New signings could be thrown into action if needed as Mansfield Town take on resurgent Colchester United

Credit: Mansfield Town

The Stags have made some impressive signings in the January transfer window, which includes the Deadline Day loan deals for Matty Longstaff and Jamie Murphy.

The duo have had a week to settle into life at the Nottinghamshire club as the amber and blues did not have a game at the weekend due to Hartlepool United’s participation in the FA Cup.

In that time, the signings have trained with the squad as they prepare for their game against Colchester United at the One Call Stadium.

This game could see Longstaff and Murphy make their debuts for the Stags in front of the home faithful and they will be wanting to make the best accounts of themselves as possible.

Heading into the encounter against Colchester, Mansfield are on a nine-game unbeaten run, which features eight straight wins and their latest result which was a goalless draw against Harrogate Town.

The weather played a massive part in the clash that took place in North Yorkshire. Both sides had very good opportunities to break the deadlock but were unable to convert them into goals.

For the Stags, Lucas Akins’ mishit effort presented Jordan Bowery with the golden opportunity to break the deadlock for the amber and blues, however, defender Leon Legge was there to block the forward’s shot on the line.

Harrogate also had a lot of good chances with Calum Kavanagh arguably having one of the best chances of the game. The 18-year-old forward raced through on goal and only had Nathan Bishop standing in the way of a certain goal, but Stags’ shot-stopper came to the rescue to keep the scores level at 0-0.

At the death, the Sulphurites could have grabbed the win through Luke Armstrong, however, his effort was denied by the crossbar.

It was a welcomed point for Mansfield after such a tough game in Yorkshire but they will no doubt be aiming for more against Colchester.

The U’s have somewhat gathered some momentum in recent weeks following the sacking of manager Hayden Mullins in mid-January.

Wayne Brown, who has taken charge on an interim basis, has overseen two wins, two draws and one defeat since stepping into the dugout.

Their recent game saw them beat struggling Leyton Orient 1-0 with Freddie Sears’ fourth-minute goal sealing the victory for Colchester.

Brown’s men have put some breathing space between themselves and the relegation places as they are eight points clear of Oldham Athletic in 23rd.

With that being said, only seven points separate the U’s from the top half of the League Two table, showcasing just how tight and competitive the fourth tier of English football is.

The Stags will be seeking revenge on Colchester after the reverse fixture at the JobServe Community Stadium in August ended in a 1-1 draw. Elliott Hewitt put the amber and blues ahead only for his goal to be cancelled out by a Sears penalty right at the death. It was more of a refereeing error than anything but Mansfield will want to continue their strong form into the final part of the season.

Most of the games between the two sides have ended in draws with the last three fixtures finishing without a clear winner. November 2019 was the last time that Colchester beat Mansfield and January 2019 was the last time the Stags beat the U’s as they battled for promotion that season.

Nigel Clough knows that in order to keep up with the promotion pack, wins must be recorded and the One Call Stadium is the best place to secure a ninth victory from 10 league games.

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