LOMAS ON STAGS: High-flying Mansfield Town are simply in League One wonderland after five wins in a row

Absolutely no one could have predicted that after nine games, almost a quarter of the campaign, the Stags would be third in the table after chalking up five wins and three clean sheets in succession.

Only goal difference keeps them out of the automatic top two promotion places to the Championship – and Nigel Clough’s men have a game in hand on Wrexham.

I have no idea what odds you could have got on this situation in August but I would guess for a meagre stake you could have been flying off somewhere sunny this blank weekend coming.

Fans keep pinching themselves and expecting their side’s surge to hit the buffers – but the Mansfield train keeps a rolling on.

Many saw much-fancied Blackpool as a free hit on Saturday. And Stags simply sent Steve Bruce’s Seasiders tumbling to the same canvas they had left Barnsley on a few weeks ago.

And these results are even being achieved by a side shorn of several key players and some playing out of position to cover.

Saturday’s unlikely central defensive trio of George Williams, Jordan Bowery and Deji Oshilaja were simply sensational and keeper Christy Pym only had one real to make all afternoon against a Pool side that had won four and drawn one of their previous five games.

Louis Reed again pulled the strings magnificently as a defensive midfielder with some simply sublime passes that would not be out of place in the Premier League. At times you did have to pinch yourself.

Elliott Hewitt was getting back to his best as right wing back while Stephen McLaughlin picked up two assists. The rest of the midfield worked their socks off as did the two up front with Will Evans netting twice from close range.

But the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for defender Alfie Kilgour, out injured since August 2023, who came on for a late cameo up front.

He looks in absolutely magnificent shape – a Viking – but he and Aden Flint, when fit, know they will have to fight for a place in this side. Also back from injury late on was Frazer Blake-Tracy and he also reminded us how big and powerful he is and almost scored.

What a time to be a Stags supporter!