sherm Posted November 30, 2023 Author Share Posted November 30, 2023 "Boss, got some good news for you" John Waldron had popped his head through his office door "Come in John" His scout entered and sat opposite him "So, the three players we offered contracts to? Two have signed on, will join us for next season" "Perfect. Who are waiting on?" "Robbie Blake. He's got a lot of offers on the table and wants a bit longer to decide" He nodded "Fair enough. Faulconbridge and Jensen joining?" "Yeah. 1st July is the official date but they'll come join up when the lads return from the off season" "OK. Cheers John. I've got a meeting with Keith and the Finance people later in the week to discuss things so we might have a bit more of a budget to play with" His scout smiled "Like the sound of that!" -- League action took a back seat for the next action they saw, as a trip to Lincoln beckoned for the Vans Trophy. If he was being honest, it wasn't a competition he was overly fussed about, their league form meaning that was a priority, but there was no way he would send a side out not to win the game, it just wasn't in his nature. However, there were changes to the team. Adrian Littlejohn came in for a rare appearance. His professionalism had been without question since he decided he wouldn't renew his deal and he deserved this chance. Amit Bose came in too, as did Vitor Pereira, while Stuart Dawe returned to the team after his niggle It was the big striker who exploded out of the blocks once the whistle was blown, scoring twice in the opening ten minutes. The first of these was a simple finish after good work down the left from Bose and Pereira, the young midfielder squaring the ball back to him for an easy tap in. The second was a decent finish, collecting a pass from Rusk and powering into the are, hitting the ball low and hard on the run and finding the bottom corner. It was a great start but it seemed to wake the home side into life, as they found their feet after the second goal, and come the half hour mark, they were level. Tony Thorpe pulled the goal back to get them back into it, rising highest to power home from a Mark Camm cross, but it was some shamnbolic defending that allowed the equaliser, a lack of communication between Warner and Pereira seeing neither of them attack the ball, but Mark Coote did for the home side, and he raced through, dinking the ball over Pilkington and finishing well Peter was furious at half time, especially that his team had let the lead slip so carelessly, and the result of this was a second half that saw five unanswered goals, as his side ran amok on the home team, giving them a torrid time. In reality, they could have had even more, as chance after chance fell their way. Jakup Borg restored the lead with his first in a Mansfield shirt, the ball cleared out to him on the edge of the area, and the Faroese midfielder controlled it before curling home brilliantly. Ardon de Waard and Clint Easton had been introduced at the break, and both were involved in the fourth goal, Easton spraying the ball wide to Littlejohn, who saw the Dutchman on the overlap, fed it nicely into him on the run and he lashed it into the far corner. That was the killer blow, the one that sealed the game, but in the final ten minutes, they went berserk. Dawe completed his hat trick with a well taken goal from a Rusk pass, before he nodded down for the marauding Easton to go on and finish with his left foot. The final goal came from Littlejohn, a goal he deserved for his performance in the game, as he jinked past three men before poking through the legs of the 'keeper to finish the rout Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted December 3, 2023 Author Share Posted December 3, 2023 "So Peter, with January almost at a close, you must presumably be delighted at your team's efforts this season?" He had agreed to a piece for the Football League magazine, as it was a part of his duties, but everyone knew he hated doing the media side of things "Absolutely Adrian. We came into the season knowing we had more than enough to not only survive, but push for a top half place, but I couldn't have imagined things going this well" "You haven't really changed the team much either, as many of the players from last season are still here?" "Well the lads were magnificent last season, and we agreed wholesale changes would not benefit us" The interview was fairly pleasant and went well, and as he left the media room, he took his phone out of his pocket "Hey. I've just finished, if you fancy lunch?" "..." "OK. I'll meet you there in about half an hour?" "..." "OK. See you soon" .. January had seemed like a long month, and there were still three games to go. Peter did have a dilemma though, as their next league game, a visit from Chesterfield, was just three days before the FA Cup Fourth round clash. It had been noted that the cup run so far had brought them a decent amount of money, and another win, and a foray into round five, would provide a nice boost, so he was, for maybe the first time, torn until the day of the game on which side to play. He had asked his backroom staff, garnering their opinions, and in the end, as he probably always knew he would, he went strong. Dawe kept his place after his triple in the Vans Trophy game, while Borg, Cesar and Moukoko all started the game aswell, making it a very attacking line up. This showed in the game too, as they once again started well and raced into a two goal lead. Dawe headed home the opener, meeting Moukoko's cross on the far post and nodding in, while Rob Kozluk, who'd been superb since his indiscretion, doubled the advantage with a free kick, surprising everybody by taking it, but he guided it into the top corner really well They did slack off after this, almost like they seemed the game was won, and this annoyed Peter, even more so when Micah Hyde grabbed a goal back just before the break, using his quick feet to wriggle through the gap and while off balance, he managed to slide the ball into the goal. Once again, he had to give his team a few words in the dressing room, but unlike the previous game, this didn't work. Whether it was fatigue or just complacency, he wasn't sure, but less than ten minutes into the second half, they were level, Hyde this time providing for Andy Rushbury, who cut inside onto his left foot and smashed the ball into the goal past the helpless Warner. It was one of the only times the crowd would have seen Peter show his emotions on the field, as he threw a water bottle onto the ground in frustration, annoyed that for the second successive game his side had blown a two goal lead. As it happened, he did see his side go on to win the game, Jakup Borg sliding the ball past the onrushing Chesterfield 'keeper as he avoided contact, and this proved to be the winning goal. Micah Hyde had been in the game constantly, and he finished his eventful afternoon by getting a second booking late on, earning himself a dismissal and not allowing his side a way back for an equaliser, but that didn't take away from the fact they had lost two goal leads in both their previous games Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted December 3, 2023 Author Share Posted December 3, 2023 (edited) "Right lads, gather round" The players had assembled for training the morning after the game, not a step Peter took often but he felt it was prudent to get them in "OK. We won the game yesterday so I can't be too unhappy. However, we've lost two goal leads in the last two games. That's simply not good enough" He was aware he had the attention of the players and the staff "You know I'm happy overall, but we have to keep improving and try and get better. The further up the Divisions we go, the less mistakes we can afford. Now, we've got Derby in the Cup, and they're Premiership level. This is a big test for us, and I know you're up for it" The players had seemed to respond well, training well and working on their defending through the next few days, so when they got on the coach for the short trip to Pride Park, they were confident. Not only that, the media seemed to sense an upset, so much so that the game had been chosen for television coverage .. Derby had been hit and miss through the season, finding themselves embroiled in a relegation battle for the most part, so they would see the FA Cup as a positive distraction to try and build some momentum. Peter also saw it as a positive distraction, wanting his team to prove themselves against a team placed two divisions above them, albeit there were only 28 places. He had opted for a pretty strong team from the outset, with Moukoko, Kos, Arber, Collins and Cesar all starting the game, while Omer Riza got the nod upfront over Dawe, purely for his pace, as he felt counter attacking would be the best way for them to win. It was a cautious start, both sides trying to figure out their opponents and how to break them down, so much so that it took 23 minutes before the first chance, Francesco Baiano slipping in Malcolm Christie, who fired into the side netting. Simon Rusk had the visitors first opportunity, collecting a flick on from Cesar, before creating space and smashing a left foot shot just over the bar. It was a very tight game, neither side wanting to attack too much, but Tony Warner had to be sharp, as the ball fell to Georgi Kinkladze who rattled off a quick left footed shot that Warner tipped wide. However, the best chance of the half came right before the break, as some nice interchange between Kos and Cesar saw the Dutchman feed Riza, and as he bombed forward, he seemed to panic when Mart Poom advanced on him, and dragged his shot wide of the post The second half continued in the same vein, both sides seeming to try and and break each other down, and chances, while few and far between, were good ones when they came. Riza laid off a terrific ball for Moukoko, the Cameroon international firing just over the bar, before he turned provider for Glenn Hartmann, the German panicking in front of goal and slicing wide. Derby themselves had a couple of chances, youngster Tonton Zola Moukoko not able to react quick enough to turn in the loose cross that fell into his path, before Kinkladze crossed for Baiano, who had a free header, and somehow contrived to miss it, heading straight at Warner. The game had been a typical cup tie, both sides giving it everything and tough tackles combined with decent football, but eventually the whistle went and ensured a replay, both sides battling to a 0-0 draw Edited December 5, 2023 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted December 4, 2023 Author Share Posted December 4, 2023 "I thought we were very good. Solid, and we had a couple of good chances" Assessing the game as usual on a Monday morning, Peter had been bullish on his sides chances in the replay "I think we might have a great chance in the replay" "I agree. The only negative is the extra game. We've already got enough on with the League games" A raised eyebrow "You've got to go for it in the FA Cup" Peter nodded "Oh I know. It's the Vans Trophy that we don't need. Sooner we're in Division One the better, as we don't have that competition to worry about" Just then, John Waldron knocked on the open door "Sorry gaffer, got a sec?" "Come in John. What's up?" He waved a piece of paper he was brandishing "Blake's agreed the contract. He'll join in the summer" "Excellent. Team is looking in good shape now for next year. Just got to go on and secure promotion" .. The Blake deal was confirmed, and he was a player that Peter was excited to have joining. His technical ability and the way he played the game suited them perfectly, and to get him without a transfer fee was a steal. It also would boost the squad numbers, as he had noticed over the last few games that the lads were seeming a little jaded, and rotation was needed. The issue with this was that they didn't have the squad depth of some other teams in the division, and if they were to seal promotion to Division One, this was something they needed to look into The Derby game had taken it out of several of the lads, which meant yet more changes for the final game of the month, a trip to Wrexham. Hartmann came in from the start, and Liam Lawrence was back in the team. David Jervis was rested for de Waard, while Karl Owen, David Edwards and Agustin also started. Moukoko had been vocal that he was fine to play and didn't need a rest, and he took his place on the field, which proved to be a good decision as he opened the scoring inside four minutes, collecting a slide rule pass from Agustin and firing brilliantly into the corner. The Welsh side weren't ever in the game really, and they hardly created an opportunity in the first half, while also struggling to contain their opponents, and Liam Lawrence made them pay, linking really well with Owen down the right, before jinking into the box and scoring from what looked like an impossible angle to double the lead. More chances came through the first half, Lawrence, Riza and Edwards all having opportunities, and the second half continued in a similar vein, Riza missing a glorious chance early on, but the game did get sealed not long after that, Hartmann thundering a low shot into the bottom corner from just inside the box, an unstoppable effort from the big midfielder. Peter did feel his side should have had more, Riza missing another good couple of chances, and arguably should have had the match ball come the end of the game, but the stats don't matter too much when you win 3-0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted December 4, 2023 Author Share Posted December 4, 2023 (edited) January 2003 Results [Division Two unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 2-1 Blackpool [Cesar 22, Dawe 77 ; Hammond 65] FA Cup Round Three Mansfield 3-0 Charlton [Lawrence 41, Hartmann 58, Kozluk 90+1 ; Kishishev s/o 44] Mansfield 2-1 Peterborough [Dawe pen 7, Lawrence 66 ; Paterson 10] Cambridge 0-2 Mansfield [Riza 18,50] Vans Trophy Round Two Lincoln 2-7 Mansfield [Dawe 3,9,50, Borg 54, De Waard 70, Easton 86, Littlejohn 88 ; Thorpe 21, Coote 30] Mansfield 3-2 Chesterfield [Dawe 5, Kozluk 20, Borg 65 ; Hyde 44, Rushbury 54, Hyde s/o 84] FA Cup Round Four Derby 0-0 Mansfield Wrexham 0-3 Mansfield [Moukoko 4, Lawrence 22, Hartmann 54] Edited December 4, 2023 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted December 7, 2023 Author Share Posted December 7, 2023 "Good news gaffer" Frank Myrie, the physio, had popped his head aroud the door "What's that Frank?" "Chris is back on light duties today. Should be back in full training in a week or so" "Perfect. Cheers Frank" This was good news, meaning both Peter and the team were in good spirits for the short trip to Lincoln. The home side had hit a decent run of form in the league, propelling themselves into Playoff contention, but they had suffered a heavy defeat just a couple of weeks previously when Peter's side had visited, so they would be looking to avoid a repeat of that. Peter had no new injury concerns outside of Greenacre, so fielded his strongest possible side for the game. This meant starts for Moukoko, Liam Lawrence, Wouter Kos and Mark Arber, while Stuart Dawe took his place as the centre forward. The Cameroon international was on sparkling form in the game, creating an early chance for Liam Lawrence when he whipped a ball across the box, which the midfielder couldn't turn in, but Moukoko decided to score the opening goal himself, collecting a pass from Kos and jinking past three defenders before curling beautifully into the bottom corner. The first half was a dominant display, as the visitors kept possession easily, but despite this, they only really created one more chance of note, Dawe finding himself one on one and seeing his deft dink well saved by the 'keeper The second half had a strange feeling to it, almost as if the hosts gave up, and this showed in the scoreline as Peter saw his side absolutely run riot, smashing four goals past the hapless 'keeper and dominating the game. Moukoko was the star of the show, as he had opened the scoring in the first half, and it took him a five minute period to not only double the lead, with a simple finish from a Victor Renner pass, but to also complete his hat trick, as he flicked the ball past his man and side footed into the bottom corner. This meant the game was sealed before the hour mark, but this didn't stop them carrying on with their domination. Moukoko turned provider for the fourth goal, as he fed in Stuart Dawe, and the big striker used his strength to muscle through and he slotted home beautifully past the advancing 'keeper. Dawe provided the fifth too, as he flicked the ball down for the impressive Renner, who took it in his stride and slid the ball into the net, wrong footing the 'keeper as he did so and sealing an important, and impressive win .. "Hey. You ok?" Charlotte had leant down to peck him on the cheek as she entered the pub "Hiya love. I'm alright. You?" She sat down as she answered "Bit stressful at work but can't complain. What's the food like here?" They both opened the menu "To be honest I've no idea. Keith told me about it so thought we'd give it a go" She raised an eyebrow with a smirk on her face "You're a brave man Daish!" They had enjoyed a nice lunch, vowing to go back there again, before a night in watching movies and comedy. He had left for training in the morning, leaving her to sleep and enjoy her day off, as he headed into the training ground early, ensuring he was first there. The reason behind this was the fact he wanted to speak to Leeds boss David O'Leary, with a view to taking his young central defender Danny Hay on loan to the end of the season. He felt he needed some cover for the regular lads, as they had played a lot of minutes and with games coming thick and fast, he wanted the option to rest them. As it happened, things were thrashed out easily, and Hay would join on Wednesday, meaning he was eligible for the next game Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted December 14, 2023 Author Share Posted December 14, 2023 As it happened, the next game was another visit to Wrexham, a side they had met just a week