LOMAS ON STAGS: Sensational start to season as Mansfield Town pass opponents off the field

The football played so far – and I write this ahead of tonight’s trip to Doncaster Rovers – has been nothing short of sensational.

It has been some of the best I have seen in all the years I have covered the Stags. We all know we can’t get carried away so early in the campaign and, football being football, we all know how cruel it can be.

But Nigel Clough’s men seem to be trying to be the Manchester City of League Two this season and pass their way to promotion.

Yes they will need to avoid the horrendous injuries of last season and – at times – the season before as well as have the odd appearance by Lady Luck who has not been a regular visitor in recent times.

We know there will be bumps in the road along the way.

But fans will probably be more forgiving of defeats if they happen while trying to win games. At times down the seasons Stags have gone ahead and then gradually sat back on what they had, inviting pressure and the inevitable equaliser.

But in the first three games of this season they have taken the lead and then continued to press forward in search of blood, which is what fans have wanted for some time.

The first XI looks top notch and the bench equally strong plus we are seeing flashes of Academy youngsters itching to make the big step up too, which would be reward for the hard work going on behind the scenes to unearth new gems.

Now the club is also expanding that Academy and training ground complex to include a covered training pitch – and it is already the envy of many bigger clubs right up to Championship level.

It has already helped turn the heads of several players Stags have signed and the improvements can only further add to its attractiveness as a place of work for better players.

Add to all of this record season ticket sales and two clean sheets in a row and it is easy to feel as optimistic about the season ahead as any Stags fan has for years.

Grimsby will be gunning for cup revenge this Saturday but, with a big army of support behind them, Stags are more than capable of beating them again.