LOMAS ON STAGS: McDonnell departure is a hammer blow but not terminal

The Nottingham Forest loanee was recalled and sold to Championship club Oxford United in a deal said to be worth around £1 million at the weekend.

Nigel Clough said Forest had been honest with him all along that this could happen and has wished McDonnell well.

But he also knows replacing him like for like is a huge task and possibly one he will be unable to sort in this window with less than two weeks to go.

During one of the international breaks when McDonnell was away with Northernn Ireland, Clough said he was pleased the Stags game was off as he would not want to name a team this season without McDonnell in it.

But now he is having to do so.

Stags do have the enthusiasm of Aaron Lewis and the presence and guile of new boy Jon Russell, who can do a job in there.

But realistically they are both attacking midfielders while McDonnell was content to sit and win the ball back to give to the more attacking players.

Clough described him affectionately as a 'throwback' to players from days gone by.

McDonnell loves to tackle, head and put the challenges in, very much like Forest club captain Ryan Yates, who has no doubt influenced him greatly at the City Ground.

He was already a strong candidate for Player of the Season.

I, like the club, wish him all the very best at Oxford but can't help thinking he may have got an even better move had he stayed for the season and caught the eye of even bigger clubs in the Championship.

It is also a shame that Forest had clearly written off his chances of playing for their first team, having nurtured him to international level.

At £1 million they may see it as a decent return on their investment in his education, but it's small fry compared to the money they have been throwing around in recent seasons and keeping him another year may have saved them money in the future.

Were the Reds to be relegated this season, he could have been very much in their plans next season.

As it is, McDonnell has joined a struggling Championship club, albeit on very good money no doubt, but with the current possibility of a tough second half to the season and relegation.

However, as one hero departs, maybe another has arrived as Tottenham teenager Oliver Irow lit up the One Call Stadium with what skipper Ryan Sweeney described as the best debut he has ever seen on Saturday.

His introduction at half-time saw a dour 0-0 draw with Port Vale transform into an exciting second half as, in his very first senior professional match, he netted two goals and ran Vale ragged down the left.

Clough said Irow is a confident young man without being over-confident. And when he met the press last week the youngster said he loved scoring goals and that was what he was here to do.

Well he was as good as his word as he exploded onto the scene with a Man of the Match 45 minutes that changed the course of the afternoon.

His first goal was a natural striker's instinct as he chased in a low shot from Rhys Oates in case the keeper could not hold it – and so it proved as he pounced to sweep home the loose ball.

His second goal was a thing of beauty as, looking up from the left of the box, he dipped a perfect finish over the keeper and under the far angle.

It was no fluke as he has already done that couple of times in training and shows the talent Spurs are nurturing and that Stags now have at their disposal until May.

Fellow new boy Jon Russell also made a positive difference in midfield when he came on and Stags' third January signing Victor Adeboyejo was given a run-out later onto help shift the rust he will doubtless be feeling after almost a year out of action.

The trio look to be hugely astute business for this window.

All three look set to make a huge difference to the strength of the squad in the second half of the campaign, and if Clough can identify an available defensive midfielder to bring in as well then happy days.

If not, even without McDonnell's grit, Stags have more than enough with the glut of talented players currently returning from injury to stay well clear of bother this campaign and keep the pressure on the clubs above them to force themselves into the play-offs battle.

After last season's late worries, a comfortable mid-table finish would be very welcome this time around as a minimum.

But players and fans dream of more – and with Stags 10th but only four points off the play-off spots with three games in hand you just never know.

Five wins on the bounce has confidence sky-high in the camp and, looking at the bench, they now look to have enough to deal with the numerous gruelling weeks they face like the one ahead with Stevenage away followed by the long hike to Plymouth away on Tuesday and then Wycombe at home the following week.