Midweek results go Mansfield Town's way again

Three of their rivals slipped up as Accrington Stanley lost 3-1 at home to Portsmouth, Carlisle United were held 0-0 at Dagenham & Redbridge, and Saturday’s opponents Bristol Rovers shot down AFC Wimbledon 3-1.

Stags boss Adam Murray travelled down to watch the Bristol Rovers game and said: “It was a super game – two good teams who are obviously fighting for the same spots we are, so it was good to get eyes on them, and I enjoyed the game. It was a really good end-to-end game.”

Mansfield remain two points off the pace with 11 games to go, but there is now a four-point gap between the top six and seventh place with about eight sides trying to make the play-offs still. But Murray doesn’t believe the top six is settled yet.

“It looks that way at the moment. But we have gone through the fixtures and everyone is playing each other,” he said.

“Of the nine or 10 at least six or seven of their remaining games are against teams in and around them, so there will be a lot of twists and turns.

“If we can stay in and around it until the last few games within two, three, four points of it, if not in it, we can give ourselves a great chance.

“What we all wanted at the end of the season was to be in the last stretch with something to fight for, not struggling for our lives or going through the motions.

“We have done that and I have said to the team that I believe you can do this as you’ve put yourself in a position.

“Yes, we are frustrated about the last two results, but we haven’t played badly.”