Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s League One clash between Wycombe Wanderers and Mansfield Town, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Wycombe Wanderers will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the League One table when they welcome Mansfield Town to Adams Park for a rescheduled round five clash on Tuesday.
The Chairboys have failed to win any of their last three meetings against the Stags, losing twice and drawing one.
Match preview
Since losing their opening two matches against Wrexham and title favourites Birmingham, Wycombe have hit a level that few. if any, would have predicted.
The Chairboys have since picked up an impressive 35 points from a possible 39 in their last 13 league games, winning each of their last seven matches, scoring 19 goals and conceding just five times.
In their most recent league game, Matt Bloomfield’s side picked up a 3-2 win against Lincoln City, thanks to goals from Richard Kone, Fred Onyedinma and Joe Low, maintaining Wycombe’s four-point lead over second-placed Wrexham who have played one extra game.
The Chairboys have an opportunity to extend this lead on Tuesday, and this will mean ending a three-match winless streak and a two-match losing streak at home against Mansfield.
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Mansfield are coming into this clash on a three-match winless streak in League One, and this run involved a 1-1 draw with Birmingham, and back-to-back 1-0 losses to Wrexham and Bristol Rovers.
The Stags are in 10th place with 24 points, two points off the final playoff spot, but Nigel Clough‘s side have played just 14 matches, which is between one to three matches fewer than most teams above them, leaving them with some edge.
However, Mansfield will hope to make those extra matches count, the first of which is Tuesday’s clash against the league leaders, leaving the visitors in a tricky spot.
Before losing their last away game against Wrexham, the Stags were on a four-match winning streak on the road across all competitions, and they have averaged more away points than at home in League One this season.
Wycombe Wanderers League One form:
Wycombe Wanderers form (all competitions):
Mansfield Town League One form:
Mansfield Town form (all competitions):
Team News
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Wycombe currently have a clean bill of health, and Bloomfield is expected to stick with most of the players from the starting XI that won against Lincoln.
Top scorer, Kone – who has nine goals to his name – is expected to spearhead the attack once again, with Onyedinma, Cameron Humphreys and Daniel Udoh providing support.
Mansfield’s first-choice goalkeeper, Christy Pym, had a shoulder injury scare, but he recovered in time to return between the sticks against Bristol.
Stephen McLaughlin also returned to the starting XI after missing the Wrexham loss due to hamstring and back tightness, but Rhys Oates is still recovering from a knee injury and is not expected back for this clash.
Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Ravizzoli; Pattenden, Low, Taylor, Harvie; Morley, Leahy; Onyedinma, Humphreys, Udoh; Kone
Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:
Pym; Oshilaja, Flint, Blake-Tracy; Hewitt, Baccus, Lewis, Reed, Quinn, McLaughlin; Evans, Akins
We say: Wycombe Wanderers 3-1 Mansfield Town
Wycombe may have struggled in recent games against Mansfield, but they are in fine form at the moment, making them favourites to come out on top in this one.
Mansfield will be hopeful of getting a result given how they have performed on the road this season, but we believe that they will fall short, with the Chairboys picking up the win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