earlier, but this time it was a Vans Trophy game. While he had stressed from day one that it wasn't a tournament he had interest in, the further they progressed, the more winning it became an option, but he still decided he would make several changes. This meant Hay came in for his debut, while Renner, Borg, Carlos Marques, Omer Riza and Glenn Hartmann all came into the starting line up. The game itself was fairly dull, neither side really taking hold of it by the scruff of the neck, and the first chance didn't fathom until 32 minutes had passed, Riza collecting a pass from Hartmann and firing wide from the penalty spot. This was the only real chance, a couple of half chances fell to each side through the rest of the half, but at half time, 0-0 was probably a fair score. The second half didn't really fare much better, only two real chances falling, but they both fell to Peter's side, Riza heading straight at the 'keeper, while Cesar, who was introduced at the restart, dragged his shot wide when he really should have scored. The game petered out, both defences holding firm, and extra time beckoned. While it was a similar story to the previous 90 minutes, the difference was one goal, and Cesar having that touch of class to play a lovely little interchange with Hartmann, going round his man and smashing a bullet shot past the 'keeper to win the game, a game which didn't really provide much entertainment for the fans "Boss, got a sec?" Inga Anderson had popped his head around the door the next day "Come in Inga. What can I do for you?" His coach pulled out a piece of paper, on it a printout of the league table "I've been looking at the league. You know we're 28 points clear?" "I know. I don't look at the table as you know, but I think it's probably safe to assume we're getting promoted this year" Anderson nodded "Could be as soon as March. If we keep winning and other teams drop points..." Peter held up his hand "Lets cross that bridge when we come to it. How's Chrissy doing by the way?" "Oh yeah, forgot to say. He's back training fully. I think give him a couple of reserve games to get his fitness up, then ease him in off the bench" A nod of agreement "OK. I'll speak to him later on anyway, see how he's feeling and let him know" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted December 14, 2023 Author Share Posted December 14, 2023 Training had finished a couple of hours later, and as the players trudged off, Peter shouted his striker over "Chris? Got a minute?" Greenacre jogged over "OK Boss?" "Aye son. Listen, I'm going to make you available for a couple of reserve games, get your fitness back up" He nodded "OK Boss. I don't think I'm too far away" "Can't risk you aggravating your injury. See how you get on in those games, and with any luck you'll be on the bench for the Cup game" A smile lit up the strikers face "Thanks gaffer. I'll not let you down, I promise" -- Another Welsh side provided the next opposition, as Cardiff visited Field Mill for league action. They sat third in the table, having been on a good run of form since November, but they were a long way behind Peter's leaders, and second looked more likely for them. Regulars came back into the team, but he was mindful of the replay against Derby in a few days, so he had to balance his team for that game. With that in mind, Agustin, Dawe and Moukoko all came back into the team, aswell as youngsters Amit Bose and Victor Renner. Wouter Kos, David Edwards, Liam Lawrence and Mark Arber all found themselves on the bench and rested, while Jervis and Lee Collins were out of the squad altogether, given time to rest away from action Moukoko showed just how important he was to the side, the mercurial Cameroon international running the game, and it was his brilliance that opened the scoring, as he linked up with Bose, the youngster feeding him through and Moukoko deftly flicking it over the 'keeper, a brilliant little finish. He was nearly the provider for the second, a curling cross finding its way through to the back post and a waiting Stuart Dawe, but the defender just flicked it away from the big striker as it reached him. Mind you, he didn't have to wait long for the second to come, and when the chance did come, he finished it really well. He took a little pass from Hartmann, shaping himself to shoot before dropping his shoulder, putting the defender on his backside with that, and slotting the ball into the bottom left hand corner. The visitors had never really been in it during the half, but Robert Earnshaw, the league's top scorer, nearly got them back into it, finding himself free but unable to score his 23rd of the season, firing over the bar. They did however, get their goal back before the break, Earnshaw's shot parried by Tony Warner, straight into the path of Steve McGlinchey, who tapped into the empty net It was probably undeserved for the visitors to be back in the game, but despite no more goals coming in the second half, it was complete Mansfield domination. Renner missed three chances through the half, the second of which was an absolute sitter, as he fired over when it seemed easier to score. Moukoko hit the post with a free kick, while Bose, Kos and Hartmann all saw shots saved. They nearly paid for this lacklustre finishing towards the end, Leo Fortune-West finding himself free in the area but his shot went straight at Warner, and they held on for the win, one which brought them ever closer to a remarkable second straight promotion Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 (edited) "I've got to go to London for a few days" Charlotte had been staying with him while she was working in Nottingham, and had dropped this on him while he was making dinner "When?" "Week on Monday. There's a series of games I've got to cover down there and it's easier to stay over" Peter nodded "Makes sense really. I've got to leave early tomorrow by the way, did I tell you?" She raised an eyebrow "The game's at 7.45?!" He chuckled "I know but I've got some stuff to do and I need to put offers in for players" She shook her head but did have the hint of a smile "You work too hard Mr!" The next morning, Peter had left Charlotte snuggled in bed, leaving just after 9am. However, he hadn't been completely honest. He hopped in his car and instead of turning right for the ground, he turned left and headed for Nottingham. It was almost 40 minutes later when he pushed open the door to the shop. He was greeted by a smartly dressed middle aged man "Good morning Sir. Welcome to Chisholm Hunters" Peter nodded back "Morning" "How can I help you today?" "Well, it's my girlfriends birthday next week, and I'm looking for a nice necklace for her" The owner nodded "OK. What sort of style does she like?" "Well, I know she doesn't like it too clunky, or too chunky. Nice and simple, preferably silver too, as gold can irritate her skin" In the next half an hour, he looked at four different options, but in the end he felt the third one was perfect. It was a simple silver necklace, with a little heart on the end of it. He had also seen a matching style of bracelet, which he had also bought, and eventually left the shop £400 lighter, but happy with his puirchases -- Plans were in place for Charlotte's birthday. A meal was booked at her favourite Italian, her presents were bought, and he was also going to ask her to permanently move in. She spent most of her time there anyway, and the way things were progressing, it seemed the next logical step in the process. Before that though, he had that evening's game to negotiate, as Derby came to Field Mill for the FA Cup replay. After a goalless stalemate at Pride Park, Peter had been confident his side could use their magnificent home record to dispatch another Premier League side. While he was obviously realistic and knew his side wouldn't win the competition, the deeper into it they went, the better for the finances and club stature, so it was an easy choice to pick his best side available The first twenty minutes was a feeling out process, as both sides tested the water to see what they were able to do, and this resulted in neither goalkeeper having to make a save, the only real chance falling to Srefano Eranio, who blasted over the bar, but eventually both sides managed to get a hold in the game. Riza had a decent chance on the half hour mark, collecting a pass and finding space, and he hit the shot just wide of the post. He turned provider for the next opportunity, flicking a long ball from Arber onto Liam Lawrence, the midfielder finding himself free but his composure let him down, and he saw his shot saved by Mart Poom. The interval came and the game remained goalless, but the second half saw a more dominant Mansfield display, as two early chances fell their way. Kos smacked a shot against the post, while a header from Lee Collins went inches over the bar. The game swung a lot more in their favour just before the hour mark, as a rash challenge from Damien Johnson, scissoring Liam Lawrence on the right hand side of the pitch, and the red card was out in an instant, the winger trudging off. However, to give the visitors their credit, they were resilient through the next half hour of the game, holding firm despite constant pressure. Riza, Dawe, Lawrence and Littlejohn all missed good opportunities, Mart Poom earning his man of the match award. It was a similar story in the extra time period too, although Peter watched his side fashion two decent chances, both thwarted by Poom, and the game petered out into a dreaded penalty shootout Out of the ten penalties, the first nine were an exhibition of how to take them. Dawe, Kos, Rusk, and Renner scored the first four for Peter's side, while Kinkladze, Baiano, Lee Morris and Craig Burley all scored for the visitors, and it didn't look likely that anyone would miss. Mark Arber stepped up for the fifth kick for his side, and as a captain should, made no mistake, smashing the ball into the bottom left corner. This put the pressure on, and Peter was amazed when he saw youngster Tonton Zola Moukoko step up for his side's fifth. He never looked confident, his head down and shoulders slumped, and this showed as he blazed it over the bar, ensuring Mansfield's path into the fifth round Edited January 23 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 "Will you win the cup?" Charlotte was flicking through the channels while Peter worked on his laptop. He looked up with a lopsided grin on his face "As much as I admire your optimism, no chance" She shot him a look "Why not? You're only what, four games away?" "True. But there's still Liverpool, United, Chelsea and Arsenal left. Plus Leeds and Spurs" "And you don't think you'd beat them?" "Not unless we were perfect and they were awful" "Fair enough. Oh by the way, I've put a deposit on the holiday" He looked up "When's it due to be paid?" She checked her phone "End of May" -- More cup action followed, as the scheduled fifth round game in the FA Cup was next, with a trip to Bradford having pulled out of the hat. Changes were made, as there was only three days since the Derby game, and there were some tired legs. Greenacre started for the first time since his injury, while Amit Bose, Vance Warner, Karl Owen and Agustin all came into the starting line up. The striker had been chomping at the bit to get back into the swing of playing, and had worked hard in training and the reserve games he'd played, and he deserved his place on the pitch. He made it count too, as he collected a little flick from Borg in the 16th minute, muscling his way through past his defender and smashing home a shot through the 'keepers hands. It probably should have been saved but the striker didn't care, celebrating his return goal vehemently. The home side woke up after this, creating a couple of chances. They were 4th in Division One, and having seen the playing squad they had, they probably should have been higher, and their quality showed, and they eventually got themselves level, as their big Venezuelan striker Ivan Kaviedes bulleted home a header from a corner, his sheer size willing him to the ball first Peter had been aware after about half an hour of the game had gone that his players were a little tired. Despite their achievements this season, they did have one of the smallest squads on the smallest budgets in Division 2, and their cup runs had taken their toll. With that in mind, he made some changes for the second half, trying his best to rotate the team. They started a little slowly, Kaviedes and (ironically) Robbie Blake missing good chances, and they paid for these misses just after the hour mark, substitute Wouter Kos marauding forward from a pass by Lee Collins, rounding Gary Walsh and sliding the ball into the open goal. As with the first goal, this awakened the home side, and four minutes later they were level, an absolute thunderbolt from Gareth Whalley, the midfielder smashing home from 25 yards, leaving Tony Warner with no chance. The midfielder seemed to take the game by the scruff of the neck by that, and he duly put his side ahead ten minutes later, playing a lovely little one two with Kaviedes, before rifling a low shot into the bottom corner past the outstretched hand of Warner. Unfortunately this proved to be the winning goal, despite a couple of chances late on for Riza and Greenacre, but their FA Cup journey was over Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 (edited) He opened the door to his flat, having enjoyed a lovely evening for Charlotte's birthday. The food had been superb, they'd had a decent evening in the pub, and now they had come back to finish the evening off. Charlotte took her coat off, headed into the living room and curled her legs up on the sofa, while Peter headed into the kitchen to make a drink "There you go" He handed her a gin and tonic "Oh thankyou. And thankyou for a wonderful birthday" She kissed him lightly on the cheek "You're welcome. By the way, this..." He pulled a gift wrapped box out of his pocket "...is for you. Happy Birthday" Her eyes lit up as she unwrapped it, holding up the necklace and the bracelet "Oh Peter they're beautiful. I love them, thankyou so much" "My pleasure. However, there is one more thing?" She raised her eyebrows "And what's that?" "Well, considering you spend most of your time here anyway, I don't see why you need your own flat. Seems like a good idea for us to share" "Well I don't think mine's big enough..." "I meant here. Move in with me" She stopped short, putting her glass on the table "Really? You mean it?" "Of course I do. We spend most of our time together here anyway, so it makes sense. Plus, I love you..." They both stopped, realizing the monumental sentence he'd just uttered. It was Charlotte who spoke first "That's the first time you've said that" "It is. And I didn't just say it for the sake of it. I mean it" A huge smile crossed her face "I love you too. I just didn't know if you would feel the same so didn't want to say it first!" They both embraced, recognizing the journey they were heading on together Edited February 27 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 (edited) Peter had been in a fantastic mood in the days following Charlotte's birthday, noticeably so that the players had given him some gentle ribbing. They had a game to prepare for, as Oldham were due to visit in the Vans Trophy. While it was the semi final stage of the competition, Peter secretly wasn't that fussed about it, and having looked at his squad and their fitness levels, he decided he would rest several key players. This meant the squad that took to the field looked very different. Carlos Marques, Karl Owen, Vitor Periera, Vance Warner, Amit Bose, Michael Beckham, Lloyd Dyer and Adrian Littlejohn all started the game, 8 changes from the regular side he would normally pick. While he had made the changes, he still expected to see his side win the game, and they started as he would have expected, fast paced and quick off the mark. Littlejohn used his pace to break through early on, squaring the ball back for Beckham to shoot, but his shot went straight to the 'keeper. Beckham was causing all sorts of problems, and he flicked on for Bose, who just got forced wide and couldn't get his shot away. The game continued in the same vein, although proper chances were few and far between, Carlo Corazzin missing the best one for the visitors, while David Edwards missed a decent one just before half time break The second half remained in a goalless stalemate, both sides keeping possession and not really creating, with both 'keepers not tested properly. Bose fired wide, and a whipped cross saw Roza fail to get on the end of it, while Matthew Tipton and Lee Duxbury both fired shots over the bar. The 90 minutes ended 0-0, and extra time beckoned. The visitors had the better of the chances in the period, forcing Pilkington into a couple of really good saves to keep the scores level, but Peter almost saw his side nick the game at the end, Bose breaking through and finding himself one on one, but his shot was smothered, and as the ball went out, the whistle went and brought penalties with it. Unfortunately, they weren't as clinical as in their last shootout, missing two of their five kicks, Edwards and Owen the culprits, while Oldham scored all of theirs, heading into the Northern Final of the competition and allowing Peter and his side to focus on their promotion campaign .. With the Cup competitions finished for the season, it left Peter and his side ready and prepared to finish off their League campaign, and the next stop on this road was an away trip to Swindon. They had been largely inconsistent through the season, and sat in 10th place, so Peter's side were favourites in the media, but he knew that, as with any away game, they had to be ultra careful and still do their job. With that in mind, he went as string as possible, with Kos, Moukoko, Lawrence, Greenacre and David Jervis back in the time, although Agustin kept his place as Simon Rusk had picked up a slight knock in training. The game started at a frenetic pace, with Greenacre hitting the post within the first five minutes, while Kos fired just wide not long after, and it looked like it