Can Stags finish in the TOP 3 ? (Be Wembley Winners?)

[EdwinstoweStag]

The 2 lost matches at Newport and County may cost us this season as they would have given us at least 4 points extra if not 6!!
They were bad games to lose

If you shave the hairs off a gooseberry - it’s still not a grape.

[Amber Andy]

The 2 lost matches at Newport and County may cost us this season as they would have given us at least 4 points extra if not 6!!
They were bad games to lose

Fair point, but I'm sure the fans of MK Dons, Bury, Tranmere and F. Green are saying similar things.

Keep the faith.

[KirkbyStag2]

Best case scenario after todays matches

..............PLD.....PTS
Lincoln....................
Stags.......45.......79
Bury.........45.......77
------------------------
MK Dons...45.......76

Worst case scenario

...............PLD.....PTS
Lincoln.....................
Bury..........45.......80 (promoted)
MK Dons....45.......79
-------------------------
Stags........45.......76
FGR..........45.......76

Whatever happens today, nothing will be resolved for Stags today, all depends on MK Dons away.

Based on our superior goal difference, if we win today and MK Dons lose we'd be promoted by avoiding a 5 goal defeat at MK Dons.

We could lose today and still be promoted by winning at MK Dons.

If Stags & MK Dons win today and Bury fail to win either of their 2 matches, Stags & MK Dons would both be promoted with a Stags/MK Dons draw.

Just a few scenarios, of course there's plenty more!

[I am Spartacus]

Yes

[HughesyStag89]

Let’s get behind the boys today and be that 12th man, let Stevenage know we’re a sell out today with a lot of vocal.. COYS !!!!!

[KirkbyStag2]

I'm assuming 81 points will be enough for automatic promotion, TOP 3 finish.
the MAXIMUM the 4th placed team can now achieve is 78 points

So, 79 points is enough for a Top 3 finish, the same number of points when we finished 3rd in 2001/02.

Stags league form over the last 10 games is identical to Notts County, W3, D3, L4., which leaves Stags 18th in the form table.

Current Table
PLD....W.....D....L....PTS....PPG
45.....20....16...9....76.....1.69

MK Dons v Stags
Bury v Port Vale
FGR v Exeter
Crawley v Tranmere

On a positive note, PROMOTION is still there for the taking, winner takes all (a draw enough for Stags if Tranmere don't win both their last 2 games OR Bury lose their last 2 games)

[Amber Andy]

We should have done it today. It was our best chance.

Whether it's a point or three we need next week, it's going to be a whole lot harder than today.

[bigalstag]

NO

[Tippy Tappy Football]

We are very very fortunate to still have a chance of automatic promotion with 76 points. Only three teams in the last 20 years have managed to win promotion with 79 points or less. Port Vale did it with 78 points in 2012-2013, Wycombe did it with 79 points in 2010-2011 and a team called Mansfield Town did it with 79 points in 2002-2003.

Amazingly we still do have a great chance of automatic promotion with a win at MK Dons. Let's bless our lucky stars, enjoy the moment and go for it. It could be one of the best days in our history. COYS!!!

[KirkbyStag2]

We've just got to win (or maybe draw) our own game to gain promotion

Whereas in our last 2 promotions from this division we not only had to WIN our last game BUT we also had to rely on another team beating our promotion rival.

2001/02
We had to beat Carlisle and hope Plymouth done us a favour by beating Cheltenham who were 2 points above us with a better GD.

1991/92
We had to beat Rochdale and hope Lincoln done us a favour by beating Blackpool who were 2 points above us with a better GD

[ST4GS]

We've just got to win (or maybe draw) our own game to gain promotion

Whereas in our last 2 promotions from this division we not only had to WIN our last game BUT we also had to rely on another team beating our promotion rival.

2001/02
We had to beat Carlisle and hope Plymouth done us a favour by beating Cheltenham who were 2 points above us with a better GD.

1991/92
We had to beat Rochdale and hope Lincoln done us a favour by beating Blackpool who were 2 points above us with a better GD

When we did it was sweet as it was against the odds. This time we are defending 3rd position and are away this time. Bookies have us at around 50% to avoid defeat. Falling out of the top 3 after weeks of occupying these positions would be gutting.

