# 1986–87 Mansfield Town F.C. season

The 1986–87 season was Mansfield Town's 50th season in the Football League and 16th in the Third Division they finished in 10th position with 61 points. They also won the Football League Trophy after beating Bristol City in the final.

## Final league table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 8 | Walsall | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 80 | 67 | +13 | 75 |
| 9 | Blackpool | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 74 | 59 | +15 | 64 |
| 10 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 52 | 55 | −3 | 61 |
| 11 | Brentford | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 64 | 66 | −2 | 60 |
| 12 | Port Vale | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 76 | 70 | +6 | 57 |

## Results
### Football League Third Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 23 August 1986 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 2–1 | 3,969 | Kearney, Lowery |
| 2 | 30 August 1986 | Darlington | A | 1–2 | 2,043 | Cassells |
| 3 | 7 September 1986 | Chesterfield | H | 1–1 | 4,797 | Lowery |
| 4 | 13 September 1986 | Bristol Rovers | A | 0–0 | 2,802 | |
| 5 | 16 September 1986 | Bury | A | 1–1 | 2,023 | Garner |
| 6 | 20 September 1986 | Bournemouth | H | 1–1 | 2,841 | Chamberlain |
| 7 | 27 September 1986 | Carlisle United | A | 2–1 | 2,817 | Chamberlain (2) |
| 8 | 30 September 1986 | Gillingham | H | 1–0 | 3,046 | Stringfellow |
| 9 | 4 October 1986 | York City | A | 3–1 | 4,158 | Stringfellow, Kearney, Kent |
| 10 | 11 October 1986 | Brentford | H | 1–0 | 3,456 | Stringfellow |
| 11 | 18 October 1986 | Chester City | A | 1–1 | 2,394 | Stringfellow |
| 12 | 1 November 1986 | Rotherham United | A | 2–2 | 3,385 | Cassells, Kent |
| 13 | 4 November 1986 | Bristol City | A | 0–0 | 6,407 | |
| 14 | 8 November 1986 | Swindon Town | H | 0–0 | 3,911 | |
| 15 | 22 November 1986 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 2–2 | 3,097 | Garner, Lowery |
| 16 | 25 November 1986 | Newport County | H | 1–0 | 2,321 | Whatmore |
| 17 | 29 November 1986 | Walsall | A | 0–2 | 5,702 | |
| 18 | 6 December 1986 | Blackpool | H | 1–1 | 2,935 | Cassells |
| 19 | 13 December 1986 | Fulham | A | 1–1 | 3,570 | Lowery |
| 20 | 21 December 1986 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–5 | 3,038 | Collins |
| 21 | 26 December 1986 | Notts County | A | 0–0 | 8,820 | |
| 22 | 27 December 1986 | Middlesbrough | H | 1–1 | 5,042 | Kearney |
| 23 | 1 January 1987 | Port Vale | H | 0–1 | 3,053 | |
| 24 | 3 January 1987 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 5,058 | Cassells |
| 25 | 25 January 1987 | Chesterfield | A | 1–0 | 4,080 | Cassells |
| 26 | 31 January 1987 | Bristol Rovers | H | 5–0 | 2,719 | Cassells (4), Whatmore |
| 27 | 7 February 1987 | Bury | H | 1–3 | 3,052 | Whatmore |
| 28 | 14 February 1987 | Bournemouth | A | 1–4 | 5,261 | Whatmore |
| 29 | 17 February 1987 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 0–1 | 1,563 | |
| 30 | 21 February 1987 | Carlisle United | H | 2–0 | 2,083 | Kearney, Kent |
| 31 | 28 February 1987 | Gillingham | A | 0–2 | 4,251 | |
| 32 | 3 March 1987 | Rotherham United | H | 0–0 | 2,457 | |
| 33 | 7 March 1987 | Blackpool | A | 2–1 | 3,032 | Kent, Lowery |
| 34 | 14 March 1987 | Chester City | H | 2–3 | 2,742 | Kent, Cassells |
| 35 | 17 March 1987 | Newport County | A | 3–0 | 1,383 | Moore, Cassells, Kearney |
| 36 | 21 March 1987 | Brentford | A | 1–3 | 3,336 | Cassells |
| 37 | 28 March 1987 | York City | H | 1–1 | 2,331 | Kearney |
| 38 | 3 April 1987 | Swindon Town | A | 0–3 | 8,192 | |
| 39 | 11 April 1987 | Bristol City | H | 2–0 | 2,888 | Kearney (2) |
| 40 | 18 April 1987 | Port Vale | A | 2–3 | 2,625 | Cassells (2) |
| 41 | 21 April 1987 | Notts County | A | 1–2 | 6,094 | Kent |
| 42 | 25 April 1987 | Wigan Athletic | A | 0–3 | 3,395 | |
| 43 | 28 April 1987 | Darlington | H | 1–0 | 1,938 | Cassells |
| 44 | 2 May 1987 | Walsall | H | 2–0 | 3,395 | Cassells, Kearney |
| 45 | 4 May 1987 | Middlesbrough | A | 0–1 | 13,534 | |
| 46 | 9 May 1987 | Fulham | H | 1–1 | 2,761 | Kearney |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 16 November 1986 | Darlington | A | 1–2 | 2,119 | Foster |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 1st leg | 26 August 1986 | Walsall | A | 0–1 | 3,942 | |
| R1 2nd leg | 2 September 1986 | Walsall | H | 2–4 | 3,069 | Cassells, Kent |

