Two teams with contrasting ambitions face off in round 43 of the League One campaign as Mansfield Town welcome Reading to One Call Stadium on Monday.
The hosts will be aiming to bring an end to their dismal run in a bid to tighten their grip on safety, while the visitors will be looking to bounce back from a pair of underwhelming outings that have seen them slip out of the promotion playoff zone.
Match preview
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Mansfield played out a dramatic 3-3 draw in their previous outing, one that saw momentum swing wildly as George Maris opened the scoring in the eighth minute before they fell behind to three unanswered goals, only to claw their way back through late strikes from Aden Flint and Jordan Bowery.
While the result did put the brakes on a three-game losing streak, it also extended their winless run to four matches and left them on 48 points, just five clear of the drop zone with only a handful of games left in the campaign.
Nigel Clough's men have picked up just one win from their last nine League One matches on their turf, losing the last two, while their return of 22 points from a possible 60 ranks as the fifth worst home side in the division.
The Stags had been blunt in front of goal during that spell, failing to score in four of the first six but have shown signs of life in recent weeks by netting at least twice in each of their last three at the One Call.
In fact, the only time they avoided conceding three in that run, they walked away with all three points, suggesting that a tighter backline could be the missing piece this time around.
Mansfield's only previous meeting with Reading came in the reverse fixture, where they fell to a narrow 2-1 away defeat, and the Stags could get their own pound of flesh here to strengthen their bid for a second consecutive stay in the third tier, having gained promotion in the beginning of the campaign.
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The visitors arrive on the back of a barren spell in front of goal, having followed up a goalless draw against Northampton with a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Lincoln City – a result that saw them slip to seventh in the standings, level on 69 points with sixth-placed Leyton Orient.
Their away form has offered little cause for optimism, with just five wins from 21 league outings on the road and only two secured in their last nine attempts.
Goals have also dried up on their travels, with the Royals drawing blanks in five of those nine games – a worrying trend they must arrest quickly to remain within striking distance of the playoff spots.
Notably, each of Reading's five away victories this season has come against teams currently in the bottom half, and with Mansfield falling into that category, the visitors will be hoping for a familiar outcome to reignite their push.
Team News
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Bowery and Flint made their presence felt from the bench to spark Mansfield's dramatic fightback last time out, a contribution that could now earn them starting spots against Reading.
Ben Quinn, Rhys Oates, Lee Gregory, Frazer Blake-Tracy and Calum MacDonald remain the expected absentees for the hosts.
Kelvin Abrefa was forced off in Reading's previous outing and is expected to sit this one out, paving the way for Andy Yiadom – his replacement on the day – to slot in from the start.
Abrefa joins Jeriel Dorsett, Ben Elliott, Michael Craig and Harlee Dean on the sidelines, as all four continue their recovery from injuries.
Amadou Salif Mbengue will also miss the trip to the One Call through suspension, having picked up his 10th yellow card of the campaign in the previous round.
Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:
Pym; Oshilaja, Kilgour, Cargill; Flint, Marris, Reed, Craig, Bowery; Vickers, Akins
Reading possible starting lineup:
Pereira; Abrefa, Bindon, Yiadom, Garcia; Knibbs, Wing, Savage, Ehibhatiomhan, Wareham, Campbell,
We say: Mansfield Town 1-2 Reading
Both sides are struggling for consistency, with Reading blunt in the final third on the road, but the fact they face a Mansfield side that has shipped six goals across their last three home games could hand the visitors a slight edge.
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Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