might be a game they dominated. However, they had to wait until the 26th minute to open the scoring, Agustin picking up the ball in the centre circle, advancing forward and smashing a thunderbolt of a shot into the top left hand corner. It was a brilliant goal, but it only kept them in the lead for two minutes, Rob Kozluk bringing down Eric Sabin while stretching for the ball, and Davies duly stepping up to smack home the spot kick. This only seemed to anger the visitors, and by the time the half time whistle went, they were two goals clear. Lawrence had linked well with Jervis down the left, before fizzing a low cross to the edge of the area for Wouter Kos to meet on the full and side foot home, while Kos himself turned provider for the third, sliding through for Greenacre, who let the ball run across him and fired the ball into the bottom corner The second half was much the same, as Mansfield dominated the period, but they only found the one goal to cement their points, Greenacre rising highest to head home a Moukoko corner, but the Cameroon international should have had three himself, aswell as good chances going astray for Kos, Lawrence and Dawe. A total of 23 shots in the game, 15 of them in the second half, came their way, and while the 4-1 win was more than comfortable, it should, in reality, have been a lot more. Edited January 19 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Just caught up with all of this, great work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 (edited) Thanks a lot WLKRAS. I'm in the process of catching up on Part 1 of 'The Outcast' but glad to have you on board --- The final game of February was one that appeared to be tough on paper, as Rotherham visited Field Mill. They had a strong squad and were chasing promotion, but their inconsistencies had seen them fall to 6th and in the Playoff picture. They also had injuries, which meant a weaker team was fielded, and while Peter himself saw some changes in his squad, he was fully confident in his players. Jakup Borg had come into the team, and it was the Faroese attacker that sent them into an early lead, as he picked up the ball just inside the opponents half, before jinking through three players, rounding the onrushing 'keeper, and sliding into the goal. It was a simple goal, and the visitors looked dejected as it went in, and it was a wave of attacks through the remainder of the half, as Greenacre, Kos, Hartmann and Jervis all missed good chances. They didn't get the riot act, as the performance in general was very good, but the second half saw Peter getting more and more agitated, as he watched his side waste chance after chance. If it hadn't been for Mike Pollitt, the game would have been won within the first half, but as it was, they had to wait until the final few minutes to secure the points, as goals from Wouter Kos, and then Glenn Hartmann, sealed the comfortable win to finish the month -- February 2003 Results [Division Two unless stated otherwise] Lincoln 0-5 Mansfield [Moukoko 8,53,55, Dawe 62, Renner 75] Vans Trophy Quarter Final Wrexham 0-1 Mansfield (aet) [Cesar 94] Mansfield 2-1 Cardiff [Moukoko 18, Dawe 27 ; McGlinchey 45+1] FA Cup Round Four Mansfield 0-0 Derby (aet) [Johnson s/o 58 ; Mansfield won 5-4 on pens] FA Cup Round Five Bradford 3-2 Mansfield [Greenacre 16, Kos 62 ; Kaviedes 39, Whalley 66,76] Vans Trophy Semi Final Mansfield 0-0 Oldham (aet) [Hay s/o 86 ; Oldham won 5-3 on pens] Swindon 1-4 Mansfield [Agustin 26, Kos 36, Greenacre 45+1,86 ; Davies pen 28] Mansfield 3-0 Rotherham [Borg 7, Kos 88, Hartmann 90+2] Edited January 12 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 "Nearly there gaffer" Training had gone well, and as the players were heading off, Liam Lawrence approached him "Hey, none of that talk son, not until we're certain. Now go and get changed" He slapped his midfielder on the back, but inside he couldn't help but smile. He knew they were almost there, and with the table the way it was, it was hard to ignore it .. Later that night, he was cooking dinner. Charlotte was upstairs putting some stuff away (and she had plenty!), but she suddenly appeared at the doorway, her legs showing underneath one of his jumpers "Something smells good" He turned towards her and kissed her gently "Mac and Cheese. With a twist of course" "Sounds good. Listen, I have a question..." He stirred the pot while he raised his eyebrow towards her "Oh?" "How long are you staying in this flat for? Aren't you looking for a proper house?" He stopped and turned towards her "I will be. Plenty of factors to take into consideration though. Area, commute. Plus, I don't want something too big that's going to feel less homely" She cocked her head sideways, a smile on her face "Good answer. That'll do for now" And with that she skipped back upstairs, leaving Peter shaking his head, albeit smiling -- After dinner, he had settled in front of the television, while Charlotte mulled over some of her reports. It was as he flicked on the local news that he stopped in his tracks "...and we can confirm that following Bristol Rovers 2-1 defeat of Cardiff, Mansfield Town are guaranteed promotion to Division One. The Stags have seen off all before them, and will no doubt be delighted things have been wrapped up before their own game tomorrow evening..." "****, I'd forgotten about that!" Peter had jumped from the sofa in delight, startling Charlotte to the point she had dropped several papers "What's wrong?" "Nothing. Cardiff lost tonight, and with that we're guaranteed promotion. I'd forgotten the game was on to be honest" She came round and gave him a hug and peck on the lips "Congratulations babe. Now for the title?" The wink she gave him sent them both into fits of giggles, and they embraced a little more before they both headed back to their respective evenings Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 Going into the ground the next morning, the mood was, as expected, jovial. The result in the Cardiff game had spread around the club, and everyone knew they were safely in the First Division next year, and the goal now was to go on and complete the title win. As he settled at his desk to make some final preparations for that evening's game, he was distracted by a knock at his door "Morning boss" "Morning Inga. Come on in" The coach came in and sat down opposite him "Great result last night. Puts all our hard work into perspective, makes it all worth it" Peter nodded "Aye. I must admit I forgot to watch the game but when I saw the result I was chuffed" "I've worked out we only need two more wins and the title is ours" Peter checked his screen, which had the table on it "Yeah I saw the table. I'm already working on players for the First Division. I don't think it would be too big a jump in standard but we still need to bulk out the squad" The two men talked for the next twenty minutes, before Anderson headed off to prepare for that evenings game. Peter continued his preparations himself, before eventually heading across to the club canteen for lunch around 3pm -- "Right lads, lets have you" The changing room noise quickly subsided, and the players all turned their attention to their manager "OK. Now we all know what happened in the Cardiff game last night. Doesn't change anything we need to do. Lets go out there, do the job as normal and secure this title as quickly as possible. You all know what to do, you've done it all season, so let's do it again" The speech was well received, the players ran out and shouts of 'come on' could be heard. The bad news for their opponents that night, Notts County, was that the players looked well up for it and looked ready to go out and do the business. Greenacre had picked up a slight tweak in training so he was on the bench, with Stuart Dawe coming in, while Cesar, Vitor Pereira and Carlos Marques also came into the starting eleven. The Spaniard had been terrific since joining the club, and he was superb again in the first half of this game, as he controlled the midfield, pinging passes all over the field, He set up Stuart Dawe for the best chance of the half, pulling the ball back to the big strikers feet, but he took control of it and fired the shot just over the bar, when he really should have scored. Chances also fell for Kos and Cesar himself, but the Spanish playmaker had to wait until right before half time to open the scoring, but it was a goal worth the wait. He dropped deep to get the ball from Simon Rusk, before turning beautifully to open up the space. He played it wide to Liam Lawrence, who whipped a first time cross into the box, which found Dawe. The striker headed it down, straight into the path of Cesar, who caught it so sweetly on the volley and smashed it into the bottom right hand corner. It was an unbelievable goal, which had the entire stadium on it's feet applauding, and allowed them to go in at the break ahead. Victor Renner replaced Lawrence at the break, the midfielder feeling the effects of fatigue, having played a lot recently, and the youngster took his chance, showing himself to be a creative force, setting up several chances for his teammates. Dawe was causing all sorts of problems, his sheer size and presence giving the defenders a real handful, and he eventually got his reward on 68 minutes, muscling his way through the marking on a corner, before meeting Moukoko's cross flush on his head, bulleting the ball past the 'keeper and into the goal. While they controlled the remainder of the game, no more goals came, and the game finished in a comfortable 2-0 win, bringing them just one game away from the title Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 (edited) "Morning Peter" Keith Haslam had greeted him in the corridor, a beaming smile on his face. It was the first time he had seen his chairman since promotion had been secured "Morning Keith. All well?" "Couldn't be happier. Oh, while I've got you, there's a board meeting at 11am. We'd like for you to be there?" Inwardly, Peter groaned "No problem. I'll see you then" Two minutes before 11am, he walked into the boardroom. The mood seemed jovial, understandably, and as he took his seat, he sensed something in the air. The next half an hour was very informal, as they went through all the necessary information , before finally getting to the financials "OK, that brings us to the financial aspects. We are currently on course for a record profit season, which is fantastic news. A lot of this is due to selling out the stadium for home games, which we can thank Peter for..." Haslam gestured towards his manager "...as he has the team playing great football. Also, the limited transfer and wage expenditure has played a part, meaning, overall, we will end the season £875,000 in profit" A round of applause followed this "With that, we have taken the liberty to update your contract Peter" He looked up, his eyebrows raised inquisitively "Update?" "Yes. Due to the fantastic work you've been doing, we have added a yearly bonus into your clauses..." He slid the contract across the desk "...which we think you'll appreciate" Peter couldn't believe his eyes at the figure that had been inserted into the contract. Obviously there were conditions he had to meet to achieve it all, but it was certainly generous "Gentlemen, I don't know what to say. I'm flattered that you think I'm worth this much" Edited January 19 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 That night, he was sat on the sofa with a beer and watching telly when Charlotte walked in. He rose to greet her, and it was as she pulled away and hung her coat up on the rack that she looked at him "What's wrong?" "Who said anything was wrong?" She tapped her finger to her head "I know you well enough now. You've got a funny look on your face" Peter smiled at her "Nothing's wrong. Just thought you'd like the news I got today" She raised her eyebrow "My contract has been updated. I got a nice little bonus. Probably enough to put a deposit down on a house, if you'd want to start looking?" Her eyes widened and her face lit up "Really?! You're not joking?" He held the photocopied contract up that he had done earlier "Nope. It's there in writing" She jumped on him in a huge embrace, the excitement on her face uncontainable -- Despite the way his side had played over the course of the season, and the fact he had no reason to doubt them, Peter was feeling a little nervous as he, and the squad, made their way to Bristol Rovers for their next league game, one that, if they won, would secure the Division Two title. It was no time for messing about, and he was in no doubt that his strongest available team would take the field. Greenacre had regained full fitness, so he was back in the team, while Lee Collins and Mark Arber were back as the central defensive partnership. As they headed onto the field, Peter took his place in the dugout, clapping his coaching staff on the backs as he did so. It was vital he watched his side get off to a good start, and within the opening ten minutes, they had tested the home goal twice, Howie making a good save from Greenacre's header, before Liam Lawrence fired wide from the edge of the box. It didn't take too much longer after that for the scoring to be opened, Lawrence collecting the ball from a long pass by Lee Collins. The winger jinked down the right hand side, beating his man to the byline and firing a low cross into the area. The pace on it beat everybody, except for little Wouter Kos, who took the fizzing ball on his right foot, flicked it outside the oncoming defender and curled the ball home into the bottom corner. It was a terrific finish from the midfield maestro, and he started to impose his personality onto the game after that It was the Dutchman who returned the favour to Lawrence for the second goal, sliding him in beautifully, with Lawrence rounding the 'keeper and slotting with ease into the open goal. That was the end of the scoring, but Peter watched his side control the game with ease and composure. They had chances but it made no difference, and when the final whistle eventually went, the title was secured, bringing all their hard work to a culmination. As Peter turned, he was greeted by the home team manager Garry Thompson, his arm outstretched for a handshake "Well done Peter, congratulations" He accepted the handshake warmly "Thanks Garry. Well played by the way, and good luck with the Playoff push" The men parted ways and Peter rushed to embrace his players, giving each of them a hug and a clap on the head Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 As he walked into the flat, just before 2am that morning, he opened the door as gently as he could so as not to disturb Charlotte. As it was, he didn't need to bother, as she was on the sofa waiting for him. She jumped up to give him a kiss as he walked into the lounge, before she headed to the kitchen to grab him a beer "Thanks. What are you still doing up?" "Waiting for you. I watched the game, and when you won I knew I had to wait up and say congratulations" They both smiled warmly at each other "Well you're lovely aren't you? Good news too. Chairman has given everyone the day off tomorrow, so we can go for a meal and a drink tomorrow night if you like?" "Sounds good to me Daish" With that, they both sat down to have a drink and discuss the game -- With the next season bringing with it Division One football, it was the right time to start looking at players to improve the squad. While both he, and the rest of the coaching staff, had agreed that they didn't think the step up would be a huge difference, it was still vital they had the right players and a big enough squad to cover any injuries they might get, as a couple of times this season, fatigue had been noticeable in his players and he wanted to avoid that happening again. There were players already agreed to join up with the squad, Blake, Faulconbridge and Jensen having agree pre contract terms for the 1st of July, and he was sure several players would also move on to pastures new. With that, he had instructed his scouts to go out and scour for new talent. He had also decided it was time to get himself a new Assistant Manager. Up until then he had managed without one, relying on his scouts and coaches, but as they stepped up the leagues, a right hand man was becoming ever more essential. Keith Haslam had agreed, making a budget available for Peter to be able to do this, and an advert was duly placed in the local papers and online Oldham had knocked them out of the Vans Trophy earlier in the season, and while he wasn't too fussed, Peter did feel he owed them a measure of revenge, so when they visited Field Mill it was a strong side he put out there. Kozluk was rested at right back, due to a slight knock, so Karl Owen came in, and Agustin replaced the tired Simon Rusk, but otherwise, it was business as usual. Cesar had been on superb form in recent games, deservedly earning himself a regular spot in the team, and it took him just ten minutes of this game to cement himself onto it, as he won a free kick on the left hand side, which was swung in by David Jervis, and while Lee Duxbury headed it away, it only fell to the Spaniard on the edge of the area, his touch bringing the ball under control and allowing him to slot the ball into the goal, finishing really well and putting his side ahead. The game kind of petered out after that, neither side looking willing to try and take control and assert themselves into the game, and it was only when Agustin absolutely crunched into Carlo Corazzin that it livened up. It was a fair tackle from the midfielder, as he won the ball, but the force of it took the striker into the advertising hoardings. The visiting players screamed for a foul, but play continued as Liam Lawrence found an overlapping Karl Owen. The fullback duly received the ball, before pulling it back into the path of Lawrence. Lawrence found Kos, who had juat arrived on the penalty spot, and he swept it, although not cleanly, into the bottom corner to double the lead Peter saw the visitors still complaining about the build up in the second goal as he went off for the half time break, and he knew that his side had the game in the bag. The