sherm Posted October 10, 2023 Author Share Posted October 10, 2023 The season's end was drawing nearer, and this meant it was presentation time. The Football League had sent their invites out, and along with Peter, who had to collect his Manager of the Year gong, Moukoko and Jervis were invited for their team of the year spots, while Wouter Kos was invited due to being in the running for Player of the Year. Although there was some amusement at the fact only two of them had been nominated for Team of the year, and top scorer Chris Greenacre hadn't won a thing. Kos and Greenacre were both injured in training in the build up to the next game, and with nothing to play for, the title secured, it was decided they would not be selected and allowed to recuperate, so they were not in the squad for the visit of Carlisle Neil Lazarus came in to replace the Dutchman, Victor Renner continued his run of games in the side, playing in the strikers role, while Littlejohn and Geir Olsen also started the game. The visitors were stuck in mid table with nothing to play for, but you wouldn't have known it with the way they started, as they raced into an early lead, Steve Soley sending through McCann, who dinked it over Warner with aplomb. It was an explosive start and it took a little bit of time for Peter's side to get the pace of the game, but eventually they did, and it wasn't too long after Moukoko had tested the hands of the visiting 'keeper that they were level, Lazarus bombing forward to meet a Littlejohn cutback and sidefoot the ball into the goal. Lazarus turned provider four minutes later, slipping in Renner who absolutely lashed a bullet shot past the 'keeper to turn things around Credit to the visitors though, they never gave up, and they were soon level, a howler of a backpass from Karl Owen leaving Warner stranded, and Steven Halliday nipped in to round him and slip into the empty goal. Owen nearly made up for it, slamming the bar with a header, but it was a counter attack from another corner that saw the visitors take the lead, Halliday collecting Soley's pass and calmly slotting past Warner. The second half saw a much better showing from the home side, certainly defensively, and despite having several ooportunities, they couldn't find the right pass. That was until the 65th minute, when substitute Liam Lawrence found Neil Lazarus, who cut inside on his right foot and fired into the bottom corner. Carlisle burned themselves out, and Peter really should have seen his side win the game towards the end, wasting some good chances, but the score ended level -- "That's it, that is the final whistle. With that, Everton are relegated for the first time in the Premier League era. Tears will flow here at Goodison Park..." Peter reached over and flicked off the television. He was saddened to see his old side having been relegated from the Premier League. They had struggled all season, and their fate had been compounded with a heavy 3-0 defeat at Fulham. They were a magnificent club and their fans deserved much better than that He was distracted from his thoughts by a knock at the door. He opened it to see Charlotte stood there, a smile on her face and a basket in her hand "Charlotte? What are you doing here?" "Oh, Charming that is!" A slight hint of a smile was on her face as she said it "Sorry love. Come on, come in" She padded through to the lounge. She looked lovely in a pair of blue jeans, a peach sweater and a pair of white pumps "I figured you needed to relax, especially with the end of season coming up, and I know how hectic that gets" "That's true" "So, I have wine, cheese, crackers, and some relaxing music. And if you so much as mention football, you're in trouble!" He chuckled and held his hands up in mock surrender "Yes boss" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 10, 2023 Author Share Posted October 10, 2023 It had been a pleasant evening with Charlotte, and had achieved the objective of relaxing him. That relaxed mood had carried over for the next few days, even on the teams trip to 2nd placed Luton, a team looking to cement their promotion, which a win in this game would do. Understandably, because of this, they gave a very good account of themselves, making the game difficult and not allowing their visitors to play, and with a quarter of an hour gone, they took a deserved lead, Stuart Douglas rising above Jamie Clarke to nod the ball home. There was nothing they could have done, but Peter was delighted to see his side respond in the way they did, and three minutes later they were level, Liam Lawrence and Wouter Kos combining well to release Victor Renner, and the forward rounded the 'keeper and swept the ball home all in one movement. The game threatened to be an even contest, but this notion was quickly swept aside when the referee deemed Tony Warner's attempt to get the ball from Douglas as a foul, and the stopping of a goalscoring opportunity, sending the 'keeper off and changing the course of the game. Griffiths duly converted the penalty, sending his side back ahead The home side controlled the pace and tempo after that, their man advantage telling, and Peter saw his side struggle to get involved in the play. Griffiths, Douglas and Valois all had good chances, before Liam George missed an absolute sitter. Renner and Dawe were the only Mansfield players to have any semblance of a chance, Dawe striking the foot of the post and Renner sliding wide from a loose ball at the back post, but the game finished 2-1 to the home side, ensuring they would join Mansfield in Division 2 the next season .. It had been a disappointing defeat, but while there was nothing left to play for, Peter could forgive the players. He was also happy with how his squad was shaping up, confident they could survive more than comfortably in Division Two. His off field life was going well too, Charlotte providing good company, and he was really starting to like her more with each passing day. That said, he still had business to attend to, and that was a visit from Leyton Orient to wrap up April's fixtures with their 45th and penultimate game of the season. Moukoko had picked up a knock in training, so he was replaced by Adrian Littlejohn, while Vance Warner, David Edwards and David Jervis all returned to the starting eleven for the game. Warner's red card also meant that Kevin Pilkington was back between the sticks. The visitors were chasing a playoff place but needed wins in both their last two games, and they started well enough that they knew this, with Pilkington forced into three saves in the first half, but Renner, Lawrence and Kos all tested the visitors 'keeper too. The second half was an evenly tight affair, both sides trying to find the breakthrough, and both goalkeepers making a couple of saves, but eventually the winner came, David Edwards collecting a ball from Renner on the edge of the box, skipping past his marker and striking into the bottom corner to seal the game. As it was the last home game of the season, the players gave their customary lap of honour, applauding the fans across all corners of the ground, aswell as spending an hour on the field mixing and signing autographs -- April 2002 Results [Division Three unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 3-1 Bristol Rovers [Owen 37, Kos 75, Hartmann 88 ; Richards 29] Exeter 0-3 Mansfield [Lawrence m/pen 14, Lawrence 19, Edwards 84, Greenacre 90+2] Mansfield 3-3 Carlisle [Lazarus 27,65, Renner 31 ; McCann 6, Halliday 36,45+2] Luton 2-1 Mansfield [Renner 18, T.Warner s/o 26 ; Douglas 15, Griffiths pen 26] Mansfield 1-0 Leyton Orient [Edwards 84] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 11, 2023 Author Share Posted October 11, 2023 With the season drawing to it's conclusion, the usual awards were given out for the season. Now you'd think that with the league having been won several games ago, most of the awards would have gone to Peter and his side, but somehow the Football League saw fit to distribute them differently. Chris Greenacre picked up the top goalscorer award, thanks to his 42 goals, but Wouter Kos, after his superb season of 13 goals and 12 assists, only came second in the Player of the Year awards, losing out to Luton's Liam George. David Jervis did claim Young Player of the year honours though, aswell as a spot on the Team of the Season, but he was only joined by Moukoko in that category, while Greenacre, Kos and everyone else in the squad missed out - a baffling decision considering they won the league comfortably - but realistically, it didn't really matter The final game of the campaign was a trip to the North East to face 12th place Darlington, and while it was a party atmosphere across Mansfield, Peter was, as usual, all business, and picked his strongest available side for the game, meaning Moukoko and Kos both started despite being doubts earlier in the week. Unfortunately, it was a slow start, a couple of early defensive errors and sloppy passing allowing the home side in, and eventually they made them pay, Hunt notching home the rebound after Pilkington parried a shot into his path. This woke them up a little, and they tested the home 'keeper a couple of times, Edwards fizzing a shot across goal and Vance Warner heading straight at him, but it was star man Wouter Kos who grabbed the equaliser, his 14th of the season, when he broke free of the defense and dinked the ball brilliantly into the goal. It looked like half time would be level, until just before the break, Hunt skipping into the box and going down under a challenge from Karl Owen. The referee pointed to the spot, and Atkinson smashed it into the bottom corner to send his side in ahead at the interval The second half was a wave of yellow and blue attacks, having been told in no uncertain terms that they needed to do better, and chance after chance was repelled. Kos, Greenacre, Renner, Moukoko and Jervis all had good opportunities to level things up, and they all wasted their chances, but eventually it was Moukoko who did square things up, the Belgian using a brilliant bit of skill to jink past his man and curling the ball into the top corner. He could, and probably should have won the game near the end too, striking the foot of the post with a low drive, but the season finished with a 2-2 draw, and they could start to look ahead to Division Two .. "Well Boss, I think we can safely say it's been a good year" He sat with his coaching team having an end of season drink and lauding in their achievements "It has. I was confident at the start of the year but we've exceeded all my expectations" "Some of the signings were inspired. Wouter and Moukoko were way too good for this level. And 42 goals for Chrissy, can't ask for anymore than that" "I agree. You boys got plans for the summer?" Beardsmore nodded "Aye, I'm away with the wife. Two weeks in Tenerife" "Nice. Spence?" A shake of the head from his head scout "Nothing planned yet. Might book something late but we'll see. What about you?" "Ha. I wish. Nothing doing for me, I've got work to do. We've got a season to prepare for" Both men stared incredulously "What? Don't be silly. You need a break of some sort!" -- May 2002 Results [Division Three unless stated otherwise] Darlington 2-2 Mansfield [Kos 24, Moukoko 76 ; Hunt 8, Atkinson pen 44] Awards Player of the Year [Wouter Kos, 2nd] Young Player of the Year [David Jervis, 1st] Team of the Year [David Jervis, Moukoko] Fans Player of the Year [Chris Greenacre] Manager of the Year [Peter Daish, 1st] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 11, 2023 Author Share Posted October 11, 2023 "Morning Peter" He looked up to see Charlotte walking through the reception area "Morning. I thought you were off today?" "Oh I am, I've come to see you" He raised his eyebrow inquisitvely "Oh?" "Well, since the season has finished, and you can have more time off, I thought we could have dinner tonight?" "That'd be nice. Where do you want to go? I'll get it booked" "My place. I'm cooking" "Oh. OK, sure. I didn't know you could cook?" She smiled a loin tingling smile "There's a lot you don't know about me" And with that she turned and walked back through the door -- "Charlotte, that was delicious" "Really?" "Absolutely. Ever considered being a chef?" She wafted a playful slap towards him "Don't be daft. Room for dessert?" Peter smiled at her "Always. What is it?" "Trifle. I didn't make this though, I won't lie" She laid the bowl on the table, and as he picked up a spoon to dig in, she grabbed his wrist lightly "Before we start, can we talk?" "Sure. What's up?" She sat down opposite him "Well, it's about us. As you probably know, I like you, and I like spending time with you..." "I feel the same. I just worry about the age difference between us?" She nodded "I was at first too but I've realised it doesn't matter to me. And as long as it doesn't matter to you, I think we should further the relationship" He looked at her as softly as he could "I want that. I don't mind the age difference and as long as you're sure that you don't, then I'm happy" She looked him in the eyes, a smile spreading across her face, and leant across to kiss him on the lips Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 11, 2023 Author Share Posted October 11, 2023 The weeks leading up to pre season had been uneventful. While he had been working, checking the free agent list, making training plans and making reports on the teams in Division Two, he had tried to spend time with Charlotte where he could. She had also been helping with appointing a new PA (although she preferred the word secretary), as she had taken the new job that had been discussed previously, so things were well in place by the time the players returned for training "Morning lads. Gather round, come on" The players shuffled round him, obviously lethargic after their summer break "Right, welcome back. Hope you all had a good summer?" Murmurs from the team "First things first, I want you all to welcome our two new lads. Rob, Clint, make yourself known..." Easton and Kozluk nodded and waved to the squad "...and boys, all introduce yourself by the end of the session. Secondly, I want you all to know that I have every faith in you stepping up to this level. I fully expect us to survive comfortably, if not push for a playoff place. So we're not going to change anything, we'll be training in a similar fashion to last year, and we'll be setting up the same way. Coz if it ain't broke, don't fix it right?" -- It was a week of solid fitness training before the balls came out, and the players were starting to improve their levels, so much so that when they left for their tour of Ireland, confidence was high. There was also a new player in the ranks, having agreed terms on a £190k deal for Clyde full back Marek Szmid. He had been on the radar the previous summer but had opted for a move to Scotland instead, but after a turbulent time, he had happily agreed the move to Field Mill. He was in the touring party too, as the 25 man party made the trip and Peter had intentions of giving all of them some game time at some point There was however, some bad news just two days before they left for Ireland. Spencer Field had knocked on his door "You wanted me gaffer?" "Spence. Come in, sit down" His scout headed into the chair opposite him "Look, I'll keep this short and sweet. We've had an approach for you from Derby. They want you as their Assistant Manager" "What? Really?" "Really. Of course, I'd love for you to stay here and you've been a massive part of the success we had last year, but I won't ever stand in the way of someone progressing. If you want to talk to them, you can, and if you choose to leave, there's no hard feelings OK?" Of course, Field had accepted the role, understandably, as it was a huge step up, so they were a head scout light before they left, and a job advert had been placed in the hope of conducting interviews on their return Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 12, 2023 Author Share Posted October 12, 2023 The opening game of the tour was against Dundalk, and he fielded his strongest possible eleven from the start, as he felt it prudent to do so. Their superior fitness showed early on, as they raced into a 3-0 lead. Moukoko opened the scoring, linking up with Greenacre and collecting the ball from the striker before sliding home into the bottom corner. The Belgian turned provider for the second, sliding a through ball for Liam Lawrence, who fired a shot on the run, lashing it into the roof of the net. Mark Arber grabbed a third late on in the half, rising highest to power home a header from Moukoko's corner, and effectively seal the win. The second half saw eight changes at half time, and this slowed the flow of the game, as expected, but despite Ciaran Malone pulling a goal back for the home side, Victor Renner and then Wouter Kos added a goal a piece to seal an emphatic first win of the Pre Season Training between games had been organised but it had been decided that they would only be light sessions so that they could focus on ball work, as he didn't want to give the players too much on their plates, but this didn't stop a couple of injuries happening over the next couple of days. Chris Greenacre picked up a slight strain, so he was wrapped up in cotton wool, while Jamie Clarke also picked up a knock, but there was an intent to start a different side for the next game, so he sat down to work out the strategy .. "Yeah it's going well. Picked up a couple of injuries but the lads were great first game" "..." "We're flying back on Saturday morning" "..." "That's fine. The lads have got Sunday off so we can go out Saturday night if you like?" "..." "Perfect. How's the new job?" "..." "Oh nice. That's gonna mean a lot of travelling then?" Charlotte had started the new job, but she'd been informed she would be spending the first three months travelling and following the Division Three fixtures, which meant their time together would be limited but at the end of the day, her career was important and he was never going to stand in the way of