up front. Turnbull was unlucky to get his first yellow, but it was daft to pick up a second for a pull-back, he'll miss the next couple of games. Morris blew hot and cold and Leake didn't appear as comfortable as Wood on the left, perhaps still a bit rusty.

It's been a decent November and Nigel has managed to start pulling us away from the danger zone. Next month sees a number of games against mid-table to bottom half opponents, where you'd like to believe that we can garner enough points to start climbing the table, though Turnbull's ban and the mounting injuries may work against us.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I did not think I would come away from the game disappointed that we had not won.

Yes, Mansfield had a lot of the ball, as did Gillingham on Saturday, but I thought they looked toothless for the majority of the match and tactically we were much the better side. The second equaliser was very unlucky, a deflected shot following a long punt into the box from a free kick that should not have been given, and I thought Mansfield had actually completely run out of ideas by that stage.

I feared the worst when I saw both Jennings and Dennis were missing, but Saunders and Jolley were excellent tonight. Mansfield really struggled to deal with their pace and energy on the counter attack, and Jolley again showed that he is actually a cool finisher when through on goal.

I thought both centre halves, Wood, Walker and Hendry in particular were outstanding. Walker is looking much stronger now and ran the game in the second half in particular.

We look a very well drilled side now under Adkins and the confidence and team spirit is visibly growing. Barring a calamity, I think we will pull clear to safety.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Didn't get around to post beforehand so I can now expose how far off I was. Eventually considered the improved Dennis could play alone with Saunders coming in on the left of a five. If I had known Dennis had mysteriously disappeared I might have simply given up. Dennis has always reminded me of Owen Brown, a box only player, but his shots from outside the area are a bonus and his strength is not Norris level but he can hold up at times.
Then we had miraculous recovery of Jolley and Taylor. Jolley has hardly or even never played alongside a target man so his worth is really unknown and he shouldn't be judged until he gets a true position.
However the front two put the fear of god into the SWA, omens were dire. Jolley like Taylor is a lightweight striker of some talent, potentially. I'm afraid Saunders's odd glimpse of ability, that pass, cannot disguise a complete lack of consistency and professional competency. One on one chances you place the ball past the keeper with a sidefoot preferably, he just blasted it straight at him twice, forgivable for a defender not a striker.
Turnbull doesn't get much luck, he is still our best left side centre half by some way, the first yellow was very odd. The two back up players look decent. The defence was solid, McGee had his forgivable error again so we were told but made some slightly good flamboyant saves, Wood is on the up if not crocked. Morris had two clashes then switched off for a split second which was fatal, his worth is not near our corner flag but on the opposite side to the inflammable Apter- I hope Nigel focuses on that. Hendry just gets into places others can't reach. Walker looks a class above, like McNulty held back by physical restrictions- his not self-inflicted.
That was a winning draw, Saturday was a case of who scored first wins so I reckon last night was the best of the season so far. Ill timed rest, onwards............
If Blackpool don't want Apter coming on as a winger in the second half, they must have some players there!!!

 

[Ian]

Players like Jolley seem to benefit from having rest. If you play him in a series of games he seems to fade. It was like he had a new lease of life last night.

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

The evidence of the last month, is we have been moved away from the shambolic shape that had left us so open, and even though the goals haven't stopped going in, we are tighter and the defensive shape, is becoming increasingly more resilient.
And through it, we have started to score as well, and started creating more chances.
It may not be the dominant displays that we would prefer to see, but picking up points in our situation is the priority.
A bit of confidence has come to the fore and in the last couple of games, much better performance all round is significant.I
We need to build on this.
What am I going to do until a week on Saturday?

 

[bigmart]

The worry for me is still the poor discipline and the continuing injuries, Dennis felt his hamstring on Saturday and Wood has a groin injury to add to the growing list.

 

[mellow submarine]

The worry for me is still the poor discipline and the continuing injuries, Dennis felt his hamstring on Saturday and Wood has a groin injury to add to the growing list.

 

[Sparky]

The worry for me is still the poor discipline and the continuing injuries, Dennis felt his hamstring on Saturday and Wood has a groin injury to add to the growing list.

Yes injuries are mounting up so the 10 day break may not have come at a bad time, despite our momentum.

