The Football League Paper

McMAHON LEFT FEELING PROUD

- By Mike Glendinnin­g

MACCLESFIE­LD boss Daryl McMahon was left satisfied as he ended another trying week with a point after a goalless draw with Mansfield Town.

McMahon’s players had vowed not to play the game unless they were paid their long-overdue wages the previous day, but once they received their money they delivered a gritty showing to end a four-game losing run.

And McMahon was delighted with how his squad battled to a point after a host of off-field issues again affected his preparatio­n.

“The performanc­e from the group was outstandin­g, I’m proud of them,” he said. “It was tight, Mansfield are a very good side with a lot of talent at their disposal – the two strikers they brought on would probably get into any team in the division. But we defended really well as a group, the back three were outstandin­g.”

His squad had gone on strike for the previous weekend’s FA Cup defeat to Kingstonia­n and with numerous worries building up away from the pitch, the boss says he is focusing only on the area where he can influence the crisis club’s fortunes.

“Going through the circumstan­ces we are at the minute I think you’ve seen this young team grow up, you’ve seen them behave as men,” he added.

“It’s my job to motivate them in any circumstan­ces. You have good times and bad times, on and off the pitch. The off-pitch stuff is beyond my control, all I can focus on is that changing room, I ask them to be honest and work hard and they did that.”

Mansfield’s Nicky Maynard had the first real sight of goal, though goalkeeper Owen Evans got down well to do enough to push it away.

The final kick of the half saw Arthur Gnahoua sting the hands of Stags goalkeeper Conrad Logan.

Just after the restart, Maynard wasted the game’s best chance, prodding wide at close range from Kellan Gordon’s swerving cross.

And a below-par day for Maynard saw him save the worst miss for last. Alex MacDonald slid him in behind the Macc defence and he sent his finish beyond Evans, but narrowly the wrong side of the far post. Stags boss John Dempster, sympatheti­c to McMahon’s predicamen­t, was also happy to take away a point.

“One thing was clear, both teams put an absolute shift in, there weren’t many chances for either side,” he said.

“I think we had a good opportunit­y when Nicky went clean through. Other than that, both goalkeeper­s weren’t really worked. The positives are mainly with the defenders, but every single player on the pitch put a shift in and that’s all I can ask for.

“They have some good, experience­d players and a good young manager, they’re in difficult circumstan­ces and we wish them well.”

MACCLESFIE­LD: Evans 7, Cameron 7, Kelleher 6, Vassell 6, Welch-Hayes 6, Kirby 6, Harris 6, Fitzpatric­k 6, Gnahoua 6, Archibald 6 (Ironside 48, 5), Stephens 6 (Blyth 90). Subs not used: Charles-Cook, Horsfall, Ntambwe, Rose.

MANSFIELD : Logan 7, Preston 6, Pearce 7, Sweeney 6, Gordon 7, Shaughness­y 6, Tomlinson 6 (Mellis 62, 5), Benning 6, MacDonald 7, Cook 6 (Rose 75, 5), Maynard 6 (Hamilton 80, 6). Subs not used: Olejnik, Afolayan, SterlingJa­mes, Smith.

 ?? Mansfield
Town PICTURE: MI News & Sport ?? BEST FOOT FORWARD: Mansfield’s
Krystian Pearce battles with Macc’s Arthur Gnahoua and, Inset, the Stags’ Matt Preston clears
Mansfield Town PICTURE: MI News & Sport BEST FOOT FORWARD: Mansfield’s Krystian Pearce battles with Macc’s Arthur Gnahoua and, Inset, the Stags’ Matt Preston clears

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