it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 12, 2023 Author Share Posted October 12, 2023 Eight changes to the starting eleven from the first game were made for the second game, as Finn Harps provided the opposition this time around. Youngsters such as Dawe, Renner, Bose, Beckham and Karl Owen started, and they all must have got together and decided to stake their claim for a regular place, because they played some scintillating football early on. Dawe was using his powerful frame to hold the ball up, and he was bringing the likes of Renner and Bose into play, and it was Bose who had the best early chance, collecting the ball from Dawe's flick on, and curling a shot that was just tipped over the bar. David Edwards was running the game from the midfield, and his passing was magnificent, and one of those passes set up the opener for Dawe, a threaded, curling ball into the path of the big striker, and he took it on the chest to control it, allowed it to drop into his feet and smashed it into the corner like a bullet. The home side didn't have an answer, and they found themselves two behind at the break, a long pass from Clint Easton finding Michael Beckham, and the youngster let the ball drop before before hitting a beautifully timed volley into the goal, dipping it over the 'keeper Again, mass changes came at half time, and it allowed them to control the game, easily finding space and creating opportunities, but to be fair to Finn Harps, their goalkeeper Damien Bradley kept them in it, making several saves in the second half. Amit Bose impressed, and he was playing passes through the defence, but even though Dawe, Renner and Moukoko all missed, it was the Turkish born youngster that settled it with the third goal, lovely feet from him seeing him wriggling free and able to side foot the ball past Bradley and secure another win -- "Morning gaffer" He looked up from his table to see Russell Beardsmore entering the room "Morning Russ. You're up early?" "Thought you'd want to hear the news. Williamson has agreed terms" He put his cup down on the table "That's brilliant news. What changed his mind?" "Apparently Torquay didn't make enough effort to re sign him. Their loss eh?" "Absolutely. He flying out?" "No, he's coming in on Monday morning" The chasing of Torquay's young defender Mike Williamson had paid off, and he had finally agreed, after much haggling, to move to the club on a three year deal, following a bid of just less than ten thousand. It would bolster the defensive options, and with Clarke, Arber, and Vance Warner also fighting for spots, there was plenty of options Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 12, 2023 Author Share Posted October 12, 2023 Despite not having lots of transfer activity, either in or out, Peter felt this was better for team morale, as the players would know he trusted them, but that wasn't far from the truth. He had confidence in the team that had brought them up, and he was more than sure that they could not only survive, but maybe even push for the top six and grab a Play Off place. Although he kept this to himself, knowing survival was all that was required of him from the board. That said, they still had one more game of their Irish tour to play, which was against the big boys, the defending champions, Bohemians They would provide a stern test as they were a good side, with European experience, so again he started his best available team, for the second time in three games. This didn't include Greenacre, who still hadn't fully recovered and would only take a place on the bench, but Dawe had been impressive in the previous game and deserved to keep his place. The Bohemians side included players such as Avery John, Glenn Crowe and (how have they pulled this off?!) Stephen Clemence, and their quality showed early on, as they created a couple of really good openings that needed Tony Warner at his best to keep them out. Crowe was proving a nuisance all game, as you might expect from a man who scored 33 goals the previous campaign, and needless to say, he was the man who scored the opener, outmuscling Jamie Clarke and firing past Warner. Peter couldn't deny that the home side were a better team than his side, but he was proud of the way they came back into it in the second half, showing what they were made of, and it was only ten minutes into the half that they levelled things up, Dawe using all of his 6'4 frame to meet Hartmann's cross and bulleting a header into the far corner. He should have put them ahead not long after, dragging the ball wide after being played in by Geir Olsen, and they would live to regret that miss, as Crowe laid off the ball for Avery John, who saw his shot parried and Trevor Molloy followed it up quicker than everyone else, and his goal would end the tour with a 2-1 defeat -- Peter had kept in touch with the fan he had interacted with last season, Martin Leigh, to keep updated on the condition of his nephew, and he had arranged a special treat for them both, with a special VIP day for their opening home game of the season. He had arranged it all, told Martin, who was thrilled, and it was nice to do something like that for a fan. He had also informed the players that they would be spending time with them before the game, which they seemed receptive to. The flight back, despite being at 6.15 in the morning, was buoyant, the team feeling they had got plenty out of the tour, both fitness and playing wise, so things had started well for them "How was the tour?" Charlotte had booked dinner that night, and after an Italian, they had headed to a little local pub for a drink "It was good. The lads got plenty out of it and I think we're not far off being fully fit" "That's good. Do you think you'll manage OK in Division Two?" He nodded "As it happens I do. I think we have a good squad, the core of the lads did really well last year, and I don't think there's much difference between Division Two and Three" "That's good. I've got to cover most of Division Three so I might be asking for some insider knowledge" They both laughed "I'm sure you'll do just fine on your own love" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 14, 2023 Author Share Posted October 14, 2023 There were only two more games scheduled for the remainder of Pre Season, and the first of these was a visit from Charlton. They had barely survived in the Premiership the previous season so it would be a good test to see how far they'd come in the last 12 months. Greenacre was back in the team, having recovered, while Williamson, Kozluk, Easton, Rusk and Arber all also returned to the team for the game. Rusk had not played too much towards the end of the previous season, mainly because of Agustin's good form, but also because he had a little niggle when he joined, but in this game, he was absolutely imperious, controlling the pace and dictating the tempo of the game from his role in the midfield. The Scotsman was spraying passes all over the place in the early minutes, and it was one of these that led to the opening goal, as he found Liam Lawrence, the winger jinking into the box, cutting the ball back for Greenacre, and the striker slotting home calmly into the net. It had been an impressive start from his side, but as Peter expected, Charlton showed their Premiership quality and took a hold of the game as the first half drew to a close, and they drew level just before the break, Claus Jensen and Jonatan Johansson combining to set up Kevin Lisbie, and the striker finished really well underneath Tony Warner The second half saw mass changes on both sides, but it led to a more open game. Jensen, Johansson and Jason Euell all had good chances, Warner's save from Jensen in particular a world class save, while Greenacre (twice), Renner and Easton all missed good opportunities too, but both sides did manage to score another goal each to finish the game level, a result that was probably fair. Lisbie sent Euell racing through, and while he saw his original shot parried, it fell back to him and he slotted home past the stranded 'keeper. It took until five minutes from the end to grab the equaliser, Renner receiving the ball on the edge or the area, skipping past his man onto his right foot and firing a shot into the top corner. He had staked a claim towards the end of the previous season for a regular place and he looked set to prove once again he wanted a permanent place in the team .. "So John, what can you tell me about your career so far?" "Well I started as youth team scout at Forest. Did six years there, before being promoted to First Team scout" "OK. So you've got experience with both youth and senior teams?" He nodded "Yeah. I'm willing to work with either too. I just want to get back into the game to be honest" "I understand that. Well to be honest, you're by far the best candidate. I want a scout who'll work closely with me, regularly get together and has the same vision as me" Another nod "I can get on board with that. I'd be happy to work closely with a manager, I don't think it happens as much as it should personally" Peter stood up and reached his hand across the table "John, you're hired. Take the weekend to get yourself sorted and start on Monday?" He took his hand "Sounds good to me. Thanks a lot Peter" So with Spencer Field's replacement hired, 39 year old John Waldron, Peter was happy, but he felt he needed an extra coach too, and with interviews lined up for the next day, he was hoping to have both Waldron and a new coach in place by the Monday, meaning they would be on the bench for the start of the season. He had already identified the coach he wanted, Inga Anderson, recently let go from Brentford, and he would ideally want him as his next coach, but that would depend on several factors, including the interview Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 14, 2023 Author Share Posted October 14, 2023 That had gone as expected, and Anderson had agreed terms there and then, so both he and Waldron would take their place on the bench for the final game of Pre Season. That game wasn't as difficult a test as the previous one, as Bishop Auckland were the final opponents. Peter wasn't too happy about finishing off with a side in the 7th tier of the pyramid, but he hadn't arranged the games so there was nothing he could do about it, and he made several changes for the game, bringing in Dawe, Bose, Vance Warner, Kevin Pilkington and Karl Owen all starting the match. The side from the North East did have a threat, Michael Dunwell having scored 34 and assisted 23 the previous season, but he was kept fairly quiet by Vance Warner's man marking in the first half, and by the time the half time whistle was blown, the game was effectively over, Peter having watched his side smash four goals past their hapless opponents. Stuart Dawe had headed home the first, using his height to rise and power home a header from a Bose cross, before Bose himself grabbed the second, playing a really nice one two with Moukoko and striking a low shot into the bottom corner. Agustin grabbed the third, a rare goal from the Spaniard, as he curled a ball home from the edge of the area, while his midfield compatriot, Simon Rusk, grabbed the fourth just before the break, poking home after a scramble in the area. The second half saw several changes introduced gradually, and while there was only one more goal, Dawe firing home on the run, the win gave them huge confidence for the season opener, with their fitness and footballing levels almost at the standard Peter wanted -- "Ready for the first game?" Charlotte had cooked dinner on the Friday night, as she was travelling early to Lincoln in the morning "Yeah I think we're in good shape. Lads have worked hard on their fitness and we're almost at the right level" "Good. By the way, I think it's lovely what you're doing for that young lad tomorrow" She smiled across at him "Well the fans are important and it's nice for them to feel like they get something back off the players" "Definitely. So what time are you meeting him?" "11am. He's spending time with me then the lads, before going into the VIP section for kick off" -- "Martin, welcome. And this must be Shaun?" The nervous looking lad nodded his head "Well, I'm delighted you're both here. I'm going to take you on a tour round the ground, before you meet the players, if that's OK?" Martin looked astounded "Really? I thought it was just a tour?" "Well I arranged for you to meet the lads as a little surprise, and then I'll escort you to your seats around 1.30 for food before the game" He flashed a wide smile and gestured for them to follow him Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 14, 2023 Author Share Posted October 14, 2023 The day had been great, with Martin and Shaun both enjoying their time with the players and touring the ground, but when Peter left them at half past one, he immediately put his business head on and headed to the dressing room. They had been handed a tough start, as recently relegated Portsmouth, huge favourites for Promotion, were the first visitors to Field Mill. While they had lost some of their better players, they still had the quality to mount a serious title charge, so Peter had warned his troops that their focus needed to be spot on from the first whistle. Rusk had failed a late fitness test so Agustin started in the holding role, while Greenacre, Moukoko, Kos and Lawrence all took their places, meaning it was, aside from Rusk and the still suspended Tony Warner, their strongest available side. They got off to a superb start too, stinging the hands of Kawaguchi twice in the opening five minutes through Moukoko and Greenacre, but it was the seventh minute that saw the opening goal, Moukoko slipping in Liam Lawrence, who adjusted his body and slotted the ball past the diving Japanese 'keeper to give them the lead. The visitors looked shell shocked at the way their opponents had come out of the blocks, but after a quarter of an hour, the game changed perspective. A long ball over the top from Nigel Quashie finding Peter Crouch, who was battling with Agustin. Suddenly, the striker went down, his arms in the air, and before Peter could blink, the red card was out and the Spanish midfielder was walking off having been deemed to have stopped a clear scoring opportunity It had seemed a ridiculously harsh decision, and the readjustment saw Greenacre replaced by Clint Easton to shore up the midfield. This actually proved to be a masterstoke, as he sat back and backed up the defence, allowing Peter's side to create chances, and Moukoko doubled the lead seven minutes before the break, jinking in from the right and firing past Kawaguchi. The away fans got restless, but Peter and his players realised that they needed to shut up shop, so for the second half he decided to tinker and make sure they held their own at the back. This is precisely what happened, Portsmouth unable to break down the resolute defence of the home side, and the game petered out into a 2-0 win. It wasn't pretty, but sometimes, pretty doesn't always get the job done -- "Boss, got a sec?" John Waldron had popped his head in the office door "Come in John" He sat at his desk, pulling a piece of paper out of a file in his hand as he did so "I've been looking at the Free Agents like you asked. Found a few we could utilise" "Sounds good. What we got?" He whizzed a sheet across the desk "Omer Riza. Just released by West Ham. Think he could provide useful back up at this level" Peter studied the sheet. He had good attributes, pace, quick feet and an eye for goal "I like the look of him. Reckon he'll come?" "I think so. This man could prove tougher to snare..." Another sheet across the desk "...Cesar, Spanish midfielder. He's utter class but not sure if we'd be able to entice him" "Well let's give it a go anyway. I'll sort out meetings with them and their agents, see what we can do" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 15, 2023 Author Share Posted October 15, 2023 Following the opening day win, Peter was keen for his side to carry on in the same manner, and a trip to Blackpool was the next opportunity to do that. Having narrowly missed the Play Offs last year, they were keen to push on this season, although having lost Richie Wellens and Danny Coid over the summer, arguably their two best players, they were considerably weaker. As for the team, the only changes saw Rusk take the place of Agustin, and Dawe started ahead of Greenacre, and it was the big striker who caused all sorts of problems for the home defence. He used his size and strength the hold the ball up, and this allowed the midfielders to bomb forward, and it was through this that they opened the scoring, Dawe flicking on for Moukoko and the mercurial Belgian slotted in beautifully. Rob Kozluk was having a fantastic game on the right hand side, and he won the penalty that led to the second goal, producing a brilliant bit of skill to turn his man and flick the ball past him, getting caught as he did so, and Liam Lawrence stepped up to send the 'keeper the wrong way They had been cruising the first half and looked certain to go in at the break with a two goal advantage, but a defensive mix up between Clarke and Arber allowed Graham Fenton in, and the striker took advantage and poked home the loose ball. That was a disappointment but they started the second half really well, creating a couple of half chances, Dawe missing the best of them, but it was Rob Kozluk who restored the two goal lead, deservedly so too for his performance, when he overlapped Lawrence and received the pass, firing into the goal with a fierce shot. It could have been more come the end, Lawrence, Dawe and substitute Victor Renner all missing the opportunity to score, but the home side couldn't get a grip on the game and the score remained 3-1 -- "How's the travelling?" "..." "I can imagine. Where are you on Saturday?" "..." "OK. Well they provide entertainment so you shouldn't be bored!" "..." "When are you back this end?" "..." "OK. Well when you are and you have some time, we'll grab dinner and a drink?" "..." "Perfect. I've got to go