LOMAS ON STAGS: ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ after fantastic February for Mansfield Town

Momentum counts for so much and Stags are currently like a huge juggernaut with no brakes.

It was a close game for half an hour on Saturday, but Stags pulled away and eventually won by a big margin.

So it was a shame Salford boss Karl Robinson could not have shown the same humility as Harrogate’s Simon Weaver and given the opposition some praise instead of blaming someone who was a poor referee on the day for both sides.

So, using the immortal words of the great Ian Dury – look how many ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful’ Stags fans currently have to savour.

• League Two leaders Mansfield also have the best goal difference – +38 – by some way, beating second biggest Stockport by nine goals. That could end up crucial.
• Stags have scored more goals than any other side in the division and also boast the meanest defence, only conceding 29 with next lowest goals conceded being Stockport with 37.
• Stags scored 20 goals in February – their most in a single calendar month in the Football League since 1994, which was also 20.
• Mansfield are joint top scorers with Arsenal in the top four divisions in 2024 so far with 25 goals and mighty Liverpool trailing them in third place.
• Stags are top of the League Two form table for February with Nigel Clough a great candidate for Manager of the Month after missing out in previous nominations.
• Davis Keillor-Dunn is on course to be the 20-goal a season man some felt the club were lacking after reaching 17 before the end of February.
• Stags have three players and their manager in the League Two Team of the Week.
• This is only the second time Stags have topped the table since winning the Conference in 2013 – and that was only after winning at Notts County on a Friday night in 2015 in the second game of the season when everyone else had only played one game.