After midweek results did not go in Mansfield Town’s favour, the Amber and Blues dropped down to fourth from bottom and still need a couple of win to stay in League Two for next season.
Luckily, Nigel Clough’s men were able to rest and recover in the week, after a jam-packed schedule throughout the year it may bring the best out of the Nottinghamshire side in the remaining five matches.
With the break came the falling down the table for the Stags as both Barrow and Walsall were able to get victories over their opponents meaning the Nottinghamshire club fell to 21st.
Mansfield Town last played seven days ago as the amber and blues faced Newport County at the One Call Stadium.
It was the Stags that had the bigger chances and could have easily won the game if it wasn’t for the lack of their goalscoring ability that has only seen them score two goals in five matches.
The Exiles were the ones that took the lead with 15 minutes to go. A mistake from George Maris presented possession to Joss Labadie, who slotted the ball under Aidan Stone and into the back of the net.
Clough then brought on Jamie Reid and went with a 4-3-3 formation to try and improve things in an attacking sense.
That tactic worked as Tyrese Sinclair, Jordan Bowery and Reid were chasing things down together and pushing the team forward.
It was the aforementioned Sinclair that would grab the equaliser. The youngster dispossessed Liam Shephard and smashed the ball high and beyond Nick Townsend to level the game at 1-1.
The draw was valuable as it moved the Stags closer to the magic 50-point mark and ensuring their safety in the division.
Mansfield’s opponents this weekend, Stevenage, fell to their first defeat in 12 league games as they were beaten by the play-off hunting Salford City at the Peninsula Stadium last weekend.
It was the hosts that took the lead through Brandon Thomas-Asante in the 52nd minute. But just four minutes after the deadlock was broken the Boro were back in it through Luther Wildin, as they tried to hold onto their unbeaten run.
Their fantastic run was ended however when Ian Henderson found the back of the net in the 76th minute to secure a vital three points for Salford City.
In the reverse fixture between Mansfield Town and Stevenage, the game ended in a 0-0 draw in what was a match that didn’t offer quite a lot.
The last time the Stags lost at the Lamex Stadium was back in September 2014 as the Boro beat the amber and blues 3-0.
Since then, the Nottinghamshire club have won three times and drawn one in Hertfordshire and will look to extend that successful run against Stevenage.
Stevenage have only beaten the Stags three times in 12 all-time meetings and will look to get back to winning ways with a victory over Clough’s men at their home.
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