to training but I'll speak to you later on" Charlotte was enjoying her new job but the travelling was, understandably, taking it's toll on her, and she was feeling tired between trips, so it would be nice to give her something to look forward to when she was back in Mansfield Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 15, 2023 Author Share Posted October 15, 2023 Training had finished, the lads having ran their socks off, and Peter was completing some reports when there was a knock on his door "Boss? Riza is here with his agent?" "Oh thanks Russ. Take them into the boardroom, I'll be down in five" Five minutes later, he entered the room "Omer, thankyou for coming son. Journey OK?" "Yes thankyou Mr Daish. This is my brother, Saiful. He acts as my agent" Peter extended his hand out "Welcome to Mansfield gentlemen. Should we get down to business?" Riza's brother cleared his throat "I hope you don't mind Mr Daish, I prefer to keep things brief" "OK. So what do you propose?" "My brother would like a three year deal. He realises he may not be first choice straightaway but he'd like opportunities through the season" Peter smiled inwardly "That is exactly what we're looking for. As it happens, this is the contract we'd drawn up" He slid the contract across the desk. Both men looked at it, muttered some quick dialogue and looked up "Sir, we are both more than happy with that. Do you have a pen?" And with that, Riza had signed a three year deal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 15, 2023 Author Share Posted October 15, 2023 Peter was thrilled to get that deal over the line, and the new striker was in the squad for the next game, as Sheffield United made the trip to Field Mill for League Cup action. This was a competition that, while a cup run was always nice, would certainly be taking a back seat to the League games, so he took the opportunity to rest several of his regulars for the game, although he always sent his sides out to win. Amit Bose, Vitor Pereira, Victor Renner, Karl Owen and Vance Warner all came in, while Adrian Littlejohn came in for his first appearance of the season. Agustin also played, before his suspension kicked in The game started slowly, both sides feeling each other out, and chances were few and far between early on. Renner flashed a shot wide of the post, before Devlin hit one straight at the 'keeper. Peter was disappointed in his side's passing, the final ball not being good enough through the first half, and it was one of those sloppy passes that led to the visitors taking the lead, Paul Warhurst capitalising on an error by Vitor Pereira to race through and slot past Kevin Pilkington. This was the eye opener the home side needed, and within three minutes they were level, Littlejohn winning a free kick, which Agustin stepped up to curl past the 'keeper and into the top corner. This was how the score remained at the break, both sides cancelling each other out, but the visitors showed their quality at the start of the second half, scoring twice in the first eight minutes of the restart. Peter Ndlovu had been introduced at the break and it was he who restored the lead, using his past to explode past Karl Owen and get on the end of a long ball, before poking it into the goal. He provided the next one too, sliding in Paul Devlin despite being held by Vance Warner, and the midfielder dinked it over Pilkington This made things more difficult, but they did give themselves a chance when Stuart Dawe pulled one back, chesting and volleying in one swift movement, and from them on they created chance after chance, Peter instructing his side to go for it, and he saw Dawe, Renner, Agustin and Vance Warner all miss opportunities, and as usual in football, they paid the price when the visitors broke in injury time, a long throw from the 'keeper finding Devlin, who slipped in Peter Ndlovu. He was fouled by Pereira (who was probably lucky to stay on the field to be fair), and Lee Croft stepped up to slot home the spot kick and seal the win -- Despite the defeat, Peter had been delighted with his side's efforts in the game, but he was always on the lookout for extra quality to add to the squad, and with that in mind, he was ready for his meeting with Cesar and his agent. He was expecting a difficult time, the Spaniard having played for some big clubs, but he would certainly add a quality and creativity in the midfield that would give them an extra edge. He was distracted from his thoughts when he saw the player coming through the terminal gate He walked over to greet them "Mr Juarez?" The man held out his hand as he approached "Mr Daish? Thankyou for meeting us here" "My pleasure. I have a car waiting for us outside to take us to the ground. Dinner is there if you're hungry?" "We had a slight breakfast earlier so that would be good, thankyou" Just under an hour later, they arrived at Field Mill, having had a good conversation in the car. "Gentlemen, we'll have some dinner, then we can do a tour of the ground and facilities if that's ok?" They both nodded -- "How did it go gaffer?" Russell Beardsmore had approached him later on in the day, Cesar and his agent having left for their return flight "OK I think. Did my hospitality bit, offered the contract. Can't do anymore" "They gonna think about it?" "Aye. They've got a couple of other offers on the table though. Realistically, I'm not confident" They were still waiting on the Spaniard's decision come the next game, a visit from Stoke, but there was positive news with the return of Chris Greenacre to the team. The striker had privately expressed his worry that he wouldn't live up to the heights of the previous season, but Peter had given him assurances that he was first choice, and as long as he hit 20 goals, that would help them achieve their ambitions In all fairness to the striker, he went some way towards that mark by notching his first of the season when he headed home from a Moukoko corner, rising above everyone to open the scoring. He still wasn't fully fit so he wouldn't last the full game, but he could easily have had a hat trick before the break, volleying against the post and almost getting on the end of a whipped cross from Liam Lawrence, but even though they had other chances, it remained just a one goal advantage at half time. The visitors had offered nothing through the half, and at the start of the second half, they found themselves two behind, Rusk marauding forward to latch onto the end of Jervis' clipped pass, and the Scotsman slid the ball past Steve Simonsen to double the lead. Rusk had shown his class in the game, controlling the tempo, his passing almost perfect, and he could have had a couple of assists before the end, Riza missing the chance to open his account after being fed through, before Moukoko curled wide of the far post from his lay off, but they didn't find the net again, securing a two goal win and maintaining their early 100% record in the league Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 17, 2023 Author Share Posted October 17, 2023 (edited) "Boss, can I have a word?" Adrian Littlejohn had pulled him to one side after training "What's up Adie?" "I just wanted to let you know before I make it official, I'll not be signing an extension this season" Peter nodded. He had expected this. Littlejohn had slipped out of favour towards the end of the previous season "I understand son. I know you're disappointed you've fallen down the pecking order a little but I'll still need you for this season" The veteran clasped him on the shoulder "I'll be giving everything this year, don't worry" .. "Well well, look what the cat dragged in" He got up and greeted his old friend in an embrace "Look who's talking. How are you Reidy?" They sat down at the table as the drinks were delivered "Not too bad. Honestly, kinda just enjoying punditry at the minute since leaving Sunderland" Reid had been dismissed late last season with his side 18th in the Premier League, although they eventually survived by the skin of their teeth "I'm sorry about that by the way. Did you get my text?" "Aye, thanks for that. Shame about our old club though eh?" He raised his eyebrows "Yeah. The fans don't deserve that, they're a brilliant bunch. You not fancy taking over?" "To be honest they did approach me but I just fancied a break away" Peter nearly choked on his pint "You're joking?! I thought you'd have snapped up the chance?" Edited yesterday at 11:49 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 17, 2023 Author Share Posted October 17, 2023 It had been great to catch up with his old mate, and Reid had promised to stay around for the next few days before they left for the next game, eventually heading back on the Friday morning. Peter had to admit, Reid had looked refreshed and energized without the strain of management, but he knew that eventually, the wily old fox would find his way back into the game somehow. With an early coach trip on the Saturday morning, he headed to the fridge for a beer before turning in for an early night The squad for the trip to Gillingham were in a buoyant mood. They had started the campaign well, the core of the lads from the previous season were still here, meaning the harmony in the squad was great, and card school was in full flow. That said, when they stepped off that coach, it was business as usual, and he had every faith in the lads to do that "Sorry boss, he's tweaked the ankle. No way he'll make the game now" Peter stood in the Physio's room, Liam Lawrence grimacing in pain on the table in front of him "Damn. Right thanks Frank" He headed into the dressing room, team sheet in his hand. Popping his head around the door, he caught the eye of Victor Renner "Victor, you're starting. Liam's not fit to play" With that he headed to the referee's room to hand in his altered team sheet The home side had obviously come with a game plan, and this was to try and nullify the attacks down the flanks, and while it wasn't pretty on the eye, the tactic worked, Peter watching as his side struggled and toiled to create any real openings, the only chance of any note falling to Moukoko, although he fired wide from just inside the area. The home side were delighted going in at the break, although it can't have been much fun for their fans, but the second half was a different story, as Mansfield came out all guns blazing, finding the opening goal inside two minutes of the restart, Kos slipping through Greenacre, who raced forward and fired through the 'keepers legs with ease. This was the catalyst for the game to get out of reach for the home side, and just eight minutes later, the lead had doubled, Kos sending Rob Kozluk down the right hand side, the full back whipping a cross to the far post and Moukoko meeting it on the full with his left foot. Once again, Simon Rusk was controlling the tempo, and it was his link up with Renner that secured the third and final goal, Renner playing a beautiful ball in behind the defence, which Moukoko latched onto and lifted over the 'keeper into the goal to seal a very very nice win Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 17, 2023 Author Share Posted October 17, 2023 (edited) Good news had followed within 48 hours of the Gillingham game, as Cesar had decided that Mansfield was the place he wanted to continue his career, and had penned a two year deal with an option for a third year. He was still short of fitness so wouldn't be in the squad for the first couple of weeks while he worked with the fitness coach, but it was a signing that he was delighted with. As he was drawing up some training plans for the Spaniard, he noticed an envelope in his in tray, with an unusual heading on it International Call-Ups He grabbed the envelope and ripped it open, all the while thinking it was delivered to the wrong person. He started reading when he saw his name Quote FA0 ; Peter Daish, Mansfield Town Mr Daish I would like to bring to your attention the following news Moukoko has been called up by Cameroon for their following international games against Mali and Togo He will be required to report for duty from September 2nd, returning on September 13th. All the arrangements for his travel are below... -- Peter cursed. Then he cursed again. Then he buzzed his intercom "Hello?" "Lindsey, can you ask Russ to come and see me. And when the players come in, send Moukoko to my office?" "Will do" Beardsmore entered the open door a couple of minutes later. No words were exchanged, he just handed over the sheet of paper After silently reading, Beardsmore looked up, a look on his face that spoke volumes "Cameroon? I thought he was Belgian?" "So did I. I've checked though, his mum's Cameroonian. So he's eligible" "****. That's a blow" Peter shrugged "It is but what can we do? We can't stop the lad going" Just then, the midfielder knocked on the door "You ask for me boss?" Needless to say, he was thrilled with the news. It was an honour to represent your country and Peter was never going to stop him, but it was a blow to lose such an influential player Edited October 24, 2023 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 17, 2023 Author Share Posted October 17, 2023 There was a positive though, and they did have him for the final game of the month, as fellow promoted side Luton made the visit to Field Mill. They had inflicted one of his side's very few defeats towards the end of last season, so he was looking to get a measure of revenge for that, and let his players no in no uncertain terms that was what he expected, but whether it was a hangover from the previous game, or just one of those things, he didn't know, but his side started about as badly as he had seen during his tenure, and found themselves two goals behind within the first 22 minutes. Tony Warner had already made two saves before Liam George clipped the ball over him to open the scoring, the 'keeper's position slighty off and allowing the striker to chip him, and just five minutes later, it was his strike partner who doubled the lead, Douglas rising highest to bullet home a header They were given the proverbial hairdryer treatment at half time, something they hadn't had too often, and it made a difference to their performance, as they came out all guns blazing, pulling a goal back within 67 seconds, Greenacre outmuscling his man, turning him and lashing a ball into the goal. This was the spark they needed, and they were soon level, Moukoko winning the penalty following a trip from Valois, and Rusk stepped up to slot it perfectly into the corner. Both sides went for the win after that, with both 'keepers forced into good saves, but Greenacre thought he'd won it three minutes from the end, although he was deemed to be just offside, and in the end, they had to settle for a share of the spoils -- August 2002 Results [Division Two unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 2-0 Portsmouth [Lawrence 7, Agustin s/o 16, Moukoko 37] Blackpool 1-3 Mansfield [Moukoko 11, Lawrence pen 32, Kozluk 53 ; Fenton 43] League Cup Round One Mansfield 2-4 Sheffield United [Agustin 35, Dawe 56 ; Warhurst 32, Ndlovu 50, Devlin 53, Croft pen 90+1] Mansfield 2-0 Stoke [Greenacre 15, Rusk 48] Gillingham 0-3 Mansfield [Greenacre 47, Moukoko 55,80] Mansfield 2-2 Luton [Greenacre 47, Rusk pen 55 ; George 17, Douglas 22] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 18, 2023 Author Share Posted October 18, 2023 They couldn't have wished for a better start to the Division Two campaign, 13 out of a possible 15 points, some superb football played, and the players all on board with the philosophies, but as a realist, Peter knew things could get more difficult as the season progressed, so he wasn't getting ahead of himself. He was however, delighted that he had managed to tie down some of his key players to longer deals. The chairman had agreed pretty quickly to the use of the wage budget for this purpose, mainly due to how well the team had performed on the pitch, so he had taken the opportunity to offer new deals to Greenacre, Kos, Moukoko, Lawrence and Mark Arber, and all five had signed without any hesitation, meaning a core of the team had been tied down for the next four years "Peter Daish" "..." "Pearcey. How are you mate? Keeping well?" "..." "Perfect. Family well?" "..." "Aye it's been a good start, can't complain. Shame about Forest though?" "..." "How's things in Manchester?" "..." "Sounds good. Listen I've got to go to training but give us a bell and we'll catch up properly?" "..." "OK mate. See you soon" It had been nice to chat, albeit briefly, with his former teammate, and it was even nicer to hear that Stuart Pearce was doing well in his coaching, having retired from playing in the summer to concentrate on that side of it. Maybe one day they could actually work together, but for now he was focused on Mansfield, and their next game, which was a visit to Chesterfield David Edwards was back in the line up for the game, while Rusk and Jamie Clarke also started the game. Adrian Littlejohn also came in for Moukoko, who had started his international duty. It was a fast start and it didn't take long at all for the scoring to be opened, Moukoko and Jervis linking down the left for the full back to clip the ball back into the danger area, and Liam Lawrence met it on the half volley and lashed it into the goal, leaving the 'keeper with no chance with the shot. The game petered out slightly after that, both sides struggling to find that killer ball or put the right cross in, and there was hardly a chance in the remainder of the game, the only opportunity coming from the visitors, Lawrence laying off Greenacre and the striker firing over the bar The second half started a little better, but a change was forced early on, Dawe coming on for Littlejohn after the midfielder tweaked his ankle, and the team moving to a 4-4-2. This made all the difference, Dawe using his strength and size to set up a couple of chances, firstly flicking on for Greenacre, who just went too far wide past the 'keeper before hitting the outside of the post, and then chesting into the path of Rusk, who fired