LOMAS ON STAGS: Dare to dream, but Cardiff remain formidable obstacle

Football fans will always dare to dream '“ and where Mansfield Town could be at the end of this season is a fantastic prospect.
Picture by Gareth Williams/AHPIX.com; Football; The Emirates FA Cup; Cardiff City v Mansfield Town; 6/1/18  KO 15.00; Cardif City Stadium; copyright picture; Howard Roe/AHPIX.com; Mansfield skipper Krystian Pearce celebrates with goalkeeper Conrad Logan who was their injury-time hero with a fantastic save to ensure a replayPicture by Gareth Williams/AHPIX.com; Football; The Emirates FA Cup; Cardiff City v Mansfield Town; 6/1/18  KO 15.00; Cardif City Stadium; copyright picture; Howard Roe/AHPIX.com; Mansfield skipper Krystian Pearce celebrates with goalkeeper Conrad Logan who was their injury-time hero with a fantastic save to ensure a replay
Picture by Gareth Williams/AHPIX.com; Football; The Emirates FA Cup; Cardiff City v Mansfield Town; 6/1/18 KO 15.00; Cardif City Stadium; copyright picture; Howard Roe/AHPIX.com; Mansfield skipper Krystian Pearce celebrates with goalkeeper Conrad Logan who was their injury-time hero with a fantastic save to ensure a replay

Despite all their ups and downs, which were always promised from day one, the club head into this weekend a single point off the top three automatic promotion spots.

The Stags almost broke even last season and there is still plenty of money in the war chest to strengthen over the next two weeks according to promotion expert manager Steve Evans.

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And, if Stags could achieve a memorable giantkilling in Tuesday’s FA Cup replay with Cardiff City, they could host a visit from England’s current best club, Manchester City, in round four.

It’s a far, far cry from those dark final days under Keith Haslam and a position few would have dared dream of back then.

But careful stewardship by new owner John Radford has seen him stabilise the club before trying to push it to the next level and he deserves the increasing backing he is getting from the town.

The Cardiff game should be a sell-out, no question.

Tickets are cheap and I am sure the club will give some priority on the scale of things to those with stubs from that, should they earn the dream game with Manchester City.

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It is to be hoped they would also take advantage of the home game with Cheltenham a few days after Cardiff, should they win the replay, to further capitalise on getting fans into the stadium with the lure of a City ticket.

The money the club could earn over the next few weeks is staggering and could help fund the new faces in January and go towards some sort of redevelopment of the Bishop Street Stand.

What if the Stags could earn a replay with City and a trip to the Etihad Stadium?

Dreaming is a wonderful thing. But the reality is football can be a cruel mistress and Cardiff are a top quality side who will have been stung by failing to see off the League Two upstarts in their own backyard.

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Any Stags fans believing their club has done the hard bit should think again.

I saw Cardiff win away at Forest the other week and they were big, strong, uncompromising spoilers who won the game the ugly way with plenty to spare.

Stags did have their chances to snatch victory at Cardiff and may yet look back on those missed moments with regret.

We have been here before recently.

Back in the 2013/14 FA Cup, the Stags were drawn away at League One Oldham Athletic and a Sam Clucas equaliser earned a 1-1 draw.

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The third round draw paired Stags away at Liverpool and everyone thought the hard bit had been done at Boundary Park.

But the Latics found a higher gear at Mansfield and strolled out comfortable 4-1 winners with four goals in 24 second half minutes after trailing to an early Ross Dyer goal.

Stags also lost Ben Hutchinson and Clucas with injury and John Dempster with a red card on a night to forget.

Ahead of all the cup excitement to come, Stags must make sure they pick up something at Cambridge on Saturday as promotion remains the priority over cup dreaming.

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Mansfield’s current run of only one defeat in 19 matches is fabulous and something they are probably not getting enough credit for.

Yes they have squandered points here and there. But when you fail to win, you make sure you get a draw and, slowly but surely, those points begin to add up.

Cambridge have started to pick up form-wise and are unbeaten in four games, but will hold no fear for Steve Evans’ men, who won there 3-1 last season.

The games against Cambridge and Cardiff are followed by two home games in four days against struggling Cheltenham and local rivals Lincoln City with the squad likely to be boosted and freshened up by new faces by then.

So let’s all take the opportunity right now to dare to dream and savour Stags’ current situation before the realities of life have an opportunity to spoil it all.