Can Mansfield find their first win in League Two?

Mansfield Town aim to put the disastrous 3-1 defeat against Bradford behind them in their game against Morecambe on Tuesday night

It’s safe to say that the Stags have had a horrendous start to the new League Two season as they are still without a win.

Many things stemmed from that defeat to Bradford. Defensive incapabilities, goalkeeping errors as well as a bad team selection. Graham Coughlan has a lot to think of before the Stags travel to Morecambe for their midweek fixture.

The defence looks scared to have the ball at their feet and the team needs an injection of confidence which a win can definitely give them.

Coughlan has been happy when his team are able to keep and clean sheet, but the Irishman will really want to get a win to ease off some pressure from the Stags supporters.

Mansfield Town manager Graham Coughlan spoke to the club media and said there is a clear psychological barrier that is stopping his men get their first win in League Two.

“Bradford capitalised on an error [Marek Stech own goal] – it deflated us and gave them a massive lift at a crucial time in the game.”

“I can’t keep standing here saying the same things, eventually it has to sink in.

“We started well and had numerous chances, which was encouraging. Then we get a car crash of a moment.

“The lads are hurting and the dressing room is hurting. I’m here and will stand in front of the changing room – if there’s flak and stick to be flying, you’ll have to chuck it at me.

“The players don’t deliberately go out and make errors. We’ll have to dust ourselves down, come in tomorrow morning and get ourselves ready for the next challenge.

“I think it’s ourselves and the psychology of disappointment – I don’t think we handle disappointment too well.”

Morecambe won’t come as an easy battle for the Stags. The Shrimps are currently sat in sixth in League Two, having top of the league before last weekend’s games were played.

They come into this game however off the back of a heavy defeat to top-half fighters Crawley who dismantled them 4-0. The first 45 minutes were good from Morecambe but they had one shot on target all game and collapsed in the second-half.

George Francomb opened the scoring for Crawley in the 52nd minute and Max Watters tripled the lead after his four-minute brace. Tyler Frost set the score at 4-0 in the 77th minute and left Morecambe going home empty-handed.

Morecambe manager Derek Adams was absolutely distraught as his Morecambe side were beaten 4-0 by Crawley Town

“The first-half was as comfortable as we have ever been this season. I think the first 45 minutes we were in control of the football match and we didn’t take the opportunites that we created to score a goal or two.

“We had good opportunities in the first-half and on top of that played very good football.

“In the second-half, I didn’t feel we played that badly but it looked like Crawley became more switched on an ultimately punished us.”

The three fixtures between the two sides last season ended in draws. Firstly, in League Two in August 2019 it was finished 2-2. Sam Lavelle and Lewis Alessandra put the Shrimps into a comfortable 2-0 lead, but Nicky Maynard and Danny Rose were on hand to rescue a point for Mansfield at the One Call Stadium.

Three days after that game, they faced off at the One Call Stadium in the EFL Cup. This fixture also finished in a 2-2 draw. Steven Old put Morecambe ahead in the 18th minute before the Stags scored in 57th minute to wrestle it back to 1-1 through Krystian Pearce. But Old scored just two minutes later to claim his second and put Morecambe back infront.

Omari Sterling-James pulled the scoreback to 2-2 with 20 minutes to go which meant the game was decided by penalties in which Morecambe were victorious in 6-5 after Ryan Sweeney’s penalty went sky-high into the Quarry Lane stand.

In finished 1-1 at the Globe Arean back in February however. Joe Riley opened the scoring on the hour mark before Alex Kenyon equalised with five minutes to go.

 

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