# 2002–03 Mansfield Town F.C. season

During the 2002–03 English football season, Mansfield Town Football Club competed in the Football League Second Division where they finished in 23rd position with 44 points, suffering an intimidate return to the fourth tier. Mansfield's downfall was their leaky defence as despite scoring 66 goals they conceded 97, the most of any team in 2002–03.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 20 | Chesterfield | 46 | 14 | 8 | 24 | 43 | 73 | −30 | 50 | |
| 21 | Cheltenham Town (R) | 46 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 53 | 68 | −15 | 48 | Relegation to Football League Third Division |
| 22 | Huddersfield Town (R) | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 39 | 61 | −22 | 45 | Relegation to Football League Third Division |
| 23 | Mansfield Town (R) | 46 | 12 | 8 | 26 | 66 | 97 | −31 | 44 | Relegation to Football League Third Division |
| 24 | Northampton Town (R) | 46 | 10 | 9 | 27 | 40 | 79 | −39 | 39 | Relegation to Football League Third Division |

## Results

Mansfield Town's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 10 August 2002 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 4–2 | 5,309 | White (2), Disley, Larkin |
| 2 | 13 August 2002 | Wigan Athletic | A | 2–3 | 5,837 | Larkin (2) |
| 3 | 17 August 2002 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 3–3 | 5,057 | Corden (2), Christie |
| 4 | 24 August 2002 | Chesterfield | H | 0–2 | 7,258 | |
| 5 | 26 August 2002 | Stockport County | A | 0–2 | 5,190 | |
| 6 | 31 August 2002 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 0–5 | 4,183 | |
| 7 | 7 September 2002 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 0–4 | 4,581 | |
| 8 | 14 September 2002 | Oldham Athletic | A | 1–6 | 5,490 | Corden |
| 9 | 17 September 2002 | Luton Town | A | 3–2 | 6,004 | Lawrence, Christie, Sellars |
| 10 | 21 September 2002 | Cheltenham Town | H | 0–2 | 4,116 | |
| 11 | 28 September 2002 | Northampton Town | A | 0–2 | 5,594 | |
| 12 | 5 October 2002 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 6–1 | 3,668 | Lawrence, Sellars, Larkin, MacKenzie, Christie (2) |
| 13 | 12 October 2002 | Peterborough United | A | 0–0 | 5,067 | |
| 14 | 19 October 2002 | Huddersfield Town | H | 0–2 | 4,998 | |
| 15 | 26 October 2002 | Swindon Town | A | 1–2 | 4,136 | Lawrence |
| 16 | 29 October 2002 | Cardiff City | H | 0–1 | 3,441 | |
| 17 | 1 November 2002 | Colchester United | H | 4–2 | 3,414 | Christie (4) |
| 18 | 9 November 2002 | Notts County | A | 2–2 | 10,302 | Christie, Lawrence |
| 19 | 23 November 2002 | Bristol City | H | 4–5 | 4,801 | Christie (2), Corden (2) |
| 20 | 30 November 2002 | Port Vale | A | 2–4 | 3,880 | Christie, Corden |
| 21 | 14 December 2002 | Blackpool | H | 4–0 | 4,001 | Christie, Lawrence, Corden (2) |
| 22 | 21 December 2002 | Barnsley | A | 1–0 | 10,495 | White |
| 23 | 26 December 2002 | Stockport County | H | 4–2 | 6,434 | Christie, Corden (2), Disley |
| 24 | 28 December 2002 | Brentford | A | 0–1 | 5,844 | |
| 25 | 1 January 2003 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–2 | 6,931 | |
| 26 | 11 January 2003 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 0–0 | 4,811 | |
| 27 | 18 January 2003 | Chesterfield | A | 2–1 | 6,813 | Lawrence, Disley |
| 28 | 28 January 2003 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–2 | 5,524 | Christie |
| 29 | 1 February 2003 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 1–3 | 8,030 | Lawrence |
| 30 | 4 February 2003 | Brentford | H | 0–0 | 3,735 | |
| 31 | 8 February 2003 | Notts County | H | 3–2 | 8,134 | White, Corden, Mitchell |
| 32 | 14 February 2003 | Colchester United | A | 0–1 | 3,247 | |
| 33 | 22 February 2003 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 2–2 | 11,942 | Christie (2) |
| 34 | 1 March 2003 | Oldham Athletic | H | 0–1 | 5,712 | |
| 35 | 4 March 2003 | Luton Town | H | 3–2 | 4,829 | Christie, Corden, Day |
| 36 | 8 March 2003 | Cheltenham Town | A | 1–3 | 3,881 | Lawrence |
| 37 | 15 March 2003 | Swindon Town | H | 2–1 | 4,471 | Corden, Mendes |
| 38 | 18 March 2003 | Huddersfield Town | A | 1–1 | 8,756 | Corden |
| 39 | 22 March 2003 | Cardiff City | A | 0–1 | 13,009 | |
| 40 | 29 March 2003 | Peterborough United | H | 1–5 | 5,653 | Corden |
| 41 | 5 April 2003 | Port Vale | H | 0–1 | 4,538 | |
| 42 | 12 April 2003 | Bristol City | A | 2–5 | 12,013 | Disley, Butler (o.g.) |
| 43 | 19 April 2003 | Barnsley | H | 0–1 | 4,873 | |
| 44 | 21 April 2003 | Blackpool | A | 3–3 | 6,173 | White, Larkin, Clarke |
| 45 | 29 April 2003 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1–3 | 10,418 | Lawrence |
| 46 | 3 May 2003 | Northampton Town | H | 2–1 | 3,928 | Lawrence, White |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 16 November 2002 | Team Bath | A | 4–2 | 5,496 | Lawrence (2), Christie, Tisdale (o.g.) |
| R2 | 7 December 2002 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–3 | 4,563 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 10 September 2002 | Derby County | H | 1–3 | 5,788 | Moore |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 22 October 2002 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 0–4 | 1,874 | |