straight at the 'keeper. The visitors levelled up with their first real opportunity, Rob Edwards rising to head home Marcus Ebdon's corner. Peter decided to go for it, telling his players to just bomb forward, and it looked forlorn, every chance being denied, until a simple route one ball from Clarke found Greenacre, who found himself and Dawe two on one with Jamie Hewitt, Greenacre recognising his strike partner was better placed and rolling the ball into him, for the big man to slot home and win the game with the final kick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 18, 2023 Author Share Posted October 18, 2023 (edited) "What's up boss?" Russell Beardsmore had entered the video room, surprised to see his manager already there "Morning Russ. I don't know, something doesn't feel right" "How do you mean?" He paused the video "I don't know. Our passing and creative play doesn't seem as slick as it was last season" "It's early days yet. The lads seem to have adjusted. All it will take is one game where everything clicks and then that will be it" Peter shook his head "I was actually thinking of a slight tactical switch. I think we're too narrow through the midfield, if we push the likes of Liam and Moukoko further up the pitch, it should open it up more" .. He entered the boardroom, his files tucked under his arm "Morning gentlemen" Keith Haslam looked up "Morning Peter. Well done on Manager of the Month for August by the way" He held his hand up in acknowledgment. The hubbub died down eventually and the chairman spoke "OK. Thankyou for attending today gents. I won't keep you long so lets get to it. First of all, the revamping of the Training facilities has been approved. Work will start on the 12th of this month, and should take around two months to complete" Peter was the first to speak "That's good news. Can we still train there?" "Unfortunately not. I'm expecting a call today to confirm the use of a temporary facility" A nod "Secondly, and Peter this will interest you in particular, this will cost in the region of £50,000. This will not affect the ability to bring in players should you need to, but we still will not be shelling out huge unnecessary fees for transfers or wages" "Understood. I know the budget and I intend to stick with it" A collective smile from the board Cesar had been declared at a level of fitness for him to be considered for selection, and with that in mind he was given a place on the bench for the visit of Cambridge to Field Mill. Littlejohn had not been fit enough after his knock in the previous game so he was out of the squad and Victor Renner took his place, While Rusk and Agustin both took their place together for the first time, giving some extra reassurance to the midfield. The visitors were a tough tackling physical team, so it was expected to be a gritty affair, but their cause wasn't help when experienced defender Andy Melville, a Welsh international, lunged in with two feet on Liam Lawrence, It was a terrible tackle, late and with studs in the air, and the referee David Barrowdale had no hesitation in showing the red card to the defender. From that point on it was all one way traffic, and the only mystery was how the game only finished 1-0. Renner shaved the post, Greenacre smashed a shot towards the corner that was brilliantly saved, and Wouter Kos had a great chance the he fluffed, and it was only thanks to a brilliant free kick from Simon Rusk that they headed into the break ahead, the Scotsman curling home beautifully with his left foot. Cesar made an appearance for the second half, and he showed brief flashes of brilliance, particularly a curled through ball with the outside of his right foot that sent through Renner, but Cambridge 'keeper Les Sealey earnt his man of the match award, keeping everything they threw at him at bay, and keeping the score at a respectable one goal margin Edited October 18, 2023 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 18, 2023 Author Share Posted October 18, 2023 (edited) "So you've started well then?" Charlotte had been given a couple of days off, so Peter had cooked her dinner before opening a bottle of wine "Yeah but there's so much more to come from the lads. If we're still in this position come Christmas time, I think we could easily go up again" A raising of the eyebrows while she drank "You think you're ready for that?" He sighed "Truthfully, probably not. But I can't tell them to ease off and stop picking up points" "Touche. Can I ask you something?" He turned away from washing the dishes, leaning back on the counter "Sure" "What's your ultimate goal? I mean, you don't see yourself at Mansfield in ten years time right?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully "To be honest, I haven't thought about it. There's a couple of teams in my past, and one in particular I have fond memories of, but in this game, you just kinda go with the flow" -- The build up in the week had been, for want of a better word, eventful. Liam Lawrence had sprained his ankle, meaning he would miss the next week or so, and this seemed to be a catalyst for a spate of niggles, as Rusk, then Edwards, and then Mark Arber picked up knocks that would rule them out of the next game, so for the trip to Cardiff, it was a changed eleven, with Renner, Hartmann and Vance Warner coming into the starting eleven, with Amit Bose drafted into the squad too, while Cesar made his first start for the club The home side had lost just once since the start of the season, and they were sitting third in the table, so it had all the makings of a tough game, and so it would prove the case. It started on a bright note though, Wouter Kos opening the scoring with a lovely goal, having been threaded through by a pinpoint pass from Hartmann, he raced into space and dinked the ball deftly into the goal. The little Dutchman had been one of the stars the previous season and he had continued that form to start this campaign, and having signed an extension, he would be the lynchpin of the midfield for a while to come yet. However, he couldn't prevent the game from being level at the break, as a short backpass from Rob Kozluk allowed on loan Everton winger Kevin McLeod to nip in and round Warner, slotting the ball home as he did so. It was against the run of play, although neither side created many clear cut chances, and while they didn't get a real telling off, Peter did tell them he expected more from them, and this was what he got to start the second half, and it was Wouter Kos once again who gave them the lead, this time drilling a low driven shot past the outstretched 'keepers right hand, after a fine pass from Cesar. The Spaniard himself had a chance to extend that lead, but he poked the ball wide, before a brilliant whipped cross from Renner just missed Chris Greenacre's foot, but as so often happens in football, the tide turned, McLeod feeding Tony Thorne, and the striker lashed it home to once again even the game up. The drama didn't end there though, and Peter did see his side go on to claim the points, but boy did they leave it late, as Victor Renner, from the edge of the six yard box, meeting a Cesar cross, and then Greenacre, after being fed through by Renner, sealed the game with injury time goals, extending their unbeaten run and keeping them top of the table Edited October 18, 2023 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 19, 2023 Author Share Posted October 19, 2023 "You reckon he's worth getting in?" Peter and his scouts sat in his office, eating lunch with paperwork scattered over his desk "I do yeah. Think he'll really add something as a creative force" "How much we looking at?" Waldron checked his notes "Probably outside of our price range at the moment but they'd be willing to loan him out" He nodded "OK. Get on to Wigan and see if they'd be willing to do business. What about Collins?" Waldron again checked his notes "Still working on it boss. We've gone up to a hundred grand but they're still playing hardball" He thought for a minute "OK. Go up to hundred and fifty, and if they say no we'll look elsewhere" .. Training had been exciting over the next few days, with Cesar, now fully fit, impressing everybody with his range of passing and his ability on the ball, so it was a good time to be involved on the field right about now. Following the win over Cardiff, the players were in a good mindset, so much so that only two changes to the team were made for the visit of Lincoln, as David Edwards took Agustin's place, while Moukoko, back from international duty, also took his place back in the team, fairly fresh having only played 45 minutes over the two games he was away for The visitors were sitting just outside the play off spots, but in this game, they were never even in with a sniff. From the moment David Edwards went racing clear and slid the ball underneath Steve Simonsen, it was all one way traffic, and the game was sealed in a sixteen minute period. Kos and Moukoko were both magnificent, the Dutchman absolutely mercurial in the middle of the park, and he grabbed the assist for the second goal, a little pass with the outside of his right foot finding Moukoko, who spun his marker and whipped a shot into the goal with his left foot. Within 60 seconds, it was three, Moukoko intercepting a poor pass, laying it off for Cesar, who lifted a gorgeous ball over the top for Hartmann, and the German giant sent a looping header over the stranded Simonsen. The 'keeper was having a mare, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about the fourth goal, a brilliant bit of skill by Kos finding him in space, and then he released Moukoko. He set off towards goal, beating three men as he did so, before chipping the ball into the goal from 25 yards out, an absolutely brilliant goal, and the hapless visitors had no response Naturally, they did take their foot off the gas, knowing the game was won, but they had battered Lincoln into submission and could easily have extended that lead, as they created chances in the second period. Greenacre headed over from a corner, Simonsen had to make a fantatstic double save from Hartmann and then Moukoko, before the best chance of the half fell to substitute Victor Renner, who found himself with space in the area, and almost surprised, he fired wide past the far post. It made no difference though, and the game finished 4-0, a result that Peter was delighted with Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 19, 2023 Author Share Posted October 19, 2023 (edited) "Paul, welcome to Mansfield son" Bagshaw had come to the club, his club having agreed to send him on loan for the season. He didn't look particularly happy to be there though "Thanks. I just want to play games" Very abrupt "Well you'll get the chance. We need to get you up to fitness levels first but that will come" The Wigan man had been shown round the club, before going to training with the lads "Boss, got a minute?" Russell Beardsmore had popped his head around the door "What's up Russ?" A smile appeared across his coach's face "Halesowen have bitten. They accepted the bid. Collins will be here tomorrow" That was great news. Lee Collins, a long time target, was on his way for his medical with the club. Halesowen had been playing hardball on the price but had eventually agreed on a fee, and Collins would be a huge addition to the backline -- The Collins' medical had gone well, no injuries or lasting damage, and he had agreed terms swiftly, penning a four year deal. He was a very good centre half, quick, agile and a great reader of the game. He had gone back to Halesowen to collect his stuff, while the club had arranged accommodation for both he and Bagshaw, although neither of them were in the squad for the trip to Rotherham. Relegated last season, the Yorkshire side had kept most of their squad together, and their fans were expectant about bouncing straight back, but they had suffered an indifferent start and sat 8th in the table. They were looking to get back on track after a couple of poor results, but they didn't start well and did themselves no favours when Guy Branston saw red after thirteen minutes. It was a pretty innocuous tackle that earnt him his first booking, but it was pure stupidity for the second one, dragging down Greenacre while tussling for the ball and deservedly earning his marching orders. This seemed to affect his team mates, and they couldn't get their heads into the game, although the had their goalkeeper Mike Pollitt to thank for the score being level at the break, as he pulled off several saves from various Mansfield players to keep things deadlocked. In fact, it almost looked like being one of those days for the visitors, and it wasn't until the hour mark that they finally brought things to a head, Liam Lawrence floating a cross into the danger area, and Greenacre rising to nod it home, heading it into the ground before it hit the roof of the net. There were a couple of other decent chances but Greenacre sealed the game in stoppage time, breaking free and slotting the ball home past Pollitt --- September 2002 Results [Division Two unless stated otherwise] Chesterfield 1-2 Mansfield [Lawrence 7, Dawe 90+2 ; Edwards 74] Mansfield 1-0 Cambridge [Rusk 37 ; Melville s/o 7] Cardiff 2-4 Mansfield [Kos 8,53, Renner 90+1, Greenacre 90+4 ; McLeod 31, Thorne 72] Mansfield 4-0 Lincoln [Edwards 9, Moukoko 17,25, Hartmann 18] Rotherham 0-2 Mansfield [Greenacre 60,90+2 ; Branston s/o 13] Edited October 19, 2023 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 21, 2023 Author Share Posted October 21, 2023 "Hi mum. How are you?" He walked through his mums front door, as she was washing the dishes "Oh hello son. Didn't expect you today" "Spontaneous visit. Any chance of a brew?" He smiled as he said it, knowing exactly what the answer would be "You know where the kettle is!" Having made a brew for them both, he sat down, waiting for the barrage of questions "So, how are things at work?" "Not bad. Going well and the lads have seemed to take to the new division like a duck to water" "Oh that's good. And outside of work?" There's the shot "How do you mean?" "Well, are you still moping about or have you got back out there?" He lowered his cup and raised his eyebrows "I wasn't moping about, thankyou very much. But as it happens, I have been seeing someone..." She was about to get excited "...but, it's early days yet. We're taking it slowly, not rushing things" "So what's she like?" "Her names Charlotte, she's 28..." An inquisitive eyebrow "She's a bit young isn't she?" "Well we both discussed it and it doesn't bother either of us. As I was saying, she's 28, a journalist. She's lovely" "And when do I meet her?" It had been nice to spend the day with his mum. Due to her being in Liverpool and he was based in Mansfield, their conversations had been limited to phone calls so to actually spend the day with her and speak in person had been really nice. He had expected a barrage of questions about Charlotte, which he had gotten, but he was concerned about her being on her own. She wasn't getting any younger and couldn't get about as much as she used to, so he had considered getting someone in once a week to keep her company Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 21, 2023 Author Share Posted October 21, 2023 It was back to business on Wednesday, as Swindon were the next visitors, but there was a couple of forced changes to the team for the game. Greenacre had needed to go back home for a family emergency, and had been granted leave, while Moukoko had looked tired and sluggish the day before in training, and it was only when examined that he was diagnosed with a stomach bug, so he missed out on the game too, which meant Omer Riza, coming in for his first start, and Victor Renner both took their place on the field. Riza would have been keen to impress, knowing he was behind Greenacre in the pecking order, and he certainly did himself no harm when he scored the opener after just 8 minutes, Lawrence and Rusk combining in the midfield and the Scotsman feeding in the former West Ham man, who curled the ball on the run past the 'keeper. The visitors were disappointing in the game, really struggling to create any openings in the first 45 minutes, but the reason that the lead was only one goal was thanks to some poor finishing from their opponents, as Lawrence, Renner and Rusk all missed good chances, but Lawrence made up for that just nine minutes into the second half, as he scored a superb goal, flicking the ball over the head of his marker and hitting it first time as it dropped over his shoulder, leaving the 'keeper with no chance. There were no more significant chances, both teams playing a stalemate and only a couple of half chances falling the way of substitutes Bagshaw and Bose, and a routine win was completed .. Lee Collins had bedded in well, making his mark in training with a crunching, but ultimately fair tackle, on Liam Lawrence just five minutes into his first training session. He was an ideal Division Two defender. Although not a man mountain, standing at 6'0 tall, he was not afraid of a tackle, was very good in the air and was surprisingly quick and agile, and he looked like the perfect partner for Mark Arber in the middle of defence. He had impressed early on, while Bagshaw seemed to be going through the motions, although nothing was thought of this too much, knowing he hadn't played much so far "Peter, have you got five minutes?" Keith Haslam had called him in as he walked past his office "Morning Keith. What's up?" "Nothing, just wanted a general chat. Seems like we've been unable to catch up" "Well it seems busier this season, even though I know it's not really. How's the training ground coming on?" He nodded vehemently "Well on track, should be finished on time, if not earlier" "Perfect. You're on holiday soon aren't you?" Another nod "Yes. End of the month. It's the first time I've ever gone on holiday and not worried about the team" Peter laughed "Well things have certainly started better than I expected, I can't deny that. Long way to go, and we still have to be realistic. That said, if we're in this position come New Year, we'll have to look again!