Kieran Wallace a key player in promotion push says Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough

Wallace has been in and out the side since joining the club a year ago, often with injuries, but impressed as the defensive base of the midfield diamond last weekend.

“I thought Kieran did really well on Saturday, said manager Clough.

He trains extremely well and it's just about getting him consistently on the pitch. He seems to be so unlucky with injuries.

“He got a knock to the head at Hartlepool - and the tackle he went into just before half-time was fearless and he ended up getting the ankle injury which has put him out for a few games.

“But he is back now, trained well and we thought it would free George Maris up a bit, which it did as he got himself a goal in the six yard box.

“So it was good to have a look at him. He didn't quite last the whole game but I thought he did very well.”

He added: “Kieran is a very important player for us. I know he hasn't been on the pitch as much as we'd hoped, but when you look throughout your squad, people like him are worth their weight in gold.

“He can fill in three or four positions and when you put them out there you know what you're going to get from them.

“If you ask him he will say that (holding midfielder) is his position. He gets on the ball a little bit too deep at times and we want him further up the pitch, but he reads the game well and is very combative in there.

“When he gets on the ball he gets us going. I think with Anthony Hartigan missing we wanted to try George Maris a bit further forward. It's a good option for us. But of course now Louis Reed has come in and that is his position. So he will be vying for a place with him.

“Maris can play either side of the holding midfielder or as one of the front three we're playing at the moment.

“That was always his position when he played at Cambridge as a 10 and getting in the box and getting goals. It might give George a bit more of a licence to get forward.”