Oldham players had lost their heads, lost their cool, and they wouldn't be able to get back into it, which is exactly what he told his players. He also took the opportunity to make a couple of changes, Greenacre coming off for Omer Riza, and Lee Collins getting a rest as Carlos Marques replaced him. This saw the game controlled and easily finished, as Peter saw his side retain possession, impose themselves and not allow the visitors into any sort of rhythm, and while there was only three real chances of note, it didn't matter that they didn't find a third or fourth goal. Riza probably had the best chance, firing across the 'keeper from the right hand side, but just missing the target, but a third successive 2-0 win was sealed to gain success in their first game as confirmed Champions Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 (edited) "Boss, got ten minutes to go through some players?" John Waldron had popped his head round the door "Come in John, I'm just brewing up. How's the search going?" His scout sat down and spread several files along the desk "Not bad. I'm still unsure what sort of budget we'll get so I'm working with limitations at the moment" "I should find that out end of the month. Now we've had promotion confirmed, the money men can sort the budget out" He placed two cups of tea on the desk, picking up a file as he did so "So what have we got?" "Well that one in your hand is a Millwall player, Ronnie Bull. Hasn't seen a lot of action this year and is a bit miffed about it. Reckon we could get him pretty cheaply, and he can cover defence and midfield" "Sounds like the sort of player we need in Division One" Waldron nodded, picking up a second file "This one is a bit more of a risk. Benjamin Kibebe, AIK. He's a young Swedish lad. Normally plays centre half but I think he can easily sit in midfield. I know we have an abundance, but I think we might have to offload some, I don't think they will be good enough" A raised eyebrow from Peter "I've already started work on that, we'll be getting together and discussing that soon. Is this one right? Ledley King?" An excited nod "I couldn't believe it when I heard. Reckon Spurs would accept less than a million for him. He's fallen out of favour, but I think he's a terrific defender. Definitely a risk with injuries but he's well worth a punt" -- The meeting had gone well, produced some good names and been very productive, leaving Peter with a good list to work with. He had planned to scour through it that afternoon, as the team travelled to Luton for their next League game. Having started well following promotion, they had dropped off slightly, but for some reason, they were a team that Mansfield struggled against, having failed to beat them in their three previous meetings, a defeat and two draws the results, so Peter wanted to shake that off and find a win against them. However, they were formidable at home, having only lost twice all season, so it certainly wouldn't be easy. Glenn Hartmann came back into the midfield, while Renner and Vitor Pereira also took their place on the pitch, with Clint Easton replacing Wouter Kos as the final change from the previous game. Whether it was the changes, or just one of those games, Peter wasn't sure, but his side were really poor, probably their worst ever 45 minutes in his time in charge. They were sloppy with their touches, the passing was atrocious and wayward, and had it not been for Tony Warner, they could have been three behind at the break. Warner saved early from George, tipping the strikers shot wide of the post, but it was his save from Nuno Valois that was the best, as the left back hit a rasping thirty yard drive, one that looked destined for the top corner, and Warner stretched his full frame to finger tip it over the bar. Another save from George saw the game remain 0-0, but the only notable effort from Peter's side came from Moukoko, the Cameroon international curling a shot just wide of the far post They obviously hadn't heeded his words at the break, and even with two changes, which saw Lawrence and Cesar on in place of Renner and Hartmann, they still managed to concede a goal within two minutes of the restart, George racing through to get on the end of a long pass, lifting the ball on the run over Warner and deservedly seeing his side ahead. Peter was beginning to lose his temper, which was unusual as he was normally calm and collected, but his team went some way to helping his mood change by suddenly deciding to play their normal assured game, levelling things up eight minutes later, Lawrence and Rusk linking well to slip the ball in for Moukoko, who used the outside of his left foot to guide the ball into the bottom corner. That allowed a wave of attacks, and it was the turn of he Luton 'keeper to keep his side in the game, as Riza, Greenacre, Lawrence and Moukoko all had chances go astray to win the game, but the one in injury time that fell to Mark Arber, the defender striking over from just six yards out, was the best chance to win the game, but both sides had to share the spoils Edited January 16 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 "Glenn Hoddle" "Morning Glenn. Peter Daish here" "Hello Peter. What can I do for you?" No small talk then "I'll keep it brief. We'd be interested in signing Ledley King. He'd be perfect for us for Division One" "I agree. I don't know if he'd want to join your club though. He may see it as a step down" The arrogance seeped through across the phone "Let me worry about that. What sort of fee would you be looking at?" "Half a million. No add ons, no instalments" "Done" Peter had disliked Hoddle from the second he got on the phone. Arrogant and up his own arse, he had made sure the dealings were brief. He was in the middle of cursing the Spurs manager when one of his coaches walked in "Morning gaffer" He turned round to see Damien Matthew entering the office "Morning Damien. What news?" He pointed to a series of envelopes in his coaches hand "Applications for your new Assistant. Brought them up for you" "Oh cheers. Listen, I want you to take the strikers today for training. Do patterns of play with them, crosses and cut backs" "Will do. I'll take Adrian to do the crosses?" "Perfect" -- Interviews had been arranged with the five applicants over the next two days, and it was while travelling North for their next game that he went through the applicants credentials one more time. It wasn't a long trip to Wigan, but he had already decided, as was his usual procedure, to field a strong side for the game. There was a little animosity between the clubs following the Bagshaw incident earlier in the season, so he was desperate for the win to cement their dominance. He had been slightly sad to see that Shayne Bradley had quickly fallen out of favour and was suddenly fourth choice striker, and when he saw the team sheet an hour before the game, there was no sign of his former charge. He did however, spot him in the stands, making a mental note to say hello later on The game started at a frantic pace, his side testing the home side 'keeper within the first thirty seconds, Greenacre curling a shot that was tipped over the bar, but it was the sixth minute that saw the first goal, Moukoko being tripped as he entered into the box, the penalty decision easy to make, and Lawrence stepping up to slot it home into the bottom corner. That was the signal for the game to go quickly out of reach of the visitors, as chances galore came their way. Kos fired wide, while Mark Arber headed against the bar from a Moukoko corner. Moukoko did double the lead on 26 minutes, collecting a pass and beating three men before finishing the ball into the bottom corner with a beautiful curled effort. The homw side never really got their grip into the game, failing to register a single shot before Peter saw his side extend their lead to 3-0, Lawrence picking up a second when he was released down the left hand side, collecting the ball and cutting inside onto his right foot, before rifling a brilliant shot into the top corner past the 'keeper. That third goal was the killer, and pretty much seales the game, but the home side did grab a goal before half time, managing to capitalise on a rare defensive mistake from Lee Collins allowing Simon Howarth in to dink the ball really well over Tony Warner. That was a disappointing goal to concede, but Peter wasn't too harsh on his players, and the second half ended up as a comfortable 45 minutes, and despite only one goal, a terrific half volley from Chris Greenacre from the penalty spot, they never looked in any danger of throwing the points away and glided to an easy 4-1 win Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 "How much is left on the holiday?" Peter was making dinner for himself and Charlotte when he asked about the holiday "£500. Needs to be paid by the end of May" "Well if you want to pay it earlier, we can. The money is there if you want to?" She looked up with a raised eyebrow "Really?" He reached into his pocket and pulled his card out of his wallet "Sure. Here, do it now" She jumped up and hugged him, before running off to finish the holiday booking. Peter smiled to himself. She really did light up a room .. "Ledley, thanks for coming son" King and his agent, Ricardo O'Reggio, had rocked up to Field Mill for talks about a possible move. It had turned out that he was open to a move, wanting to move to play more football, having effectively been frozen out at Spurs, but with his current wage at £12,000 a week, Peter knew he couldn't bust the clubs wage structure and was prepared for the lad to reject a move "Thanks for having us Mr Daish. I apologise for the slight delay, traffic was horrendous" "No problem Mr O'Reggio. And it's Peter, please" The three men headed into Peter's office, sitting down in sync "So, Ledley, Mr O'Reggio? I'll keep this brief. We've guaranteed First Division football next season. I want Ledley for his ability and his experience, as we need a solid and reliable centre half, one who can help our younger lads like Lee Collins and Carlos Marques" Both men nodded, but it was the defender who spoke first "Rick, if I may?" The agent gestured for his client to speak "Mr Daish, I just want to play football again. I've hardly played since August and at this stage of my career it's frustrating. I realise I'll have to take a drop in wages, and if that means more playing time, I can accept that" Peter smiled to himself. Here was a player with a good attitude "Son, I like that. Believe me when I say, we want you as part of our project here at Mansfield. However, on the subject of wages, I can't go higher than £8,000 a week. I know that's a drop..." "Deal. Where do I sign?" The defender had a pen in his hand ready, and within three minutes, he had read and signed the contract, agreeing to become a Mansfield player for next season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 Peter was happy with how his squad was starting to take shape for the next season, already having several deals in place, but there was business to attend to for the remainder of the season, with eight more games still to navigate through. The next of these to tick off the list was a visit from Tranmere. Peter had been watching a couple of their players, namely Clint Hill and Jason Koumas, since the beginning of the season, but with the defender seemingly injury prone and Koumas having agreed a summer move to Sunderland, they were both targets that had fallen down the pecking order. That said, they could still pose a threat in this game, so his players were warned as such and told to be on their guard, but he needn't have worried, as they held a 2-0 lead by the half hour mark. Cesar continued his remarkable recent form by having a hand in both goals, bending a gorgeous free kick into the top corner after six minutes, guiding it over the wall and past the 'keeper, before his pass set Adrian Littlejohn, who had come in for the rested Moukoko, away down the left, the pacy winger getting into the box and firing a shot at goal. It was aved, parried by the 'keeper, before Glenn Hartmann used all of his 6'4 frame to stretch out a long leg and poke it home. It had been a good display in the first half, composed and assured, and with that in mind, changes were made at the break, with Jakup Borg and Stuart Dawe replacing Liam Lawrence and Chris Greenacre. Borg had unfortunately been hampered by fitness issues, having not played at all before joining the club, but he had shown flashes of brilliance and with a full pre seaosn behind him, Peter was confident he could be a useful player. Dawe had proved to be a superb backup up front. A different option to the style of Greenacre and Riza, big, tall, powerful, but he had a deft touch for a big man, and it was this that allowed him to score the third goal, as he got ahead of his man, outmuscling him before chipping a lovely dink over the goalie, into the unguarded net. He could have had a second later on, thundering a header against the bar, but 3-0 was how it remained - "Morning Peter" He looked up to see Keith Haslam standing at his office door "Keith, come on in. How are you?" "Very well. Just wanted to check in how the interviews went for the Assistant Manager position" Peter sighed "To be honest, not very well. I didn't feel like any of them were suitable for what I needed. Truth be told, I think we'd be better promoting from within" The chairman looked surprised "Really? Anyone in mind?" "I think Damien Matthew would be ideal. He's young, hungry and aligns with my vision. Plus, I think it would be easier to find a coach to replace him with if he was to move up" A nod of approval from the chairman "I agree. OK, well I trust your judgment, so I'll give you the green light" And with that, he turned and marched out on his heels. Peter smiled inwardly. He had already decided Matthew would be the right choice, but he would wait until the end of the months action before discussing it with him, as he had a couple of assignments before then Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 As it happened, Matthew was back on the bench for the trip to Huddersfield, which was their 40th game of the Division Two season, and their final one of March. Cesar started once again, while Vance Warner, Agustin and Jakup Borg also came into the starting eleven. The home side posed an attacking threat, Andy Booth and Clyde Wijnhard having scored 57 goals between them this season, 34 of them from the Dutchman, but due to the fact they had also conceded 54, they were sitting in 9th place. They didn't have to wait long to concede their 55th of the season either, a simple long diagonal pass from Jervis finding Greenacre, the striker taking the ball down on his chest and smashing the ball past a helpless Les Sealey inside ten minutes to open the scoring. While he hadn't hit the heights or the form of the first half of the season since his injury, he had still proved to be an important member of the team, and he would have been the first to admit he should have had a first half hat trick, missing two guilt edged chances, the second one a simple strike from 6 yards that he contrived to somehow put wide. It could have come back to haunt them, but within 90 seconds of the restart, it proved to not be too costly, as Greenacre turned provider, holding up the ball really well before flicking it round the corner for Cesar, the Spaniard gathering the ball, marauding forward and placing the ball really nicely into the bottom corner. Chances were at a minimum after that, Wijnhard testing Warner once, before Arber, Hartmann and then Renner and Riza all had shots on goal, only Riza's looking like it would trouble any 'keeper, and they held on for the easy 2-0 win -- March 2003 Results [Division Two unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 2-0 Notts County [Cesar 45+2, Dawe 68] Bristol Rovers 0-2 Mansfield [Kos 16, Lawrence 39] Mansfield 2-0 Oldham [Cesar 10, Kos 30] Luton 1-1 Mansfield [Moukoko 53 ; George 47] Wigan 1-4 Mansfield [Lawrence pen 6,43, Moukoko 26, Greenacre 52 ; Haworth 45+1] Mansfield 3-0 Tranmere [Cesar 6, Hartmann 29, Dawe 60] Huddersfield 0-2 Mansfield [Greenacre 9, Cesar 47] Mansfield win Division Two title Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 "Happy birthday Mum" Peter kissed his mother on the cheek, before Charlotte embraced her in a hug. He handed her a small gift wrapped box "Oh Peter, you shouldn't have" "Don't be silly. It's your birthday. Besides, Charlotte couldn't resist a shopping trip" A hand wafted at his shoulder "Oi. Bloody cheek!" His mum opened the box, bringing out a gold brooch and a pair of gold diamond studded earrings "Oh they're beautiful. I hope you didn't overspend?!" Typical. Even on her birthday she was still penny pinching "You let me worry about that. Now, your birthday meal..." Peter and Charlotte had taken his mum to the newest restaurant in Mansfield, an Italian called Vina Rocca. It had some rave reviews and by the end of the meal, they were not disappointed, everyone thoroughly enjoying their food. Once they had finished, around 7pm, Peter drove her back home. He had offered for her to stay the evening but, being the home bird she was, she had insisted on going back home. So it was almost midnight when they got back to his flat, Peter flopping down on the sofa, while Charlotte handed him a beer and then curled up next to him. He could sense her staring at him, so he moved his head to meet her gaze "What's wrong?" She smiled, her cheeks flushing red "Oh nothing. Just wondering how I managed to get so lucky" "Lucky?" "Yes. Meeting a wonderful man like you" He smiled back "I'd say I was the lucky one. What did a decrepit old duffer like me do to deserve you eh?" She looked up, a mischievous twinkle in her eye "You raise a good point Daish" With that bit of sarcasm, he suddenly grabbed a cushion and gently bopped her on the head with it "Less of that thankyou!