Numerous weeks of positive results came to a crashing halt in Greater Manchester last weekend, with Sutton United suffering their heaviest-ever EFL defeat.
That was the final nail in the coffin for Matt Gray, who was sacked following that defeat, having guided this club to their first-ever EFL promotion in 2020-21, being named National League Manager of the Year on that occasion.
It is now the responsibility of Jason Goodliffe to revive this side after such a crushing defeat, as the Yellows aim to avoid consecutive League Two losses for the first time since October.
Before their encounter with Stockport, the South Londoners appeared to be heading in the right direction, claiming points in their previous five domestic encounters, putting them five points below Colchester United in the battle to stave off relegation.
That is still their deficit heading into their 22nd matchday, while they enter this encounter unbeaten in five successive home matches in all competitions, defeating Horsham 2-0 in the second round of the FA Cup.
Throughout the 2023-24 campaign, their best performances have occurred at Gander Green Lane, with their only three League Two victories this season taking place at home, scoring 16 of their 26 domestic goals in the Borough of Sutton.
Last Saturday, they won for the 10th time domestically this season, giving them 39 points after 20 matchdays, six more than they had at this point of the 2022-23 League Two campaign.
All season long, Nigel Clough’s men have fought their way back into matches, losing the fewest League Two encounters this season (one), coming back to earn a result on seven occasions and gaining 11 points when conceding the opening goal.
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Four times in League Two this season, the Stags faced a deficit after 45 minutes away from home, losing only one of those encounters (2-1 at Swindon Town).
Their consistency has them knocking on the door for an automatic promotion, just a single point behind Wrexham and Barrow in the race for a top-three position with a game in hand on each of them.
Saturday will only be the third time they travel to Gander Green Lane for a League Two fixture versus Sutton United, and their previous two visits there did not go well, with Mansfield losing both encounters by a combined score of 4-1.