[young vanish]

At least we have GD in our favour this time around. COYS

[Spiritater]

We are very very fortunate to still have a chance of automatic promotion with 76 points. Only three teams in the last 20 years have managed to win promotion with 79 points or less. Port Vale did it with 78 points in 2012-2013, Wycombe did it with 79 points in 2010-2011 and a team called Mansfield Town did it with 79 points in 2002-2003.

Amazingly we still do have a great chance of automatic promotion with a win at MK Dons. Let's bless our lucky stars, enjoy the moment and go for it. It could be one of the best days in our history. COYS!!!

Shows how poor the League has been this year. Lincoln Champions too and will not break 90 points. For us to fail would be hard to take.

[Sandy Pate Best Stag]

You could argue that the points total is so low because the league has been strong with no teams being whipping boys. The performance levels throughout the division have been pretty even and anyone could beat anyone else.

It just depends on your viewpoint and interpretation of figures. I certainly haven't seen so many games where you are watching paint dry.

[KirkbyStag2]

We'll soon know the answer to the question

[The One]

Kirkby many thanks for doing this thread. Really enjoyed reading it.

[MTFCMAD]

We are very very fortunate to still have a chance of automatic promotion with 76 points. Only three teams in the last 20 years have managed to win promotion with 79 points or less. Port Vale did it with 78 points in 2012-2013, Wycombe did it with 79 points in 2010-2011 and a team called Mansfield Town did it with 79 points in 2002-2003.

Amazingly we still do have a great chance of automatic promotion with a win at MK Dons. Let's bless our lucky stars, enjoy the moment and go for it. It could be one of the best days in our history. COYS!!!

Shows how poor the League has been this year. Lincoln Champions too and will not break 90 points. For us to fail would be hard to take.

How can the lack of a runaway winner prove it’s been a poor league ? I would say it’s more competitive than anything else.

[Bros]

In answer to the question at the top of the Fred, to quote the immortal words of Bob the Builder 'Yes we can'

[gazza1988]

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/lea ... pril-2002/

Throwback to the 01/02 season just before the last game of the season.

Here's the final table

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/lea ... pril-2002/

[EdwinstoweStag]

We are very very fortunate to still have a chance of automatic promotion with 76 points. Only three teams in the last 20 years have managed to win promotion with 79 points or less. Port Vale did it with 78 points in 2012-2013, Wycombe did it with 79 points in 2010-2011 and a team called Mansfield Town did it with 79 points in 2002-2003.

Amazingly we still do have a great chance of automatic promotion with a win at MK Dons. Let's bless our lucky stars, enjoy the moment and go for it. It could be one of the best days in our history. COYS!!!

Shows how poor the League has been this year. Lincoln Champions too and will not break 90 points. For us to fail would be hard to take.

How can the lack of a runaway winner prove it’s been a poor league ? I would say it’s more competitive than anything else.

It’s been a better league because more teams have been in contention right up to the end.

[KirkbyStag2]

So its a "no" to the Top 3 question,

Only lost 1 in 24 games, then lost 9 in the next 22

Current Form for the Play-Off teams

.................PLD..W...D...L...PTS
Newport.......10...6...4...0....22
Forest Green.10...6...2...2....20
Tranmere.....10....4...3...3...15
STAGS.........10...3...3...4....12

[london amber stag]

That is a worry, Newport are very strong.

[Admiral Sook]

Play-offs go with form teams mainly but they can also throw up surprises. Let's hope it's the latter.

[part time pete]

Last season 16 pts from the last 12 games would have reached DF’s goal of play offs. We got 12 and failure.

This year the target was 15pts and an extra point on the last day for success = 16 points.

In effect the same points total needed as last year.

So you could say this years last twelve games were an improvement. 15 points instead of 12.

[NorthLondonStag]

For some reason Sky Bet make Mansfield strong favourites (6/4; Newport 9/2). Remember we have a (theoretical) advantage in playing away in the first leg which is set up to prefer the higher finishing teams.
Also slight advantage for the third placed league team is there's no away goals rule for play offs. Which means if honours even after 180 mins then you get the last 30 mins extra time at our ground, before penalties.
Just trying to look on the bright side.