Mansfield Town face a key League One test this Saturday with an away trip to face Wigan Athletic at The Brick Community Stadium. The Stags, sitting 17th in the table with eight points from seven games, are looking to find consistency after a mixed start to the season. Their current tally of eight points leaves them 12 points adrift of the playoff places and 11 points clear of the relegation zone.
Recent form
Nigel Clough's side have taken just one victory from their last five league matches. That was a 5-2 home win over Luton Town back in August. Since then, they have drawn with Burton Albion and Huddersfield Town, and suffered defeats to Bradford City and Reading. Their most recent outing was a 2-2 draw at Burton, where Michael Smith and Lucas Akins were on the scoresheet. The team's average of 1.14 points per game this season shows their need for improvement. You can review the team's full schedule on our fixtures page.
Wigan Athletic, who are currently bottom of the league, have also struggled for results. Their form shows two wins, a draw, and two losses from their last five, including a heavy 4-0 home defeat to Stockport County earlier this month.
Team setup
Both teams have used settled formations in recent weeks. Mansfield lined up in a 3-1-4-2 shape against Burton, with Louis Roberts in goal behind a back three of Elliott Hewitt, Adedeji Oshilaja, and Riley Sweeney. Wigan, in their last match, deployed a 3-4-2-1 system in a 3-2 win over Blackpool.
Looking ahead
Mansfield's next fixture after the trip to Wigan is a home match against 4th-placed Portsmouth on Tuesday, 7 October. The last meeting between these sides was in April, a 2-1 victory for Wigan. Mansfield will be aiming to reverse that result and climb the standings. The match kicks off at 3pm local time on Saturday, 3 October.
