Stags hope to get their season back on track as they take on Walsall at the Banks’s Stadium

Credit: Walsall FC

Mansfield Town have struggled for results in recent weeks and the amber and blues will be looking to put it right this time around as they travel to the West Midlands to take on Walsall.

Only two points separate the two sides with the Stags sitting in 14th and the Saddlers in 21st after the opening six games.

Nigel Clough’s men faced Harrogate Town at the One Call Stadium last weekend as they hoped for retribution after their Papa Johns’ Trophy defeat earlier that week.

The game started very quickly as Rhys Oates opened his account in amber and blues colours after he turned in Stephen McLaughlin’s delivery into the back of the net in the third minute.

Harrogate responded only two minutes later through Luke Armstrong. The forward connected with the ball at the front post to send it past Nathan Bishop and tie the game at 1-1.

However, after yet another set-piece, Mansfield were behind at the half-time interval. Alex Pattison recycled the ball and whipped a lovely cross into the penalty area. Armstrong nodded the ball into the path of his strike partner Jack Muldoon with the forward slotting the ball from close range to give his side the lead.

Tensions boiled over the Stags in the final 20 minutes of the match. Firstly, Ollie Clarke was sent off after he was adjudged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity which saw the hosts down to 10, but moments later, Mansfield were down to nine as Stephen Quinn was sent off for violent conduct.

In the 81st minute, it was game, set and match in Harrogate’s favour as George Thomson connected with Lewis Page’s delivery to earn his side another 3-1 victory against the Stags and an important three points.

Mansfield’s opponents this weekend, Walsall, haven’t had the best of starts either but they recorded an impressive draw against high-flyers Bradford City.

Elliot Watt gave the Bantams a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute as he took aim from outside the box which saw the ball sail past a sea of green and end up in the back of the net.

Just before half-time, Walsall were back on level terms. Brendan Kiernan passed the ball into the path of Jack Earing who tapped the ball in from close range.

Only a minute later, they were down to 10-men after captain Joss Labadie made a rash challenge on Gareth Evans and was sent for an early shower.

The West Midlands outfit however held onto the point with dear life and weathered the storm as the hosts threatened their goal for much of the second half.

During the League Two era, Walsall and Mansfield have faced each other on four occasions. The Saddlers have only beaten the Stags once with the amber and blues winning twice and two encounters, the most recent ones in 2020 and 2021, have ended in 1-1 draws.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt