Call of Duty

Following their first draw of the season against Bristol Rovers, the Pilgrims will be looking to further improve their record of one loss in their last seven games when they travel to the One Call Stadium to play a side eager to return home. 

Adam Murray’s Stags may have lost their last game to Luton Town, but their most recent home fixture ended in a thumping 4-0 win over Crawley Town, and Adams is fully aware of the threat that Mansfield possess. 

“I think that they’ve started the season really well,” said Adams. “They’re in the middle of the table, and they’ve progressed over the season. 

“They’re a sturdy team, and they can change formation in a game. They’ve stayed with the same players for the majority of the season so far – they’ve only made one change really, in and out over the last eight games.” 

The Greens’ early success this campaign has come with its fair share of yellow cards, with Gary Sawyer and Carl McHugh each one booking away from a suspension, with the likes of Hiram Boateng and Kelvin Mellor also picking up multiple cautions. Whilst Adams believes his side need to stick to their usual game to avoid picking up more bookings, the boss is confident in his squad to fill in any temporary gaps if needed. 

“They just have to play their normal game,” said Derek. “They’ll go and compete as well as they can, but we’re obviously hopeful that they don’t pick up cards.

“We’ve got people in the squad who are more than capable of coming in and taking their place.”