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 21, 2023 Author Share Posted October 21, 2023 Collins came straight into the starting line up for the trip to Notts County, Bagshaw staying on the bench, while Moukoko and Greenacre were both back in the starting eleven, and come the end of the game, it had all been about one man, as Chris Greenacre exploded, scoring all five of their goals in an absolute mullering of the home side. It was a remarkable display of goalscoring from the striker, one that even the Notts County fans had to applaud at the end of the game as he walked off. It had started inside the first ten minutes, Kos feeding Jervis, who whipped a cross to the far post and Greenacre nodded in, unmarked and free. By the time he scored his second, twenty minutes later, he could have had another two, as he cracked the bar with one effort before heading wide with another, but he did double the tally soon enough, a scramble in the box that fell to him, and he stroked it home with his left foot It had been a simple team talk at half time, and the team had responded in kind, with Bagshaw, Moukoko and Collins all having the chance to extend the lead and put the game beyond doubt, but it was Greenacre's hat trick goal that sealed things, as he completed his perfect treble by rolling the ball past the defender, using his strength to muscle past him, before turning and shooting in one motion and the ball fizzed into the roof of the net. This put the result beyond doubt, but the game continued into five minutes of injury time, enough time to allow another two goals. Lawrence pulled the ball back to the edge of the six yard box where Greenacre was waiting to tap it in, before a long ball saw him racing on to the end of it, getting there before the 'keeper and flicking past him which allowed him to stroll the ball into the open goal. He walked off with the match ball to a standing ovation, and Peter rushed over to his striker "Chrissy my son, absolutely phenomenal!" He tousled his hair as he did so "Thanks Boss. I wanted to repay the faith you've had in me" They walked off together, Peter pulling back a little bit and allowing the striker to walk off alone, which was the least he deserved -- "Tell you what gaffer, that was some performance from Chrissy wasn't it?" He was sat having a Sunday afternoon pint with Russ Beardsmore to celebrate the emphatic result "Incredible. And to think, he was doubting himself at the start of the season" "You're joking? You never told me that" "Did I not? Yeah he came to me start of the season. Reassured him but that was all him yesterday, nothing to do with me" Beardsmore took a long swig of his pint "You know, he's only three short of becoming the clubs leading scorer?" "Is he? I didn't know that" "Read it in an article this morning. He's got 83, record is 85" He wasn't sure if the striker was aware himself of the record, but he decided not to mention it to him anyway, not wanting to add any undue pressure onto him Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 23, 2023 Author Share Posted October 23, 2023 Despite winning their last four games, that wasn't the most pleasing aspect. They had done it without conceding in those games, keeping four clean sheets and scoring 15 goals in the process, so things were really motoring along, and this was evident amongst the squad too, as the mood was great going into the next game, a home clash with Bristol Rovers. Wouter Kos had played virtually every minute this season, and he had been advised to rest him, and he duly did so, bringing Glenn Hartmann to replace him in the midfield. Arber had not passed fully fit either, which meant Vance Warner took his place too, while Bagshaw took the place of Lawrence, but other than that, they were at full strength as much as possible. This showed early on in the game too, as they raced into a two goal lead in the first twenty minutes. The first of these came from Moukoko, from a move that he started, as he sprayed the ball out wide to Bagshaw, who jinked himself to the byline, before pulling a low cross back. Greenacre dummied it deftly and Moukoko was there to meet it and slide it home. Bagshaw had been instrumental in the goal, and he grabbed the second for himself, stepping up to take the free kick that had been won by Greenacre, and he curled it into the top corner to double the lead. The game was never in doubt after that, and despite Greenacre, Bose and Bagshaw all missing good second half chances, but Hartmann scored the third and final goal, using his strength and sheer size to maraud clear and slot the ball home into the corner -- "What the...?" He stared incredulously at the email on his screen. He picked up his mobile and dialled the number "Russ? My office. Now!" If his coach hadn't known anything was wrong before the call, the tone those four words were spoken gave it away "Gaffer..." "Sit down!" Beardsmore sat opposite him "Russ, we've worked together a while now. You know I value loyalty..." "Yeah boss..." "...so why the hell have I just had an email from Bradford confirming you've accepted their offer?" "It just seems like the right time to move on..." Peter slammed his fist on the desk "Bollocks. Have they offered you more money? When we discussed your extension on Monday, why didn't you mention it?" He looked sheepish "They phoned me on Tuesday. I wanted to tell you..." "You should have told me. We could have discussed it. I don't think you realise how angry I am right now!" "I'm sorry boss..." He shook his head "Forget it. I'll wish you luck at Bradford, and we'll leave it at that" With that, he stamped out of the room Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 23, 2023 Author Share Posted October 23, 2023 His mood had been tetchy for a couple of days after the news, and Beardsmore had slinked away quietly. Adverts had been placed out, and for the second time that season, he was looking for a new member of staff. He had calmed down a little bit before the next game, a trip to Oldham, and this was mainly because he had arranged to meet Charlotte on the Saturday night. She was covering Rochdale that day, and would travel back with the team before they had dinner that night. David Edwards was back in the team, while Vance Warner slotted back into the centre of defence. The game itself was, for want of a better word, drab. Oldham had made a poor start to the season, inconsistency in their results seeing them sitting 14th, and this was something Peter expected his side to use to their advantage. They did early on, Kos firing a stinging shot into the arms of the 'keeper, while Warner headed wide from a corner, but it was Liam Lawrence who linked with Simon Rusk to set up the opener, the Scottish midfielder curling a ball in behind the defence for Greenacre, who collected it and hit it first time into the bottom corner. There was only one winner from that point, and despite there being no goals in the remainder of the half, it was less than two minutes into the second half when the second goal came, Greenacre flicking the ball on to David Edwards, striding forward from midfield, and the Welsh midfielder slid the ball in with ease. The game was a stalemate after that, the home side struggling to break their opponents down, while Peter saw his side contain them and control the game with composure, and eventually the whistle brought the curtain down on the game with a 2-0 victory -- Beardsmore had gone, the end of the working relationship that had developed over the previous 18 months fizzled out with a whimper. However, it hadn't taken long to find a replacement. In fact, he had found two, having been given the green light to sign on two coaches to add to his bench. The first of these was Claus Estevaag. The Norwegian had almost ten years of experience with the likes of Rosenborg and Tromso, and having been released from the latter when the new regime came in, he was available without compensation. It hadn't taken long to thrash out the details, a three year deal agreed for the 44 year old, and he would begind immediately, although he would be allowed time to go back and get some stuff from his old home. He was only the first new face though, 31 year old Damien Matthew also securing a two year deal. He had no experience at all, having only passed his badges in the summer, but in his interview there was something about him that Peter liked, just his enthusiasm and enjoyment of the game shining through, and his instinct told him to add the youngster (well, in coaching terms), to the team Both men had taken their place alongside him for the visit of Huddersfield, a team who were struggling to live up to the hype that had followed them at the start of the season, a bad start in August meaning they currently sat six points outside the Play Off places. Peter couldn't have any sympathy for them, and he intended not to have, but he did have a couple of injury concerns which forced some changes. Greenacre had picked up an illness so he wasn't in the squad, Omer Riza coming in to replace him, while Glenn Hartmann took his place alongside Kos in the midfield. The giant German justified his place in the team, causing all sorts of problems for the weaker Huddersfield midfield, and he even opened the scoring, a scramble in the box falling to him and he swept the ball home within the first ten minutes. Riza saw a header chalked off three minutes later, adjudged to have been offside, but Simon Rusk did double the lead not long after that, controlling the ball from a fizzed pass and firing a low drive past the fingertips of the 'keeper. The visitors seemed to wake up after that, and within four minutes they had pulled a goal back, Clyde Wijnhard feeding Grant McCann, and the midfielder deftly guiding it past Warner. The game, however, looked to have been sealed ten minutes after that, a ball over the top finding Riza, who managed to bring it down, muscle past the last defender and lash it into the roof of the net for his first goal for the club. The visitors would not go away though, and they managed to pull another one back before the break, reducing the deficit to one goal again, this time McCann had a hand in providing the goal, curling a pass behind the defence that Arber just found was out of his reach, and young striker Andrew Clemence latched on to it and flicked it past Warner with the outside of his right foot. The team had felt Peter's wrath at half time, despite winning he had made it clear that the performance could, and should have been better, and they responded magnificently in the second half, not allowing the visitors into the game at all, aswell as adding two more goals to seal the points. Kos had added the fourth, but this was not before a Liam Lawrence goal had been ruled out for a push, and Riza had hit the bar so hard with a shot it was still shaking almost three minutes later, but it was from a Lawrence cutback that the little Dutch maestro scored, meeting the ball first time and guiding it into the goal. Rusk set up the fifth and final goal, slipping in Riza and the former West Ham man completed his man of the match performance with a lovely little dink over the visitors goalie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 23, 2023 Author Share Posted October 23, 2023 (edited) "Hey. Come on in" Charlotte had earnt a couple of days off, so he had promised a takeaway and a quiet night in. There was also something he wanted to talk to her about. He kissed her as she entered the flat, looking lovely in her beige jumper, tight fitting black jeans and pristine white Reebok classics "How's work?" She had kicked off her trainers as soon as she get on, sitting on the sofa with he legs tucked under her "Busy. I'm loving it though" "Good. I've gone simple tonight by the way, spaghetti and meatballs" She smiled "Perfect" They had eaten dinner and shared some wine, and it was while they were talking afterwards that he mentioned to her what was on his mind "Listen, there's something I wanted to run by you" She popped her wine glass on the table "I'm all ears" "Well, people have realised we're a lot more than just friends now. I've actually also told my mum about you. Needless to say, she wants to meet you..." "Now there's a coincidence. My parents want to meet you too" "OK. Well that could make it easier. I was actually thinking that we could go and see her one Sunday? Maybe go round, have a brew and a chat?" She flashed a smile "Sounds good. I'll speak to Mum and Dad and see what they say " He had expected a little more of a tougher conversation, but things had gone well and with that, his smile lasted all week, and going into the final game of the month, a trip to Wycombe, the mood in itself among the squad was superb. Greenacre had recovered and was back in the squad, while Kos had been rested for Geir Olsen and Karl Owen took the place of the unfit Rob Kozluk. As it happened, he probably could have played himself in the game, as it was the most simple and comfortable win of the season so far. It was so easy in fact that they limited the home side to just two shots on their goal, neither forcing Tony Warner into a save. There was however, reason to celebrate, as a little bit of history was created in the game. Chris Greenacre had headed home the opening goal after 13 minutes, rising to meet Moukoko's corner, and levelling the club record for leading scorer in their history It was the solitary goal at half time that seperated them, despite having controlled and dominated the game, but just before the restart, Peter had gone to the referee's room. He had asked if, should Greenacre score again, he could have the ball at the end of the game, as he wanted to surprise his striker with a little present. The referee had agreed, and it was now down to hope that the goal came. It almost looked destined not to be going to happen, chances falling to other players, Moukoko and Olsen missing the two best chances, but eventually, two minutes after the hour mark, it happened. Lawrence had linked with substitute Victor Renner, and having picked up the ball, he saw Greenacre making the run. He lofted the ball into the strikers path, and while still on the run he took it on the chest and volleyed it past the 'keeper before he could even move. He headed straight for the travelling 500 that had made the trip, his teammates right behind him, and they mobbed their new record goalscorer on his achievement Edited October 23, 2023 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 24, 2023 Author Share Posted October 24, 2023 "OK lads, lets have you for a minute?" The players gathered round their manager "OK, first of, well done on the Wycombe game. Solid and professional performance..." Some murmurs from the squad "...and second of all, let's hear it for Chrissy, the club's new all time record scorer" Cheers and applause rang around, the striker hiding his embarrassment well but a hint of a smile on his face "Anyway, Chris, I hope you don't mind, but I've had a little gift made for you..." He bent down to the bag and pulled out a varnished ball "...in the form of this" He handed the ball to his striker, who was immediately drawn to the words on the ball Chris Greenacre Mansfield Town Record Goal Scorer October 28th 2002 vs Wycombe 86 goals He said his thanks to his teammates and his manager, giving the ball back to Inga Anderson who took it back inside, before beginning training, still taking some ribbing from the rest of the lads -- October 2002 Results [Division Two unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 2-0 Swindon [Riza 8, Lawrence 54] Notts County 0-5 Mansfield [Greenacre 9,29,66,90,90+3] Mansfield 3-0 Bristol Rovers [Moukoko 9, Bagshaw 18, Hartmann 66] Oldham 0-2 Mansfield [Greenacre 17, Edwards 47] Mansfield 5-2 Huddersfield [Hartmann 9, Rusk 17, Riza 27,71, Kos 67 ; McCann 21, Clemence 38] Wycombe 0-2 Mansfield [Greenacre 13,62] Chris Greenacre becomes Mansfield's all time record scorer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 24, 2023 Author Share Posted October 24, 2023 "Morning Peter" Keith Haslam had caught him walking down the corridor "Morning Keith. What news?" "Thought you'd like to know, the training facilities are complete. You can start using them again tomorrow" He nodded "Thanks Keith, good news" "I also just wanted to say congratulations too. The whole board are delighted with the way things are going on the pitch" "The players deserve the credit Keith. My job is simple really" -- The new facilities were impressive, everyone taking a bit of time before training to have a look round, but after that it was business as usual. As well as league action, the FA Cup would also be on the calendar for November, Rushden having been drawn as their opponents for the first round. While Division Two was a priority, the FA Cup always provided a nice distraction and a decent run would provide a good cash injection into the club "No Mum, I'm eating properly" "..." "Well as much as I appreciate you saying that, I promise I'm eating fine" "..." "We're both coming round on Sunday" "..." "Don't you worry, you'll love her. Do you need me to bring anything with me?" "..." "OK. Bye Mum, see you Sunday" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 24, 2023 Author Share Posted October 24, 2023 The time was rolling around for his mum to meet Charlotte, and while she seemed to be taking it in her stride, he was bloody nervous. His mum had really liked Fiona, hitting it off with her immediately, and he felt that since their split, his relationship with his mum had been affected. That was partly his fault, not making enough effort to reach out to her, but this was something, with encouragement from Charlotte, that he wanted to do. For himself, and for his mum Before then though, there was the small matter of a visit from Wigan. Bagshaw had been doing well in the previous games, and he looked well up for this game in the build up. The team from the North West had been expected to be amongst the front runners for the