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 April opened with a visit from Wycombe, a team with nothing to play for. Peter was not in the business of not attempting to games, so there was no danger of not playing strong sides for the remaining games, so this was exactly what happened for this game. Liam Lawrence was unavailable as he had picked up a slight strain, so Victor Renner came into the starting line up, as did Karl Owen for Rob Kozluk, but other than that, it was full strength. The visitors had not been on a good run, having won just two of their previous eleven games, so they had no chsnce of a playoff place, and were just about safe, which meant they had very little to play for. This showed early on in the game, Moukoko and Greenacre both missing good chances, but it was Victor Renner who opened the scoring, doing his best to cement his place in the side on a regular basis. He made a great run into the box, arriving late to meet Moukoko's cross and guide it home with a deft little finish into the goal, which left the 'keeper no chance. It didn't take long for the second to follow, Moukoko doubling their advantage just seven minutes later, as he collected a pass from Simon Rusk, played a little one two with Renner, before lashing a shot into the roof of the net It had not been a difficult game, Tony Warner not having a save to make, and, while Greenacre added to the lead five minutes after the break, they had a goal disallowed either side of that one, which would have put the game well and truly out of sight. Rusk had found his way to the six yard box from a Moukoko corner, and bundled the ball home, but he was adjudged to have fouled the goalkeeper, but three minutes later, from a similar corner, Greenacre headed home. A tight offside call on substitute Omer Riza just after the hour mark was a talking point, as it looked dubious, but it was disallowed. The game actually became a lot tighter than it should have been, as two goals from Neil Emblen, a penalty and then a low finish into the bottom corner giving them some hope, but Peter, despite his frustration at the conceding of the two goals, saw his side hold on to claim the points -- Peter was sat at his desk when a file was slid across his desk. He looked up to see Keith Haslam stood at his desk "Morning Keith. What's this?" He picked up the folder, opening the first page "Next seasons budgets. Everything you need to know is in there" Peter nodded his head "No meeting?" "Unfortunately not. We have to meet the shareholders and can't fit it in" "Fair enough. I'll have a look at it now, see where I stand" The chairman nodded, apparently satisfied "There can be some wiggle room if needed, but we'll go through it all once you've read through it" He turned and left Peter to it, and he started to read through the report. The first four or five pages were the necessary stuff, and it wasn't until page six that he saw the information he wanted, halfway down as he scanned the page -- 2003/04 Season Budgets Transfer Budget - £3.2million (excluding the £500,000 already spent) Wage Budget - £350,000 per week (currently spending £235,000) -- Peter nodded to himself. He hadn't expect quite as much. He certainly didn't expect to have as much transfer budget as he had been given, and he would certainly be asking the chairman if he could use any excess for wages if needed. He closed the file and picked up his mobile off the desk "John? It's Peter" "..." "Fine thanks. How far out from the ground are you?" "..." "Perfect. Come straight to my office when you get in. I'll grab Damien, Claus and Inga too, we need to discuss the budget for next year" "..." "No problem. See you shortly" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 The coaching team had joined him for a meeting, one that in essence lasted three days, as they were constantly discussing targets for the Division One campaign, and even on the coach on the trip South to Portsmouth, the meeting continued. The side from the South Coast had recovered from an indifferent start to surge their way to second in the table, and they knew just seven points would secure their promotion along with their visitors. Peter had seen his side beat their opponents on the opening day, but he knew that the game at Fratton Park would be a different kettle of fish. Glenn Hartmann started ahead of Wouter Kos, the Dutchman showing signs of fatigue in recent days, while Dawe, Renner and Agustin all started too. They actually started really well, creating a couple of good opportunites and testing Kawaguchi with those. Dawe saw his header tipped wide by the Japanese 'keeper, befre he fired over five minutes later, while Renner slid in Moukoko, who was smothered really well before he could get the shot away. To be fair to the home side, they had chances themselves in the first half. Prosinecki fired a shot just wide of Warner's left hand post, while Lee Bradbury and Neale Fenn both tested the big 'keeper, but it was Glenn Hartmann who opened the scoring 25 minutes in, using every inch of his 6'4 frame to rise highest and bullet home a header past Kawaguchi. It would have been tough to stop with two 'keepers, so the Portsmouth one had no chance. It looked like they would go in at half time ahead, until a piece of brilliance from Prosinecki on the right hand side, as he spun with the ball and got past David Jervis, before slipping in Jim Paterson, the Scotsman breaking the offside trap and dinking the ball past Warner That goal seemed to shock Peter's side, and they were caught cold at the start of the second half, finding themselves behind within two minutes, Neale Fenn following up Bradbury's effort and smashing into the net, Warner stranded on the floor and unable to get to the ball in time. From then on, it was literally the Kawaguchi show, and it was thanks to the Japanes 'keeper that his side held on for the points, as he turned into a literal brick wall and kept everything out of his goal. Dawe saw a left footed shot tipped wide, before Renner, Hartmann and substitute Jakup Borg all forced him into saves. With ten minutes left, Peter had seen his side register 18 shots to the home sides 5, and even in the last ten minutes, they created three more chances, but they could not penetrate the Japanese international and they had to walk off the pitch on the end of a 2-1 defeat. Peter shook the hand of the big 'keeper, before sympathising with his players and praising their overall performance in the game -- The usual end of season motions had started, and when an envelope landed on his desk from the FA, Peter opened it and scanned the letter. Three of his players had been nominated for the team of the year in Division Two, in Moukoko, Lee Collins and Liam Lawrence, while Moukoko was in the running for player of the year, and himself in the mix for manager of the year. They would all receive their tickets for the end of season awards later on in the month, and while it wasn't a massive thing in his mind, he did like that his players got the deserved recognition for their efforts. He left a message for the lads in question to come and see him after training, which they did, and he gave them the news of their nominations. Despite the Portsmouth defeat, he had been pleased with the performance in the game, but his hand was forced into making some changes for the next game, through injury and fatigue. Liam Lawrence had tweaked his knee, which saw Jakup Borg take his place, while Clint Easton took his place in the midfield alongside Agustin, meaning both Hartmann and Kos were rested. Reading were the visitors, and with nothing to play for in the remainder of the season, Peter knew this could make them a dangerous opponent, so he implored his players to be on their game and not relax or take their foot off the gas. The message seemed not to be heeded, as the first half was a real mixed bag, a tight, nervous affair that didn't see a lot of chances created. Vance Warner was a forced substitution, Mark Arber picking up a knock in the first fifteen minutes, and ironically it was Warner himself who had the first real opportunity, rising to head a Moukoko corner just over the top of the bar. Jamie Cureton had a late chance for the visitors, firing straight at Tony Warner, and the game remained goalles at half time Peter didn't like to use cliches, but he couldn't deny that this was a proverbial game of two halves, as the second half saw much more free-flowing, attacking football, aswell as four goals. Fortunately, three of them were for his side and allowed them to win the game. Moukoko opened the scoring, bombing forward in support of Borg and Greenacre, and when the striker saw his shot come back off the post, it landed straight at the Cameroonian's feet, and he composed himself, took a touch and fired home into the goal. He doubled the lead, and his own personally tally, ten minutes later, although he didn't actually mean it. Borg won a free kick on the right hand side, which Moukoko floated in to the box. It missed everyone, getting caught by a slight gust of wind, deceived the 'keeper and nestled in the bottom corner of the goal. This should have been enough to put the game to bed, but straight from the restart, a serious lack of concentration allowed the visitors back into it, Cureton dispossessing Easton, before feeding Bob Peeters who smashed it home into the goal. Peter couldn't hide his annoyance at this, but his team saved themselves and secured the points later in the game, as Rob Kozluk's long ball found Borg, who nodded it on, almost aimlessly, but instead he found Greenacre, and the striker took one touch to set himself and hit a dipping shot past the stranded Hahnemann -- "Hey. You alright?" Charlotte had looked up from the dining room table, a look of concern etched on her face "Eh? Yeah I'm fine. Just a bit nervous about next season" "Really? I thought you were confident?" He got up and went to sit next to her "I think we'll stay up easily. I just worry that the odd silly mistake is going to creep in. And we're going to be up against some decent teams, so they'll punish anything like that" She closed the folder she was working on "Well why don't I try and take your mind off things? I was going to wait till tomorrow but come with me" She took his hand and guided him to the lounge, where her laptop sat on the desk "What's this?" "I've found some houses for sale and I want your opinion" For the next hour, they sat looking at houses. Charlotte had seen five in all. Two were in Nottingham, one in Newark and one in Nottingham itself. The other two had been ruled out, both agreeing the distance was too far away, but the house they had both seen and fell in love with was a little country house, in the rural village of Ilkeston in Derbyshire. It was isolated enough to have privacy, but still close enough for all the amenities, and while still expensive, at almost half a million, it seemed well worth it. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge garden and double garage, and more importantly, a huge kitchen with a breakfast bar and dining area. It was their dream home, and Charlotte set about booking them a viewing Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 "You wanted me gaffer?" Damien Matthew had responded to his managers phonecall and headed straight to his office "Damien, come on in" He gestured to the chair opposite him, his coach sitting down as he did so "I won't keep you long. Basically, having done and reviewed all the interviews for the Assistant Manager job, none of them were good enough" "Sorry to hear that" Peter shrugged "It happens. Anyway, I want you to take the position" Matthew looked shocked "Me?!" "Absolutely. You've proven yourself to be a valuable member of the team, you're young, hungry, and we work well together. Myself, the rest of the backroom team and the Chairman all agree you're the right man for the job" "Gaffer, I honestly don't know what to say" "Well have a think about it..." Matthew shook his head "No need. I'd love to do it" Peter stood up, smiling as he did so "Good man. We'll get the contract sorted. It'll officially start from the summer, give us chance to get a replacement coach in?" "Perfect" He turned round and headed out the door, stopping as he did so and turning back "Thanks gaffer" "Don't mention it. I'll see you outside in ten minutes" -- Another away trip South beckoned, with Brighton the hosts this time, and due to a few of his players needing a rest, he decided to bring in several younger players into the squad for the game. This included Amit Bose, Michael Beckham, and Carlos Marques, with all three due to take a place on the bench for the game. The hosts had struggled since selling Bobby Zamora, a move forced upon them by bad finances, they had nose dived down the table, a fact that Peter made his players aware of, encouraging them to take advantage and get the result from the game. However, they didn't make things easy, causing several problems in the first half and making it difficult for Peter's side, not allowing them to play their game. It was in midfield in particular, where they played a three man pivot, that caused all the problems, and Charlie Oatway should probably have scored twice in the opening quarter of an hour, testing Warner on both occasions. Paul Brooker also fired wide, and this was before Mansfield even had a chance, that chance falling to Liam Lawrence, the blonde haired midfielder slicing his shot when he really should have hit the target Peter very rarely lost his temper with his players, but on this occasion he did, giving them a real rollocking, and in fairness to them, they responded in kind, turning up their gears in the second half and motoring through the game. Greenacre opened the scoring, slotting home after meeting Bose's cross, the half time substitute making the difference. Greenacre was a big part of the second goal too, using his strength to hold the ball up, before nudging it round the corner for Renner. Renner beat two men before laying into the path of Moukoko, who laid it back to him, the youngster curling home really well. This goal seemed to send the home side to rock bottom, their heads dropping despite their efforts in the game, and eventually the third goal came three minutes before the end of normal time, Jervis swinging the ball inside for Moukoko, who scored a beautifully controlled finish past Kuipers and secured a simple enough three points Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 "Gaffer, can I have a word?" Rob Kozluk had knocked on his office door after training "What can I do for you Rob?" The defender sat down, a nervous look on his face "I've just spoken to my agent. He said Man City have bid for me?" "That's correct. I haven't responded yet as it only came in this morning but I'll be turning it down" Kozluk shuffled his feet and looked down "Well, to be honest boss, erm..." Peter raised his eyes to the sky "Come on lad, spit it out" "...the thing is, I want to leave. I want to move to Man City" Peter stopped what he was doing, standing up on his side of the desk "I'm sorry? Would you care to repeat that?" "I want to leave. City provides a better financial opportunity for me" Peter stormed round to the other side of the office "Is that right? Well I'll tell you what Rob, if that's how you want to play it, then fine, I'll accept the bid. But let me tell you, I'm very disappointed. After the chances we've given you this season, the indiscretions that you've had, and you want to just leave? Where's the loyalty?" "But boss..." "I don't want to hear it. Now there's two games left in the season, you won't be playing for either of them. I suggest you think about what you want and start getting ready to leave for Manchester. Now, I'm busy, so I think you should leave" With that, he opened the door and ushered the defender out -- Peter had been furious with Kozluk's conduct, immediately relegating the defender to the reserves, bringing in Marek Szmid to replace him, and accepting the bid from Man City, which was £725,000. He had managed to stop the news leaking, but had made sure his staff (and the chairman) knew what was going on. That said, he had to put that out of his mind, as he was due to go and look at the house with Charlotte, having left the appointment booking to her. It wasn't too far to drive, and as they approached the property, the front garden immediately stood out "Oooh, I like the front garden" Charlotte was keen on greenery and was definitely more interested in a garden than Peter, so that was a tick off her list. As they walked up to to front door, they were greeted by an elegant looking woman "Ms Walker?" "Just Charlotte. And this is Peter" They shook hands with the estate agent, before heading into the house Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 Charlotte had fallen in love with the place, and Peter had to admit, it was perfect. They had discussed it that evening, deciding to make an offer on the house, and that was done the next morning, so it was literally just a case of playing a waiting game. His mood had improved considerably by the time they welcomed Wrexham to Field Mill for the penultimate game of the season, and it turned out to be one of the games of the season. Several changes were made, with Szmid, Easton, Borg, Dawe and Carlos Marques all starting the game. Wrexham were a threat going forward, having scored more goals than any side except for Portsmouth and Peter's own side, thanks mainly to the exploits of Lee Trundle, with 32 goals for the season The game started at a frantic pace, both sides wanting to show exactly what they were capable of, and both 'keepers had made a couple of saves within the opening twenty minutes, but over the course of the next 16 minutes, four goals found their way in. The first of these came from Carlos Edwards. The Trinadadian winger had used his pace and trickery to jink down the right hand side, before playing a lovely little give and go and finding himself in the area. He created some space and smashed a left footed shot past Warner, who didn't even have chance to move before the ball was past him. It was a super goal, but six minutes later, the home side were level, Rusk and Moukoko combining together to allow the Scottish midfielder to slip in Clint Easton, who didn't find himself in the position too often, but he did well, steadying himself and sliding the ball into the bottom corner. Peter had been delighted