LOMAS ON STAGS: Mansfield Town are ready to take on the toughest of League Twos

Just one glance at the fixture list backs up Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough’s assessment that this will be the toughest League Two for many seasons due to the quality of sides that have come down and come up.

Relegated quartet MK Dons, Accrington Stanley, Morecambe and Forest Green Rovers will all be expected to bounce back at the first time of asking while promoted pair – and sleeping giants – Notts County and Wrexham are already among the bookies’ top three tips for the title.

Add to that beaten play-offs trio, the wealthy pair of Stockport County and Salford City and the well-supported sleeping giant of Bradford City, plus then the likes of ambitious and well-financed Gillingham and names like Swindon Town, Doncaster Rovers and Tranmere Rovers and you can see the size of task ahead.

Most of the bookies do seem to have Stags in their top five though, reflecting how well Clough’s men have done in the last two seasons and the impressive-looking recruitment they have made to bolster that squad.

Stags could certainly do with a morale-boosting opening day win at Crewe on Saturday with a very tough August ahead.

Crewe were mid-table last season and this time around bookies seem to think they will spend the campaign looking over their shoulders at the bottom end so this could be a great opportunity for Stags to lay down a marker.

It is a month that then sees Mansfield host Morecambe and Stockport and head for tough away games at Doncaster and Grimsby.

So three points on Saturday would be a massive confidence-booster.

The last time Stags won away on the first day of the season was in 2016 when they triumped 3-2 away at Newport County as they twice led before Kevan Hurst snatched a stoppage time winner for a first opening day away victory in 26 years since a win at Wigan Athletic in August 1990.

The last time Stags began a season away at Crewe ended in a 2-2 draw in 2017/18.

Strap yourselves in and here we go.