title, given they had spent almost four million, a ridiculous amount for this level, but had been inconsistent, despite showing glimpses of what they can do. The teams were out warming up 45 minutes before kick off, and after a customary chat with his opposite number, Paul Jewell, he spotted Shayne Bradley and headed over to his former charge. The striker saw him and smiled, heading over to meet him "Hiya gaffer" He embraced him warmly "Hey, don't let Paul hear you say that. Good to see you son. Keeping well?" He shrugged his shoulders "I'm OK. Not had as much game time this season as I'd have liked, Jason and Lee have been on fire" He clapped him on the shoulder "Don't you worry lad. If you do what we both know you're capable of, you'll soon be in the team" "Thanks boss. It's nice to see you and the boys doing well. I saw Chris earlier, congratulated him on breaking the record" He smiled "Look, I know you wanted more game time..." "Boss, it's fine. Chris was in the form of his life and I know you couldn't say no to the money. No hard feelings, honestly" They shook hands and went their separate ways, both getting ready for kick off The pace at the start of the match was frantic, both sides looking like they would be going out for the win, and it took just three minutes for the first goal. Lawrence had jinked into the box before cutting it back to Greenacre, who was caught as he controlled the ball. The referee had no hesitation pointing to the spot, and Simon Rusk stepped up to sweep it home. The Scotsman could have easily had a second shortly after, his one two with Kos seeing him fire a shot off that rattled the crossbar, before Greenacre's header was ruled out for offside. They looked vulnerable at times though, the visitors easily capable of creating chances, and it was in a three minute spell that the game turnes on its head. Jason Roberts had caused problems all day, and it was his strength that caught out Mark Arber, as he muscled around the defender, collecting the ball as he did so and firing a shot that Tony Warner couldn't hold, and the rebound fell straight to Paul Mitchell, who poked it home. This stunned the home crowd, and not long after it was 2-1, McCulloch's movement allowing him to get free and meet a cross on the full, knocking the ball past Warner before he had a chance to move. Improvement was required in the second half, and that was the general message in the dressing room. With the instruction to go for it ringing in their ears, this was exactly what they did, chance after chance falling the way of the home side. Greenacre, Renner, Kos, and Moukoko all missed good chances, and just as it looked like it might not be their day, Moukoko slid in the advancing Hartmann, the German controlling the ball and beautifully firing into the goal. He could have snatched the win in injury time too, rising highest but seeing his header tipped over the bar, and both sides had to settle for a point Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 25, 2023 Author Share Posted October 25, 2023 "Listen, don't be nervous. Just be yourself and she'll love you" Peter had turned to Charlotte as they walked up the front path to his mums house "I'm not nervous as such. Just want her to like me" "She will" He opened the door and shouted as he entered "Mum? We're here" A shout echoed from another room "Hiya love. I'm in the kitchen" They headed through into the kitchen, pecking his mum on the cheek as they did so "You alright?" "Yeah I'm good. Just making some pasta, if you're hungry?" He smiled at her "Always, you know me. Anyway, as you've probably guessed..." He didn't even get chance to finish his sentence, his mum having made a beeline for Charlotte "You must be Charlotte?" She took her hands in her own hand, smiling as she did so "Yes. Hi Mrs Daish" She laughed "None of that. Marie please" That seemed to break the ice, and both women trotted off for a chat. Peter opened the fridge to grab a drink ... Half an hour later, both women chatting away, Peter was watching the 4pm Premier League game, as Newcastle took on Chelsea, when he saw his mum entering the kitchen. He looked up to see that twinkle in her eye "Peter, she's lovely!" His mum was positively giddy "I know that. Glad you two are getting on so well" His mum gave him a small hug before filling up the wine glasses and retreating back into the lounge Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 25, 2023 Author Share Posted October 25, 2023 It was gone 9pm when they got back to his flat, both exhausted from the long day, but both elated. It literally couldn't have gone any better. Charlotte retreated to the bathroom to run herself a bath, while Peter grabbed himself a beer and, seeing the red light on his answering machine, hit the play button. He was greeted by the familiar voice of his chairman "Afternoon Peter. I know you're out for the day but we need to talk. Come to my office as soon as you get her in the morning..." He finished his bottle before heading to the fridge for a second, possibly less celebratory beer .. He arrived at the ground just before 8.15 the next morning, seeing the Chairman's blue Jaguar already in the car park. He headed down the corridor, and, knocking on his door, braced himself "Come in!" He entered, the chairman surprisingly not sat down as he usually was "You wanted me Keith?" Haslam sighed "Had Southampton on the phone. They want you as their new manager..." "Not interested" "... and I thought...sorry, what?" He turned to give him a quizzical look "I said, I'm not interested. I'm happy here, I've got no reason to want to leave" Whether the Chairman had expected him to leave, or just thought the lure of a bigger club would entice him, he wasn't sure, but after the short conversation, he headed back to his own office A trip to Tranmere was next on the agenda, but Peter was not happy going into the game. This was due to the fact that Wigan, despite being keen on sending Paul Bagshaw to them on loan, had suddenly accepted a permanent offer for him. While that was within their right, he just felt they had shown an enormous lack of disrespect, and he voiced that opinion to Paul Jewell when he took the phone call from him. With that, the midfielder was dropped from the squad, although it wasn't actually his fault, while Rusk and Moukoko both got given a rest, with Agustin and Littlejohn coming into the side. That didn't seem to matter, as it was probably the worst game of his tenure. His side were slow, lethargic, and the passing was terrible. That said, the home side were just as poor, and Peter felt sorry for the fans in attendance at having to watch such a poor game. Only a handful of clear cut chances came through the 90 minutes, but fortunately, the winner came their way seven minutes from time, Agustin striking the ball sweetly from just inside the box and beating the 'keeper to seal the win, but there was no doubt it was a terrible game of football Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 25, 2023 Author Share Posted October 25, 2023 Bagshaw's transfer had not yet been confirmed, contract talks still ongoing with Peterborough, but due to a slight injury crisis in that position, he was forced to take the field from the start in the FA Cup game, as they travelled to Rushden without Renner, Lawrence and Greenacre. This meant Cesar and Stuart Dawe also came in from the off, and Peter was confident his side could do the business and progress. The problem was, they must have had a hangover from the poor performance in the previous game, as in the first half, they were utterly dreadful. Passes were misplaced, they struggled to get space to get shots off and they just could not get a grip on the game. Come the interval, they had registered just one shot on goal, which was half the amount of the goals that the home side had scored, a double from Jean Michel Sigere, the first a simple finish from a Simon Wormull pass and the second a powerful header from a corner, and with half the game remaining, they looked to be heading out The proverbial game of two halves was certainly appropriate, as a completely different Mansfield side came out for the second half, led largely by the superb Cesar, who had a hand in all three goals to lead the comeback and win the game. The Spaniard took the game by the scruff of the neck, creating two opportunities for Dawe and then Bagshaw, before again setting up the on loan midfielder, who collected the ball and rifled the shot home. This stunned the home side, and within a minute, they were level, Dawe flicking the ball on to Hartmann, who slid the ball across the goal for Cesar, who met the ball and side footed home. From that point on, there was only one winner, and the winning goal came from Stuart Dawe, as he made a run to the near post, which Cesar spotted, and he fizzed a ball across for the big striker to meet with his head and seal their passage through to Round Two -- "I don't know Damian, something still doesn't seem to feel right" "How do you mean?" They were studying the video from the game the next day "I just think we're missing that little spark, that magic something" His coach raised his eyebrows "I knew you had high standards boss but didn't expect this. I like it" A slight smile "Always looking for ways to improve. I'm still new to this game don't forget. Got a lot to learn" "Well from what I can see, you're learning pretty quickly!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 27, 2023 Author Share Posted October 27, 2023 He sat at the breakfast bar in his kitchen, drinking his orange juice. The clock on the wall read 5.06am. He had woken once again after a torrid nightmare, although he did acknowledge that it had been a long time since it happened. Maybe he just needed to accept it would happen now and again, but he certainly didn't want to worry Charlotte with it. The thought of her flooded his mind with more positive thoughts, as he knew she was set to spend the majority of the next week with him, having been granted a week's leave from work, so he looked forward to relaxing and spending some quality time with her While he was awake, and knowing he was due at the club in less than four hours, he decided to stay awake and get some early work done. He flicked on the world football highlights show, for some background noise, while he opened up his laptop. Heading straight to his inbox, briefly browsing past the general stuff, his eyes caught sight of the worg Bagshaw in the subject of the fifth one Quote Subject ; Bagshaw CC: Peter Daish, Keith Haslam Hiya Gaffer Just thought you'd like to know, Bagshaw has completed his move to Portsmouth I've started on a list of possible replacements, I'll catch up with you tomorrow Cheers John -- Heading into training without Bagshaw, Peter was still undecided as to whether he wanted to bring anyone in or stick with what he had for now. With youngsters like Victor Renner and Amit Bose itching to prove themselves, maybe the battle for an opportunity would help them push themselves and fight hard for that place. The session itself had gone well until five minutes before the end, as a tackle between Vance Warner and David Edwards saw both men pick up knocks. Edwards came off a little worse, limping off having seemingly torn his ankle ligaments, while Warner seemed to only have a tweak of the thigh muscle, but both men were certainly out of the next game That game saw a visit to Reading, who sat 22nd in the Division and without a win in eight games, but that never meant it was an easy game, as no game should be at this level. Hartmann returned to the team in place of Edwards, while David Jervis was rested and replaced by Clint Easton. Peter saw his side start quickly, and they were in the lead within ten minutes, Rob Kozluk staying forward after a free kick, and while the ball found his way to him on the right hand corner of the box, but his finish was superb, as he angled his shot into the bottom corner and lashed it home. The lead hadn't lasted long, Nicky Forster levelling things up six minutes later, but the next twenty minutes shaped the game and swung it in favour of the visitors. Hartmann gave them the lead back, collecting a nod down from Greenacre, beating his man with a touch that belied the size of him, and he fired a shot into the corner of the goal There were a couple of chances over the next few minutes, Greenacre heading over and Lawrence scuffing a shot wide, but it was a moment of madness from David D'Auria that swung the game further in their favour, as he lunged in with two feet on Moukoko. Luckily, there was no injury suffered for the Cameroon international, and he was up pretty quickly, but D'Auria had received his marching orders within seconds of making the tackle, trudging off without complaint. The resulting free kick, from Simon Rusk, was floated into the centre of the box, and Chris Greenacre rose highest to power home a header, guiding it into the goal, leaving the 'keeper no chance. This was the resultant nail in the coffin, sealing the game and completely nullifying any threat from the home side, and a fourth goal was added in the second half, Greenacre breaking free and collecting Rusk's pass, rounding the 'keeper and casually knocking the ball into the open goal for the comfortable win Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 27, 2023 Author Share Posted October 27, 2023 "So have you worked out plans for Christmas yet?" Charlotte was sat on the sofa, her legs curled underneath her "Nope. I was assuming you were going to sort all that?" A playful scornful look "So I have to do everything now?" They both smiled "Well we're at home on boxing day, which makes things easier right?" "It does. I've spoken to mum, and she's dying to meet you and wants you to come for Christmas dinner" He nodded his head "That's fine. I'll probably go and see mum in the new year, it's difficult for me to get to Liverpool over the festive period" "Oh I'll come with you. I love your mum!" He chuckled "I did notice you two got along well" "Of course. I'll get on to mum and make the arrangements anyway, get everything sorted" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 27, 2023 Author Share Posted October 27, 2023 "Boss, got a sec?" John Waldron had grabbed him after training "Course. Give me five, let me just debrief the lads and I'll be in" He had done the debrief and then headed to his office, where Waldron was waiting for him "John, what's happening?" His scout pulled some papers out of his folder "Been looking at the contract expiring list. A few of these are coming up to six months left on January 1st, means we can approach to sign them. Some real talent on this list" Peter smiled to himself. This was looking like a great choice of scout "Sounds good. Who've we got?" "Claus Jensen, Charlton. Excellent on the ball and a great passer. Word has it that he definitely won't extend his deal so he's worth keeping an eye on" "Good. Who else?" A rustling of papers "Robbie Blake, Bradford. I really rate this lad, he's easily Division One or lower Premiership standard. Adds a bit of extra quality in the forward line" "I like that. He's one to keep an eye on. Any more?" "Just the one really. Faulconbridge at Wrexham. I think he's a good backup striker, he's still young enough to progress. Maybe worth scouting further?" Peter nodded "I agree. Keep an eye on all three and we'll judge it nearer the time" November was drawing to an end, and a visit from Northampton was next on the agenda, and come the end of the 90 minutes, it was a highly polished and comfortable performance that Peter had just seen his side deliver. The game had actually been won within the first 23 minutes of the game, all three of the goals coming in that period, but it could easily have been six or seven come the end of the game. Moukoko flicked the ball home in the third minute, getting in front of his man and finishing well, before he set up the second, slipping in Hartmann who continued his recent good form by finishing really well. The visitors were stunned by this and didn't really get into the game at all, and when Cesar drilled a long shot into the top corner from 30 yards on the 23rd minute, the game was well and truly gone. Cesar, Greenacre, Kos and substitutes Bose and Renner all had good second half chances, and had it not been for the visitors 'keeper, it would almost certainly have been a lot more, but it was a super way to end the month -- November 2002 Results [Division Two unless stated] Mansfield 2-2 Wigan [Rusk pen 3, Hartmann 78 ; Mitchell 37, McCulloch 40] Tranmere 0-1 Mansfield [Agustin 82] FA Cup Round One Rushden 2-3 Mansfield [Bagshaw 60, Cesar 61, Dawe 76 ; Sigere 26,40] Reading 1-4 Mansfield [Kozluk 9, Hartmann 20, Greenacre 32,69 ; Forster 15, D'Auria s/o 31] Mansfield 3-0 Northampton [Moukoko 3, Hartmann 8, Cesar 23] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 28, 2023 Author Share Posted October 28, 2023 "Hi Mum. How are you?" "..." "I'm good. Busy time of year for me now, December, but that's how it goes" "..." "She's fine. Settled into the new job and we're sorting out Christmas" "..." "Well I was actually wanting to talk to you about that. Why don't you come here one weekend? Charlotte can take you shopping and for a pamper day, then we'll go out for a meal?" "..." "OK. Well let me speak to Charlotte and we can sort it out" "..." "OK. Bye Mum. Take care" Truth be told, it had been Charlotte's idea to have his Mum come for a weekend. But Peter had been on board with it and certainly thought the two women would benefit from a girly day out shopping and gossiping, getting to know each other even more than they did already FA Cup action signalled the start of December, and while it was an away game, the draw had been kind by handing them a trip to Third Division Bournemouth. While he saw it as a chance to rest some of his senior players, Peter still wanted to ensure his side were on their game and progressed into the next round, maybe grabbing a decent draw against a Premiership side. This meant changes to the side, as Stuart Dawe came in for