BIG MATCH PREVIEW: Plymouth Argyle v Mansfield Town '“ Saturday, 20th August 2016
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After the heroics of Tuesday night’s superb 1-0 home win over Yeovil Town, Mansfield make the longest journey of the season.
It is not a bad time to take on a Plymouth side still finding their feet after a huge playing overhaul in the summer.
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Hide AdBut, with the Yeovil game taking so much out of Mansfield physically and mentally, Stags must avoid allowing this to become an ‘After the Lord Mayor’s Show’ afternoon.
Click HERE to read the Chad match preview with Adam Murray
Click HERE to read a full match report from Stags v Yeovil on Tuesday night
Click HERE to see video of the Yeovil game
Click HERE to see video of Notts County v Plymouth
STAGS TEAM NEWS
Stags will be without striker Danny Rose, starting a three game ban, and Jack Thomas (groin injury).
Keeper Scott Shearer is unlikely to figure after suffering concussion last weekend and striker Pat Hoban and defender Krystian Pearce are back in training after injuries but unlikely to be fit enough to play yet.
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Hide AdPOSSIBLE STAGS STARTING XI (4-1-4-1) Jensen; Bennett, Howkins, Taft, Benning; Collins; M. Rose, Clements, Hemmings, Hurst; Green.
PLYMOUTH TEAM NEWS
The new-look Pilgrims saw 14 new summer signings arrive during the close season and their only injury is to centre half Karleigh Osborne, who has a thigh strain.
POSSIBLE PLYMOUTH STARTING XI: McCormick, Bulvitis, Songo’o, Bradley, Miller, Threlkeld, Carey, Smith, Sawyer, Spencer, Jervis
KEY BATTLE: JAKE JERVIS v LEE COLLINS
Stags will have to keep a close eye on the runs of Jake Jervis, who can play up front or out wide and last season finally found his form on a consistent basis at Home Park, Scoring 14 goals in 43 appearances.
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Hide AdThe 24-year-old is already much-travelled and well thought of at Notts County against whom he scored in midweek.
PLYMOUTH ONE TO WATCH: NAURIS BULVITIS
Plymouth Argyle’s Latvian defender Nauris Bulvitis scored his first goal in English football to beat Notts County on Tuesday and is hoping that by joining Plymouth he can resurrect his international career
The 29-year-old centre half joined the Pilgrims at the end of June after leaving Latvian top-tier side Spartaks Jurmala but missed the start of the season due to prolonged waiting over international clearance.
Bulvitis has won 19 caps for Latvia, in March 2015, and played in six countries, including Lithuania, Slovakia and Switzerland.
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Hide AdHe also helped Inverness win the Scottish First Division as a loanee in the 2009-10 season.
hopes he can resurrect his international career after moving to the League Two club.
The Latvian national coach is Marian Pahars, who played at Southampton, and Bulvitis is hoping to catch his eye.
OPPOSITION MANAGER: DEREK ADAMS
The former Ross County manager will be hoping to go one beter this time around after he guided the Pilgrims to a Wembley play-off final his inaugural season in English football, but they missed out with defeat to AFC Wimbledon in May.
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Hide AdAdams returned to football at Plymouth last season, having previously taken Ross County from the Scottish Second Division to the Premier League, as well as a Scottish Cup final in 2010.
The Highland club finished fifth and seventh in the SPL in 2012/13 and 2013/14 respectively, before Adams and County parted company in August 2014.
Glasgow-born, Adams played for six different clubs, most notably Ross County and Motherwell, where he made over 100 league appearances for both sides.
“When you take in 14 new players to a football club it’s always going to take time, he said.
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Hide Ad“We’ve still got to know each other, the players have only been around each other for six weeks.
“The best managers in the world have found that difficult and there’s no people that are magicians out there that can blend a team that quickly.”
PLYMOUTH SEASON SO FAR
Last season’s beaten Wembley play-off finalists made a disappointing start to the new season with back-to-back defeats against Luton Town and Carlisle United, before recording their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory at Notts County in midweek.
They were also knocked out of the EFL Cup 2-0 at Reading.
LAST MEETING Saturday, 13th February 2016: Plymouth Argyle 3, Mansfield Town 0
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Hide AdMansfield Town’s four-game unbeaten run came to an abrupt end against high-flying Plymouth.
Gregg Wylde and Ryan Brunt struck in three first half minutes while the latter added another late on to sentence the Stags to their first defeat since they lost at home to Luton on January 23.
Mansfield’s rise up to fourth in the table had been built on an impressive away record but this defeat – only their fifth away from home last term – saw Adam Murray’s side slip to seventh.
With manager Murray sitting in the stands after being hit with a one-match touchline ban following an FA misconduct charge, Mansfield also had striker Adi Yussuf suspended for five games after this one after he was reported for urinating behind the stands while warming up to go on as a sub.
Click HERE to read a full match report
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Hide AdGROUND AND TICKETS The longest away trip of the season, for Stags, Home Park stadium is based in the Milehouse area of the city, next to Central Park.
With green fields and park lands on three sides of the ground, it really has to rank as one of the best placed grounds in the Football League. Getting to Home Park by car is relatively easy and there is a large, free car park in use on match-days.
Travel on the A38 Devon Expressway until the junction with the A386, signposted Home Park, City Centre, Ferry Port, and Tavistock. At the roundabout as you come off the A38 take the second exit A386, signposted Plymouth Argyle Home Park, Ferry Port.
Stay on this road for approximately a mile; the stadium is on your left.
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Hide AdStags fans wanting to avoid the £2 ticket price increase on the day of the game need to pre-purchase their tickets from One Call Stadium by 4pm on Friday.
Plymouth Argyle have sent up 306 tickets to sell in advance of the match, including 56 family tickets, and they are still on sale from the ticket office on Quarry Lane.
Prices are - Adult: £20, Over 65: £15, Student: £15, U18: £7 , Family ticket (one adult and one under 18): £25.
Ambulant disabled supporters and their carers can purchase tickets from the Stags’ ticket office, however wheelchair users and their carers must contact Plymouth Argyle in order to buy their tickets by calling 0845 872 3335.
Match report and reaction at www.chad.co.uk after the game.
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Simply click HERE to access the page and then click like to receive all the latest news, views, blogs, snippets, in-match news and Stags retro items.
Also keep in touch with all things Mansfield Town 24/7 via our new Mansfield Town Live Scribble feed. The button link is located on the menu just below the main Chad masthead at the top of our home web page – www.chad.co.uk.
From there you can reach our scrolling Stags news, including live tweets throughout the matches and pre and post-match stories plus features, Stags blogs, videos, slideshows and Stags Retro items.
You can also join in on the feed at any time yourself too, using #ChadStags.
You can also have your say on all things Mansfield Town by emailing [email protected].