Daniel has to be confident, says Paul
MANSFIELD boss Paul Cox has called on Colin Daniel to start walking tall after his stunning freekick took the Stags into the top half of the table in a bad-tempered affair with ten-man Morecambe.
Daniel – a first half substitute for the injured Lee Beevers – let loose with a left-foot rocket to the right of centre on 43 minutes that picked out the top left-hand corner.
There were more yellow cards than chances in a feisty second half and Morecambe saw midfielder Andrew Fleming sent off for a lunge on Adam Murray.
Eight minutes of injury-time were signalled but Mansfield held on, with manager Cox ecstatic with the attitude of his side.
“We’re not safe until the maths add up but the boys are putting in one hell of a shift.We’re on a great run and we don’t want it to end,” said Cox, whose side are now 12th, ten points from danger.
“We had to match Morecambe’s tenacity and in the second half we did that.
“Not a goalkeeper in the world would’ve saved Colin Daniel’s free-kick. That’s the frustrating thing with Colin, he’s got wonderful ability and we need him to come out of his shell a little bit.
“It was a bad tempered game, passions run high in football, but I felt the sending off was the right decision, it was a rash tackle and the referee had no option.”
Morecambe were the more enterprising of the two sides in the opening period but squandered numerous chances.
Martin Riley’s poor control sent Jack Redshaw in on goal on nine minutes, but with just the goalkeeper to beat he prodded wide of goal.
And the Shrimps were made to pay on the stroke of half-time when Daniel fired a thumping effort past the helpless Barry Roche.
The keeper denied him a second stunning freekick on 74 minutes and then produced a wonderful save to keep out Matt Rhead’s header, only for Fleming to undo his good work when he saw red for a nasty tackle on Murray.
The result leaves Morecambe five points clear of safety but boss Jim Bentley cut a downcast figure after the game.
“I didn’t see the sending off,” he said.“I was organising something else at the time, but I’ve had some honest answers that will stay in the dressing room.
“We have to take our chances.We got into good positions in the final third but didn’t make the most of it.
“Redshaw has had the best week of training he’s had in a long time.
“But in a game you have to make it count in the penalty area.”