Can Mansfield Town continue unbeaten run as newly promoted Harrogate Town come to visit?

It could be argued that Mansfield should have won their last league fixture against Colchester, but the immense pressure enabled the Essex-based side to get a goal that levelled the game at 1-1.

Even though the Stags drew 1-1 against Colchester United at the One Call Stadium last weekend, positives can be taken away from that fixture into their next game against Harrogate Town.

The game was tightly contested and both sides had the chance of scoring early on. Colchester wing-back Miles Welch-Hayes and Mansfield wing-back Kellan Gordon looked to put decent deliveries into either penalty area as their sheer pace allowed them to break forward down their respective flanks.

Mansfield deployed shot after shot as they looked for a way through, but Colchester’s defence was solid and the Stags had no easy way through.

On the half-hour mark, the U’s had the best chance of the first half. Mansfield Town’s back-line switched off as they looked to play a high-line. Noah Chilvers was able to stay onside, but his weak header was straight at Marek Stech as the Czech goalkeeper saved comfortably.

The first-half ended goallessly and both teams went all guns blazing in the second-half. It was Mansfield Town who opened the scoring in the 67th minute. George Lapslie laid it off to Nicky Maynard whose instinctive shot went over Dean Gerken and hit the underside of the crossbar as it crossed the line ending in the back of the net.

A Luke Norris in the 85th minute ultimately split the points between the two sides. A good weighted ball into Norris saw the striker run onto the ball. Stech came out and found himself in no man’s land as the Colchester forward lobbed the goalkeeper which proved to be a costly mistake.

In their last league fixture, the newly-promoted Harrogate faced Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road. The Yorkshire side dominated possession, but that was worth nothing when Danny Johnson scored in the 18th minute and followed with a second in the 31st minute.

Johnson completed his hat-trick in the 73rd minute to wrap up the game at 3-0 and take it beyond Harrogate’s reach.

Going into this game, Mansfield and Harrogate are on two very different paths. After a good start to the season, Harrogate have fallen off ever so slightly.

That loss in the league last weekend has left the Sulphurites without a win in their last seven League Two fixtures with their last victory in the league coming at the end of October. A 2-1 victory over Grimsby Town at Blundell Park. Simon Weaver and his men will be looking to get back on track and continue performing well in the league.

Harrogate still have the FA Cup to compete with similarly to Mansfield, but they face League One opposition Blackpool whereas Mansfield face National League outfit Dagenham & Redbridge.

The Stags are unbeaten in their last six competitive games which includes wins over Sunderland in the FA Cup, Scunthorpe in the Papa John’s Trophy and Forest Green Rovers in League Two.

Performance levels have improved and Nigel Clough has allowed to play the Stags players to play with more freedom which has really drastically seen the squad put in great performance after great performance.

This is a brand new rivalry between Mansfield and Harrogate as they have never previously played against each other and both sides will want to start this new rivalry with a win.

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