Forest Green clash now biggest game of the season says Mansfield Town midfielder Ollie Clarke

With only one point taken from the last nine and only five games to go, Stags know they have to get their promotion push back on track.

Saturday's shattering 4-1 home loss to Crawley Town knocked them out of the top three, but Mansfield can go second if they win tomorrow's game in hand on their rivals.

“Saturday wasn't to be and obviously we've now got another big game tomorrow night, which we're all gearing up for,” said Clarke.

“It is probably going to be our biggest game of the season.

“But Forest Green will be right up for it. They're still fighting to stay in the league and they'll probably give themselves every chance to do so.

“They'll put out a strong team out tomorrow to try to combat what we've got.

“But if we perform to our capabilities, nullify their threats and obviously work hard to defend our goal, then I think we should be okay.

“I think they'll be a lot more organised since we last played them as their manager has had a lot more time with them.

“We just need to be ruthless in both boxes, which we haven't been in the last couple of games, and I think that'll take care of itself.

“We know we've got the players that can affect games and can score goals.

“So we just need to make sure that we stop them going in the other end and then hopefully things will take care of themselves at the top end.

“We know we have the capability here, but at the minute we're not quite firing on all cylinders. We'll dust ourselves down and go again tomorrow.”

On the Crawley defeat, he said: “We wanted to get off to a fast start and we had some pressure, so to let them go down the other end and score in the manner they did was really disappointing and I think that really sort of knocked us for six.

“We struggled to cope with how they played, but first half we had our fair share of chances and play.

“On another day, we'd probably score two or three and and the game would probably pan out a lot differently.

“But it's one of those Saturdays where you have got to take your medicine and move on from it as quickly as possible.

“At the minute the way confidence is in the camp, everything seems to be going against us.

“Every chance seems to be finding the back of our net, and when you're not defending as solidly as we had been, it does really make hard work for ourselves.

“We need to just get back to what we were doing, very basic and and and just get rid of the ball.

“But we're still a confident group. We've still got it all to play for it, so it's not all doom and gloom.

“Confidence obviously took a bit of a beating on Saturday, but we're ready to go tomorrow and and there's not time to dwell on it.

“The games are coming thick and fast now towards the end of the season. We'll brush ourselves off and we'll go again.”

Clarke already has two promotions to his name in his career and he said: “To gain promotion I think you have just got to try to stay relaxed.

“You've got to try and work as hard as you possibly can. The end is in sight and you have to put your body through it and try to really push hard and push all expectations away.

“When you are in this position fighting for something, you've just got to really put your body through the grinder, put your body on the line to try and help your team.

“We've done it for eight or nine months already. It's just that final push, you need everyone pulling together to get over the line.

“You just have to look at it head on and say I'm up for this and I'm here for it.

“It's what every athlete craves and wants to achieve – promotions, winning medals and trophies, no matter what standard you're.

“As a group we've had this ambition for the whole season.

“Now it's about really driving it over the line and finishing on a real high for our fans and for the club.

“Everyone's pulling together, so us as players just need to to give everything we've got over the last three or four weeks of the season to get to where we want to be.

“We've had a great run this season and we are here to see the job over the line.”