Promotion with Stags this season would be boss Evans' biggest achievement

Ahead of the crucial trip to Stevenage, he said: “When I went into Rotherham I had a reasonable chance as I had a fresh piece of paper and four or five games in the summer to put my squad in place.

“We had to work really hard through that season as, what happens when you’ve signed a big group of players is a percentage don’t work out. But we got them over the line quite emphatically in the end.

“But I came to Mansfield Town in 18th in the league, nearer the bottom than the top, and not a squad built for promotion in my opinion.

“If I’d have been here last July we’d already be in flip flops. We weren’t and we have a lot of work to do.

“But let’s finish the season in a really positive way and if we fail to make the play-offs we’ve come a long way.

“It just means it’s a lesser length of journey next summer. But I’d rather be building for League One.”

Evans expects a noisy army of Stags fans behind his players on Saturday.

“Stevenage isn’t that far away and I know now we’ll take a good support,” he said.

“I want to give them another day like we gave them at Wycombe or at Morecambe where we work ever so hard and together on and off the pitch we do it collectively. We need their support.

“This is the big stage of the season. The top three were the best three in the league, I think everyone would accept that. What we’ve got is a battle behind them.

“You’ve got people that have stolen a little march by four or five points, but that can be gone in a game or two. You have to look after yourselves.”