3rd tier* League fixture
*Then known as Division Three

Mansfield Town 1     Notts County 1
Owen 17                                                           Pike (pen) 39
 
 

Attendance:- 8,002
Referee:- J. A. Kirkby
Corners:- Stags 4 Notts 5
Goal attempts on target:- Stags 4 Notts 6
Goal attempts off target:- Stags 3 Notts 7
Bookings:- Foster (Stags), Yates (Notts)
 

Mansfield Town
Colours:- All yellow with blue trim
League Position:- 11th/24, after 13th/24
Manager:- Ian Greaves

1.   Kevin Hitchcock
2.   Mike Graham
3.   Paul Garner
4.   Tony Lowery
5.   George Foster
6.   Simon Coleman
7.   Gordon Owen
8.   Tony Kenworthy
9.   Kevin Kent
10. Keith Cassells *
11. Steve Charles

Sub: Ian Stringfellow *46
Sub not used: John Ryan
 

Notts County
Colours:- Black & white striped shirts, Black shorts, Black socks
League Position:- before 1st/24, after 1st/24
Manager:- John Barnwell

1.   Mick Leonard
2.   Paul Smalley
3.   Chris Withe
4.   David Kevan
5.   Dean Yates
6.   Garry Birtles +
7.   Gary Mills
8.   Ian McParland *
9.   Gary Lund
10. Geoff Pike
11. Darren Davis

Sub: Paul Barnes *16
Sub: Wayne Fairclough +71
 

Video of the match:- No footage known to exist.

Nottingham Evening Post Report

COUNTY MAKE A POINT
By Dave McVay

NOTTS COUNTY'S squad strength was the talk of the Field Mill corridors at Saturday's derby draw with Mansfield Town. But I suspect their depth in character will be more critical come the Third Division promotion day of reckoning. There was plenty of that evident as the Magpies shaded this competitive contest. Three players were withdrawn through injury but in no way does that reflect the nature of the game. If anything, it lacked the frantic and fraught edges matches between these two teams normally inspire. Instead, football triumphed on a bog of a pitch even if Notts couldn't increase their lead at the top of the table by more than just goal average from Sunderland.

GAINED
For the Stags, it was a victory for their tactics of playing five at the back and because they held the section leaders. As for County, they may well have shaken their heads at losing two points, but they gained from the experience. Quite simply, they were without the influential Adrian Thorpe from the off; top scorer Ian McParland surrendered in 16 minutes with a shoulder knock, and Garry Birtles departed 20 minutes from time with a hamstring strain. All mementos of the Sherpa Van win at Brighton in midweek. Despite the setbacks, Notts seldom looked anything but the better side.

BEATEN
Mansfield diehards will groan at the suggestion. Yet they should recall their own side's efforts, after Keith Cassells crossed for Gordon Owen's 17th minute strike, were mostly of the token variety in front of goal. True, Paul Garner had an opening of his own making late on. Mick Leonard blocked superbly and what should have been the winner was not. In between, though, Notts asked most of the questions. Chris Withe headed over an open goal, Gary Lund hit a post with Kevin Hitchcock for once beaten and the Stags' goalkeeper made two fine stops from Gary Mills and Dean Yates. In fact, he got a hand to skipper Geoff Pike's 39th minute penalty after sub Paul Barnes was pushed in the area. Pike's conversion was sweet revenge for an earlier miss at Meadow Lane against Hitchcock and a County Cup save by the same 'keeper. Notts' fans applauded the leveller and went on to cheer an excellent contribution from Barnes. At the end, a severe case of lumps broke out. In Birtles' troublesome hamstring and on the balding head of Cassells, who left the action at half-time following a clash of heads with Lund.

CLEARANCE
All those lumps and George Foster couldn't aim a kick at any of them! Mansfield's centre half had a quiet afternoon after being booked for shoving Barnes. Not big George's game, that, as Barnes highlighted with a nutmeg on him later on. Still, Foster had the telling say with a goal-line clearance as Lund tried to clinch it. And maybe that was the fairest outcome of all as Mansfield kept intact a seven match unbeaten sequence -  and a distant dream of a play-off spot.
 
 

Ian Greaves today gave Notts a pat on the back in their chase for double honours. The Stags boss, one of football's genuine nice guys; saw his team held to a 1-1 draw by the title-chasing Magpies at Field Mill. It was a local derby draw that confirmed not only Notts as Division Three leaders, but also showed that the Stags' recent improvement was no fluke. They have now gone seven games without defeat and, with matches in hand, harbour thoughts of a play-off spot. But it was County's aspirations which concerned the Mansfield manager. “They are on a good run at the moment and difficult to stop.” said Greaves. "I think they should get  promotion now. Their strength is they spread the goals about. If a striker doesn't score for the them, a centre- half will pop up with one, or the likes of Geoff Pike. You've only got to look at their goal scoring records to see it. And, basically, that's the difference between them and us.”
John Barnwell's County are also chasing Wembley silverware in the shape of the Sherpa Van Trophy. Added Greaves, whose Mansfield team won it last season when it was called the Freight Rover: "There is no reason why they shouldn't go on to Wembley and win the Sherpa Van. My attitude is to keep it in the county. Why not? It won't do us any harm and I wish Notts the best of luck."
 
 

Up the Maggies footnote:
My first away match, I'm not sure why it took six season's for me to finally follow the Magpies away, but this was a memorable baptism. A huge number of Notts fans made the journey that day, far more than turned up at Field Mill for subsequent derby fixtures - but we were top of the league at the time. I took up a position against a crush barrier on what soon became a jam packed Quarry Lane end terrace, I then found myself getting squashed against the barrier every time somebody pushed past at the back causing another surge - There was only one entrance to the stand, which was at the East end, so people had to squeeze past to get to other side, but it just became ridiculous, one poor chap further along the row from me was in tears and other people were getting seriously pissed off (us Notts fans just weren't used to this!). There was a completely empty terrace area on the Bishop Street side towards the away end - and, as the new arrivals continued to pour in - I recall people shouting at the Police & stewards to let Notts supporters into the empty area to relieve the pressure - but this was before the Hillsborough tragedy, so we were just expected to put up with it. Eventually, late arrivals were allowed to walk along the byline to get to the far side, but they wouldn't open up the empty section. When Notts got a penalty down in front of us, the crush was so bad that I didn't dare let go of the barrier and raise my arms to celebrate Pike's equaliser (for fear of having my ribs broken!). I also have a memory of somebody with a Sooty hand puppet down at the front conducting the chants, and everybody singing "Sooty, give us a wave". The draw was enough to keep Notts on top of the league above Sunderland in 2nd place (who we would face at Roker Park the following Saturday). Despite the discomfort I experienced on the terraces at Field Mill, watching Notts for the first time away seemed to raise my passion for the club to a whole new level - There's nothing like an away match to really get a feel of what it truly means to be a football club supporter.
 

Notts County Season 1987/88
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