## Squad statistics

| No. | Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | League Trophy | Total | Total |
| No. | Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | Kevin Pilkington | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | Bobby Hassell | 19(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19(1) | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Neil MacKenzie | 16(8) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20(8) | 1 |
| 5 | DF | Tom Curtis | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | Neil Moore | 18 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21(1) | 1 |
| 6 | DF | Stuart Reddington | 5(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6(2) | 0 |
| 6 | DF | Matt Gadsby | 13(7) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15(7) | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Liam Lawrence | 40(3) | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43(3) | 12 |
| 8 | MF | Lee Williamson | 28(12) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31(12) | 0 |
| 9 | FW | Colin Little | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Craig Disley | 39(3) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42(3) | 4 |
| 11 | MF | Wayne Corden | 37(7) | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41(7) | 13 |
| 12 | MF | Jamie Clarke | 15(5) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19(5) | 1 |
| 14 | MF | David Jervis | 4(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(2) | 0 |
| 14 | DF | Ben Doane | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 15 | FW | Andy White | 19(9) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 19(11) | 6 |
| 16 | FW | Danny Bacon | 0(6) | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1(8) | 0 |
| 17 | DF | Adam Eaton | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 18 | FW | Junior Mendes | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| 19 | DF | Rhys Day | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| 19 | DF | Tony Vaughan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | Scott Sellars | 12(2) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12(2) | 2 |
| 21 | FW | Colin Larkin | 13(9) | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16(9) | 7 |
| 22 | FW | Iyseden Christie | 29(8) | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33(8) | 19 |
| 23 | DF | Mark Hurst | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2(1) | 0 |
| 24 | MF | Danny Holyoak | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1(2) | 0 |
| 25 | FW | Craig Mitchell | 3(12) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3(12) | 1 |
| 25 | DF | Mark Lever | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 26 | DF | Lee Glover | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 |
| 26 | DF | Jake Buxton | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 3(1) | 0 |
| 27 | DF | Alex John-Baptiste | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | Damien Delaney | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Chris Beardsley | 1(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(4) | 0 |
| 28 | DF | Peter Clark | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 29 | DF | Keith Curle | 11(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11(3) | 0 |
| 29 | GK | Arjan van Heusden | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 30 | GK | Jason White | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
| 31 | MF | Andy Jones | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
| 32 | GK | Keith Welch | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 32 | FW | Dean Hankey | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
| – | – | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 |