LOMAS ON STAGS: Crawley visit takes on huge importance in glory chase

A combination of a home defeat and bad results elsewhere would leave Nigel Clough’s men up against it, already three points off the play-offs with nine games to go.

It would be so easy to slip into mid-table obscurity from here.

But there is a reason why things are as they are and, whatever the criticisms by fans of certain players or the manager’s tactics or substitutions, it is the injury situation that is proving incredibly damaging to a season that promised so much.

No club at this level could have coped any better and it has probably put paid to any hopes of automatic promotion.

Eight players were missing for last weekend’s visit of Sutton United and within 16 minutes we saw Riley Harbottle knocked unconscious and packed off to hospital – for the second time this season.

The game also ended with Elliott Hewitt with a broken nose and Ollie Clarke in much discomfort.

But with Stephen Quinn back from suspension and the likes of George Maris, Louis Reed and Callum Johnson possibly back in time for the Easter games next week and Rhys Oates that bit fitter, there is hope on the horizon.

It just feels like Stags need to get through Saturday and pick up the three points, however it happens, to stay with the pack.

But the Red Devils are much improved and, even though they are still flirting with the dreaded drop, Stags will need to be at their best and enjoy some rare luck to win it.

Amid the doom and gloom and, let’s face it, two awful games of football at home last week, there was some cheer.

To see young striker James Gale make his full league debut at last on Saturday warmed the heart as the youngster got stuck in against a bruising Sutton United.

Congratulations also to young keeper Owen Mason who kept a clean sheer on his Ireland U19 debut. He is rapidly learning his trade at the One Call Stadium and, if not a future Stags No.1, could end up making the club some serious money with big clubs already keeping tabs on his progress.