LOMAS ON STAGS: Mansfield good enough to halt their wobble at Colchester

When any club misses that many chances and dominates that much in a game, there is an air of inevitability that the opposition will make them pay.

So Plymouth’s two-goal burst inside five second half minutes - their only on-target efforts of the game - didn’t come as much of a shock.

It was another wobble for the Stags and, at a crucial time of the season, it meant they had only taken two points from the last nine available, though their approach play had deserved at least seven.

It will be cold comfort to Mansfield to see that they are not the only ones having an ill-timed wobble.

Plymouth had slid from top spot with only one win in six until Saturday’s win and, although it was a third win over the Stags in all competitions this season, they looked a pale shadow of what they can be.

Tomorrow night’s opponents, Colchester United, have slid below the Stags after being in the play-off places and have not won in three.

And this coming Saturday’s visitors, Carlisle United, have blown up badly since the turn of the year and have just managed to lose four on the bounce.

Immediately above the Stags, Exeter in seventh have only won once in seven and Luton in fifth have only won one in four.

The only sides holding their nerve and putting results together around the Stags right now are Blackpool, closing in on the mix six unbeaten in ninth, and Stevenage, who have done exactly what Mansfield fans hoped their side could do and gone on a nine game run of eight wins and a draw to move fourth, just four points shy of automatic promotion with so much momentum.

The good news for Stags is that there are still 10 games to go and they are still only two points short of the play-off places.

But they need to start finding the net again quickly after three games without a goal.

Boss Steve Evans has promised changes for tomorrow night to freshen things up and it would be a surprise not to see a start for Danny Rose up front, who looked lively when he came on as a sub on Saturday.

But the truth is there were no poor performances against Plymouth – indeed, Evans felt it was probably one of the Stags’ best home showings for years against a high quality opposition made to look very average.

The passing and energy was excellent and chances were carved out time and time again.

Had Matt Green managed to get his lob over Joe McCormick or Ben Whiteman hit the target with one of two excellent chances, it would have been a very different game.

Alex MacDonald ran Argyle ragged but every time he got into a scoring chance, he sent most of them straight to the keeper.

In the end Plymouth’s star man Graham Carey, who had been having a quiet afternoon by his standards, once again proved to be a matchwinner.

His 69th minute free kick found Sonny Bradley out-jumping Rhys Bennett to head in at the far post.

Then Carey showed his outstanding dead balls skills, having come a whisker away in the first half, sending an absolutely perfect 25-yard free kick from a central position into the top left corner.

It was a bitter pill to swallow – but tomorrow is another day.

The positive reception given to Mansfield by their supporters at the end said it all and if they can end this scoreless run at Colchester tomorrow, these players know they are good enough to bring home the points and stay in the chase.