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Archived News from April 2005

STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
5th April 2005 10:20


For nearly the whole of last season, the Stags fought with Yeovil for either auto promo or playoffs positions. Both sides figured very strongly in that frame all the time. And in the end, the Stags clinched a playoffs position while the Glovers just about missed out. And that was also mainly due to both sides not playing for draws.

Last season,Yeovil were the first side to deny the Stags a Field Mill league goal. That happened on September 20, 2003, when a Jackson strike just before half-time was enough to beat an on that day depleted Stags side due to injuries and suspensions – the latter in the aftermath of the controversial game at Swansea some weeks earlier. And the away game at Yeovil was played on March 27, 2004. Before that game, the Stags had endured an appalling away run with three straight defeats with eleven goals conceded and some of the worst performances of last season. That away spell was ended about ten minutes from time, when Rhys Day headed home the equalizer. On the hour mark, Skiverton had given Yeovil the lead. The Day strike was to prove VERY crucial in the final reckoning. Where had the Stags finished without that goal???

Before their entry into the Football league last season, Yeovil were known as FA Cup giant-killers big style. On more than twenty occasions did the Glovers dump a league side out of the Cup. And the most memorable day in Yeovil's glorious Cup history was as far back as January 29, 1949. On this day, the Glovers kayoed the then First Division eight-placed team Sunderland 2-1 in the fourth round at home – and this result must surely rank among the greatest FA cup giant-killings of all time! And to top that, the Yeovil winning goal was secured by an ex-Stag. Eric Bryant sent the whole of Somerset wild by netting the winner. Bryant had previously scored 17 goals in 35 league fixtures for the Stags, 15 of them in the 1946-47 season when the Stags finished bottom of the old div 3 (S).

In the previous round, Yeovil had disposed of Bury – then playing in the old 2nd division - at home to a 3-1 scoreline. Other teams that have been kayoed by Yeovil over the years are Crystal Palace, Fulham, Blackpool and Colchester – the latter two in the 2000-01 season when the Glovers nearly accounted for Bolton in the third round. Earlier this season, Championship side Plymouth were dumped out of the League cup in extra time by the Glovers. And on the August Bank Holiday Monday, a three-goal-blitz inside five minutes midway through the second half (scorers: Artell, Larkin and Corden) paved the way to the first of two consecutive Stags 4-1 home victories. In that fixture, Asamoah opened the Stags account after just eight minutes.

And the Glovers have yet to play a goal-less league game this season. Their record so far, 79 for, 61 against, speaks volumes about the attacking style of the Somerset side, which this season also reached the FA Cup 4th round, then causing Premiership side Charlton some problems at The Valley, needless to print that the Glovers managed to score then. In the league, scoring has been no problem, while conceding has. Only Kidderminster, next to bottom, have conceded more League Two goals than Yeovil. And the Glovers have faltered a bit recently, although still in auto promo position despite losing against Notts County at home as well as away to
Rushden & Diamonds most recently, while the Stags have won two in a row, most recently 2-0 at home to
Grimsby.

Played for both sides: George Anderson, Kim Book, Eric Bryant, David Coles, Derek Dawkins, Fred Holbeach, Henry Jones, William Kirk, John McClelland, Paul McLoughlin, John Mitten, Kenneth Murray, Jack Roy, Brian Thompson. Apart from the above-mentioned Bryant, the Stags' first-ever international John McClelland is best known. He played a couple of games for the Glovers at the end of their 1993-94 Conference campaign.

Home: P 2, W 1, D 0, L 1, GF 4, GA 2
Away: P 1, W 0, D 1, L 0, GF 1, GA 1

Season Home Date Away Date

2003-04 0-1 2003-09-20 1-1 2004-03-27 Div 3
2004-05 4-1 2004-08-30 (at Field Mill) League Two

Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right)

Played for both sides update courtesy of the history CD

 

Latest | April 2005