Think we’ve had 5 sendings off in 10 away games. Needs to stop. I thought Turnbulls first yellow was perhaps a bit harsh but he then has to behave himself. His charging towards the ref and subsequent verbals from his first yellow probably make the refs job easier later in the game. He is passionate but needs to control it better. A two game ban I think as his second sending off this season so an opportunity for Yarney

 

[Ian]

I do like the passion but it does have to be controlled.

 

[Boz]

I think Turnbull is a bit of a liability at times; tends to lose his head on occasion. If he could adapt and develop a more Peter Clarke style controlled aggression, he'd become a better player for it. Both of his red cards this season were deserved, Murphy's was plain stupid but McGee and Davies were a bit unfortunate, as was Pike's in the Pizza Cup

For all our good progress, other teams around the bottom, excepting the vegans, are also holding their own or better and we're going to need to carry through this form into December and the New Year to cement a move up the table.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think many of the cards we picked up earlier in the season were stupid and avoidable, but I would not be too harsh on the players last night. I thought the ref was terrible and several of the cards were undeserved, including Turnbull's first.

I don't have a problem with picking up the occasional yellow as a result of the kind of passion and commitment we showed last night. Our biggest problem earlier in the season was a lack of unity and spirit.

 

[Higgy 2]

I did not think I would come away from the game disappointed that we had not won.

Yes, Mansfield had a lot of the ball, as did Gillingham on Saturday, but I thought they looked toothless for the majority of the match and tactically we were much the better side. The second equaliser was very unlucky, a deflected shot following a long punt into the box from a free kick that should not have been given, and I thought Mansfield had actually completely run out of ideas by that stage.

I feared the worst when I saw both Jennings and Dennis were missing, but Saunders and Jolley were excellent tonight. Mansfield really struggled to deal with their pace and energy on the counter attack, and Jolley again showed that he is actually a cool finisher when through on goal.

I thought both centre halves, Wood, Walker and Hendry in particular were outstanding. Walker is looking much stronger now and ran the game in the second half in particular.

We look a very well drilled side now under Adkins and the confidence and team spirit is visibly growing. Barring a calamity, I think we will pull clear to safety.

I agree on all counts. Adkins is quite astute the way he sets up. Defending deeper with opponents playing in front of us really helps Walker and Hendry. If we were more expansive I think teams would break through the midfield easily. As it is Walker's lack of mobility doesn't get exposed. He can read the game and make timely interventions. His fitness has improved and he looks a class act at this level. I thought he was MoM last night.
The counter attacking also gets Hendry facing the right way with his head up. Too many times under Dawesy he'd get the ball in their half, maybe take an extra touch, and before you knew it he'd be harried away from goal and playing the ball back, or sometimes mugged. He's a top pro and I like him in this set up.
Front two played well and I think they were scared stiff of Saunders' pace. Great finish by my man Jolley, although I think he "put himself about" more effectively against Accrington. A couple of aerial challenges looked like token efforts, whereas against As he got into their ribs and wrestled them Norrisesque.....albeit without the height to win the headers.
Gutted about Wood as he was progressing nicely.
Thought Morris had a decent game apart from his "after you Claude" moment.

 

[Am on mobile]

At least walker is getting fitter now and lasting most of the games. NA has got them more organised and it's mad hearing them saying how disappointing it was not to come away with the win the away form will change soon but at least we are 4 now unbeaten the only way is up. And with 10 days off we might get some bodies back

 

[mellow submarine]

I agree on all counts. Adkins is quite astute the way he sets up. Defending deeper with opponents playing in front of us really helps Walker and Hendry. If we were more expansive I think teams would break through the midfield easily. As it is Walker's lack of mobility doesn't get exposed. He can read the game and make timely interventions. His fitness has improved and he looks a class act at this level. I thought he was MoM last night.
The counter attacking also gets Hendry facing the right way with his head up. Too many times under Dawesy he'd get the ball in their half, maybe take an extra touch, and before you knew it he'd be harried away from goal and playing the ball back, or sometimes mugged. He's a top pro and I like him in this set up.
Front two played well and I think they were scared stiff of Saunders' pace. Great finish by my man Jolley, although I think he "put himself about" more effectively against Accrington. A couple of aerial challenges looked like token efforts, whereas against As he got into their ribs and wrestled them Norrisesque.....albeit without the height to win the headers.
Gutted about Wood as he was progressing nicely.
Thought Morris had a decent game apart from his "after you Claude" moment.

I agree about Morris , its a shame he got punished for his error , the left side seemed secure for most of the game . Morris and Wood seemed like a decent partnership on the left .