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Mansfield Town 3 v 1 Cheltenham Town
SkyBet League Two
Tuesday, 9th March 2021 Kick-off 19:00

Voting was locked for this match at midnight on Wednesday 10th March but you may still add your mini match reports. Note that members and non-members alike were able to vote.


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Your Mansfield Town v Cheltenham Town Match Reports

cbower added 22:47 - Apr 8

Live in Huddersfield so a "home" game for me. Pretty much the complete away performance from Town. Dominated the first half, great goal from Anderson, well taken strike from Murph and countless other chances to boot. $-0 would not of flattered Town at the interval. God football, possession retained, threats from the flanks and solid, effective defending whilst keeping our shape.

Not quite as dominant in the second period but defensively solid. Huddersfield's first strike on goal in 80th minute forced Gerken into a stop with his feet. Saw out the game very comfortably.

Gerken - virtually untroubled
Chambers - outstanding. Faultless defensively and an attacking threat throughout as well
Cresswell - looked class. Taken off on the hour, hopefuly as a precaution
Berra & Smith - dominant. Looking a good pair
Anderson - great goal, much more positive and a good shift
Hyam - terrier-like against the Terrriers. Doing the dirty work all the time
Skuse - controlled the midfield all game
Hunt - best I've seen him play. Warmly applauded when substituted
Murphy - another goal and solid performance.
Williams - gives the class we have missed. JInks, bobs and weaves. Crucially, he rarely loses possession. A season long loan - I'd love it. More chants of "sign him up" and "Jonathan Williams" to the tune of Karma Chameleon from the fans
Mings - looked solid. One for the future for sure
Wordsworth - retained possession when needed
Richardson - did the job he was asked to do

Starting to think we might just sneak in there.

COYB
1


Mullet added 23:32 - Apr 8

Another trip North for Tractor boys and girls and another chance to chase the elusive dream of playoff placed glory for Ipswich tonight. The curves of the John Smith's arena framed a contest between two Towns looking to put their season's on the map for different reasons.

Mick kept the same shape as the weekend and the same style but shuffled his pack. For a man often criticised for being predictable he dealt returns to the starting line up for Ando and Hunt out wide. This was in place of Saturday's choices of Woody and Nouble both taking their places on an attack heavy bench. Surprise inclusion Henshall would stay hidden tonight but pointed to a manager knowing points now mean prizes.

Town kicked off and a minute or two of head tennis was replaced by both sides' love of getting the ball down. It would be Ipswich however who made the better start. To a man we worked and shepherded the Terriers onto the back foot and into their half more often than not. Anderson, Murphy and Williams caught the eye with a flurry of early chances coming from their poise and prowess pointing forward.

The boys with beards combined first when Murphy cut an angle only 2 mins in to force a smart near post save from Smithies, thanks to a neat lay off and overlap from Ando. The crowd and the red-shirted Blues wanted more, and let it be known. Williams chipped away at Huddersfield like a true artist. Sculpting a lovely ball into the danger zone which the keeper patrolled well. Meanwhile behind the eye-catching trinity of attack, the nervous energy of Hunt and the engine room of Hyam and Skuse supplied the forward momentum.

Cole was almost secretarial in his cultured football again, and despite recent questions and criticism sent through classy passes repeatedly and without remorse to fashion space and time for his colleagues. In fact it seemed Town had had plenty of chances when Anderson drifted wide right. Found in space after more great link up play, he cut in and sent the ball sailing across the goal. Smithies dived after it but it nestled sweetly in the net with little effort. A temporal distortion as Town fans rose and ruptured into slow and unbridled celebration with as many minutes as fingers on a Norfolk glove on the clock. Huzzah!

The home side were no mugs and sought their own way on the game. Capitalising on the odd poor touch from Town who by now took an early grip on the game. Gerken was rarely tested as scant opportunity yielded snapshots high and wide on merely two occasions. It is with credit the backline were so resolute. Cresswell in particular covered more ground than an agricultural sprinkler system, spraying passes back out and away from harm with ease.

Town were in the ascendency and chances kept coming. On the broad rippling back of Darryl Murphy, he stood alone up front against a central three. Tonight he was MOTM, tonight he was immense. Often dismissed as a workhorse he showed pedigree to set free everybody's new chum Joniesta with a tic-tac-toepoke just over the bar from distance much to the travelling fans delight.

Likewise the rest of the Town frontrunners sought their own chance for glory and numerous corners, shots and crosses kept up the pressure which failed to tell only days before up at Blackburn. This time it was the away side as well as the fans that were singing as one. Ipswich nearly had a second when Williams was tumbled outside of the box. Play on was the wave, and Ando did so. Scampering onto the ball he was denied by a smart Smithies save and the home side broke. Skuse and Hyam dealt with it well and returned the ball from whence it came. Victory was close at hand as once we more reached deep into our reserves and used our width to torment the hosts.

A ricochet from Williams' boot to defender's leg back off Williams somehow yielded a corner just after the half hour. It dropped invitingly in the middle of the area but no Town player joined the party. That was until a smart header dinked it back in the box. Our Gaelic Goliath dropped his shoulder and contorted his body around the path of the ball. With one fluid movement stabbing it on the bounce under the arcing ribs of the keeper and deep into the onion bag. Gloria! Euphoria! 2-0! 3 points? Surely now!

As half time came, Town were rampant. The slickness of passing more prominent and prevalent than at the weekend. The desire to harry space and time out of the game and away from the home side clear to see. Unlike a lover's chin Hyam is often lauded for his work off the ball. Tonight he showed his strong suit and even dealt out some decisive play forward with simple passing into the channels the attacking players were working so well.

