Preview: Stockport County vs Mansfield Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Both looking to respond to frustrating draws last time out, Stockport County and Mansfield Town lock horns on Tuesday night in a significant League One encounter that could shape the race for the playoff places.

The Hatters were denied victory in dramatic fashion as Exeter City goalkeeper Jack Bycroft scored a stunning 96th-minute equaliser in a six-goal thriller, while the Stags squandered a two-goal lead at home to Luton Town and were forced to settle for a point.

Match preview

Although unbeaten in seven League One matches, Dave Challinor’s Stockport County saw their already slim hopes of automatic promotion mathematically ended by that late draw against Exeter City, confirming their place in the playoffs heading into the final stages of the campaign.

The Hatters led 3-2 in the closing stages at St James Park, only to concede a remarkable last-gasp header from the opposition goalkeeper, a result that marked their 11th draw of the season and simultaneously confirmed Cardiff City’s place in the top two.

With the top two places now out of reach, Stockport enter the final stretch of the season with a five-point cushion over seventh place and a playoff spot virtually secured, with four fixtures remaining.

Should the side from Greater Manchester navigate the playoffs successfully, they will be keen to avoid a repeat of their recent Wembley disappointment, having fallen to a 3-1 defeat against Jack Wilshere’s Luton Town in the EFL Trophy final.

Challinor’s men will also be targeting a third-place finish to secure a more favourable semi-final tie, with Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers still within reach if they can maintain their strong form.

Their run-in sees them face four sides all currently below them in the table, beginning with Mansfield, as Stockport aim to go one better than last season, when they finished third but missed out on promotion to the second tier.

© Imago / Every Second Media

As for Mansfield Town, they enter their final four league fixtures of the season with a seven point cushion over the bottom four and facing no real threat of dropping into League Two. 

Nigel Clough’s side currently sit 14th with 55 points, with their 2-2 draw against Luton Town last time out seeing them surpass last season’s total and improve on their previous campaign’s finish.

While there is little left at stake in terms of league position, the Stags will still be eager to end the season on a positive note.

That draw extended their unbeaten run but will have felt like a missed opportunity, having raced into a two-goal lead inside 28 minutes thanks to a quickfire brace from Jon Russell.

However, goals either side of half time saw them pegged back, forcing them to settle for a 16th draw of the season, with only Bolton Wanderers recording more stalemates in the division.

The reverse fixture in December saw Stockport claim a 2-1 victory, a result that left Mansfield in the relegation zone at Christmas, highlighting the strong progress they have made in the second half of the campaign.

Stockport County League One form:

Stockport County form (all competitions):

Mansfield Town League One form:

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Team News

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Following their dramatic draw at St James Park, Challinor will be pleased his team came away with no further injuries and has the luxury of naming the same XI once again. 

Despite that, they will be without Joseph Olowu, Brad Hills, Josh Dacres-Cogley, Callum Connolly and Arttu Hoskonen through injury.

Those absences have impacted their defensive options, with striker Kyle Wootton having been deployed at centre-back in recent matches; the forward sits second in the League One golden boot race with 19 goals, but his unfamiliar role is likely to hinder his chances of claiming the award, although he is still expected to feature once again.

For Mansfield, Russell’s first-half brace last time out should see him retain his place in attack, alongside Will Evans and Tyler Roberts.

Also sustaining additional injuries, Clough could name the same XI once again and is expected to stick with his preferred back three formation that contains captain Ryan Sweeney. 

Stockport County possible starting lineup:

Addai; Dixon, Wootton, Pye, Edun; Norwood, Osborn; Diamond, Stokes Barry; Sidibeh

Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:

L. Roberts; Hewitt, Oshilaja, Sweeney; Atkins, Reed, Hendry, McLaughlin; Russell, Evans T. Roberts

We say: Stockport County 2-1 Mansfield Town

Looking to solidify their place in the top six, Stockport County will be hoping to make it seven unbeaten with another win on Tuesday. 

We expect the hosts to edge a competitive contest and claim a narrow victory, repeating the scoreline from the reverse fixture.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.