LOMAS ON STAGS: Could Danny Johnson be the next Mansfield Town goalscoring legend?

Leyton Orient hotshot Danny Johnson joined the Stags last week.Leyton Orient hotshot Danny Johnson joined the Stags last week.
Leyton Orient hotshot Danny Johnson joined the Stags last week.
Mansfield Town fans have been crying out for a goal machine since Matt Green's star began to fade.

Danny Rose did net them 17 in 2017/18, but only just made double figures on two of his other four campaigns with the Stags So many hugely talented midfielders have come and gone since the days of Green, but chances created have often gone begging.

Nigel Clough's signing of Danny Johnson has therefore set pulses racing.

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Leyton Orient's top goalscorer is a natural finisher, a predator and a poacher.

He has played all over the place from non-league to Scotland and Spain and also had time on the books of Championship club Cardiff City without playing a first team game.

But an astonishing return of better than one goal in every two career games shows Johnson knows where the net is.

In non-league he smashed in 51 goals in 48 games for Guisborough Town and also 44 in 110 games for Gateshead.

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He proved he can do it at League Two level last season with 20 goals for a very average Leyton Orient outfit who were not creating anywhere near the amount of chances Mansfield were by the end. The player's first interview showed he is brimming with confidence and hungry to get on the end of chances carved out by a midfield department currently packed with talent and promise.

Hopefully he can be a crucial piece of the jigsaw for success.

It was great to see Stephen Quinn sign this week too as the veteran Irishman still has enough energy and know-how to make a crucial impact.

It was a shame the Tom Naylor deal collapsed like it did after agreeing to come and I doubt his agent, ex-Stag Jake Speight, will be on many Stags' fans Christmas card lists, though he will argue he did the best for his client.

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Otherwise all eyes are on Wembley for the big meeting of the auld enemies in Euro 2020 on Friday. England impressed in their opening win over Croatia and, watching Scotland's defeat by the Czechs, must fancy their chances of inflicting more misery on Steve Clarke's men. But 'local derbies' do not account for form or status and England must beware they don't get sucked too far into a battle with the talented ball-players they have.

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