Greenacre, Agustin took Simon Rusk's place, allowing the Scotsman to enjoy a rest, and Victor Renner replaced Moukoko. The defense also saw a change, as Vance Warner replaced Mark Arber alongside Lee Collins. It didn't seem to make any difference, as they enjoyed a very comfortable 90 minutes in the brisk December weather. Liam Lawrence had missed an early opening after being fed through by Agustin, before Dawe blazed over from a cutback by the winger, but eventually they did find the breakthrough, Renner collecting the ball from Kos, crossing across the area without looking and finsing Lawrence, who side footed into the goal. The team from the South Coast barely saw the ball outside their own half, apart from one occasion where Wade Elliott found himself with a chance but he dragged his shot wide, but they would have still felt they were in the game at half time, with just a goal in it. That said, the second half saw a dominant performance, as they notched three more goals to secure their easy path through. The first of these came from Stuart Dawe, the big man using his strength to muscle to the near post, meeting a low corner and flicking it into the goal. He turned provider six minutes later, as his flick on beat the stranded defender, allowing Lawrence to bomb through and slot the ball past the onrushing 'keeper. The fourth and final goal came in stoppage time, Dawe notching his second of the game with a simple finish after the ball fell to him 8 yards out, and it was a simple job well done Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 28, 2023 Author Share Posted October 28, 2023 "Hey. What you doing up so early?" Charlotte had wandered into the kitchen, bleary eyed and wearing one of his t-shirts "Sorry, did I wake you?" She shook her head "No, I just woke up and saw you weren't there. You OK?" "Aye. Just couldn't sleep so came down for a brew. Want one?" She shook her head, sidling up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist "No, I'll just have some water. You coming back to bed?" "Yeah I'll come up after I've had a drink" She kissed him before heading off back to the bedroom. Peter had kept the truth a little bit from her, as he didn't worry the girl, but he had been jolted awake by one of his old nightmares. He had gone so long without one, that to have two in such a short space of time was a little worrying. However, he had to keep it out of his mind and focus on the task in hand. Besides, his life was going as well as it had for a long time, and he didn't want to have anything disrupt that. Finishing his tea, he headed back to bed -- "You think he's worth the risk? I wouldn't argue with him anyway!" He sat with his scouting team assessing a list of free agents, and it was the picture of a Dutch defender clipped to a file that had caught his eye "De Waard? I think it is a risk, given his injury concerns, but I think it gives us options. Means we can utilise Clint in midfield more" He thought long and hard, before nodding his head "I agree. OK, I'll get onto it today. See if I can get a meeting arranged for after the game" The game in question was one that, in truth, he hadn't really been too fussed about, as a trip to Leigh RMI beckoned for the Vans Trophy. This was an opportunity for fresh legs and some of the other players to get some game time, and this meant a rare start for the likes of Amit Bose, Michael Beckham, Omer Riza and Vitor Pereira. Even with the changes, it was a game that he fully expected his side to win, and while they weren't at their best, Kevin Pilkington had pretty much nothing to do over the course of the 90 minutes. Riza had an early chance, firing straight at the 'keeper, while Renner just couldn't get on the end of a superb Pereira cross, but it was a goal either side of the half time break that saw the game swing out of the reach of the home side, as firstly Omer Riza, with a deft little finish on the run, and then Spaniard Cesar, with a thunderous drive, put the game to bed. There could have been more goals too, as both Renner and Beckham missed really good chances, but other than a little late effort from Dino Maamria, there was little chance of them pulling anything out of the bag and the game ended as many may have expected Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted October 28, 2023 Author Share Posted October 28, 2023 (edited) "OK gentlemen, lets get started shall we?" The room hushed down as Keith Haslam clapped his hands "Thankyou. OK, first order of business. Peter, we are absolutely thrilled with the way things are going. To be 9 points clear at the top is beyond our wildest dreams. We do, however, have some concerns?" Peter leant back in his chair, resting his fist under his chin "Concerns?" "Mainly the squad. Do you think we can cope with going up to that level?" "First of all, we haven't done that yet. It's looking promising I agree, but we need to err on the side of caution. Secondly, I wouldn't rule anything out with these lads. We've built a good squad, and should we get promoted, I'm aware we won't have the budget of a team like Millwall or Man City" Murmurs of approval from the table "Free agents and cheaper players from clubs that are at the bottom of the Premiership is the way to go Keith, and I'm absolutely confident in this bunch of lads" "That's excellent. That brings me to point two. We've progressed as a club, hugely, we turn over a decent profit now, but we feel it's time to make the next step. A stadium expansion plan is in the early stages, for around 5,000 seats, which we feel will provide us with more financial stability in the future" "I agree. It's hugely important to keep expanding and take advantage of these opportunities, so I welcome the expansion plans" .. The meeting had lasted a little over an hour, and as he left he managed to catch the final ten minutes of training. It was there that he gathered the players together after they'd finished "OK lads. Good session today. I just wanted to tell you all to enjoy yourselves tonight. You've worked hard this season, and you deserve this Christmas party. However, I do have a request?" The players looked wary "Try to keep it civilised. Go out, have some beers and enjoy yourselves. I've given you the morning off but I expect you in Friday morning just for a light bit of fitness training. Now go on, bugger off!" He had a smile on his face as he said it, and he genuinely did want his lads to have a good time on their night out in Nottingham. He'd also given Mark Arber £200 of his own money, as the organiser of the doo, and told him to treat the lads to some drinks on him. -- The players had been out and enjoyed themselves, but they had shown no after affects in training on the Friday, and they went into the home game against Brighton fully fit and ready to go. The visitors were without two of their most influential players, Bobby Zamora and Charlie Oatway, and this seemed to affect them, as they started poorly in the game. Liam Lawrence opened the scoring on six minutes, linking well in a triangle with Kos and Moukoko, before the little Dutchman released a pass to him that he met on the run, firing the ball into the corner. The second followed not long after, Rusk providing this one with a lovely cross behind the defence, into the path of Cesar, who controlled it with his left foot and slid the ball home with his right. There was only one winner from this point on but Cesar had certainly made his mark on the team, and he did in this game too, absolutely bossing the game and making Brighton look silly with his passing at times. By the half time interval, it could have been 4 or 5, Greenacre, Kos, Kozluk and David Edwards all seeing shots saved by Michel Kuipers, and had it not been for the Brighton stopper, it would have been 4 or 5. It was a similar story in the second half, a sea of yellow waves, and once again Kuipers foiled everything, thoroughly earning his man of the match award. There was one double save that was breathtaking, as he tipped a Moukoko shot onto the post with his right hand, before somehow rising to his feet to tip the Lawrence rebound onto the bar. Once the whistle went, Peter made a point of going over to the Brighton man and having a word in his ear, telling him how impressed he was with his performance, before praising his players on their recent good form Edited October 28, 2023 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 4, 2023 Author Share Posted November 4, 2023 Ardon de Waard had been in attendance for the Brighton game, and on the Monday morning he completed his medical and signed a deal. He would provide useful cover on the left hand side of defence, meaning Clint Easton could be utliised in midfield as intended. The Dutchman was an imposing figure, 6'1, unusually for a full back, and covered in tattoos, and when he went crunching into a tackle with Glenn Hartmann in the first minute of his first training session, both men giving each other a respectful fist bump afterwards, everyone knew he meant business. The defense had been really good of late, keeping clean sheets on a more regular basis, aswell as continuing to outscore their opponents, and the squad had been boosted by several good free additions, meaning Peter was now absolutely confident that, should they get another promotion, they would survive in the First Division "All sorted for Christmas with Mum and Dad" Charlotte had padded into the living room after being on the phone to her parents "Perfect. What's the plan?" "Well we can go on the Sunday, it's not far to drive. We'll spend the Sunday and Monday with them, then you can come back Tuesday morning for the game?" "Sounds good. You gonna stay a bit longer?" She nodded, eating a breadstick as she did so "Yeah probably, spend some time shopping with Mum. Might even buy you something nice!" "Cheek!" Before the festivities could begin, Peter and the team had one more game to navigate, and that was a trip to Stoke. The only changes saw Dawe coming in for Greenacre, and Ardon de Waard making his debut at left back, but other than that, he had a full strength team available. Many had expected big things from the Potters but they failed to live up to the expectations this season and sat firmly in mid table, but Peter was always wary of games like this and would make sure the players were well up for it. That said, the home side were well in the game in the first half, creating a couple of good chances and forcing Tony Warner into two decent saves, but so did Mansfield, also testing Steve Croudsen with three efforts on goal, the middle one of these actually enough to open the scoring, Hartmann nodding in from a corner. The big German was a nuisance all game, causing problems with his size and physical prowess, and just after half time, it was his pass that led to the second goal, as he sprayed it wide on the left to Cesar, the Spaniard collecting the ball and jinking inside past three men, before curling the ball beautifully into the bottom corner. He had shown his class since joining, clearly far too good for this level, and he was playing some terrific passes. He must have annoyed the opposition enough that they get frustrated, because Andy Cooke earnt himself a red card for a moment of utter lunacy, as he headbutted the Spaniard right in front of the referee after a tackle both men went in for. This did the home side no favours and Wouter Kos added a third just before the end, lifting a free-kick over the wall and nestling it into the goal. It was a satisfying win, one which Peter was delighted with, and it meant he could go into Christmas in a hugely positive mood Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 4, 2023 Author Share Posted November 4, 2023 (edited) "Mum, Dad. This is Peter" He stepped forward as Charlotte introduced him "Mr and Mrs Walker, it's a pleasure to meet you" "Oh please, it's Lisa and Tom" He smiled back "If you insist. Oh, I've got you a little something" He produced a bottle of Jack Daniels for Charlotte's Dad, while a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates headed the way of her Mum. Charlotte had a big say in it obviously, but things had started well He spent the next two days enjoying himself, eating, drinking, relaxing, and with Charlotte having given clear instructions of no work until Boxing Day, his phone had stayed mostly in his pocket, except for a call to his Mum to send his Christmas wishes. It had eventually got to Boxing Day morning, and he was getting ready to set off at 8.30am "Hope you weren't planning on sneaking off without saying bye!" Charlotte had appeared at the bottom of the stairs, wearing her old University jumper and a pair of shorts "Of course not. You looked peaceful sleeping so thought I'd leave you a little longer" She smiled "I'll let you off then. I'll probably be back before New Year" "OK, well let me know and we can make New Years Eve plans" She nodded, her hands finding the pockets of her jumper "I will. Good luck later on. Phone me later?" She leant forward and kissed him goodbye "I will. See you soon" .. He had arrived at the ground just before 9.30, before even the groundsman, which was unusual. He headed into his office, sat down, made himself a brew and set to work for the day. Gillingham were the visitors for the festive clash, and they were fighting towards the bottom of the table, so it was a game that, although he'd never say it, he fully expected to win. They were back to full strength, with Greenacre and Moukoko back in the team, and this showed throughout the game, as they controlledmit with ease and composure. Liam Lawrence grabbed the early goal, combining well with Moukoko, receiving the ball back from the Cameroon international and rifling a shot into the goal from just inside the area. From that point on, it was one way traffic, chance after chance peppering the Gillingham goal, and it was Chris Greenacre who grabbed the second goal, allowing Arber's long ball to drop over his head, before taking it down beautifully and using the outside of his right foot to curl the ball into the corner. It was a brilliant strike, and a goal fit for a Boxing Day crowd. He should have had one more, missing a really good chance just before the interval when he dragged it wide. The third did come just after the interval, Lawrence grabbing his second of the game when he broke free of the defence and finished really well. Lawrence was magnificent, deservedly capping his man of the match display with an assist for the fourth goal, as he spotted Greenacre's run, firing a long ball onto the strikers head, which he guided home easily to seal a comfortable win Edited November 4, 2023 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 7, 2023 Author Share Posted November 7, 2023 With 2002 almost at a close, Peter could not have wished for his side to be in a better position. Ten points clear at the top of Division Two, his side looking like making a second successive promotion a real possibility, and the squad he had built playing some superb football. His life off the field was also in the best position it had been for a long time. His relationship with Charlotte had progressed to a stage where they were both enjoying each others company, spent quality time together, but also recognised that their relationships with their friends and their jobs were also important, so it worked really well. Charlotte had stayed with her parents for a few more days, planning to enjoy the shopping sales with her Mum before New Year, while they had arranged to have a quiet and uneventful night in the pub for New Years Eve The final game of the year saw a trip to the South Coast, and Portsmouth the opponents. Despite the wealth of talent in their squad, they had struggled so far through the season, and were several places outside of the Play Offs, but he was wary of the talent they had. This wariness proved to be correct, as Croatian Robert Prosinecki curled into the goal from a seemingly impossible angle inside the first two minutes. This was a wake up call, and the lead didn't last long, Moukoko equalising from a poked ball through, although Peter had to admit he did look offside. The rest of the game was a dominance for the visitors, and despite scoring three more, they could have had five, with two goals disallowed, aswell as several good chances being missed. Greenacre scored the goal to put them back in the lead, collecting a pass from Rusk and firing a low shot into the goal, before he flicked on for Wouter Kos, the Dutchman finishing but ruled offside. Kos had a hand in the third, which was probably the goal to kill off the game, when he fed the ball through to Lawrence, who somehow whipped a cross over to the far post for Greenacre to meet and nod home with the 'keeper well out of position Rusk missed a good chance just before the break, before substitute Victor Renner hit the post just after it. Cesar saw a goal chalked off for a supposed push, although it seemed soft, but the home side just could not get a grip of the game nor cope with their opponents, and Greenacre would complete the rout, and his hat-trick, on 76 minutes, a ball across from Moukoko resulting in a simple tap in to an open goal. He could have had a fourth near the end to be fair, heading straight into the 'keepers hands, and it was Kawaguchi's long throw that started a counter attack, Prosinecki sending the pass to Bradbury, who flicked it through to Jonathan Mitchell, and he finished with aplomb, but it made no difference and Peter saw his side end the year the way they needed to, with three points ... December 2002 Results [Division Three unless stated otherwise] FA Cup Round Two Bournemouth 0-4 Mansfield [Lawrence 18,63, Dawe 57,90+1] Vans Trophy Northern Section Round One Leigh RMI 0-2 Mansfield [Riza 41, Cesar 47] Mansfield 2-0 Brighton [Lawrence 6, Cesar 13] Stoke 0-3 Mansfield [Hartmann 24, Cesar 49, Kos 80 ; Cooke s/o 77] Mansfield 4-0 Gillingham [Lawrence 3,49, Greenacre 25,76] Portsmouth 2-4 Mansfield [Moukoko 5, Greenacre 15,22,76 ; Prosinecki 2, Mitchell 88] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 29, 2023 Author Share Posted November 29, 2023 "5...4...3...2...Happy New Year!" The pub was buzzing with the locals, a party atmosphere to see in the New Year. Peter had turned to Charlotte as the count reached its climax "Happy New Year" He smiled as he said it. She leant forward to kiss him on the lips "Happy New Year to you too. I wouldn't want to be spending it with anyone else" She smiled her beautiful smile back at him, and they both turned round to continue the festivities -- While he had enjoyed the New Year, he had gone to bed not too long after 1am. Knowing he had the lads in for training that morning, he couldn't turn up late or worse for wear if he expected them not to be. This had proved to be the case, everyone turning up relatively fresh, and the first half of the session had gone according to plan. However, it had been during the pattern play that their campaign suffered a major blow "Yes, Liam, I'm on" Greenacre had made the run, and as the ball was slipped in to him, his studs got caught in the turf. He was too late to realise, and went to turn with his standing leg "Ahhh. ****s sake!" Everyone stopped, Peter racing across at the front to his striker "Chris. What's wrong son?!" "It's my knee boss. Felt something as I've turned" "Can you move it?" He tried to flex and move, but he couldn't. He shook his head "No gaffer. It's gone" "Right. Glenn, Stuart? Give us a hand lads" They carried the striker off to the physios room, and while training did continue, everyone was slightly deflated. 