The Stags face yet another tough task as they travel to Prenton Park to face Tranmere Rovers

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After an encouraging result in midweek, Mansfield Town will be going into this weekend’s fixture full of confidence that they can disrupt the momentum of another promotion-pushing side.

The Nottinghamshire club will look to replicate the form in matches against Cheltenham Town and Forest Green and dent Tranmere Rovers’ chances of an instant return to League One.

After back-to-back draws against Carlisle and Grimsby, the amber and blues went into the midweek fixture against Forest Green looking for their first win since beating the Robins at the One Call Stadium back at the beginning of March.

A battle between the two sides ensued as the whole 90 minutes was one of the best games of football League Two may have seen even though it finished 0-0.

Jamille Matt had a fantastic chance to open the scoring for the Gloucestershire side. Nicky Cadden crossed the ball into the box with the forward heading the ball down, but Aidan Stone was alert and pulled off a fantastic one-handed save to deny a certain goal for the Rovers.

The Stags also had plenty of chances, but neither side could take their moments of brilliance and the fixture remained as a goalless draw, a scoreline which did not reflect the action-packed match that it was.

Tranmere Rovers also drew during their midweek game as they travelled to Essex to face Colchester United.

Harry Pell put the hosts in front on the half hour mark, with Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu doubling their lead for his side nine minutes later, as they looked to get back to winning ways.

But Danny Lloyd and Jay Spearing had others ideas as the striker and midfielder scored in quick succession and levelled the game at 2-2 with 20 minutes to go.

Keith Hill’s side were unable to build on their two goals and took just the point from the fixture, which left them fourth in the league, narrowly out of the automatic promotion places on goal difference and three points away from table-topping Cheltenham.

Last time out, the two faced each other in the season’s opening match at the One Call Stadium with a lot at stake. After a disappointing 2019/20 for both, which saw Tranmere relegated from the third tier and Mansfield at the wrong end of League Two, it was important they got off to a bright start in the new campaign.

The game finished as a 0-0 draw in the end with Mansfield having many chances, which they were unable to put away.

Mansfield Town have not got the best record at Prenton Park, not winning in the last six matches there and only able to get three draws under their belts.

In more recent times, the last five competitive matches has seen the Stags win twice and draw three times against the Rovers, and they will look to get the better of them again this weekend.

The task won’t be easy, with Tranmere pushing for promotion and Nigel Clough’s side looking to stay up, both sides have two very different aims for the remainder of the season and it will be hard to predict who will come out on top this weekend.

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