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Old 07-03-2007, 02:04
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Re: English CC League Midweek

Nottingham Forest 0 - 1 Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster put another dent in Nottingham Forest's promotion hopes - and fuelled their own dreams of reaching the play-offs - as they claimed a deserved 1-0 success.Brian Stock rifled home a 44th minute thunderbolt from 35 yards to earn Rovers a deserved win, after Forest failed to reproduce their recent form.
Colin Calderwood's side were booed off the pitch by their own fans, after failing to add to their back to back wins over Chesterfield and Huddersfield.

After scoring five goals on Saturday, Forest were limited to a handful of chances by well organised opposition who attacked dangerously on the break.James Coppinger came close to powering the visitors into the lead with a curling free-kick that brought the best from Paul Smith, who did well to hold on to the powerfully struck shot as it arrowed under his bar.

Forest were furious at being denied a fairly blatant penalty moments later, as a Kris Commons ball into the box sent Junior Agogo charging forward, only for the striker to be felled by a clumsy challenge from Adam Lockwood.

Referee Taylor was not convinced however, allowing play to continue - and Doncaster to forge an attack that almost lead to them taking the advantage.

Coppinger was a key figure again as he crossed from the right for Mark McCammon, who dived in bravely to connect with a header, but saw Wes Morgan make an equally determined block.

Morgan had to defend well again, to throw his body into the path of a Sean Thornton shot, while Mark Wilson fired a half chance wide of the post, as Doncaster grew in confidence.

The game was delayed for several minutes as Doncaster were forced into a change, with McCammon picking up a shoulder injury in an aerial challenge with Julian Bennett.

It did not halt Doncaster's momentum however as they powered their way into the lead in spectacular fashion, with Stock striking a breath-taking 35-yard drive out of nothing, which simply flew into the top corner as Smith looked on helpless.

It took until the 66th minute for Forest to truly threaten, with Commons forcing a fine save from veteran keeper Neil Sullivan, who reacted superbly to palm a low, powerful effort around the upright.

Two minutes later and Forest really should have scored, only for Agogo to fire badly over from a knock-down from substitute Nathan Tyson.

Smith had to produce a smart reaction save to deny Bruce Dyer as he pounced on an under-hit John Curtis back pass.

Meanwhile Forest never really forced the kind of pressure that suggested an equaliser could be on the horizon.

Blackpool 2 - 0 Bournemouth
Blackpool got their play-off bid back on track with a comfortable 2-0 victory over a disappointing Bournemouth outfit.
Blackpool set their stall out as early as the first minute when Adrian Forbes cut his way through a static defence, only to see his 12-yard shot hit the inside of a post and bounce to safety.

The Seasiders kept up the pressure and Cherries keeper Neil Moss did well to hold on to a Simon Gillett drive and then Moss saved bravely at the feet of Ben Burgess, before scrambling a Shaun Barker header off his goal-line.

Bournemouth finally cracked in the 35th minute. A long and patient build-up by Blackpool saw them string together a dozen passes, before Burgess' final touch set Forbes free and the right winger, who had his best game since joining the Seasiders, made no mistake from 15 yards out.

It took Bournemouth 41 minutes before they finally won a corner but that was cleared with ease by the Blackpool defence in which Ian Evatt was outstanding alongside Latvian Kaspars Gorkss, who was taken off the bench just before the kick-off after Michael Jackson was taken ill during the pre-match warm-up.

Bournemouth rallied a little in the second half but most of their best moves broke down on the edge of the Blackpool box.

In the 50th minute Blackpool consolidated their lead. Again some good build-up work allowed David Fox room down the right and his inch-perfect cross was volleyed home by Burgess at the far post.

In the 60th minute the Cherries finally got a shot on target when Paul Rachubka was forced into a low save by Marc Wilson's free-kick.James Hayter, who came on as a half-time substitute for Bournemouth, tested Rachubka in the 75th minute with a long distance effort, but Blackpool got their act together and finished in style creating chances and dominating midfield.

Port Vale 1 - 1 Cheltenham Town
Port Vale's home form has been impressive of late with notable scalps against Yeovil and Oldham.
However, visiting Cheltenham proved tough opposition as they continue to fight for their League One status.

The home side seemed keen to take an early lead when some poor defending gifted Danny Whitaker the ball on the edge of the box, but his shot was straight down the throat of the goalkeeper.

The Valiants flirted with danger just before the half hour when loose marking by George Pilkington allowed Kayode Odejayi to shoot from 12 yards, but the underside of the crossbar kept the scores level.

The deadlock was finally broken three minutes before the break when Jason Talbot won back possession in his own half to supply Leon Constantine with a pass inside to kick start a Vale counter attack.

The Robins defence was stretched to breaking point when Constantine's pass out to the flank found Malvin Kamara arriving, who smashed a low shot on to Shane Higgs' right post and into the net.

Cheltenham almost levelled four minutes after the restart when Odejayi was presented with another shooting opportunity inside the box, but Joe Anyon got down well to palm the ball away.

