Mansfield Town 5 Bristol Rovers 0

Football League Division III

31 January 1987

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Matchday programme, April 2002

Stags thrash Rovers 5-0 in 1987

On 31 January 1987, the Stags thrashed Bristol Rovers 5-0 in Division III
with Keith Cassells netting four and Neil Whatmore the other. In front of
just 2,718 at Field Mill, the Stags were ahead after just 3 minutes. Kevin
Kent's right wing cross was touched on to the bar by Mark Kearney, leaving
Cassells with a simple tap-in. Just six minutes later, Cassells got his
second, racing on to a George Foster long ball out of defence, to finish
clinically from 12 yards with Rovers keeper Tim Carter given no chance.
Cassells nearly had a hat-trick in the opening 15 minutes but Carter was
equal to his rasping drive. On 37 minutes, Cassells had a shot blocked on
the line by Nicky Tanner with Carter stranded, but it was 3-0 just before
half-time when Whatmore stooped to head in David Logan's whipped cross. On
53 minutes, Cassells finally completed his hat-trick, smashing in from 12
yards with his left foot (see photo). And, just 3 minutes later, Cassells
had his fourth as Tony Lowery produced a right wing cross which the striker
flicked home. After the game, Cassells said "Credit must go to all the lads
in the team, our strikers were given the right service today. Normally I'm
delighted to get just one goal so now I'm ecstatic." Stags keeper Kevin
Hitchcock was rarely troubled and indeed had just one save to make when
Mike Graham's poor back pass let in Gary Penrice.

Compiled by Martin Shaw