| Wrexham look to return to winning ways in what is
realistically a must win game against second bottom Mansfield in our
third home game in eight days.
The midweek defeat against Peterborough ended a run of
six games unbeaten and a win against the Stags will not be enough to
see us climb off the bottom of the table, after their draw against
fellow relegation rivals Bury in midweek opened up a four point cushion for
Mansfield.
After going without conceding a goal for three games,
Wrexham have equalled this record in front of goal and manager Brian
Little has hinted to a change in tactics in order to improve our record
of 21 goals in the league this season, which is 8 less than the second
slowest scorers, Notts County, who
are four places higher in the table.
Mansfield's recent form away from Field Mill is in
complete contrast to home games as they are without a victory in their
last seven on home soil but they have won their last four league matches on their
travels.
This sequence includes impressive wins at promotion
chasing Darlington and Wycombe as well as three points at Lincoln and
Chester with the last away defeat coming at MK Dons on New Year's Day.
Mansfield were unable to repeat the win over Chester
at home on the weekend as they let slip a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 and they
were also unable to hold on against Bury with the Shakers grabbing the
equaliser with only six minutes left, although this result did end a run
of six straight home defeats.
Like us, Mansfield have games in hand on fellow
relegation rivals but these are mainly down to the Stags reaching Round
Four of the FA Cup before they were knocked out of the competition by
Middlesbrough of the Premiership.
Top scorer for the Stags is Michael Boulding and his
sixteen league goals so far this season have gone a long way to keeping
Mansfield in contention with the teams around the bottom of the table,
although his last goal was at Wycombe from the penalty spot three weeks
ago.
Boulding is in his second spell with the Stags after
originally starting his professional career with Mansfield in 1999. His
career has included a short spell at Aston Villa but he has never stayed
too long at one club but is now into his second season with the Stags
this time round.
Billy Dearden has been at Field Mill for fifteen
months and he is also in his second spell in charge of Mansfield
after previously being manager between 1999-2002.
Dearden has not made many charges to his playing squad
since the New Year with midfielder Will Atkinson arriving on loan from
Hull and defender Keith Briggs made a similar switch from Shrewsbury.
The only permanent signing was striker Jefferson Louis from Weymouth and
he has so far responded with three goals in six games.
Recent Encounters:
Despite being in March, this is the first game between
the two sides this season after the first game at Field Mill was called
off in November due to international call ups.
Last season, the same match at the Racecourse ended
goalless but we got hammered 3-0 at the home of the Stags.
Our last victory over Mansfield came at the Racecourse
in December 2005 when we ran out 4-1 winners after training 1-0 at half
time.
The overall head-to-head in the league sees Mansfield
ahead with twenty-four wins to our twenty-two and there have been
sixteen draws in the sixty-two league matches played.
Team News:
Wrexham are without defender Steve Evans after he
picked up a knee injury against Peterborough in midweek.
This may mean a recall for Richard Hope but Brian
Little may change from the five at the back he has deployed in midweek,
especially with Simon Spender also rated doubtful with a hip injury.
Danny Sonner is set to return in midfield after
missing the Peterborough match but Neil Roberts misses his third
successive game because of an ankle injury.
Mansfield are without midfielder Stephen Dawson
because of swollen glands and the same illness also makes Matt Hawshaw a
doubt.
Alex John-Baptise should make the subs bench after a
two month lay off and the Stags have other injury concerns from midweek.
Elsewhere in League Two:
As well as the two teams occupying the relegation zone
facing each other, the two teams directly above the drop zone also meet with third bottom Macclesfield entertaining fourth bottom Notts County.
Bury are ahead of the Magpies only on goal difference
and they face the difficult task of all the teams, as they visit a
Peterborough side that have won eight of their last nine league games.
Dagenham's recent form has resulted in them replacing
Barnet as the team sixth bottom of the league with the Bees at home to
Shrewsbury whilst Dagenham visit Bradford.
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