Preview: Harrogate Town vs. Mansfield Town - prediction, team news, lineups

The Stags, who are the only unbeaten team in the league this season, will head into this one looking to get one over the hosts, having failed to win any of their previous seven encounters since November 2020.

Match preview

Harrogate Town ended their run of four consecutive defeats against Colchester United on Saturday as they fought back from behind to claim a 2-1 victory when the sides squared off at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Following a relatively uneventful first half, the game sparked to life two minutes after the hour mark when Chay Cooper put the home side in front, but Matty Daly and substitute Sam Folarin scored in a 15-minute spell to turn the game on its head.

Harrogate had lost their previous two outings, suffering a 5-3 home defeat against Accrington Stanley in the EFL Trophy on October 10, four days before losing 3-1 at the hands of Stockport County in the league.

However, home has not been where the heart is for Simon Weaver's men this season as they have lost each of their last three games at the EnviroVent Stadium and currently hold the division's second-worst point tally at home (6).

Harrogate Town have picked up six wins, one draw and lost seven of their 14 League Two matches so far to collect 19 points and sit 14th in the league table, level on points with 13th-placed Walsall.

Mansfield Town, on the other hand, turned in another superb team display last time out when they cruised to a 4-1 victory over Notts County at Meadow Lane.

The hosts raced into a third-minute lead thanks to a close-range strike from Daniel Crowley but Louis Reed, Baily Cargill, Aden Flint and Lucas Akins all found the back of the net to hand the visitors a comfortable victory.

Mansfield have now gone unbeaten in each of their 17 matches across all competitions this season, a run which has seen them reach the EFL Cup fourth round following victories over Grimsby Town and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.

Their last competitive defeat came at the hands of Harrogate Town on April 29, when Matt Daly's 39th-minute effort and an own goal from Alfie Kilgour inspired the Sulphurites to all three points at the One Call Stadium.

With 23 points from 13 matches, Nigel Clough's men are currently sixth in the League Two standings, level on points with Swindon Town and Accrington Stanley, and six points off top spot with a game in hand.

The Stags' impressive start to the season has been owing to the solid job done at the defensive end of the pitch, where they have kept the joint-most clean sheets in the league (6) and have conceded the fewest number of goals so far (10).

However, Mansfield Town will need to show their mettle on Tuesday as they go up against a Harrogate Town side who are unbeaten in each of their last seven meetings, claiming six wins and one draw since November 2020.

Harrogate Town League Two form:

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Harrogate Town form (all competitions):

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Mansfield Town League Two form:

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Mansfield Town form (all competitions):

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Team News

Harrogate will take to the pitch without experienced midfielder Stephen Dooley, who has missed the last two matches after coming off injured against Accrington on October 10.

Fellow midfielder Abraham Odoh, who scored the all-important goal in the 3-2 victory against Salford City on September 23, is also a doubt, having missed each of the Sulphurites' last five matches.

Folarin was involved in both goals against Colchester at the weekend and the Englishman, who has three goals and one assist in his last two matches, could be rewarded with a place in the XI on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Mansfield will be without centre-back Kilgour, who is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an Achilles tendon rupture back in August.

Off the back of an impressive team display against Notts County, Clough could name a similar starting side on Tuesday, with Davis Keillor-Dunn, George Maris and Akins leading the attack once again.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Calum MacDonald, Cargill, Flint and Jordan Bowery should form the back four shielding goalkeeper Christy Pym, with Ollie Clarke, Aaron Lewis and Reed retaining their roles in midfield.

Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:

Oxley; Ramsay, O'Connor, Burrell, Gibson; Cornelius, Falkingham; Thomson, M Daly, J Daly; Folarin

Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:

Pym; MacDonald, Cargill, Flint, Bowery; Clarke, Lewis, Reed; Akins, Keillor-Dunn, Maris

We say: Harrogate Town 0-2 Mansfield Town

Mansfield Town have flown out of the black this season and will fancy their chances against a Harrogate side who have struggled to grind out results on home turf. While the Sulphurites have enjoyed the better of this fixture, we are tipping Clough's men to pick up where they left off at the weekend and come away with all three points.

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