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

Keith Curle's side sit three points above the National League trapdoor, while The Stags are currently submerged within the League Two playoff positions.

Match preview

Hartlepool United are currently in 21st position in the League Two standings, despite a recent mini-revival this month.

A newly-found confidence has been discovered in The Pools' dressing room this month, with Curle's side taking maximum points from their last two matches.

Hartlepool began their upturn in fortune with a much-needed victory on December 9, as Rollin Menayese's 64th-minute strike and an own goal from Crawley Town defender Travis Johnson saw The Pools emerge 2-1 victors on their expedition to West Sussex.

With Pool supporters certainly still in the festive mood after celebrating the cheerfulness of Christmas Day, Callum Cooke handed the travelling Hartlepool fans a belated Boxing Day gift after his 80th-minute strike proved enough to secure a 2-1 victory over fellow relegation rivals Rochdale.

On the back of registering their first back-to-back victories of the current league season, only the footballing gods will know if Curle's side would have recorded a hat-trick of wins following the postponement of their match against Newport County on December 17.

In pursuit of plying their trade in League One next season after spending nine seasons in the fourth tier of English football, Mansfield Town have begun the current campaign similarly to last season's seventh-placed finish.

The Stags have demonstrated an eye for victory this season, registering 10 wins from 22 league matches, following the heartbreak of losing last season's League Two playoff final to Port Vale (3-0) at Wembley Stadium at the end of May.

Returning to action on December 10 with a creditable 0-0 draw with fellow promotion candidates Stevenage, Nigel Clough's side were held to a 1-1 draw by Northampton Town on Monday after the division's top scorer Sam Hoskins rescued a point for the visitors in the 88th minute with a contender for goal of the season.

Before dropping a much-needed two points in their first match of a fast and furious footballing festive period, Mansfield saw their home encounter against Grimsby Town on December 17 rearranged for later in the season following the discovery of an unplayable pitch at the One Call Stadium.

Eight points behind their opponents on Boxing Day, The Stags could further consolidate their status in the increasingly-competitive playoff position with a victory over Hartlepool on Thursday.

Hartlepool United League Two form:

L

W

L

L

L

W

Hartlepool United form (all competitions):

L

W

L

W

L

W

Mansfield Town League Two form:

L

L

W

L

W

D

Mansfield Town form (all competitions):

W

L

L

L

W

D

Team News

After scoring the fifth-lowest number of goals in League Two this season (20), Keith Curle could consider sending out a more attacking side at the Suit Direct Stadium.

After returning to the Hartlepool starting XI against Rochdale, Josh Umerah can be expected to again start up front with Jack Hamilton - despite the latter still searching for his first goal of the season.

Enjoying a productive spell in front of goal in League Two this season, following eight goals in 17 matches, on-loan Nottingham Forest striker Will Swan can feel hard done by if he is not restored to the Mansfield Town starting lineup.

After collecting eight points from their last five matches, Clough could name an unchanged starting 11, with Swan's fellow Forest loanee Riley Harbottle taking his place at the back alongside Oliver Hawkins, Elliott Hewitt and Stephen McLaughlin.

Despite only finding the back of the net two times in 22 matches across all competitions this season, former Aston Villa striker Jordan Bowery could return to the Stags' squad after a spell on the sidelines with illness.

Hartlepool United possible starting lineup:

Killip; Menayese, Murray, Ferguson; Tumilty, Featherstone, Sylla, Sterry; Cooke, Umerah, Hamilton

Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:

Pym; Harbottle, Hawkins, Hewitt; McLaughlin, Gordon, Boateng, Maris, Quinn; Lapslie, Swan

We say: Hartlepool United 1-2 Mansfield Town

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