Fresh from Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory over Salford City at Blundell Park, the Mariners will be keen to secure back-to-back wins when Mansfield Town visit on Saturday afternoon.

Abo Eisa’s double in midweek earned our first three-point haul of the season and the team’s focus now moves to a second match against Mansfield in as many weeks after our Carabao Cup defeat earlier in August.

Team News

Otis Khan, Niall Maher and Donovan Wilson continue to be absent with Hurst confirming earlier today that he expects to be able to pick from the same group as players as from midweek.

Danny Amos made his first appearance of the campaign at left-back during Tuesday’s victory against Salford and impressed alongside Abo Eisa in the first time the duo lined up as a pair as part of a couple of tweaks made to the team’s shape in midweek. Gavan Holohan also made his first league start of the season, replacing Alex Hunt in the starting XI.

Mansfield Town

Tomorrow’s opponents have started their league campaign with two draws and a win to their name after away draws at Crewe Alexandra and Doncaster Rovers – both 2-2 – came either side of a 3-0 home victory over Morecambe.

Managed by Nigel Clough, the Stags have already defeated the Mariners this season when goals from Lucas Akins and Rhys Oates eliminated Town from the Carabao Cup at the first stage ten days ago.

Despite having lost influential defender Alfie Kilgour to injury for the rest of the season, Mansfield were able to bring in experienced Championship campaigner Aden Flint earlier this month who, after starting the last two games alongside Kilgour, will be expected to show his quality and step up in his absence.

With Akins and Oates forming a potent and creative attacking trio with Davis Keillor-Dunn ahead of an effective midfield unit, the Mariners will have to be at their best on Saturday to nullify the theat that impressed in that earlier Carabao Cup tie.

Previous Meetings

Ahead of the tie ten days ago, the Mariners faced Mansfield three times in the 2022/23 season with both league encounters ending as draws. Town defeated the Stags 2-0 in the EFL Trophy Group Stage back in September.

Mansfield have won 22 of the 54 matches between the two sides with the Mariners victorious on 17 occasions.

Referee

Will Finnie is the lead official on Saturday and has refereed two League One games this campaign already. This will be his first Town match since our 2-0 defeat at Stevenage in April last season.

Finnie will be assisted by Thomas Harty and Bradley Hall.

Coverage

Supporters overseas can watch the action live with match passes available HERE for just £10.

UTM