Anyon was put to the test by the visiting striker once again when he attempted a long-range curling effort, but the young goalkeeper dealt with the threat competently once more.

Martin Foyle's men pushed on for a second in the 62nd minute when the ball bounced kindly for Kamara on the edge of the box, only for the winger to fire the half-volley inches wide.Craig Armstrong's 70th minute long throw proved to be a catalyst the visitors needed with Vale's defence failing to clear it, helping Michael Townsend to volley the ball into the roof of the net from four yards.

The home fans were forced to the edge of their seats in the dying minutes when substitute Steven Gillespie broke down the left to squeeze a shot in at the by-line, but a sigh of relief was breathed as Anyon saved.

Mansfield Town 2 - 1 Chester City
The sunshine of Barbados moved one step closer for the Stags as their slim promotion hopes - and the prize of a free holiday to the Caribbean if they reach the play-offs - were kept alive by a late winner.
New chairman James Derry had offered the holiday incentive just before kick-off in a bid to inspire Mansfield to extend their three-match unbeaten run.

But it was Chester who looked inspired as they grabbed an early lead through debutant Brad Maylett and went in search of their first win in four games to keep alive their own outside hopes of reaching the play-offs.

But Mansfield came storming back to stretch their unbeaten run to four games and move to within nine points of a play-off place - condemning Chester to only their second defeat in eight away games.

Mansfield central defender Alex Baptiste was the unlikely hero, heading in a corner eight minutes from time following Simon Brown's first-half equaliser.

Former Stags' favourite David Artell was ruled out of a return to his old club through a head wound, but Maylett, on loan from Boston, did make his full debut for Chester - and made an immediate impact with the opening goal.

A defensive error and a fine finish handed the visitors a ninth minute lead. The recalled Jon Olav Hjelde looked uncertain as he tried to shepherd the ball back to his keeper, and his eventual clearance fell kindly for Maylett to hammer first time into an empty net from an acute angle.

Chester looked dangerous on the break and Maylett should have struck again in the 12th minute when he raced clear onto a long goal kick, but his final tame shot was easily saved by Jason White.

Mansfield dominated possession though and threatened an equaliser through Brown, Barry Colon and Nathan Arnold, before Brown finally raced on to Conlon's perfect pass over the defence, raced clear and finished calmly to level in the 27th minute.

The home side might have taken the lead just before half-time, but keeper John Danby superbly dived low to cut out a deflected Bryan Hodge cross.

With the Stags still dominant, Chester survived a double scare in the 53rd minute. First Simon Marples raced back to prevent Hodge from converting a John Mullins cross.

Then, with keeper Danby struggling to reach a cross from the resulting throw, Jamie Hand threw himself in the way of Arnold's finish to again deny the home side the lead.

On a rare City counter attack, Laurence Wilson forced White into an acrobatic flying save as his 35-yard thunderbolt was tipped away from the top corner by the young keeper.

But the home side continued to dominate and another fine piece of defending, this time from Phil Bolland with a perfectly-timed clearance, stopped Conlon from heading in a cross from substitute Matt Hamshaw.

But the Stags could not be denied in the 82nd minute when another Hamshaw flag-kick was inadvertently flicked on by a Chester defender and Baptiste headed home via the underside of the bar.

Accrington Stanley 1 - 1 Bristol Rovers
Substitute Shaun Whalley saved Accrington Stanley from another damaging defeat with a 90th minute equaliser against Bristol Rovers.
Whalley had been on the pitch 19 minutes when he fired a left foot set-piece through a crowded box into the bottom corner.

It had looked as if the visitors would leave east Lancashire with all three points after Richard Walker had headed his side into the lead on 58 minutes.

But it all went wrong in the dying stages as captain Stuart Campbell was also shown a red card for what looked like a push on Whalley.

In all fairness to Stanley though, who are now three points above the drop zone, they weren't the inferior side. In fact, for most of it they were actually the better of the two sides.

Both clubs came into the game on runs of four fixtures without a win and it certainly showed in a forgettable first half.

Neither outfit seemed capable of creating any sustained periods of pressure in the attacking third.

The hosts started the better and with a bit more purpose. Rommy Boco and Andy Todd had some early success down the flanks, while Andy Mangan looked lively upfront.

And it brought them the first real chance of the game when Mangan cut inside from the right to fire a low shot that bounced awkwardly in front of Steve Phillips in the Pirates goal.

Even though Paul Trollope's side were not really in the game, they should have actually taken the lead when Rickie Lambert blazed a volley over from the edge of the six-yard box after strike partner Walker had flicked on at the near post.

The second period started exactly the same as the first, with Stanley looking the more likely.

However, on 58 minutes, they were hit with the ultimate sucker punch. Central midfielder Craig Disley picked the ball up on the right wing to hook an inch-perfect ball on to the head of Walker, who did the rest with a powerful finish into the bottom right corner.

But then the late drama started as Whalley smashed home to send the paltry 1,300 crowd wild with delight.
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