with the response, but he was livid when Trundle fired the visitors back ahead less than 45 seconds after the restart, muscling through and firing home. The Liverpudlian striker doubled his personal tally on 38 minutes, rising highest, although looking like he fouled Mark Arber to do so, and heading home into the goal. The third goal made the Welsh side relax a little, and they took their foot off the gas slightly, and because of this, the half time score was 3-2, probably undeservedly so, but when Kos slipped in Stuart Dawe, the big striker made no mistake with the finish. They had been sent out for the second half with a simple message, that being to go out there and play their own game, and they did manage to stamp their authority on the second period, creating several decent chances. Dawe had the first early on, stinging the hands of the Wrexham 'keeper, before Moukoko dragged a shot wide when he would have expected to do better. The Cameroon international did have a hand in the equaliser though, his deflected cross finding its way to the back post where Jakup Borg was waiting to meet it and tap it in. Wrexham still tried to play their own game and it turned it into a brilliant watch, and despite both sides having opportunities to win it, it remained level until the end, and the spoils were shared -- April 2003 Results [Division Two unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 3-2 Wycombe [Renner 23, Moukoko 30, Greenacre 50 ; Emblen pen 76,81] Peterborough 2-1 Mansfield [Hartmann 25 ; Paterson 45+1, Fenn 47] Mansfield 3-1 Reading [Moukoko 52,62, Greenacre 72 ; Peeters 63] Brighton 0-3 Mansfield [Greenacre 52, Renner 60, Moukoko 87] Mansfield 3-3 Wrexham [Easton 28, Dawe 45+2, Borg 60 ; Edwards 22, Trundle 29,38] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 (edited) With the season drawing to a climax, the awards had been announced. Moukoko had been voted as the Player of the Season, quite rightly after his superb season, while Simon Rusk had come third. David Jervis also got third in the Young Player award, while Peter himself was awarded manager of the year. Moukoko, Lee Collins and Liam Lawrence all got into the Division's team of the year too, so it was a successful all round campaign for everyone involved. That said, he was determined to finish with a bang and show everyone why they were deserved winners of the Division, so a strongest possible eleven was fielded for their final game of the season, a trip to face Northampton. It was a meaningless game in terms of what was at stake, but that didn't mean they could take it easy, and it was a superb performance as they rounded off with a magnificent 3-1 win. It was one of the better performances in recent weeks too, which delighted Peter, as he saw his side control the game with ease. They really should have been in front before the opener on 27 minutes, as Greenacre, Moukoko and Simon Rusk all had good chances and failed to find the net, aswell as Lee Collins rattling the bar with a 30 yard howitzer, the most unexpected shot inside the ground. It was Liam Lawrence though who opened the scoring, his first chance of the game, as he dragged the ball around his man with a ball roll before a toe poke into the goal. There were no more goals before the interval, but the game continued in the same vein, as chances continued to flow. Despite all the misses and the man of the match performance from the home 'keeper - without him, it could have been ten - Moukoko's second half double sealed the season in style. Even a late consolation from the home side couldn't dampen the mood, and the party was in full swing when they were presented with the trophy after the game -- "Peter, just wanted to congratulate you on a wonderful season" The Chairman had grabbed him as soon as he walked in on the Monday morning "All down to the lads on the pitch. I just pick the team and tell them how to play, they're the ones who do it" "Oh don't sell yourself short. You do a brilliant job" Both men chuckled at this "I appreciate that Keith. I'm off to debrief the lads before I send them on their holidays, but we can catch up later tonight if you like?" "Perfect. We can have a drink, talk shop one last time before the summer?" -- "Right then lads, take a seat" Peter had gathered his players in the dressing room. Obviously, they knew this place well, but with no game, many were in jeans and t-shirt "OK boys. Well, first of all, congratulations on a most successful season. I couldn't have asked for any more from any of you and I'm damn proud of your efforts. Now I want you all to go away and enjoy your holidays, wherever you might be going, because we've got a lot of hard work to do for next season. Any questions?" Mark Arber raised his hand "Not a question boss as such, but I just wanted to say thankyou to Adie..." He swept his hand towards the little Jamaican "...for everything he's done for me since I've been here. I know he's leaving in the summer but he's been a model professional and I know I speak for all of us when I wish him good luck" "I agree Mark. Lads, let's all hear it for Adie" The whole team stood up, applauding Littlejohn, who looked pretty embarrassed. Despite this, he got up and went round every one of his teammates, saying goodbye one last time before he left for pastures new. After that was done, the players were dismissed with a return date and the promise of hard work Edited January 23 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 (edited) "Erm, excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" Charlotte had packed her stuff for the holiday almost two weeks ago, while Peter, as usual, had left his until the last minute. He hadn't heard her creep up to the bedroom door "Packing my case" "Oh no. You are not, under any circumstances, taking your laptop. No work!" She reached into his case and took the laptop out "I can't just not work. I've got a season to prepare for" "And you can do that when you get back. Now I've spoken to Keith, and the rest of your staff, and they won't be contacting you while we're away" "What...?" She had a stern look on her face "I mean it. This is a holiday, a time to relax and unwind. Now finish packing, we need to leave early tomorrow to catch the flight" "Yes boss!" He saluted, the sarcasm bringing a smile to her face, but it didn't stop her giving him a friendly punch on the arm -- May 2003 Results [Division Two unless stated otherwise] Northampton 1-3 Mansfield [Lawrence 27, Moukoko 57,73 ; McGregor 90+3] Awards Player of the Year [Moukoko, 1st ; Simon Rusk, 3rd] Young Player of the Year [David Jervis, 3rd] Team of the Year [Moukoko, Liam Lawrence, Lee Collins] Fans Player of the Year [Moukoko] Manager of the Year [Peter Daish, 1st] Edited January 20 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 (edited) The summer off was well deserved. Peter had put a lot of energy into the season, and while it had been a long time since he had enjoyed a holiday, he had to admit the ten days he spent relaxing, enjoying himself, and most of all, with Charlotte, had been just what he needed. Even if she did give him the odd dirty look when she caught him on his phone, but they managed to get through the ten days unscathed. That said, they both spent the next 48 hours sleeping themselves back into a pattern, before Charlotte headed off back to work. It was on the Thursday, almost two weeks after they had flown out, that she said her goodbyes and left for work. This left Peter free to open his laptop, and to his surprise, he hadn't received too many emails from people at the club. One from the Chairman thanking him for the seasons work and the vision for the season ahead, one from Damien Matthew confirming the return date for the players for Pre-Season, along with a list of games organised as warm up matches. The one that did catch his attention was the available player list he had asked for, which contained, at first glance, around 50 names, so he set to work scouting the names on the list to work out the best fit for the Division One campaign It took a good two weeks, but he eventually had a list ready, and as he headed back to Field Mill for his first day back in the job (admittedly, three days before the players), he was ready to ring round agents and speak to players. He knew he already had four players coming in on the 1st of July, in forwards Robbie Blake and Craig Faulconbridge, midfielder Claus Jensen and defender Ledley King, but he also knew there would be players leaving over the course of the next few weeks "OK lads, quiet down please" The players settled themselves down, taking their place in front of their manager "Right, first things, welcome back. Hope you all had a good break?" Murmurs of content "Good. Now, as you know, we're at a different level this year. While I think, actually I know, that you're all capable of stepping up to this standard, I want you to know that there will be some new faces coming in. Not to replace, but to bolster. We're gonna need the entire squad for this season, and we need as many bodies as we can to allow for rotation. Any questions?" Mark Arber raised his hand "What about the captaincy boss?" It was a valid question. Arber had worn the armband for most of last season but wasn't officially club captain "Easy. You'll keep the armband as club captain. You've earnt it and the lads respect you" There was a round of applause for the South African, a slight blush coming across his cheeks "Thanks gaffer" "No worries. Now, as you know, first week is fitness, no balls. Split off into groups of four, and then find a station. Three groups per station, three rounds each. Move on my whistle. OK, 3, 2, 1..." Edited January 22 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 Training was as good as Peter could have expected. In fact, it was probably better. The players all worked hard, they all put the effort in and within the first four sessions, the difference was noticeable. It was at the end of the fourth training session that he gathered the players together "OK lads. Plane leaves at 8am sharp on Wednesday morning. Go and have tonight and tomorrow with your families, and we'll meet at the airport. Don't forget, the new lads will be joining us, so I want you to give them a proper Mansfield welcome when they arrive. OK, off you go" It was two hours later when he was about to leave, and just as he walked out of the office door, his phone rang "Peter Daish" "Ah Mr Daish? My name is Simon Gregory" "OK. What can I do for you Mr Gregory?" A chuckle down the phone "I think it's what you can do for me Mr Daish. My client, Ronnie Bull?" "Ah yes. I'm waiting on a response to our offer?" Another chuckle "Well they've just informed me that my client is free to discuss terms with you, so I presume your offer has been accepted?" "I haven't heard anything. Hold on one sec..." He walked to his fax machine, which was where he saw the response "So it has. So when would you be available to discuss terms? Are you free tomorrow?" "That's fine. How about 2pm?" "Perfect. I'll send a car to meet you at Nottingham station and bring you to the ground" That was good news. Ronnie Bull was a versatile player, one who could play in defence or midfield, and he would provide a useful option, and for just £240,000, he was an absolute steal. Peter was delighted he could get the deal over the line the next day .. "Yeah, Bull's signed today. Ros and his agent are meeting us in Italy, hopefully can get him signed up in time for some game time" "..." "Perfect. Kibebe isn't back until Monday so we'll look into that then" "..." "I think we need more options upfront. Stu did well last year but I'm not sure he'll be good enough at this level. May be worth loaning out" "..." "OK. I'll see you in the morning" Things were moving quickly. Bull had taken less than half an hour to agree terms on a three year deal, while Salamanca had accepted a £700,000 offer for their 'keeper Jose Maria Ros, who would be a very good option to provide competition for Tony Warner, which was something he felt they lacked in last season, so it was a process that had begun really well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 The tour to Italy had been organised by the chairman, and while it may not have been Peter's first choice, preferring Spain himself, it would be a useful exercise. The four new recruits had integrated themselves well, Ledley King in particular attracting attention thanks to his Premiership experience, and Peter was pleased with how they had fitted in. They didn't have much time on the field though, as they landed at 2pm, before checking into their hotel, training that evening and turning in for an early night, with their opening pre season game, against Serie B side Salernitana, at 3pm the next day The Italians were a decent side from what Peter could see, having challenged for promotion the season before, just missing out after a poor end to the season, so he decided, purely because it was his principles, to play his strongest available side for the game. This included both Ledley King and Robbie Blake, who started the game, as did Greenacre, Moukoko, and Wouter Kos. If he was honest, Peter wasn't sure if his side would be a match for the Italians. Serie B was, theoretically, better in overall talent than Division One, but that didn't necessarily mean individual teams were better, and come half time, his theory was blown out of the water, as his side had raced into a 3-0 lead. Greenacre had opened the scoring early, collecting a pass from Moukoko and striding forward, before hitting a low shot into the bottom corner. The striker had been halted by injury the previous season, and wanted to hit the ground running, but Peter felt he needed more help and more rotation to keep him at his best. The striker was causing a nuisance for the defence, and it was his flick on that set up the second, Kos running on to the knock down and sliding past the stranded 'keeper. The home side just didn't get into the game at all, and it was just before half time that the game was won, Robbie Blake capping off his superb performance with a scintillating volley, the long ball from Collins dropping over his shoulder and the striker banging it into the top corner. Mass changes came at the break, eight substitutes coming on for Peter's side, and this kind of killed the momentum of the game, as the new team needed to get up to speed with the game. Faulconbridge tested the home 'keeper, while Kos fired wide, but the only other goal of the game came from Victor Renner, in the final ten minutes, as he linked well with Lawrence, the winger laying it off for the youngster to lash the ball home and seal an impressive 4-0 win -- "Jose, welcome son" Jose Maria Ros and his agent, Fernando Castro, had arrived in Italy for talks to join the club. He was an imposing figure, well over six foot, and he seemed to be a lad with his head screwed on. His agent was a rare breed, one that was down to earth and clearly had his clients best interests at heart, and it was he who stepped forward to greet Peter "Mr Daish. Thankyou for having us, I know you're a busy man" "Not at all, Shall we get down to business?" The men headed into the hotel restaurant, grabbing a coffee and sandwiches while they prepared to discuss terms "OK. So I'll be honest, Tony Warner has been superb for us, and I will be starting with him as first choice. However, I fully expect Jose will play 15-20 games, including most cup games" "I understand that and we both accept that. As for the contract, we were looking for a three year deal, £2,500 a week" Peter was delighted inside as he had budgeted in his head for a little more than that "That's perfect. I can't see any problems with that" "Mr Daish, we have a deal. My client does request that he allowed to return back home for a few days to get his stuff in order?" "Perfect. I'll tell you what, head back, get sorted, and meet us back in Mansfield in a week?" The men departed, both parties happy, and Peter was delighted to have secured himself a new goalkeeper 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 The second game of the tour was against Empoli, who had won Serie B the previous season, so they were on a high. This however, didn't stop a completely different team being picked for the game. Amit Bose, Michael Beckham, Lloyd Dyer and Stuart Dawe all got the opportunity to show what they could do, while Claus Jensen, Craig Faulconbridge and Vance Warner also started. The former Charlton man was impressive in the centre of the midfield, playing several good passes and also managing to create some good openings for his team mates, including a glorious chance for Dawe, which the big striker never got on top of and blazed over the bar. Despite out shooting their opponenst by six shots to two in the first half, by the time the hour mark came round, they were 2-0 behind, a quickfire double from the host sending them into the lead that they probably didn't deserve. Changes happened regularly, which disrupted the flow of the game, but despite a consolation goal towards the end from Amit Bose, the game ended in defeat "Yeah it was disappointing but it's about fitness more than results at this point" "..." "We're back on Monday. Got an early flight so should be back in the afternoon" "..." "Oh that's brilliant. They've accepted the offer, not even haggled?" "..." "Yeah that's fine. You meet the estate agent tomorrow, get the ball rolling. We'll discuss it when I'm back" "..." "OK. See you soon" Charlotte had informed him that their offer on the house had been accepted with the minimum of fuss. With Peter still being in Italy with the team, he knew she could take care of it son that things would move along, so when he ended the call, his mood had skyrocketed, despite the teams defeat against Empoli. This improved even further when he checked his emails from John Waldron, his scout, who had informed him that their bid for AIK's Swedish midfielder Benjamin Kibebe had been accepted, and he would be heading to Mansfield for talks the following week. Waldron had also found a useful player on the Free Agents list, as Spanish forward Keko had just been released by Real Valladolid. He wasn't