Archived News from May 2004
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STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
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Never before in the play-offs history regardless of division, have two sides that faced each other in the final league game, to meet again in the semi-finals. This is the case of the Stags against the Cobblers. The teams met in Stagsland last Saturday with the Cobblers winning 2-1, giving them the exact number of points needed to secure their play-offs position – eventually finishing 6th, one place below the Stags on goal difference. And the first leg will be played at Sixfields on Sunday.
Of the four teams battling it out for the finals at Cardiff on May 31, only the Stags haven't figured yet in a playoffs final. On the other hand, Northampton experienced joy as well as heartbreak in consecutive finals. In 1996-97, the Cobblers beat Swansea in the Division 3 Final with the only goal of the game in the final minute after first disposing of another Welsh team, Cardiff. The following season, Northampton were in the Division 2 finals after beating Bristol Rovers. But in the finals, Grimsby scored a late goal to secure promotion. The two other combattants, Huddersfield and Lincoln, have also playoffs finals experience. The Terriers won the division 2 Finals against Bristol Rovers in 1994-95, while Lincoln lost last seasons Division 3 Final against Bournemouth to the tune of 5-2. This playoff will be the first for the Stags since 1994-95. Then they lost against arch-rivals Chesterfield, who then included Tom Curtis. Tony Lormor and Chris Perkins, two ex-Stags, figured then in the Spireites side which won the second leg 5-2 aet watched by 8165, while the first leg was dead-locked at 1-1 in front of 6582. The Stags side then included Paul Holland as well as Steve Parkin, who a couple of years later managed the Stags for a while. The fixture on Sunday will be the first between the clubs at a knock-out stage since 1989-90, when the Stags went through 3-1 on aggregate from the first round, ensuring two legs against then First Division Luton Town, who then won at Field Mill for the first and only time so far. In 1948-49, the teams were paired against each other in the FA Cup 2nd round. On December 11, 1948, goals from Mercer and Oscroft in front of 13500 pulled the Stags through to the 3rd round and an away tie at then First Division Preston. Played for both sides: Kim Book, Alfred Brown, Peter Clark, Efon Elad, John Fairbrother, Greg Fee, Thomas Knox, Edwin McLachlan, Barry Richardson, Gary Saxby, Ben Sedgemore, Glyn Thompson, Clive Walker, Keith Welch, Benjamin Wonnacott. Home stats: P 28, W 20, D 5, L 3, GF 53, GA 20 Away stats: P 28, W 9, D 4, L 15, GF 26, GA 43 Season Home Date Away Date 1931-32 2-0 1931-10-24 0-3 1932-03-05 Div 3 (S) 1937-38 4-1 1937-08-28 0-3 1938-01-01 Div 3 (S) 1938-39 1-1 1939-03-25 4-3 1938-11-19 Div 3 (S) 1946-47 3-2 1947-04-05 0-3 1947-01-23 Div 3 (S) 1960-61 4-2 1961-04-29 0-1 1960-12-10 Div 4 (old) 1967-68 3-2 1967-09-25 1-1 1967-09-05 Div 3 (old) 1968-69 0-2 1968-11-09 0-0 1969-01-18 Div 3 (old) 1972-73 1-0 1972-08-12 0-1 1973-02-17 Div 4 (old) 1973-74 2-0 1973-09-01 0-2 1974-01-01 Div 4 (old) 1974-75 3-0 1974-10-28 2-0 1975-03-25 Div 4 (old) 1976-77 3-0 1977-05-07 1-0 1977-03-08 Div 3 (old) 1980-81 2-0 1980-10-27 1-0 1981-01-10 Div 4 (old) 1981-82 4-1 1981-09-21 1-1 1982-02-09 Div 4 (old) 1982-83 2-0 1982-12-28 2-1 1983-04-02 Div 4 (old) 1983-84 3-1 1984-05-12 1-2 1983-12-18 Div 4 (old) 1984-85 2-0 1984-12-22 0-1 1985-04-30 Div 4 (old) 1985-86 1-0 1986-01-11 0-1 1985-08-31 Div 4 (old) 1987-88 3-1 1987-10-20 0-2 1988-04-10 Div 3 (old) 1988-89 1-1 1988-08-27 1-2 1989-03-18 Div 3 (old) 1989-90 1-2 1989-12-30 2-1 1990-04-24 Div 3 (old) 1991-92 2-0 1992-03-10 2-1 1992-11-05 Div 4 (old) 1993-94 1-0 1993-12-11 1-5 1993-10-12 Div 3 1994-95 1-1 1994-09-17 1-0 1994-11-10 Div 3 1995-96 0-0 1996-02-03 3-3 1995-08-26 Div 3 1996-97 1-0 1997-03-22 0-3 1996-08-24 Div 3 1999-2000 0-0 1999-10-19 0-1 2000-04-29 Div 3 2002-03 2-1 2003-05-03 0-2 2002-09-28 Div 2 2003-04 1-2 2004-05-08 3-0 2003-11-29 Div 3 Cup games: FA Cup 1948-49 2-1 (at Field Mill) 2nd round League Cup 1989-08-22 1-1 (at Field Mill) 1st round, 1st leg 1989-09-05 2-0 (at County Ground) 1st round, 2nd leg, Stags through 3-1 on aggregate Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right) Details from various sources (Stags centenary book, soccerbase and various editions of Rothmans Football Yearbook) |
Latest | May 2004