Nigel Clough disappointed with penalty as Mansfield pegged back at Colchester
Posted Wednesday, August 18, 2021 by PA
Mansfield boss Nigel Clough was disappointed with the decision to award Colchester a late penalty after they secured a 1-1 draw at the JobServe Community Stadium.
The Stags looked like they were heading for victory following Elliott Hewitt’s 73rd-minute header.
But Freddie Sears netted Colchester a last-gasp equaliser from the spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Frank Nouble had controversially been adjudged to have been fouled in the box.
Clough said: “I thought we should have won the game. We put one of our chances away and it should have been enough tonight.
“I’m astounded by the penalty decision really. The lad (Frank Nouble) who has been fouled hasn’t actually appealed for the penalty – he got up to play the next ball and tried to get a shot off.
“He didn’t actually appeal for it yet the referee, with two players in front of him, has managed to spot something that maybe nobody else has seen.
“We probably created more tonight than we did in the two homes games. We played some lovely football at times – we’ve got to get better at certain things but third game in, it is very, very encouraging.
“We gave the ball away before they scored and the ball should have been in the corner area. The ball shouldn’t have come out as easily as that.”
Mansfield had been the better side, with Colchester keeper Shamal George making a string of fine saves to keep them out prior to Hewitt scoring.
George twice denied Danny Johnson in the first half and also foiled Ollie Clarke and Rhys Oates, before Hewitt planted a fine header into the far corner from Stephen Quinn’s cross to the far post.
But Sears stuck late, to earn Colchester a point.
Colchester boss Hayden Mullins said: “That feels like a victory in the end.
“When you snatch a draw like that right at the end, it lifts the players in a strange way.
“The dressing room is a bit more bubbly because we knew that if we’d lost again today, it would be tough work for us. It feels like a victory in some ways.
“Mansfield started well; we made a few changes to our shape and that settled us down a little bit.
“It was a tough start – we lost (Tom) Eastman and Ryan (Clampin) to injury but Charlie Daniels came on and settled us down.
“He’s got real quality on the ball and he helped us get a grip in the second half.
“Mansfield are a good side, the way they play their system and really attacking in what they do, so it was a tough game.
“Our goalkeeper Sham (George) is earning his money!”
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