45 minutes later, after debriefing the lads, he headed into the physios room "Frank, what news?" The physio turned round, his expression giving nothing away "Not as bad as we first thought, but he's strained his medial ligament. Looking at 6 or 7 weeks" "****. OK, thanks Frank. How you feeling Chrissy?" His striker looked mournful "Gutted gaffer. I was in good form and banging goals in aswell" He clasped him on the shoulder "You just focus on getting fit son, and you'll be right back in the side" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 29, 2023 Author Share Posted November 29, 2023 It was a blow to lose Greenacre, the 21 goal striker an integral part of the team so far, but that was part of the game and Peter had confidence in Omer Riza and Stuart Dawe to cover that absence. Choosing which one to pick for the visit of Blackpool was tough, as both had an equal chance of playing, but in the end he went with Stuart Dawe, as he felt his physicality and aerial prowess would be a better match against their defence. Cesar started in place of the tired Moukoko, while Kos was rested for Agustin, and with the team on a terrific run of form, ten wins on the spin in all competitions, he was confident of starting 2003 the same way the previous year had ended He didn't however, expect the visitors to come out the way they did, and whether it was the morale following Greenacre's injury, or a New Year hangover, he wasn't sure, but the first quarter of an hour was the most sluggish he had seen his team all season. They couldn't string two passes together, they were sloppy at the back, and it was only because of Tony Warner they were still level, the 'keeper pulling off three saves in that time, but football is a funny old game, and completely against the run of play, and thanks to a moment of brilliance from Cesar, they found themselves ahead. Agustin fed his Spanish team mate, and the midfield collected the ball on the turn, dragging it underneath his right foot as he did so. It completely outfoxed the defender, leaving him stranded and Cesar free, and he used the space he had to slot it home past the 'keeper. He showed flashes of brilliance at times but that was superb, and it deflated the visitors The game was at a stalemate until the break, no real opportunities coming either way, but when Blackpool introduced Graham Fenton at the break, things changed. He had proved a nuisance last time they met and it was the same this time, his runs and his movement causing problems, and it was the ginger striker who created the opportunity for the equaliser, sliding the ball into the path of Elvis Hammond, and the on loan Fulham man poked it with his toe, the ball trickling past Warner into the empty goal. It was what they deserved to be fair, and Peter decided a change was necessary, informing his players to throw balls into the box, telling Hartmann to go into the box with Dawe, the two big men proving a threat, and this tactic worked a treat, Lawrence eventually finding Hartmann, who nodded it down into Dawe's path and he absolutely smashed the ball into the goal. This proved to be the definitive goal, and while it wasn't a vintage performance, a win is a win, as they say .. "I think he could really add something extra. And it would provide decent cover for Chris" John Waldron had brought to his attention the availability of Faroese attacker Jakup a Borg. He was a certified international and was currently without a club, and with Greenacre having gone down for a significant period of time, it could prove a decent bit of cover "I agree. I just hope he doesn't want wages that are too high" "I've put out the feelers and it seems OK" He pondered things "OK. Go for it, see if we can get him in. Make an offer to the lad" As it turned out, Borg was easy enough to sign, he was keen to get back into the game and was keen to sign on a two year deal, and once he completed his medical and all the paperwork, it was a formality. He wasn't registered in time for the FA Cup tie, but he would take a seat in the stands for the game to watch his new teammates Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 29, 2023 Author Share Posted November 29, 2023 "So have you still got doubts about going up?" Charlotte was sat on the sofa, stretched out as far as her 5'2 frame would allow her "Not as many as I did earlier in the season. I still think we need to strengthen to progress further, but we've got enough to stay up" She took a sip of her Coke "Does that mean that you won't have time off over the summer?" She had a gleam in her eye "I'll get time off. Keith has insisted I take at least 3 weeks off before pre season" She nodded vigorously "Quite rightly. Well, I've been thinking we could have a holiday?" He raised his eyebrows "As long as it isn't skiing or anything like that, count me in" She jumped up and dived into a big hug "Perfect. I'll have a look and see what there is" -- The FA Cup had thrown up Premiership opposition, as Charlton made the trip to Field Mill. They had actually provided an opponent for the pre season, drawing 2-2 in an entertaining game, and with their struggles in the league seeing them fighting a relegation battle, Peter secretly hoped their focus would be on that and they might rest several players. This was the case, as, combined with injuries, they brought in several fringe players, which meant Peter watched his side run riot and totally outclass the Premiership side That said, early on it looked like it might be a tough day at the office. Mark Fish had intercepted a pass from Kozluk that was on it's way to Omer Riza, while the striker himself did have a couple of half chances, hitting the outside of the post with a sidefoot shot, before his shot was blocked by Jonathan Fortune, and after half an hour, there hadn't really been a clear chance, but the first clear cut opportunity fell to Victor Renner, as he found himself free of the defence, almost surprising himself, and when through one on one he blazed the ball over the bar. Peter was starting to think it might be one of those days, especially when Lisbie and Chris Carruthers both had opportunities, but in the five minutes before the break, the game swung in favour of them. First of all, Hartmann won a free kick around 20 yards out, which Liam Lawrence stepped up to curl into the top corner, flighting it beautifully. Radostin Kishishev had earned himself a booking for the foul, a blatant trip on the German midfielder, but then he had a flash of madness, deliberately pulling down Renner three minutes later, earning a second yellow and making his side's task all the more difficult This made the second half a mere formality, and they ended up barely breaking sweat. Anyone who didn't know the division that either side were in would have guessed Mansfield were the team in the Premier Division, as they controlled the game with ease. Hartmann could have added an early goal but was foiled by Dean Kiely, while Agustin fizzed a shot just wide from 30 yards out. The second goal came just before the hour mark, some lovely interplay in the middle of the pitch ending with a little through ball by Lawrence, which Hartmann raced on to, rounding the 'keeper with feet that a man his size shouldn't have, and slotting into the unguarded goal. That put them out of sight, and they just kept the ball and retained possession for the rest of the game, although the icing was put on the cake when Rob Kozluk drove home from the corner of area to send them into the next round 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 30, 2023 Author Share Posted November 30, 2023 "Morning gents" Peter had walked into his meeting with the scouting team in a brilliant mood, following his teams emphatic win in the FA Cup "Morning gaffer. Lots to get through today" "Good. Let's get cracking" He sat down, a file slid across the table as he did so "OK. So these are all players who we can approach to sign on a pre contract agreement. Definitely good for the budget" He nodded "I agree. So what have we got?" "Well ironically we'll start with a Charlton player. Claus Jensen. Real quality in midfield, passing and vision. Probably won't get a new offer from them either" "My kind of player. He's definitely worth an offer" He ticked him off the list "Faulconbridge, lad at Wrexham. Contracts up in June, wants out aswell" "He's been on our radar as it happens. Definitely a lad worth coming in" Another one ticked off "This next one could be a gamble boss. Robbie Blake, at Bradford. He's got great ability but never really delivered on it. Not a player I'd make a cash offer for but on a bosman, he's worth a punt" Peter hovered over Blake's name "OK. Offer contracts to all three. We can judge it once they've gone out" -- He had headed out to training the following morning, scanning the players as he did so. It was then that he noticed he was missing a player "Where's Rob?" Kevin Pilkington was the one who answered "Kozluk? No idea boss. Tried calling him and no answer" "And?" "Well I don't want to drop him in it, but he did mention about going out last night..." A scowl formed across his face "Right. Inga, Damien? Take over training for me?" With that he stomped back into the training complex and straight to his office. It was 25 minutes later, as he was dialling the defender's number for the sixth time, that he saw a familiar car pulling into the car park. He watched as the dishevelled Kozluk, obviously having gotten changed before leaving, rushed out of the car and headed to the entrance. Peter anticipated this, meeting the defender and cutting him off before he could hit the pitch "Morning gaffer. Sorry I'm late" Peter's look said everything "My office!" Sheepishly, he followed him through. Peter signalled for him to close the door, then sat down at his desk "Well?" "I overslept boss. Tried to sneak in without you seeing" "OK. Nothing to do with you being out last night?" He saw the look of shock on Kozluk's face "Oh, erm, well..." He held his hand up "Right. First off, I'm more annoyed that you lied. I know you went out coz you smell like a brewery. Secondly, as this is your first offence, I'll issue you a warning. And you're not available for selection for the next game. Now off you go to training, and I'll say no more about it. I expect maximum effort the next few weeks" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 30, 2023 Author Share Posted November 30, 2023 With Kozluk unavailable for the disciplinary mishap, and Greenacre out for a while, changes were made for the visit of Peterborough. Stuart Dawe started as the lone striker, while Karl Owen came into the right back slot. Kos had looked jaded through the week too, so he was rested and Cesar played alongside Edwards in midfield, while Borg and de Waard both took to the bench. It was a frantic start, both sides flying out of the traps, and when Cesar found himself in the box, he was caught as he skipped past a defender, going to ground (probably too easily!) and winning the penalty, which Dawe stepped up to take and smacked into the goal. It was a good start, but three minutes later it was wiped out, a defensive error from Jervis saw him lose the ball to Leon McKenzie, who broke into the area, befoe cutting the ball back for Jim Paterson to meet it and slide into the goal past Warner. It was disappointing to lose the lead so quickly after taking it, but it motivated the players and they dominated the half after that, Dawe heading wide, Jervis firing straight at the 'keeper and Cesar missing a guilt edged chance before the break Things continued in the same vein through the second half, chances falling their way on a regular basis. Substitute Victor Renner nearly scored a wonder goal, as he flicked the ball over his head and smacked a volley on the turn, the 'keeper brilliantly tipping over the bar, before Dawe fired over from ten yards. Liam Lawrence also missed a decent opportunity, just taking it too far when he rounded the 'keeper and only hitting the side netting, but by this time, he had already scored to give them the lead once again, Cesar slipping him through, and the midfielder finishing with aplomb. There were a couple more half chances through the remaining 25 minutes or so, but nothing clear cut, despite the visitors pushing for an equaliser, and Peter saw his side hold firm ... Due to still being in a couple of cup competitions, there were a few games to navigate through January, so Peter had made a mental note to rotate the squad to ensure they remained as fresh as possible through the month. This was made easier (though not in the way he would have liked) by niggling injuries picked up by players throughout the week in training. Come the Friday morning before their next game, he stood in the physio's room assessing the list he had been given "Is this right Frank?" A nod "Aye. Liam's tweaked his knee, won't be fit. Wouter has a stomach bug" "****. No chance he'll make it?" "No. I wouldn't risk Stuart either, he's got a strain in his calf" He sighed "OK. Any more?" He scanned his list "I'd say you could probably put Victor on the bench but he won't be able to play more than half an hour" "Damn. Cheers Frank. Best rethink my team sheet then!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted November 30, 2023 Author Share Posted November 30, 2023 He did have to rethink his team sheet, eventually making six changes from the previous game as they travelled to Cambridge. Omer Riza took the place of Stuart Dawe, and Rob Kozluk was back in the team at right back. Clint Easton replaced Wouter Kos, while Jakup Borg and Vance Warner also came in. Kevin Pilkington started in goal as Tony Warner had looked jaded and in need of a rest. He wasn't worried about the players he brought in, having every confidence in them to do the business on the field. What he hadn't expected though was just how easy an afternoon his team had, the home side offering not a single shot on target at Pilkington's goal, making it an easy afternoon's work for the 'keeper In all honesty, they hadn't created an abundance of clear cut chances themselves, but they really hadn't needed to, as they never got out of second gear. Borg had the first opening of the game, a great opportunity to open his account for the club, but he did all the hard work to get free and then dragged his shot wide of the post. He was, however, instrumental in the opening goal, as he slid the ball down the flank for Karl Owen, who fizzed a low cross into the box. It somehow missed everybody before it fell to Omer Riza, who met it at the far post and tapped into the open goal. It was plain sailing from there, and while Borg and Warner both headed over from corners, meaning the score was 1-0 at the break, it was just five minutes into the second half that Riza grabbed his, and the teams, second goal, racing through from Agustin's long ball, and neatly finishing with his left foot as the 'keeper came out to meet him. He probably should have had his hat trick late on, missing a glorious chance after a brilliant pass from Bose, who had replaced Borg, but it made not one bit of difference and the game was won .. "So, how was shopping?" Charlotte had returned from her parents and then taken his mum shopping in Liverpool "Oh you know, standard really" He raised an eyebrow "OK. Buy anything nice?" "Few bits for me, some clothes" "Nice. Well I'm sure you deserve it and you should treat yourself" She leant up to peck him on the cheek "You're a wonderful man Daish" He smiled down at her "Well, I don't like to brag..." She playfully hit him on the arm, before trotting off to sort her shopping out .. Later on, she was on the sofa, reading a magazine, while Peter watched Everton try and maintain their lead at the top of the Division One table against Coventry. Half time came, his old side holding a two goal cushion, and it was then that Charlotte mentioned it "Can we go on holiday in the summer?" He put the remote on the table, turning round as he did so "Holiday?" "Yeah. I know you're dedicated, and I know you want to work hard but you're entitled to a break. I've seen this..." She thrust the magazine in front of him, open on a page advertising a beautiful villa in the Algarve "...and I think it's perfect!" "It is nice I must admit. I'll have to check the dates we finish the season and restart but I'm sure we can work something out" She smiled. Always got to him that, her face glowed when she did "Well if Keith doesn't agree you tell him I'll be on the phone!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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