Managerial Reaction.....

Last updated : 04 April 2006 By Editor
Speaking to the Mansfield CHAD newspaper after the game, Stags boss Peter Shirtliff said "I don't know if it was a goal but I thought the one was had disallowed was a goal,"

"It did look as if their keeper dived into his net to pull it back but it is difficult to say from my angle.

"I was very disappointed with what happened after that with fans running on the pitch and having to be rugby tackled by stewards.

"I haven't seen that for a long time in football and it's disappointing that it happened here. I don't think that helped either side.

"Overall I though we played quite well. Neither side had a real chance in the first half.

"But the game livened up after the break. We allowed Oxford a few chances through some ridiculous defending. But, otherwise, I thought we did quite well and tried to get round the back of them."

Meanwhile Jim Smith was quick to make his views clear on the trouble that followed the hotly contested goal "I don't really know if the ball went over the line to be honest. The keeper said it didn't but he would - naturally!

"I can't defend what happened at the end. Apparently a supporter threw a bottle which smashed among our fans.

"We want a tremendous away support but we don't want to be associated with people jumping over the barriers and fighting with stewards.

"I can understand their frustrations but you have to be bigger than that."

"We didn't play particularly well but we had four or five really good chances to score and we should have been 2-0 up inside 10 minutes."