# 1988–89 Mansfield Town F.C. season

The 1988–89 season was Mansfield Town's 52nd season in the Football League and 18th in the Third Division they finished in 15th position with 59 points.

## Final league table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 13 | Bury | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 55 | 67 | −12 | 61 |
| 14 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 63 | 73 | −10 | 60 |
| 15 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 48 | 52 | −4 | 59 |
| 16 | Cardiff City | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 44 | 56 | −12 | 57 |
| 17 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 56 |

## Results
### Football League Third Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 27 August 1988 | Northampton Town | H | 1–1 | 4,042 | Charles |
| 2 | 3 September 1988 | Wigan Athletic | A | 0–0 | 2,514 | |
| 3 | 10 September 1988 | Fulham | H | 3–1 | 2,734 | Cassells (2), Hodges |
| 4 | 17 September 1988 | Blackpool | A | 1–1 | 4,012 | Owen |
| 5 | 20 September 1988 | Gillingham | H | 2–0 | 3,153 | Cassells, Stringfellow |
| 6 | 24 September 1988 | Bury | A | 1–0 | 2,412 | Cassells |
| 7 | 1 October 1988 | Notts County | H | 1–1 | 5,908 | Hodges |
| 8 | 4 October 1988 | Southend United | A | 1–1 | 2,436 | Hodges |
| 9 | 8 October 1988 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2–1 | 3,381 | Charles (2) |
| 10 | 15 October 1988 | Reading | A | 0–1 | 6,604 | |
| 11 | 22 October 1988 | Cardiff City | A | 2–2 | 3,566 | Cassells (2) |
| 12 | 26 October 1988 | Chester City | A | 0–0 | 1,853 | |
| 13 | 29 October 1988 | Bristol City | H | 2–2 | 3,808 | Charles, Kent |
| 14 | 5 November 1988 | Preston North End | A | 0–2 | 6,659 | |
| 15 | 8 November 1988 | Swansea City | A | 1–3 | 3,526 | Hodges |
| 16 | 12 November 1988 | Brentford | H | 1–0 | 3,196 | Charles |
| 17 | 26 November 1988 | Aldershot | H | 1–1 | 2,718 | Coleman |
| 18 | 3 December 1988 | Chesterfield | A | 3–1 | 4,236 | Coleman (2), Hunter (o.g.) |
| 19 | 17 December 1988 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2–6 | 12,134 | Coleman, Leishman |
| 20 | 26 December 1988 | Port Vale | A | 0–1 | 5,224 | |
| 21 | 31 December 1988 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–0 | 4,644 | Owen |
| 22 | 2 January 1989 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–0 | 4,935 | |
| 23 | 14 January 1989 | Wigan Athletic | H | 0–1 | 2,797 | |
| 24 | 21 January 1989 | Fulham | A | 1–1 | 4,148 | Cassells |
| 25 | 28 January 1989 | Blackpool | H | 0–1 | 2,738 | |
| 26 | 4 February 1989 | Notts County | A | 1–2 | 5,924 | Cassells |
| 27 | 11 February 1989 | Southend United | H | 4–0 | 2,562 | Cassells (2), Charles, Kent |
| 28 | 18 February 1989 | Bristol Rovers | A | 0–0 | 4,669 | |
| 29 | 25 February 1989 | Reading | H | 2–1 | 3,012 | Owen (2) |
| 30 | 28 February 1989 | Chester City | H | 2–0 | 2,769 | Charles, Kearney |
| 31 | 4 March 1989 | Cardiff City | A | 0–0 | 3,217 | |
| 32 | 11 March 1989 | Preston North End | H | 0–3 | 4,708 | |
| 33 | 18 March 1989 | Northampton Town | A | 1–2 | 2,821 | Berry (o.g.) |
| 34 | 21 March 1989 | Bristol City | A | 0–2 | 5,064 | |
| 35 | 25 March 1989 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1–1 | 3,254 | Christie |
| 36 | 27 March 1989 | Port Vale | H | 2–1 | 8,198 | Owen, Coleman |
| 37 | 1 April 1989 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 3–1 | 9,209 | Kent, Cassells (2) |
| 38 | 4 April 1989 | Sheffield United | H | 0–1 | 8,524 | |
| 39 | 8 April 1989 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0–2 | 5,327 | |
| 40 | 15 April 1989 | Gillingham | A | 0–3 | 2,414 | |
| 41 | 22 April 1989 | Bury | H | 1–1 | 2,827 | Kent |
| 42 | 25 April 1989 | Sheffield United | A | 2–1 | 11,638 | Kent, Cassells |
| 43 | 29 April 1989 | Brentford | A | 0–1 | 5,234 | |
| 44 | 2 May 1989 | Swansea City | H | 0–0 | 2,550 | |
| 45 | 6 May 1989 | Chesterfield | H | 3–1 | 4,779 | Cassells, Kearney, Hathaway |
| 46 | 13 May 1989 | Aldershot | A | 0–0 | 1,549 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 19 November 1988 | Sheffield United | H | 1–1 | 9,101 | Kent |
| R1 Replay | 22 November 1988 | Sheffield United | A | 1–2 | 12,879 | Kearney |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 1st leg | 30 August 1988 | Notts County | A | 0–5 | 4,428 | |
| R1 2nd leg | 6 September 1988 | Notts County | H | 1–0 | 2,695 | Hodges |

### League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| PR | 29 November 1988 | Notts County | H | 1–1 | 2,477 | Kearney |
| PR | 10 November 1988 | Chesterfield | A | 1–2 | 2,640 | Coleman |

## Squad statistics

* Squad list sourced from 1988–89 Mansfield Town F.C. season at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | League Trophy | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Andy Beasley | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| GK | Brian Cox | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| GK | Jason Pearcey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Nicky Andersen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Steve Chambers | 3(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3(2) | 0 |
| DF | Simon Coleman | 45 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 6 |
| DF | George Foster | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
| DF | Paul Garner | 1(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(2) | 0 |
| DF | Mike Graham | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Kevin Gray | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Tony Kenworthy | 19(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25(1) | 0 |
| DF | Craig McKernon | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| DF | Mark Place | 11(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11(3) | 0 |
| DF | John Ryan | 23(7) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 26(9) | 0 |
| MF | Steve Charles | 45(1) | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 50(2) | 7 |
| MF | David Hodges | 37(2) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1(1) | 0 | 41(3) | 5 |
| MF | Mark Kearney | 44(1) | 2 | 0(2) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 48(3) | 4 |
| MF | Tony Lowery | 11(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17(1) | 0 |
| FW | Keith Cassells | 36(1) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38(1) | 14 |
| FW | Trevor Christie | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| FW | Ian Hathaway | 4(8) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(8) | 1 |
| FW | Kevin Kent | 36(3) | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40(3) | 6 |
| FW | Graham Leishman | 6(6) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 6(7) | 1 |
| FW | Gordon Owen | 39(2) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43(2) | 5 |
| FW | Ian Stringfellow | 0(8) | 1 | 0(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4(9) | 1 |
| FW | Steve Williams | 1(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(2) | 0 |
| – | Own goals | – | 2 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 |