LOMAS ON STAGS: Wily Mansfield Town secure a top class central defensive partnership for next season

Aden Flint looks down with concern after a serious injury to defensive partner Alfie Kilgour at Doncaster. But the pair will reunite next season.
Photo by Chris & Jeanette Holloway/The Bigger Picture.media — Aden Flint looks down with concern after a serious injury to defensive partner Alfie Kilgour at Doncaster. But the pair will reunite next season. Photo by Chris & Jeanette Holloway/The Bigger Picture.media

Kilgour, ruled out for the season after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon in mid-August, has just been given a new 18-month contract by the club – and that will serve as a massive boost to his mood and future.

With his current deal expiring in the summer, technically Mansfield could have got the centre half fit and seen him walk away.

But, after months of mental torture wondering if he will ever kick a ball again, Kilgour now seems to have the smile back on his face and the bit between his teeth and can’t wait to be back in pre-season.

Kilgour was signed from Bristol Rovers a year ago and looked immediately like one of the best centre halves the club has had in years – a burly, no-nonsense old-fashioned defender who could head, was decent on the ball and could add goals.

Stags also gave a contract extension to giant centre half Aden Flint this week too and, with no disrespect to Baily Cargill, the prospect of a Flint-Kilgour central defensive partnership, potentially in League One, next season is a mouthwatering prospect.

Their contract extensions have been a bright spot in what has been a tough week or so for Stags after only one point from two games and their bid to bring in a quality striker put on ice by his club, who seem in no rush to let him out.

But after yet another injury blow for Rhys Oates, Stags now really do need a new striker this window.

Oates twice had lengthy spells out with injuries last season and the current knee injury, which will sideline him for another nine months, follows ruptured ankle ligaments back in early September.

So the latest one makes it four serious injuries in two seasons following a season in which he was the club’s top scorer and so exciting to watch.

Fans now wonder if they will ever see him at his best again.

Saturday’s was not the best of games on a poor pitch in poor weather conditions.

But a point from Morecambe away should never be sniffed at, it’s all leaders Stockport managed there recently too and those are the type of points that get you promoted.