{ the news }
 
An independent supporters' website dedicated to Mansfield Town FC
Archived News from April 2007

STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
26th April 2007 21:57


The Stags' final home league fixture this term will be against last season's comeback boys Barnet. And despite a crippling injury list, the Stags hopefully will get the points needed to ensure league survival without relying on results elsewhere. A point will also be enough - and the Stags will hopefully end the run of four straight home defeats, the latest due to a Rochdale injury-time goal on April 14, one of the two Stags fixtures the previewer watched when being over to England recently.

Last season, when Barnet returned to the Football League as Conf champions after an absence of four seasons, they created history inasmuch as the Bees were the first side to gain promotion from the Conference for the second time. And despite a bright comeback with ten points from the first four fixtures, the Bees were among a couple of relegation contenders on record number of points up to the final weeks of last season.

This term will also see a lower mid-table finish for the Bees, this despite a 5-0 rout at Grimsby in their latest away game, watched by only just 74 Barnet fans (details on that courtesy of the newly introduced Swedish fans Barnet website!)

And the Stags' away visit to Barnet, ending in a 1-2 defeat, one of twelve odd-goal reverses this campaign, was to be Peter Shirtliff's last as Mansfield manager. After that, a certain Keith Haslam paved way for surely his worst-ever decision. This was the sale of Richard Barker to Hartlepool for a measly £80000, enough printed.

Barnet's first-ever league victory was achieved at Field Mill after their first promotion, gained way back in 1990-91 – after losing the very first league game to the rare scoreline of 4-7 at home to Crewe Alexandra. But the Bees' second league game and the first-ever away one was a pairing with the Stags, who just had been relegated to the then Division 4 in its last season after spending five campaigns at the third level. And Barnet notched their first-ever league win to a 2-1 scoreline after goals by Bull and Carter, their two top-scorers in the 1991-92 season, while Charles converted a penalty for the Stags in front of 2669. But after that fixture, the Stags were unbeaten in 12 games while Barnet figured in promotion and playoff spots all season. Already then, the Barnet games were high-scoring ones, ending the season with 81 for, 61 against minus two expunged games against Aldershot. (The Stags also had two expunged fixtures against the Shots as well).

The latest – before the 2005-06 campaign - Mansfield v Barnet league fixture was played at Field Mill on February 27, 2001, in front of a paltry 1623 crowd, who saw the Stags win 4-1 (Stags goals Bradley 2, Greenacre and Williams, Barnet goal Strevens) – and no other league game at the Mill since then has attracted fewer spectators, although some LDV Vans Trophy ones have – and the most recent example of this was the LDV Vans game against Hereford a few days before Barnet visited Field Mill last season. Then, Barnet were in a bad patch that mainly contributed to their final league position. And on October 22, 2005, the Bees were heavily stung to a 4-0 scoreline, then the Stags' second consecutive 4-0 home victory. An early penalty, converted by Barker, who also finished the scoring, started the rout. In the second half, goals by Brown and Rundle definitely put the fixture beyond doubt, and the scoreline could have been even higher. Due to that victory, the Stags left the bottom two in the League.

The league game at Barnet in their relegation season from the League also saw loads of goals as the sides shared six of them in front of 1732 at Underhill on August 19, 2000, no wonder of that as most Stags visits to Underhill have been drawn. Stags scorers then were Blake, Clarke and Greenacre while the Barnet hit-men were Arber, Stockley and McGleish, the latter later at Northampton. Barnet, who midway that 2000-01 season stuffed Blackpool 7-0 at home, eventually were relegated after losing their last home game 2-3 against Torquay, but lost their last fifteen (!) away games that season, yet scored 67 times, only a few less than champions Brighton.

But the biggest Stags win was a 5-0 achieved on a Friday, November 20, 1998 – and it also was the first game played with a yellow ball. The Stags scorers then in front of 2965 were Peacock (3), Ford and Christie – and the 3-0 on December 31, 1994, scorers Donaldson 2, Ireland attended by 2891 was the last of a four-match winning streak in which the Stags netted on nineteen occasions.

Played for both sides: Keith Alexander, Adam Birchall, Gary Brazil, Jamie Campbell, John Doolan, John Fairbrother, Warren Hackett, Lee Howarth, Pat Kruse, Alan Walker, Steve Whitworth.

Stats file:

Home: P 9, W 5, D 1, L 3, GF 20, GA 7
Away: P 10, W 1, D 6, L 2, GF 8, GA 11

Season Home Date Away Date

1991-92 1-2 1991-08-24 0-2 1991-12-21 Division 4 (old)
1994-95 3-0 1994-12-31 2-2 1995-04-08 Division 3
1995-96 2-1 1996-03-02 0-0 1995-12-26 Division 3
1996-97 0-0 1996-09-10 1-1 1996-12-26 Division 3
1997-98 1-2 1997-10-25 1-0 1998-04-25 Division 3
1998-99 5-0 1998-11-20 0-0 1999-04-17 Division 3
1999-2000 0-1 2000-04-01 0-0 1999-12-18 Division 3
2000-01 4-1 2001-02-27 3-3 2000-08-19 Division 3
2005-06 4-0 2005-10-22 0-1 2006-04-17 League Two
2006-07 (at Underhill) 1-2 2006-12-16 League Two

Details from various sources, i.e. the history CD, soccernet, the centenary book

Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right)

 

Latest | April 2007