the best striker and was never going to win a Ballon D'or, but he was physical, great in the air and could hold the ball up well, which was just what Peter and his side needed, so an offer was quickly made to the Spaniard there and then Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 It was a whirlwind next few days. With all that was going on back in Mansfield, Peter decided, with the chairman's blessing, to catch an earlier flight back home, as he had several players coming for talks and he wanted to wrap up the deals before other teams had the chance to swoop in. He also had several offers for players of his own to deal with. Littlejohn had left when his contract expired, which he knew would happen, and Kozluk had joined Man City, but there were bids on the table for David Edwards and Clint Easton. Edwards had been integral in Division Three but had fallen out of favour somewhat the previous year, and a fee of £100,000, for a player that they signed for nothing, was accepted and he was allowed to talk with Cheltenham. Clint Easton however, was a different proposition. He had been an important part of the squad the season before, and when Watford came in with an offer of a million, it was tough. In the end, Peter weighed up the pros and cons, decided that the money could be invested wisely, and allowed Easton to talk with Watford Due to this, both men weren't in the squad for the final game of the tour, as Napoli were the final opponents. They were a good side, and Peter knew his side would be well tested in this game. It was a mixed team that took to the field, with some senior players and some youngsters, and in all fairness, they gave a decent account of themselves. Greenacre could have scored early on, as his shot was tipped wide by the Lazio 'keeper Francesco Mancini. Kos had also had a decent chance, firing wide from the edge of the box, but it was the home side who went in at the break ahead,. Marek Jankulovski had caused all sorts of problems down the left hand side, and it was the left backs cross that led to the opener, as he floated it to the back post, where striker Roberto Stellone met it and tapped it home. The second half was better for Mansfield, as they created several good opportunities, but it was to no avail and they couldn't find a goal to get the draw they deserved. Greenacre, Kos, Renner and Lawrence all had good chances saved, while Rusk fired over, and even though Antonio Floro Flores had a late chance to double the lead, the game remained 1-0 -- "Gaffer, got a sec?" He looked up to see Damien Matthew at his office door "Come on in Damien" He motioned to the seat opposite him "Just wanted to go through the new lads from the last week, we haven't had a chance since you got back from tour" "Sure. What we got?" His assistant took some files from under his arm "OK. So Bull has signed, he looks a prospect we can use to cover at the back or in midfield" "Yeah I'm happy with that deal. Keko?" "Yeah he's on the books as well. Good option to cover Chrissy" He nodded in agreement. He picked up a file with two names "What about Kibebe? If we get him in, that's a quality signing" His assistant nodded his head "Yeah he's agreed a contract. I think the other lad could be a good prospect too" He pointed to a name as he said it "Yeah I saw that. Jacob Hoj, Danish lad. Young player?" The squad was starting to take real shape now, and with Easton, Kozluk and Edwards all out the door, there was a fine balance. There was also an offer on the table for Glenn Hartmann from Dynamo Dresden. The big German had cited a desire to go back to his native land, and when the bid came forward, Peter was inclined to accept it and allow the midfielder to move on, as he had plenty of options to cover him and didn't think it was fair to stop the lad moving if he was going to get the offer of more game time Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 "Hey. Sorry I'm late" Charlotte had kissed him on the cheek as she took her coat off. The pub was fairly full but Peter had managed to get a table "Don't worry about it. G and T?" "Actually I'll have a large red wine. Been one of those days" He headed to the bar, turning back to look at her as he ordered, She was radiant, she really was. Her fitted jeans and her white jumper accentuated her flowing brown hair. He smiled to himself. He was one lucky bloke He took the drinks and headed back to the table "There you go. Any news on the house?" "As it happens yes. I'm meeting to finalise the deal tomorrow morning" "What time?" "Half nine" He took a sip of his pint "I'll come with you. I can take the morning off, no problem" She looked dubious "Are you sure?" He nodded "Positive. Now, lets get some grub. I'm bloody starving!" -- Over the course of the next three weeks, the Pre Season campaign drew to a conclusion. Three more games were played, which allowed them the chance to get their fitness levels up, and also give the new players the chance to get to grips with the formation and style of play that Peter wanted them to play. The first of these was a home game against Conference side Margate. Ronnie Bull, Benjamin Kibebe and Keko all made their club debut in this game, coming in from the start, and while Bull had a solid game from right back, it was the other two who impressed greatly. Obviously, a 5-0 win over a side who are three levels below them wasn't what mattered, but the level of performance in particular was pleasing. The opener came from Liam Lawrence, who collected Keko's knock down and hit a first time shot into the roof of the goal. The roles reversed for the second, Lawrence crossing for Keko, but it was Kibebe's 60 yard ball from left back into the winger that drew a sharp intake of breath, as it landed perfectly for Lawrence, and his low cross was turned in by the Spaniard 2-0 was how it remained at half time, and six changes, including Moukoko, Kos, de Waard and Ros, were made. The Margate right winger, Joe Graham, had been their biggest threat in the first 45 minutes, but less than a minute into the second half, Ardon de Waard absolutely clattered him, sending him over the advertising boards. From this point on, he never went near the Dutch left back, eventually going off after 65 minutes, but his side were 4-0 down by then, as goals from Keko, a terrific bit of skill to get him past the defender and then a lovely controlled finished, and a beautiful free kick from Kibebe, put the game beyond. There was time for one more, Craig Faulconbridge following up to tap home after Moukoko's shot was saved, which saw Peter and his players come away delighted Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 "David, welcome to Mansfield son" David Lilley had joined the club from Livingston, agreeing his terms the day before the Margate game, and he was warmly greeted by Peter when he arrived at the training ground for his first day "Thanks gaffer. Just glad to be here, turned into a nightmare at Livingston" Peter clapped him on the shoulder "Well don't worry about that now, we'll help you get back into the swing of things. Let me introduce you to the lads" Lilley had met the group, and in training he hadn't been shy to put himself about, swinging crosses in, aswell as flying in for tackles, striking up a particular rapport with Robbie Blake. Going off for training, as the players headed inside, he was met by John Waldron "Morning John" "Morning gaffer. You got a few minutes? Want to run something by you" He nodded "Sure. Let me get changed and I'll see you in my office. You head on in and make a brew" True to his words, ten minutes later he entered his office, Waldron already there with a cup of coffee "What's up John?" "Well, do you still think we need a striker?" Peter linked his fingers, sitting back in his chair as he did so "Well Keko is decent, but he has a history of injuries, and I think Craig is still a bit raw to be a regular back up to Chrissy. Why, who's available?" Waldron looked up, a smile formed across his face "Cherno Samba" Peter nearly spilt his water "Samba? From Millwall?" "Yeah. They've got themselves a new striker and they want him to go on loan somewhere. They'd be open for this level of football for him" "Right, I'll get straight on the phone. Cheers John" Within an hour, loan terms had been agreed and Millwall had arranged for Samba to stay for the season. This was a real coup, he was a very highly rated prospect and would certainly help take the burden off Greenacre Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 Several youngsters had left on loan too, with Bose, Beckham, and then Renner all going elsewhere for more minutes, while another defensive player, ex Celtic defender Jon Paul McGovern, arrived as cover on a free transfer, a pretty low risk deal. He didn't make it in time to travel with the squad for their game against Southampton, but Samba and Lilley both made their first appearances, Samba's 30 minute second half cameo lighting up what was a relatively dull game. It was goalless when the striker replaced Greenacre, both sides struggling to break the other down and both 'keepers having to only make one save each, but Samba scored once, a ruthlessly efficient finish from a brilliant pass by Moukoko, before a brilliant cut back lay off to Simon Rusk saw the Scotsman double the advantage and seal the win "OK lads, take a seat" The players gathered round with the minimum of fuss, as they usually did "OK boys, this is it, we're down to the real business now. Pre Season has gone well and I've been delighted with how you've all performed. I'm not naive enough to stand here and say I expetc a third successive promotion, because that would be crazy. I think we're more than good enough to stay up comfortably, and you all know what you're capable of. Now we're starting at home, so take tomorrow off, spend some time with the families, and then I'll see you on Saturday" The players had all filtered inside, eventually leaving the ground to adhere to their manager's instructions, and as Peter watched the last car drive out, he reflected on what had been a pretty successful pre season campaign. Only one defeat, and since returning from Italy, undefeated, winning two and drawing their last game, a pulsating 2-2 draw against Leyton Orient, in which he had fielded a starting eleven of fringe and backup players, who to be fair to them, had all done well. Keko and Agustin had scored their goals, a Spanish double, while Leo Fortune West and Mark Camm had scored for the hosts, but Peter felt his side had gotten a lot out of the games, and were ready for their opening game in their first ever season in Division One --- "How the hell did we manage to get so many bloody boxes?" Peter grunted, red and sweating after moving yet another box into the house "Stop your moaning old man" He turned round to see Charlotte chuckling, obviously highly amused "We''ll have less of that thankyou. Most of this is your stuff anyway!" "What do you expect? I'm a woman, I have more stuff than you" With that, a cushion came hurtling his way, smiles on both of their faces Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 "Morning Peter" The chairman had popped his head around the corner of his door "Morning Keith. All well?" "Of course. Just wanted to see how things were going with the house?" Peter rolled his eyes "Apart from Charlotte having more stuff than River Island in her possession, it's fine. Hoping to be all unpacked by the middle of next week. Then we've got to order furniture, all that sort of stuff" "Well if you need a day away then let me know and we can arrange it" "No problem, thanks Keith" "Don't mention it. Ready for the season ahead?" Peter leant back and put his foot resting on his knee "Yep. We've had a good few weeks and I think the lads are ready to go. The new lads have settled in too" Keith nodded "Well obviously I'm not naive enough to expect another promotion, but a nice respectable finish would be perfect" Peter nodded "I think we should be fine in that regard. In truth, I expect us to push for top half" -- Field Mill was a buzz for the visit of Grimsby. The crowd was full to the brim, the sun was shining and it was a perfect day for football. Peter had picked his strongest available side for the game, which meant Claus Jensen, Ledley King and Benjamin Kibebe all started, while Blake, Samba and Bull took their place on the bench. The players knew what was expected of them, and while Grimsby were an established Division One team, he expected them to get the result. The game started well, Jensen feeding Lawrence, who fizzed a ball across the goal that Greenacre couldn't quite reach, before Kibebe fired a 25 yard rocket that smacked against the post, but it was another debutant who opened their account for the campaign, Lee Collins finding Moukoko with a sweeping 60 yard pass, and the Cameroon international slipping the ball in for Claus Jensen, who took a touch to control the ball and settle himself, before firing low past the 'keeper. It had been the perfect start, and less than ten minutes later, the lead was doubled, Greenacre using his strength to hold up the ball, bringing his midfielders into play, and it was Simon Rusk who picked the ball up, stroking home from the edge of the area The visitors were shell shocked by this, having not expected such a fast start, and as a result of this they just couldn't get into the game, their passes going astray, players shouting at each other. It was a nightmare, and Peter encouraged his side to take advantage and kill the game off, and this was what they did six minutes before the break, Moukoko slipping in Lawrence, who used the outside of his right foot to guide it home and kill off any hope the visitors had. The second half started in the same vein, with an early goal from the magnificent Moukoko making it 4-0, and it was from that point that changes were made, with Bull, Blake and Marek Szmid all making appearances from the bench. The game petered out into a stalemate after that, the score remaining at 4-0, and when the whistle brought a close to proceedings, Peter was delighted with the start his side had made 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Great start to Division One! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 Cheers WLKRAS. Certainly was a great start! --- "Couldn't have asked for more than that on the opening day gaffer" Damien Matthew had entered the video room with two cups of coffee "Yeah the lads were magnificent weren't they?" "Awesome. Oh by the way, Laurie is coming this afternoon" "Perfect. He'll be a good addition, reliable and solid" Carl Laurie had impressed for several months now, and when Cambridge accepted their £150,000 bid, Peter was delighted. Another versatile player who could cover in defence or midfield, he would be a good addition to the squad -- "Carl, welcome. Good trip?" "Not too bad thanks. This is my brother David, he's my agent" Peter shook his hand. Family members were always better to deal with because they actually had the best in mind for their client "Come on through gentlemen, we'll get down to business" Talks had gone well, Laurie receptive to a move, and within an hour, the contract and terms were all finalised and he would become another member of the Mansfield squad -- "What do you think of this for the living room?" Charlotte had been looking for furniture, and she turned the magazine towards Peter, showing him the sofa she had seen "Oh that's nice actually. Not sure about the colour though" She raised her eyebrows "It comes in different colours silly. So I can order it?" Peter smiled and pulled her towards him, kissing her on the top of her head "Tell you what? I trust your judgment, and you've ordered everything so far. You just go with it OK?" She smiled up at him "I hope you don't regret saying that Daish!" -- West Ham were the first away game of the season, and having just been relegated, they were everybody's favourites for promotion, so it was expected that they would be a tough test. Their team was full of talent, and how they got relegated was a mystery to Peter, but he had to focus on his own side. Samba was still not fully fit so once again he was on the bench, but Marek Szmid and David Lilley both started, Szmid on the right hand side of the midfield and Lilley at fullback, while King and Collins started as the central defensive partnership. The home side started the better, creating a couple of chances early on, as Jermain Defoe and Cain Bond tested Tony Warner. On the other side, David James also had to make a couple of saves, as Greenacre and Kibebe both had good chances, but it was ten minutes before the interval that the opener came, Kibebe sliding through a lovely little pass for Greenacre, the striker collecting the ball on the run and firing it low into the bottom corner. It was a terrific finish, and meant he had scored in all three divisions for the club, a feat not to be sniffed at. However, the game was level when the teams went in at the break, an inswinging corner causing all sorts of problems, and defender Guy Branston rising highest to thunder home a header Peter wasn't, and couldn't be, too harsh on his team, as they had matched their more illustrious hosts for the majority of the first half, but they were on the back foot as they started the second half, Jermain Defoe showing why he probably wouldn't be a Division One player much longer, as he absolutely ran the show. His pace was lightning, and twice in the first fifteen minutes he found himself clear but was denied, once by Warner and once by the woodwork, and he even slipped the ball in for Bond, who fired over the bar. However, the winning goal came against the run of play, and Peter's side had to resort to the old school tactics, as a long ball from Marek Szmid found the marauding David Jervis, the full back calmly controlling the ball before lashing a shot past James. It was a super finish, but they owed the win to Tony Warner, who was forced into making a couple more saves towards the end, but it was enough and they held on 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 23 Author Share Posted January 23 (edited) "That was a tough game gaffer" Peter and his coaching team