Keeping Up With The Stags

Adam Murray's side arrive in Devon on the back of a creditable 2-2 draw with fellow promotion hopefuls Oxford. Midfielder Jack Thomas' late goal gave the Stags a point, to continue their rise up the table. 

They currently sit fourth in Sky Bet League 2, having won three in a row before their draw at the Kassam Stadium. 

The Stags, however have an extremely poor record at Home Park. They are without a win in ten games since a 4-1 victory in the old Third Division in 1978. Since then they've lost eight and drawn twice. Their most recent fixture at the Theatre of Greens was last season, when the Pilgrims came out 2-1 winners. Goals from Anthony O'Connor and Carl McHugh (although O’Connor will tell you he got both!) were enough to see off the visitors.

When Mansfield and Argyle met this season, it ended in a 0-0 draw at the One Call Stadium at the end of September. It was Argyle’s first away draw of the season, their only goalless game, and one of only three times the Pilgrims have drawn a blank this season. 

The Pilgrims will need to be wary of Mansfield top scorer Matt Green, who has found the net ten times this season. The 29-year-old rejoined from Championship side Birmingham last summer, having left the Stags in 2013. IN his first spell, he scored an impressive 57 times in 97 appearances. He failed to make an impact however at the Blues, only notching twice in 12 games.

Stags manager Adam Murray will be coaching his side from the stands after receiving a one-match touchline ban from the FA. Murray, who was also fined £500, admitted using abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official in Mansfield's 2-1 home win against Morecambe on February 6.

Former Pilgrim Nathan Thomas played against us when the two sides met in September, but he has now moved on to Hartlepool United, having featured 21 times for the Stags. 

Forward Chris Beardsley, midfielder Jack Thomas and on-loan Swansea full-back Daniel Alfei, will all be vying for places in the starting eleven after impressive performances from the bench in the draw against Oxford during the week.

Defender Mal Benning also featured in that game - his third back after a serious knee injury – but Murray may consider giving the 22-year-old former Walsall man a rest.