LOMAS ON STAGS: Green staying could prove pivotal

So you hear the collective sigh of relief locally when the clock reached 11pm as far away as Chesterfield! Hope we didn’t wake them!

Even this early, it could prove a pivotal moment in the season.

Not only did Green stay with the club, manager Adam Murray also managed to pull a real rabbit out the hat at the 11th hour with the signing of highly-promising young Forest defender Alex Iacovitti.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Murray as angry as he felt after Tuesday night’s 2-0 home defeat Doncaster in the ‘Chubby Checker Cup’ or whatever they call it now.

It really is nonsense to expect lower League clubs with small squads and limited resources to have to play more games in a group format in this competition now to give practice matches to Premier League academy sides.

That is especially true as the Premier League sides will rarely play those youngsters in their own teams, choosing instead to spend billions on players from overseas.

So for Murray to see Kyle Howkins and Jamie McGuire limp off on Tuesday night you could understand his frustration.

With the greatest of respect to McGuire, his loss will be felt less as he is not a first choice and his influence is much more in the dressing room and around the players as a motivational tool.

But West Brom youngster Howkins had started life on loan with Mansfield very impressively and now we have to wait on scans on his hamstring to find out how long it is before that Baggie can ‘boing’ again!

So to see a player of centre half Iacovitti’s talents come in was quite a pleasant surprise.

I have not seen Forest this season, but colleagues of mine said how well the Scottish teenager played in his two appearances and, knowing he can play left back at Championship level, is an added bonus with Stags having little cover for that role.

With Pat Hoban and Darius Henderson now back in the squad and Chris Clements and Jack Thomas not far away, all looks good for the immediate future if everyone stays fit.

Now we have to get through four months before another window opens and hope we don’t see an injury crisis develop.

The ruling that English clubs can no longer have emergency loans to me is ridiculous and once again punishes the poor and helps the rich, who can stock up on bigger squads.

It seems like a restraint of trade to me. But it’s what we’ve got and now Stags just need Lady Luck behind to stay on form and injury-free.

Two home games on the bounce against sides Stags will fancy their chances against at home offers much optimism as we prepare for another match at the One Call.