LOMAS ON STAGS: A week to savour for Mansfield Town with winning run, new signing and James Perch bonus

Stags celebrate defender Stephen McLaughlin's first half goal in Saturday's 3-1 victory at Barrow. Photo by: Chris Holloway/The Bigger Picture.media.

The old 1960s song ‘It’s Good News Week’ should be the permanent song on the radio after a glorious spell for the club.

Still on a high after persuading John-Joe O’Toole to sign a permanent deal last week in the face of hot competition, things just got better and better.

After a year of rumours, Mansfield Town finaly managed to persuade Lucas Akins to join them from Burton Albion on Thursday.

Bi g, strong and versatile, he has shown he knows where the net is during his seven and a half years with the Brewers and he can play pretty much anywhere he’s needed on the field.

It was a major boost before the weekend’s long haul up to Barrow, which came on the back of the aborted night at Forest Green last Tuesday that saw a long journey rendered pointless by the heavy fog that forced the early abandonment.

Stags scored in the evry first minute at Barrow and led 2-1 when they had Farrend Rawson sent off. But they added a third and Akins made a solid debut as sub as they equalled the club’s all-time record of seven successive league wins.

As if things couldn’t get any better, the club then announced on Tuesday that James Perch, ruled out for the season in September with a fractured skull, had been given the go-ahead to return early.

Specialists told Perch the skull had healed as well as it would be for next season.

So vastly experienced and influential, to have Perch back with 21 games still to go and the top three automatic promotion spots so tantalisingly close, is a huge lift.

Momentum has well and truly built in recent weeks and you can bet Leyton Orient won’t be relishing Saturday.

With so many tricky away games still to come among those remaining matches, having experienced stars like Perch, O’Toole and Akins, who have been there and got the tee shirt, will be invaluable.

Also, if Ollie Clarke, George Maris and Rhys Oates shake off knocks for Saturday, they will also have the rare luxury of just one player – Kellan Gordon – in the treatment room as the earlier injury nightmares become just a bad dream.