### League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| PR | 2 December 1986 | Halifax Town | H | 2–2 | 1,944 | Chandler, Kent |
| PR | 9 December 1986 | Rotherham United | A | 1–1 | 1,317 | Chandler |
| R1 | 27 January 1987 | York City | A | 1–0 | 2,061 | Whatmore |
| QF | 24 February 1987 | Bury | A | 2–1 | 2,455 | Lowery, Kent |
| SF | 10 March 1987 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–0 | 11,754 | Kearney |
| Northern Final 1st leg | 8 April 1987 | Chester City | H | 2–0 | 7,697 | Stringfellow, Cassells |
| Northern Final 2nd leg | 15 April 1987 | Chester City | A | 0–1 | 8,187 | |
| Final | 24 May 1987 | Bristol City | N | 1–1 (5–4 pens) | 58,586 | Kent |

## Squad statistics

* Squad list sourced from 1986–87 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 | Kevin Hitchcock | 46 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 57 | 0 |
| DF | Nicky Andersen | 5(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5(2) | 0 |
| DF | Steve Chambers | 4(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5(1) | 0 |
| DF | Simon Coleman | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | George Foster | 45 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 55 | 1 |
| DF | Paul Garner | 21(1) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7(1) | 0 | 30(2) | 2 |
| DF | Mike Graham | 40(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 50(1) | 0 |
| DF | Tony Kenworthy | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6(1) | 0 | 45(1) | 0 |
| DF | David Logan | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| DF | Craig McKernon | 13(5) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14(6) | 0 |
| DF | Gary Pollard | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(1) | 0 | 18(1) | 0 |
| DF | Les Robinson | 1(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 |
| MF | Jason Danskin | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| MF | David Hodges | 1(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(2) | 0 |
| MF | Mark Kearney | 43 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7(1) | 1 | 52(1) | 11 |
| MF | Tony Lowery | 44 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 55 | 6 |
| FW | Keith Cassells | 46 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 57 | 17 |
| FW | Neville Chamberlain | 17(4) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 20(5) | 3 |
| FW | Jeff Chandler | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
| FW | Roddy Collins | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| FW | Kevin Kent | 46 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 57 | 11 |
| FW | John Moore | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| FW | Richard Smith | 1(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 |
| FW | Ian Stringfellow | 12(10) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2(2) | 1 | 16(12) | 5 |
| FW | Neil Whatmore | 15 | 4 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 21(1) | 4 |
| FW | Steve Williams | 3(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3(1) | 0 |