Crawley Town v Mansfield Town preview: Reds look to maintain excellent home record against Stags

An in-form Mansfield Town travel to West Sussex to face Crawley Town on Saturday in a game between two evenly matched sides.
James Tilley netted a late winner for Crawley Town in their 1-0 victory over Mansfield Town last season. Picture by Jamie Evans/UK Sports Images LtdJames Tilley netted a late winner for Crawley Town in their 1-0 victory over Mansfield Town last season. Picture by Jamie Evans/UK Sports Images Ltd
James Tilley netted a late winner for Crawley Town in their 1-0 victory over Mansfield Town last season. Picture by Jamie Evans/UK Sports Images Ltd

Prior to Tuesday night's fixture against Sutton, Mansfield had won five games in a row in all competitions, including a very impressive 1-0 win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the FA Cup.

League wins against Tranmere, Stevenage and Scunthorpe have pushed the Stags away from the relegation zone.

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Before Tuesday’s games, Crawley were sat in 18th and Mansfield in 17th with only goal difference separating the sides.

Mansfield’s good run of form comes after they went 14 games without a win in all competitions, which naturally put Nigel Clough under pressure.

Clough will be hoping this run of form can change his side's fortunes as they look to work their way up the table.

But they’re up against a Crawley side who are also hoping their luck is changing after they picked up a vital win at Barrow.

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John Yems and Nigel Clough have had similar seasons, with good and bad runs of form.

Consistency is something both sides lack but both sides know how bad they can be on their day.

It does add an element of the unknown. You can never be completely sure what you're going to get prior to the encounter.

The last 13 matches between the two sides has seen five Crawley wins, four Mansfield wins and four draws.

Another close tie is expected on Saturday, as Mansfield look to win at Crawley for the first time since 2016.