Archived News from May 2014
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STAGSNET STATISTICAL PREVIEW
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The final curtain is now set for the Stags' FL League Two comeback campaign. A campaign which in late September 2013 saw the Stags in third position following the epic 1-0 victory at Chesterfield. A campaign which then saw the Stags' longest-ever winless league run during the same season, thirteen games, ending at Cheltenham three months after the Chesterfield win. A campaign which has seen the Stags take four points off Chesterfield and convincingly beat Rochdale 3-0 at home a few weeks ago. A campaign which has seen the Stags lose only six times on the road so far, less than in our BSP championship season a year ago.
This campaign will end at Bristol Rovers on Saturday. And Bristol Rovers might, despite their very important 2-1 victory at Wycombe, sending the Chairboys below the staying-up line, still drop out for the first time ever. For this to happen, the Stags must beat Bristol Rovers, sending the Stags to tenth position at highest. Then, Wycombe must beat already relegated Torquay (despite their 3-1 win at Mansfield last Saturday) and Northampton take point(s) off Chris Wilder's former side, out-of-form Oxford. For Wycombe to drop out after 21 years, they will do it if they fail to win at Torquay. If Wycombe win, they must rely of either Northampton and Bristol Rovers losing. For Northampton to drop out, they must lose against Oxford and Wycombe win. And the lowest the Stags could finish this season, is sixteenth. This will also be the Stags' first away game against Bristol Rovers since November 2006. Then, the Stags lost thanks to a late goal from ex-Stag Craig Disley. He appeared for the Stags in their so far latest home victory against the Gasheads on April 6, 2002, and scored twice in the 3-1 away victory on September 30, 2003. In fact, Bristol Rovers were routed big style then and were 2-0 down, crushed inside the first thirteen minutes. This was only the Stags' second-ever away victory against Bristol Rovers of all time. The first one was achieved two years earlier, in the first-ever Bristol Rovers basement campaign. Then, the Stags gained promotion, and Bristol Rovers finished bottom-but-one. But the Bristol club was to be the last one finishing in that position without being relegated. Two up, two down was introduced the following campaign. On November 20, 2001, in a game which also saw Disley play for the Stags, Liam Lawrence (now at Barnsley) hit the net in the second half for the only goal of the game. Before that game, eighteen trips for the Stags to different Bristol Rovers grounds, one of them Bath City's Twerton Park, where the Stags played twice during the BSP days, had seen the Stags draw on six occasions. One of those was at Eastville on October 15, 1966, a 4-4 draw which was to be the Stags' only away point at Bristol Rovers during nine consecutive seasons at third FL level. 4-4 was also the result when the sides played in March 2005. The Stags' highest-ever away defeat against Bristol Rovers was a 6-0 one on February 19, 1966. On the other hand, Bristol Rovers did not win at Mansfield during the same time. 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. 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. That was also revenge for the 3-1 away defeat earlier that season, which was to be the first victory for Bristol Rovers then. Another memorable rout was the 5-0 on January 31, 1987, the Keith Cassells show that figured on the Swedish pools coupons. Only once have the teams met in the FA Cup. 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). Earlier this season, the sides played out a 1-1 draw, a fair result, at One Call Stadium aka Field Mill. And will the Stags finish this season on a high? Come on Mansfield! Among those who have played for both sides are ex-Stags manager Keith Curle (who in fact did play for both Bristol teams) and recent Northampton boss Adrian Boothroyd, as well as noted above, Craig Disley. Matt Somner played just one league game for Bristol Rovers in 2005 before being recruited by the Stags three years later. Somner's latest clubs traced are Forest Green and Lewes. The same thing happened to Alex Jeannin and much-travelled Jefferson Louis (who was a Stag in early 2008) in the 2004-05 season. Much-travelled Chris Beardsley (nine clubs in the FL and the BSP) has figured this season in half of their League Two fixtures on loan from Preston. Currently, ex-Stag (as a player) Darrell Clarke manages Bristol Rovers. This after an internal change, which a few weeks ago saw John Ward move upstairs. Played for both sides: Adam Barrett, Stewart Barrowclough, Chris Beardsley, Andy Beasley, Adrian Boothroyd, Keith Curle, Jimmy Daws, Craig Disley, Stephen Foster, Roger Frude, Chris Hackett, Guy Ipoua, Alex Jeannin, Scott Jones, Phil Kite, Jefferson Louis, Trevor Morgan, Ernest Parker, Noel Parkinson, Nicky Platnauer, Mark Smalley, Matt Somner, Tom Stanton, Jackie Storer, Reg Trotman, Ryan Williams, Jimmy Wilson. Home games: P 24, W 13, D 6, L 5, GF 39, GA 18 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 0-1 2007-04-07 0-1 2006-11-04 League Two 2013-14 1-1 2013-12-10 (at Mansfield) League Two FA Cup: 1957-58 0-5 1958-01-04 3rd round at Eastville Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag |
Latest | May 2014