Another away day awaits the Stags as they visit Cumbria to take on Barrow

Mansfield Town head into the clash against Barrow this weekend with another postponement on their minds.

The clash at the Fully Charged New Lawn between the Stags and Forest Green Rovers was delayed due to the fog but referee Carl Brook got the fixture underway at 8pm.

After four minutes of the match and with the visibility getting worse, the players were taken off the pitch and waited another 15 minutes for a final decision on whether the fixture will continue. However, the conditions worsened and the game was abandoned which meant it would be postponed for a second time after the initial game in December was not played to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Forest Green camp.

Sutton United faced Colchester United and emerged 3-2 victors, even after going behind twice, which moved them into third, with the Stags now five points behind the automatic promotions places.

In their last match that lasted the whole 90 minutes, they were able to record a sixth consecutive league victory and a seventh consecutive home league victory.

A lacklustre first half from Mansfield and Walsall saw Nigel Clough bring on Harry Charsley for the injured Ollie Clarke, move Oli Hawkins upfront and drop John-Joe O’Toole back into defence.

It was in fact substitute Charsley who popped up with both of the goals to earn the Stags a 2-0 win. His first came just before the hour mark as Elliott Hewitt launched a long throw-in. Hawkins flicked the ball on, and following a scramble inside the box, the midfielder slotted the ball into the bottom corner and gave his side the lead.

The hosts sealed the game in the 89th minute after some fine play from Jordan Bowery and goalscorer Charsley. One-touch passing saw the duo bare down on the Walsall goal before the latter fired his effort beyond Carl Rushworth to double Mansfield’s advantage and secured yet another three points.

Barrow, the host for this weekend’s game against the amber and blues, got back to winning ways following three league games without a win.

The Bluebirds took on fellow strugglers Colchester United with two second half goals getting the job done for Mark Cooper’s side.

In the 53rd minute, Patrick Brough looked to pick out a player in a white shirt with a cross but instead found Tom Dallison who diverted the ball past Jake Turner and into the back of his own net.

Colchester would feel that they were unlucky not to score when Luke Chambers’ effort cannoned off the crossbar, however, the same could be said to Barrow who failed to capitalise on a counter-attack that saw Jamie Devitt’s effort saved.

Cooper’s men secured the win in the dying embers of the game following a great passage of play. Tom White’s pass found Josh Kay in acres of space as his shot hit Turner and ended up going in to hand the visitors a 2-0 win at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Barrow have been somewhat of a bogey team for the Stags ever since their promotion in the Football League last season. Mansfield have recorded three defeats since and the last time they beat them was back in 2013 when the amber and blues won the Blue Square Premier.

With a run of six consecutive league victories lifting them up into the play-offs, Clough’s side find themselves in a very good place but must defeat Barrow to continue the fantastic form.

The Bluebirds will not make it easy for the amber and blues, especially with the home crowd behind them, and should they upset the Stags, they could fire themselves 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

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