Saturday, March 17, 2012, Mansfield Town 7, Barrow 0: It was a match during that stunning run of 13 wins and a draw from their last 15 matches where everything just clicked for the Stags. Barrow did not know what had hit them, with Mansfield 4-0 up by the break. Louis Briscoe bagged a hat-trick and Anthony Howell, Lindon Meikle, Matt Green and Matt Rhead all got in on the act at the One Call Stadium.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012, Mansfield Town 2, Lincoln City 1: It only happened earlier this month but with so much at stake, this was a night to remember. After a 3-3 draw at Sincil Bank, Lincoln visited for the replay with both sides knowing victory would set up a third round FA Cup clash at home to Liverpool in the new year in round three. And, in front of a bumper crowd and the ESPN cameras, the Stags held their nerve as John Dempster put them ahead, only for former Stag Adam Smith to equalise. But in the 77th minute, Louis Briscoe fired the winner to seal that dream tie. The final whistle even sparked the, now, obligatory pitch invasion from supporters to show how much the victory also meant to them.
Monday, May 7, 2012, Mansfield Town 0, York City 1 (AET) (2-1 on aggregate): Play-off fever had gripped Mansfield and after a 1-1 draw in the first leg, 7,295 fans flocked to the One Call Stadium with the majority hoping to see the Stags book a date in the Wembley final. A return to the Football League was within touching distance but a goalless 90 minutes led to a nervous period of extra time. And Mansfield hearts were broken in the 111th minute as Matty Blair fired the winner for York, before Stags full-back Ritchie Sutton saw red. Boss Paul Cox was in tears, as was his players and some supporters. The dream of promotion for the Stags was over, at least for another season that is.
Saturday, October 6, 2012, Cambridge United 4, Mansfield Town 1: It was a thumping defeat but it was the manner of it, some two months into the season, that hurt most. The Stags, who had been struggling away with previous 4-1 defeats at Gateshead and Grimsby, simply crumbled and offered no fight on the road. Boss Paul Cox was fuming afterwards as Jake Speight's goal proved mere consolation, after finding themselves 4-0 down in less than a hour of the league contest. However, in their next outing on the road, against Workington in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup, they would get a rare away win, seeing off the Blue Square Bet North side 2-1 to boost the team's confidence and send them on their way to eventual tie with Liverpool.
