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

Having won three of their last five games - including disappointing draws to Grimsby Town and Colchester United - Stevenage will look to follow up last Friday's victory with another home win to bottom-half Mansfield.

Match preview

Stevenage go into the weekend's match as rightful favourites, proving their quality time and time again this season. The Boro have racked up 13 wins from 20 games this season, with their team showing quality in all areas of the park.

After prevailing comfortably against King's Lynn Town in the FA Cup, Stevenage pummelled Barrow the following week with a 5-0 victory, with the spoils shared amongst four of their players and an own goal from Barrow's Tyrell Warren.

Midfielder Jake Reeves opened the scoring with a looping 25-yard hit, completely wrong-footing Paul Farman in goal, but Barrow looked competitive up until Farman fumbled a clearance right into the path of striker Jamie Reid, who could not pass up the opportunity to double Stevenage's lead.

Farman failed to come out to claim a floated corner, leaving centre-back Dan Sweeney with a free header to make it three, before Barrow's right-back Warren made a meal out of a loose ball, bringing down Reid for a clear-cut penalty, which Luke Norris dispatched to make it four.

Warren then topped off a horrendous day for Barrow with a near-post header into his own net - his head buried on the pitch saying everything about how he must have felt.

Considering the number of errors from Barrow, Stevenage cannot let the 5-0 scoreline go to their heads too much. That said, Reid particularly shone upfront, causing mayhem throughout the match, and may be looking to build on his four goals this season.

Mansfield will come into the match jubilant after Lucas Akins's last-minute winner against Colchester last Saturday. Though Colchester's manager Matt Bloomfield argued that the match had been competitive, the stats tell a different story, showing Mansfield had the edge on the Essex team for much of the game.

Despite Alex Newby's excellent free kick that put Mansfield a goal down, the Stags rallied an equaliser thanks to Will Swan's towering back-post header. Swan's goal came from beautiful wing-play from versatile defender Elliott Hewitt, whose floated cross proved too tempting for Swan to pass up.

Akins could have had the winner minutes prior, his bursting central run into the box leaving him one-on-one with keeper Kieran O'Hara - the keeper that time coming out on top.

The 33-year-old however had the last laugh, his unmarked header in the dying minutes of the game leaving Colchester's defenders exasperated, but sending Mansfield's supporters ecstatic.

The three points was desperately needed for Mansfield, having won just one of their previous six league games. Red cards to James Perch and Hiram Boateng cost them dearly in October, and since then consistency has been hard to come by for the Stags.

Manager Nigel Clough will need his players to battle as hard as they did against Colchester; any leeway given to Stevenage's attack, however, will see them punished as harshly as Barrow experienced last week.

Stevenage League Two form:

L

W

D

W

D

W

Stevenage form (all competitions):

L

W

D

W

W

W

Mansfield Town League Two form:

D

L

L

W

L

W

Mansfield Town form (all competitions):

L

W

L

L

L

W

Team News

For Stevenage, manager Steve Evans still awaits the return of Elliott List, who confirmed last month that the fast forward will remain out until potentially February.

Defender Kane Smith, who returned to full fitness a few weeks ago, started on the bench for Boro against Colchester. Smith, one of Evans's many key signings in the summer, may be pushing for a first-team spot against Mansfield.

Mansfield will have experienced defender John-Joe O'Toole back in defence for Saturday after picking up a suspension in his previous outing.

Likewise in defence, Stephen McLaughlin will start at left-back for the Stags after playing the full 90 minutes against Colchester on his return from injury.

After sealing the win for Mansfield last week, forward Akins will look to start against Stevenage, and his tenacity may well prove to be the edge against the high-flying Boro.

Clough confirmed that left-back Lewis Page (Achilles) and young striker Jimmy Knowles (knee) will remain out.

Stevenage possible starting lineup:

Ashby-Hammond; Wildin, Sweeney, Smith, Earley; Reeves, Campbell, Roberts, Gilbey; Norris, Reid

Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:

Pym; Hewitt, O'Toole, Hawkins, McLaughlin; Maris, Boateng, Lapslie, Quinn; Swan, Akins

We say: Stevenage 2-1 Mansfield Town

This match will be a competitive affair between two teams with plenty of quality across the pitch. Mansfield will want to fire themselves back into form, but likewise Stevenage will want to regain momentum to maintain their title challenge.

With home advantage and a slew of match-winners at their disposal, Stevenage will likely edge it, with Reid potentially proving to be the difference-maker up front at the weekend.

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