reflected on the game on the bus on the way back "Nothing less than I expected. They'll be right up there at the end of the season" Nods of agreement "I'm a bit concerned about the performance though. We weren't at our best" "I'm not too worried Damien. We played a good side, we got the points despite not being at our best. Shows how far we've come" It was Claus Estevaag that spoke next "What about the cups boss? They a priority?" Peter pondered for a second "FA Cup is more important, I'd always try and win those games. League Cup is a good chance to play some of the younger players" -- "No peeking. Not till I tell you!" Charlotte had her hands over his eyes, guiding him through the house "I hope this isn't a joke?" Eventually, she removed her hands, revealing a fully furnished, finished living room "Well, what do you think?" Peter was momentarily speechless "I don't know what to say. It's amazing" "Really?" He turned and gave her a kiss on the cheek "Really. I knew leaving this sort of stuff to you would be a good decision. I love it, I really do" Edited January 23 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 23 Author Share Posted January 23 The League Cup provided a break from Division One, and Peter had decided several days ago that he would be resting many of his regular players for the visit to Oldham. This saw the likes of Faulconbridge, Jacob Hoj, Jon Paul McGovern, Jose Ros, Ronnie Bull and forgotten man Jamie Clarke all make their first starts, and while he still expected his side to go out there and do the business, he wouldn't be too disappointed if they didn't, although he would never admit that. The home side had come so close to promotion the year before, missing out with defeat in the Playoff Final, but two early defeats had seen a stuttering start to their league campaign this season, having had their over achieving squad decimated The conditions were not nice, a typically freezing Manchester night forcing many of the players to wear gloves, and it didn't take long for the rain to come pelting down, but it didn't stop Mansfield playing their usual game, as they fizzed the ball about nicely, working out several openings in the first twenty minutes. The best of these fell to Faulconbridge, the striker getting the ball out of his feet really well, but leaning back as he hit his shot and firing it over. It was Jamie Clarke who scored the opener though, fighting his way through and heading home a Ronnie Bull corner. Bull himself should have doubled the advantage before the break, twice having a good opportunity to do so but being thwarted both times, and despite their dominance, they went in at the break level. The second half was a stroll in the park, their superior passing ability allowing them to control the possession and the tempo of the game, but they had to wait until injury time to seal it, despite an abundance of chances falling their way, but it was a clever through ball from Keko finding his strike partner Faulconbridge, and the striker finished really well to seal a deserved and comfortable win -- "I don't think we need another striker really John" John Waldron had brought to his attention the availability of Carlisle striker Johnny Allan "He wouldn't be first team. I just think the fee is so small and we can develop him, he's only young" Peter pondered for a minute "OK, get on to them and get it done" Waldron left his office and no sooner had he sat back down, physio Frank Myrie knocked on "Come in Frank" He sat down opposite "Just an update on the injury front boss" As he said it he pushed a file across the desk "Thanks Frank. No chance of Chris making it?" Myrie shook his head "Not for the next game. Samba looks fit and ready though. Liam and Wouter are probably going to miss out too" "Damn. Alright Frank, thanks for letting me know" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 23 Author Share Posted January 23 "Hey. How was work?" Charlotte had met him at the restaurant, both having decided to spend a rare Friday evening together. She kissed him as she sat down "Busy today. Had a couple of people leave suddenly so it's all chaotic" "Ouch. Will it affect you much?" "Not really. Oh, I've been told I'm covering the Euros at the end of the season too" Peter smiled "That's brilliant. That's a big thing right?" She nodded "Only four of us have been nominated so it's a big deal" Both smiled again "I guess dinner is on me then!" -- The fixture list had certainly made it a tough start, with another recently relegated side up next, and one they had met in Pre Season, as Southampton were the next visitors. Again, as with West Ham, they had some good players and were expected to be right up there at the end of the season. However, come the end of the 90 minutes, they had been absolutely played off the park by Peter's side, dominated from first whistle to last. They came out of the blocks like lightning, both Cherno Samba and Moukoko having early chances, Samba's forcing a good save from Paul Jones, but this was how the pattern of the game continued over the first half. Robbie Blake fired just wide, Claus Jensen struck a brilliant free kick that smacked against the post, while Samba saw a header brilliantly tipped over the bar. Coming up to the interval, it was a miracle how the game remained goalless, but Peter did see his side take the lead before the break, Moukoko sliding in Samba, and the striker finishing clinically, striking a left foot shot low into the bottom corner. No changes came at the break, but the game continued in the same vein, as chance after chance came their way. Jensen saw an effort tipped round the post, Jones made a fantastic double save from Samba and then Moukoko, but he could do nothing about the second goal, a Simon Rusk corner finding it's way to the edge of the box, where Moukoko was waiting to strike the sweetest left foot volley he ever had in his life, and it flew into the top corner. There was however, a glimmer of hope for the away side, when Dean Keates slotted home from just inside the area when the ball fell to him, but all this managed to do was anger the beast, and two goals in eight minutes, from Samba, who dinked over the 'keeper, and then Blake, who lashed home from ten yards, sealed a comfortable and impressive win, one which would put the rest of the League on notice -- "Morning Keith" The chairman had pulled in alongside him that morning "Morning Peter. Superb result on Saturday" He nodded "Yeah the lads were magnificent. Probably the best performance since I took charge in terms of all round play, and considering the opponent" "I have to agree. By the way, there's a sponsors dinner on Thursday night. Be nice if you could attend" Peter hated events like that, but he felt obliged to make the effort "That should be fine. Where is it?" "Mansfield Town Hall. Starts at 7pm. More than welcome to bring Charlotte if she's available" He nodded. That would make the evening more bearable "I'll ask her. Do we have a board meeting this week?" The chairman shook his head "No. I've got to go to London for a couple of days on a business arrangement so won't be able to fit one in. I'll send you all the relevant information though" With that both men parted their separate ways to go about their daily business 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 "Right lads, I want to try something new today. Wouter, Simon, Claus, come here next to me" The three midfielders jogged up to their spot "All the forwards, go and line up next to Inga" Eventually, everyone was at their station "Right, so this is how it goes. One of the three lads next to me will feed you the ball. Lay it back off to them, then they'll spread it wide. Once you lay it off, get into the box and then get on the end of the cross. Finish one and then go to the other side, do it again. Happy?" Murmurs of content from the players "OK. On my whistle. Go!" Ten minutes into the drill, Damien Matthew wandered over "How come we're trying this today gaffer?" "I think we need to be more clinical off crosses, certainly at this level. Important part of things now I think" His assistant nodded "Couldn't agree more. I was thinking of taking some of the lads for set piece training too?" Peter nodded "Sure. We'll finish this drill then take who you need" -- The sponsors dinner had, as expected, been a fairly dull affair, the usual sort of stuff and typical meet and greet, and while Peter didn't like these sort of events, he knew they were part and parcel of his job. He had pretty much done the rounds when the chairman grabbed him, looking a little worse for wear and flushed in the cheeks, to direct him away from the door "Peter, glad I got you. There's someone I'd like you to meet" He guided him towards the corner of the room, where there stood an elegantly dressed man and woman "Peter, this is Steven Burkett. And his wife Penelope" Peter shook his hand warmly "Pleasure to meet you Mr Burkett" "Oh please, it's Steven. I have to say Peter, I've been hugely impressed with your work at Mansfield over the last two years" Peter waved a hand "The players deserve the credit, they make my job easy" "Oh don't be so modest. I've supported Mansfield all my life, and I've never seen football played like this group plays it" The men chatted for a further half an hour, mainly about football, before Peter made his excuses and left. Although he couldn't deny, he had enjoyed his time talking with Burkett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 The local media had been getting carried away in the days leading up to the final game of the month. Four wins from four, including wins against newly relegated sides, had sent them into a frenzy with premature talk of promotion, which, in his interview on the Friday, he had quickly squashed, maintaining that a top half finish was the target of both himself and the board. However, an away trip to Port Vale was a game he did think they were capable of getting maximum points from. Marek Szmid came in at right back, while Greenacre and Kos returned to the starting line-up. They were dealt a blow in the warm up too when Cesar picked up a knock, so Lawrence came into the side in place of the Spaniard. It was another quick start, and within 17 minutes, they were 2-0 ahead. Szmid scored the first, bombing forward on the right, overlapping Lawrence, who fed the ball inside to Moukoko. The midfielder flicked it through to Szmid, who cut inside on his left foot and curled a deft little finish past Mark Goodlad. Szmid played a part in the second, but it was an all round brilliant team goal in the end, as the full back played it to Kos, who powered through midfield before spraying it left to Moukoko. He swung it out right to Lawrence, who found Rusk. The Scotsman feigned to shoot, before cutting it back for Greenacre, and the striker stroked the ball with ease into the net. There was more chances and Greenacre should have had a hat trick before the break, but the changes on the hour mark played a huge part and allowed them to seal the points. Ledley King replaced Mark Arber, and it was the former Spurs man who set up the third goal, firing a long ball into the path of Lawrence, who had escaped and broken the offside trap, before rounding the 'keeper and sliding the ball home. Keko had replaced Greenacre too, and it was the Spaniard who set up the fourth and final goal, his skill and touch allowing him to get a shot off, which was parried by the 'keeper, into the path of Moukoko who just guided it into the empty goal and secured a fifth win out of five to start the season -- August 2003 Results [Division One unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 4-0 Grimsby [Jensen 10, Rusk 19, Lawrence 39, Moukoko 50] West Ham 1-2 Mansfield [Greenacre 35, Jervis 76 ; Branston 40] League Cup Round One Oldham 0-2 Mansfield [Clarke 36, Faulconbridge 90+3] Mansfield 4-1 Southampton [Samba 43,79, Moukoko 57, Blake 87 ; Keates 74] Port Vale 0-4 Mansfield [Szmid 8, Greenacre 17, Lawrence 66, Moukoko 90+1] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 "Morning Keith. Good doo on Thursday" The chairman nodded "I was a bit rough Friday morning. Think I had too much Scotch" Peter smiled "I keep to a minimum at events like that. By the way, who was the Burkett fella? He never actually said what sponsor he was from" "He's not a sponsor. He's actually looking at buying a stake in the club" Peter looked stunned "I didn't know you were looking to sell?!" "Only part of my share. I want to spend more time with the grandchildren, and I think selling some of my stake allows me to do that" After another five minutes, Peter had headed off to training, still surprised by the chairman's news. Mind you, Burkett said he was a fan of the club and seemed to know his football, so maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing -- "I don't know Damien. I still think another central midfielder would be useful. I think maybe I made a mistake letting Glenn leave" Peter had watched in dismay as Cesar, after a crunching 50/50, and then Wouter Kos had both gone off the training field with slight knocks "He wanted to go back home though gaffer, not much we could have done" "I know. I'll get John on the lookout. Depending how bad these injuries are, we might have to use the younger lads" He looked back to see both players in the physio's room. Kos was at least standing, but Cesar looked in some pain as he lay on the physio table "We'll be OK. Wouter didn't look too bad but Cesar could be a problem. Carl can always step in if needed" -- A trip to Crystal Palace beckoned, and as he suspected, he had to draft in some reinforcements. Carl Laurie came in, as did Geir Olsen for a rare start. Olsen had been a model professional, never complaining about his lack of game time, and Peter had no issues with drafting him into the squad. David Lilley came in at right back, while Simon Rusk slotted in the holding role, but this game belonged to the ever reliable David Jervis, who capped his man of the macth display with two goals. The first of these came after just 12 minutes. He had taken a corner, and as it was cleared he stayed forward. The ball eventually found Liam Lawrence, who swung a deep cross to the back post where Jervis was there to meet it with a controlled side foot volley and give his side the lead. From then on, it was one way traffic, the home side never looking like getting back into the game, and the only question was how it remained 1-0 for as long as it did. Greenacre had two really good first half chances, Olsen missed from six yards when it looked easier to score, while Moukoko curled a free-kick just inches wide of the post. The second half continued in the same vein. Keko had replaced Greenacre at half time, with the striker complaining of a tight thigh, and the Spaniard caused all kinds of problems. He was holding it up and allowing the midfielders to run forward, he was flicking it on, he was shooting himself. He must have been a nightmare for the defenders to play against, but despite their dominance - 16 shots by the 80th minute - they still only had one goal for their endeavors, but this changed late on, as two goals in six minutes capped off the display. Jervis doubled the lead, and his own personal tally, when he overlapped Moukoko and collected the Cameroonian's pass. He slipped into the box and hit, what was in truth, a pretty weak shot straight at the 'keeper, but he somehow only managed to palm it into the roof of the net. He had no chance with the third, never even getting a fingertip to it, as Keko collected Rusk's pass, taking it in his stride and absolutely smashing the ball home, leaving the 'keeper no chance, and yet another three points was secured 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 Peter had been surprised at how easily his side had adapted to the rigours of Division One. They had made it look relatively easy in the games so far, but he knew there would be a time when they would have to work hard to get their results. That said, he was constantly making sure his players were working hard and training well, and as he sat in his office after another good training session, he started to work on his selection, and in game plans, for their next game. He was distracted by his mobile buzzing on the desk "Peter Daish" "Mr Daish? This is Dr Ranjeev Amrit from Mansfield Community Hospital. Do you know a Charlotte Walker?" "Yes, she's my partner" "OK. Well she's currently with us here. It's nothing serious but she collapsed at work and complained of some stomach pains" "I'll be there in ten minutes!" Peter picked up his car keys and coat, before running off down the corridor. As he did so, he passed Danielle at reception "Danielle, can you let Keith know I'm going to the hospital?. Charlotte's been taken ill" "Of course, I'll ring him now. Do you want me to tell the rest of your staff?" He shouted back as he dashed off "Please love" Less than ten minutes later, he was being taken by a nurse into the ward to see Charlotte. As he approached, she was awake but looking a little groggy, She did manage a weak smile as he approached "Hey you" He bent down to kiss her on the forehead "Hey yourself. Bit drastic to get some time off work this isn't it?" He said it with a smile, knowing he had to try and cheer her up. Fortunately, she knew what he was trying to do "What can I say, was all I could think of. I'm sorry I had to drag you away" He shook his head "Nonsense. I was here like a shot" They spent another ten minutes talking before Peter decided to let her get some rest. It was then that he spoke to the Doctor who had phoned him originally "So what's the problem then Doc?" He consulted his notes "Well we've still got some tests to run but early signs suggest it's gallstones" "And is it serious?" "Well usually they can be passed through, but it appears the stomach pain may be caused by one of the stones getting trapped somewhere, so we may have to do shock treatment first to break them down" Peter nodded "How long will she have to remain in hospital?" "We'll be keeping her in for the next few days until we're certain we can treat her without any issues" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now