Robins hopeful midfielder's red card will be overturned in time for Stags visit

The Derby County loanee is facing a three game ban for allegedly throwing a punch in the 2-1 defeat at Accrington.

But boss David Flitcroft said: “We’re in the process of appealing Kellan Gordon’s red card.

“The referee said he saw a punch but that’s not the case and we’ve sent video footage to prove that.

“I’m not a massive believer in having a go at referees but we’ve had a tough week.

“We didn’t deserve to lose at Accrington and the referee did get it wrong at times. Our destiny is in our own hands, though.”

On the big six-pointer clash with Mansfield, Flitcroft said: “It doesn’t surprise me that they have only lost one league game since we won up there.

“It is what Steve Evans does, he wins football matches, his record proves that. That’s why he is always in work.

“There are a lot of managers out of work, but Steve Evans never is because he wins football matches and he builds teams to go and go that.

“He has been building there for over 12 months now, getting the right players in over two or three windows. With the January one he probably re-balanced it and it’s led to the run they have been on.”

He continued: “They have got good experience.

“Steve always builds an experienced team and a team full of functional players. He has got a lot of good players in that team and that is why they don’t get beat a lot.

“Danny Rose is always a threat, he plays with an energy and an enthusiasm and loves scoring goals. They are going from a real solid platform and their work has been very good.

“Saturday is about focussing on what we can control and what we can do.

“Since the turn of the year we have been in good form at home and we are looking forward to a home game. It is a top-of-the-table clash, it is two teams that are going for promotion.

“These are the games that when I first took the job, I wanted around this time of the season.

“You have got two form teams going head to head. It gives us an opportunity to play one of the best teams in the league, one of the form teams, and we can get it on.”

Having played Accrington in midweek, it’s all about getting the right balance between training and rest.

Flitcroft said: “We’ve got a good leadership group and the younger players have recovered really well.

“It is about giving the older players the right rest ratio. We’ve got them all mentally rejuvenated.

“Keshi Anderson will be back on Saturday. He trained well today and he’ll be back in the fold. Amine Linganzi won’t make it on Saturday but he is getting closer.”