By Jake Stone
February 22 2008

Well what can we expect from this upcoming game? Chester are in absolute freefall, can’t buy a win for love nor money. The Stags on the other hand haven’t achieved back to back wins since March of last year. Something surely has to give for either side in the first of many games for Mansfield which is being built up as a 6-pointer.

The current residents at the Saunders Honda/Deva Stadium started off the season in fantastic form seeing them soar into the play-off places after a fantastic month of October, grabbing 3 wins and 2 draws in the league. Chester also showed they could even cut it at a higher level holding both decent league one side’s Crewe and Forest to 1-1 draws in cup competitions.

Unfortunately for City, league two has literally turned itself upside down on them over the past few months. The appalling form that they have shown in the past 2 months or so has seen them plummet into 16^th place, from play-off candidates to a relegation worried side. Boxing Day was when it seemed to all turn on its head for the Cheshire side after they managed to score 3 goals away from home and still took a hammering from Morecambe, succumbing to a 5-3 result.

Since and including that game Chester have gone 12 games without a win. Their current form in a nutshell is LLLDLLLLDLLL. The Stags coincidentally beginning there 4 away league wins on the bounce at Chester in the middle of that terrible form. Chester have since had a shake-up of things with ex-Ireland international Jason Mcateer joining the coaching team. Jimmy Bone, the assistant manager was also given the boot after a meeting and Steve Mungall who actually managed City in the 2001/02 season briefly took over in his place.

A totally unpredictable game ahead of us surely, although the last 5 games at Field Mill between these two sides suggest that Chester have found it difficult on there travels to Nottinghamshire.

Billy Dearden will be rallying his troops to get their first back to back win of the season and maybe see the Stags climb out of the relegation spots once again come Saturday tea time. Chester are desperately due a win and personally I can’t stand games like this as players begin to ease back and look on the game as an easy one, there are no easy games in this league and especially this time of the season.

Simply Staggering Prediction: Mansfield Town 2-1 Chester City

Mansfield Town v Chester City - Match preview

Discussion started by Simply Staggering (IP Logged), 22/02/2008 04:10

Simply Staggering
22/02/2008 04:10

Mansfield Town v Chester City - Match preview

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