Archived News from April 2007
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STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
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Last weekend's losing JP Trophy finalist, Bristol Rovers, are our next Field Mill opponents on Easter Saturday.
And just like the Stags, the Pirates have been very inconsistent this season. This have hindered both sides from being in the playoffs reckoning. While the Stags have lost their two latest home fixtures to a 1-2 scoreline against relegation-threatened outfits, Bristol Rovers won their latest away fixture by the only goal of the game at Wycombe on March 27. And the Stags have scored more home goals, 35, than any other side in the bottom half, yet Bristol Rovers have managed 17 strikes on their travels, the lowest of any current top-half side. But the latest Field Mill clash between the Stags and Bristol Rovers was a high-scoring one. And on December 28, 2005, the Stags went 2-0 up before Bristol Rovers equalized just before half-time due to another controversial spot-kick (Two very controversial Bristol Rovers penalties were awarded in the 4-4 draw at Bristol on March 19, 2005). But the Stags took the lead in the second half before being robbed in injury time. And more often than not have Bristol Rovers left Field Mill emptyhanded – i.e. six consecutive games there without scoring a single goal in the mid-sixties – out of total thirteen - when the teams were stalwarts in the old third. But twice in that period of time,the Stags were hit for six when Bristol Rovers played their home games at Eastville – a 0-6 rout in 1965-66 and a 2-6 (Stags goals Partridge and Goodfellow) in the 1968-69 FA Cup QF season. That period also saw a high-scoring draw to the tune of 4-4 on October 15, 1966 when Rowland scored twice for the Stags, Mitchinson and Brace one apiece at Eastville in front of 7599. It was the ONLY Stags away point at Bristol Rovers between 1963-64 and 1971-72. In the 1966-67 season, both sides finished just a couple of points short of the second automatic promotion place. QPR had then run away with the first one already by Christmas 1966. Needless to say that Bristol Rovers failed to score at Field Mill that season as a very good crowd of 12815 (in fact the Stags' best home gate that term) saw Morris and Mitchinson send the Pirates home without anything on March 4, 1967. Yet the latest Stags home win against Bristol Rovers was achieved a fortnight before the previewer's first-ever trip to Mansfield. On April 6, 2002, two second-half strikes from Adam Murray and Andy White clinched a 2-0 victory which put the Stags back on the promotion trail as news filtered out that then main rivals Cheltenham lost to a late Matthew Tipton goal at Macclesfield. Two players, who later were to play for Bristol Rovers, Adam Barrett (now at Southend) and Craig Disley, was in the then Stags line-up. And does any current Bristol Rovers supporter remember that nearly a third of the Pirates' strikes at Field Mill were achieved just before World War II? Here are the facts: In all the four seasons the Stags did play in the old Southern section, Bristol Rovers were the opponents and six of the Bristol team's goals at Field Mill in league fixtures were scored during that period. This was done on January 30, 1932, when 7118 watched the Stags go down 3-0 and on Christmas Eve, 1938, when Gardiner scored the consolation goal in a 1-3-defeat watched by 3343 – the second of six consecutive league defeats then. And the first-ever Stags win against the Gasheads was also achieved in the thirties, when a solitary Read scoring in front of 3222 on January 15, 1938, clinched the game in favour of the Stags. And the first Stags point at Bristol Rovers was achieved in the first-ever league game between the sides. This was an away one on September 19, 1931. A penalty, converted by England, was the Stags' first-ever in league history and that was enough to secure a 1-1 draw, the Stags' second away point, in front of 10770. Even in the first post-war season when the Stags finished bottom, were Bristol Rovers soundly beaten early on in the 1946-47 season. On September 21, 1946, two goals from the later Yeovil FA Cup hero Bryant and a strike by Calverley in front of a good crowd of 9183 put the Stags on the winning trail. The teams also met in the Stags' solitary season in the old 2nd division and a home game on April 24, 1978, was won 3-0 – in fact, it was the last Mansfield win that season thanks to two goals from John Aston and one from Johnny Miller. Another memorable rout was the 5-0 on January 31, 1987 – the Keith Cassells show that figured on the Swedish pools coupons – of course I predicted a banker Stags win and was proved right. Only once have the teams met in the FA Cup – and that was in the 3rd round in the 1957-58 season. The Stags were drawn away and were routed 5-0 on January 4, 1958. At that time, Bristol Rovers were a solid top-half team in the old second division finishing 10th while the Stags qualified for the then old third ending up as 6th in the final season of the old div 3 (N). The away game at Bristol Rovers on November 4, 2006, ended in a late only goal defeat, the goal being scored by ex-Stag Craig Disley. That goal also ended a five-match unbeaten League and JP Trophy run for the Stags. Among those who have played for both sides are ex-Stags manager Keith Curle (who in fact did play for both Bristol teams) and the current Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd as well as currently Craig Disley. Played for both sides: Adam Barrett, Stewart Barrowclough, Andy Beasley, Adrian Boothroyd, Keith Curle, Jimmy Daws, Craig Disley, Stephen Foster, Roger Frude, Chris Hackett, Scott Jones, Phil Kite, Trevor Morgan, Ernest Parker, Noel Parkinson, Nicky Platnauer, Mark Smalley, Tom Stanton, Jackie Storer, Reg Trotman, Ryan Williams, Jimmy Wilson. Home games: P 22, W 13, D 5, L 4, GF 38, GA 16 Away games: P 23, W 2, D 7, L 14, GF 23, GA 52 1931-32 0-3 1932-01-30 1-1 1931-09-19 Div 3 (S) 1937-38 1-0 1938-01-15 0-0 1937-09-04 Div 3 (S) 1938-39 1-3 1938-12-24 0-3 1938-08-27 Div 3 (S) 1946-47 3-1 1946-09-21 0-1 1947-01-25 Div 3 (S) 1963-64 2-0 1964-04-11 2-3 1963-11-30 Div 3 (old) 1964-65 3-0 1964-12-12 1-4 1964-08-22 Div 3 (old) 1965-66 2-0 1965-09-04 0-6 1966-02-19 Div 3 (old) 1966-67 2-0 1967-03-04 4-4 1966-10-15 Div 3 (old) 1967-68 3-0 1968-03-11 0-2 1967-09-09 Div 3 (old) 1968-69 0-0 1968-10-26 2-6 1969-03-25 Div 3 (old) 1969-70 1-1 1969-09-20 1-4 1970-01-10 Div 3 (old) 1970-71 4-1 1971-01-16 0-2 1970-10-20 Div 3 (old) 1971-72 0-0 1971-10-09 1-2 1972-03-11 Div 3 (old) 1977-78 3-0 1978-04-24 1-3 1977-10-04 Div 2 (old) 1986-87 5-0 1987-01-31 0-0 1986-09-13 Div 3 (old) 1987-88 1-0 1988-02-27 1-2 1987-10-03 Div 3 (old) 1988-89 2-1 1988-10-08 0-0 1989-02-18 Div 3 (old) 1989-90 0-1 1989-08-26 1-1 1990-01-13 Div 3 (old) 2001-02 2-0 2002-04-06 1-0 2001-11-20 Div 3 2003-04 0-0 2004-04-12 3-1 2003-09-30 Div 3 2004-05 0-2 2004-08-07 4-4 2005-03-19 League Two 2005-06 3-3 2005-12-28 0-2 2006-03-25 League Two 2006-07 (at Bristol Rovers) 0-1 2006-11-04 League Two FA Cup: 1957-58 0-5 1958-01-04 3rd round at Eastville Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right) Vastly updated player section courtesy of the history CD |
Latest | April 2007