In a week where the nostalgia for three stripes and old glories was as palpable as the desire for three points tonight, we'd already seen and smelt flares at the back of the away end, whilst on the pitch hung the scent of Yorkshire blood. All day I dream of such things for our beloved side.

The second half saw Huddersfield remove the former McCarthy prodigy Hammill, displaced and displeasing it was the oft-impressive Scannell who took up arms in the middle from the bench. The Terriers tightened up and Town perhaps wary of the mistakes of the weekend being less than welcome so soon again on a school night, were a little more choosy with their forays towards the travelling support behind the goal.

It's clear what Williams brings and while he maybe seen as a magical sticking plaster, it'd be unfair to do down the efforts he encourages from those around him. Forcing foul and passes backwards with his hunger and direct threat he moves just off the shoulder of target man Murphy to great effect. However despite the insistence of the enamoured town fans he was not to score tonight. It seemed everything he touched would be turned away to someone else.

On the hour Mings came on for Cresswell a straight swap of sorts. He offered a very different option and perhaps answered the question posed just before by a scampering Scannell. The sub ran off centre but lacked bang and bite as the ball trailed off behind the goal. It was a reminder against compacency as Mick looked to shuffle his pack and rest a few legs.

Shortly after the revitalised Woody popped up from the bench and onto the left wing. Hunt who had danced and dazzled on either flank with little luck had his number raised and was asked to come in. The new darling of Portman Road immediately took his place amongst a series of slick one touch passing between half a dozen Town players as we worked the ball down the left flank and into the danger zone twice in quick succession.

Murphy arced a run perfectly to the byline and nearly extended the lead as his drilled cut back skipped of defensive boot and forced a smart parry at Smithies' ankle. You sensed that well deserved third might not be too far away.

Gerken had a little more to do in this half following the one good punch and the odd necessary kick that marked out his first 45. The small scuffle he had tonight in holding onto his clean sheet took a slightly more violent turn as in this half. Huddersfield turned on the pressure but time was against them and so were their own feet more often than not.

When on loan Williams departed with 5 minutes to go the Suffolk contingent behind the goal serenaded him off with his own song once again. A passionate and rousing rendition clearly imploring him to join the culture of this club and stay beyond the summer. Who knows?

A cynic might say Mick matched his opposition yet again by including Richardson and letting Town see out the game with a fluid and functional 5-4-1 that swirled seamlessly into 3 at the back when we pushed the ball into the corners. However it showed the professionalism and discipline needed to do the job. A third was unnecessary and unavailable as the referee pursed his lips one last time and Town took home the spoils.

Chambo couldn't hold down the glee as he kept us waiting with a grin that spread and spasmed to his shoulders, he stormed towards the hoardings and pumped that celebratory fist aloft. It clearly meant a lot to him and us. For tonight is not just like any other night. That's why we dream anew again of three soft syllables Wem-ber-lee. Perhaps.
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thereuser30 added 09:20 - Apr 9

A nippy Tuesday evening brought me to Huddersfield, and the night was crisp. Dragging along a City fan, the journey was spent musing the play offs, City's chances for the title, Veseli's development and young Henshall - who, incidentally, I laughed off when he asked if he would be on the bench tonight.

When the squads came out, I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a Hyam-Woody or Skuse-Woody partnership in the middle, yet glad to revert to conventional wingers in Hunt and Anderson. With Williams being a nusiance in the oft mentioned 'hole', I sensed Towun could grab something at the John Smith stadium - a ground which is sunk into the ground.

With one eye on the games around the grounds, we kicked off - the Tractor Boys' followers ever optimistic and the first 5 minutes were generally spent fetching the ball from a long ball as the Blues penned Huddersfield into their own half. Then the magic happened, as Anderson, cut in, hit one and the way it was struck you just knew it was in. An absolute peach. 1-0

Naturally, Ipswich were on top, and looked to press this advantage, Williams having a few snap shots on target, Hunt and Anderson providing the much missed width on the flanks with a solid base of Skuse and Hyam. The second goal came, and it was coming, and the ex-Mackem slotted it into the net, making it two.
As the half drew to a close, 'Uddersfield began their first real flurry of attacks. A goal here, I worried, would change the complexion of the game - as the cliché goes. But our stalwarts Smith and Berra held out, with Smith showing lovely footwork to beat the Huddersfield winger to clear. Delicious.

The introduction of Sean Scannell was one which worried me - his pace and direct running threatened Ipswich, but a few sure blocks kept the two goal cushion in tact. A few changes, the bearded Wordsworth for Hunt and Mings for Cresswell looked to sure up the left side - Wordsworth with his slick passing, missing an opportunity to cross or shoot midway through the second half, but otherwise faultless. Mings looked solid, his passion shown by racing back to win the ball after giving it to Scannell. The Ipswich fans, still in full voice, cheered our newly crowned electric hero Joniesta off, singing his praises long after he'd taken his seat in the dugout - an indication of his value and how well he's been appreciated. With Richardson his replacement, Town moved to a 5-4-1 - looking to see out the game with no nervy moments. A few time wasting moments, a flash of a chance for the tireless, ever running hardworker that is Murphy, Ipswich saw the game out in a win which matched that which Chelsea achieved at Stamford Bridge. The boys were back, the belief rekindled and the iconic fist pump by our Captain, Luke Chambers rubberstamped the win.
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