Retro: 1970 - Stags take a shine to both cups

Stags finished sixth in the old Third Division thanks to a fine end to the season which saw them win nine of their final 16 games.
1970 Stags v Leeds at Elland Road in FA Cup  Alan Clarke gets above the Stags defence. Stags players from the left are Stuart Boam, Nick Sharkey, Phil Waller and Sandy Pate
Stags lost 2-01970 Stags v Leeds at Elland Road in FA Cup  Alan Clarke gets above the Stags defence. Stags players from the left are Stuart Boam, Nick Sharkey, Phil Waller and Sandy Pate
Stags lost 2-0
1970 Stags v Leeds at Elland Road in FA Cup Alan Clarke gets above the Stags defence. Stags players from the left are Stuart Boam, Nick Sharkey, Phil Waller and Sandy Pate Stags lost 2-0

But it was the FA Cup where the Stags really shone; beating Bury, Shrewsbury, Barnsley and Blackpool to set up a fifth round tie with Leeds United at Elland Road.

First Division champions at the time, Leeds, were going well again in the league in what was set up to be a mouthwatering cup clash.

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Stags took 10,000 fans up to Elland Road on the 7th February, contributing in an overall attendance of 48,093 - Leeds’ highest crowd of the season.

A 2-0 loss for the Stags saw them returned defeated but not down or disgraced.

This is how mansfieldtown.net recalls the game: “There was real controversy when Stags had a goal disallowed after just 13 minutes as Dudley Roberts nodded a ball down for Jimmy Goodfellow to crack home but the referee ruled that Roberts had climbed over Paul Reaney. It was an incident that could have changed the course of Stags’ history. As it was, Leeds reached the cup final only to be beaten.”

And the following season saw a joyous 6-2 thrashing of Chesterfield in the first round of the League Cup to earn the Stags a home tie against Liverpool.

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The club website reads: “Liverpool hit the woodwork five times at Field Mill but the Stags were unlucky after 76 minutes when a Dudley Roberts header was disallowed for pushing and the game ended 0-0.

“Before the replay, Malcolm Partridge was sold to Leicester for a club record of £50,000. In front of 31,087 at Anfield, Stags lost the replay 3-2 after extra-time and came so close to another upset.

“Indeed Stags were ahead or level for 108 of the 120 minutes. Jimmy Sutton put Stags ahead after 90 seconds with a shot off the underside of the bar from 30 yards.

“Emlyn Hughes equalised after 15 minutes before John Stenson restored Stags lead with a magnificent header on 65 minutes. Stags were dealt a cruel blow when Clive Walker was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area on 81 minutes and Liverpool were awarded a penalty, which was converted by Tommy Smith.

“The winning goal for the Reds came after 102 minutes when Alun Evans converted a Steve Heighway cross.”