Mansfield Town aiming to heap more home misery on fellow strugglers Leyton Orient

Mansfield Town head to London tomorrow to take on a Leyton Orient side also suffering a season of poor home form.
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Like Stags, the O's have only won three League Two games at home all season and have only won one there since early October.

“They have been similar to ourselves and have probably found it a little bit frustrating,” said manager Graham Coughlan.

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“They would want to be higher in the division and achieving a little bit more.

Graham Coughlan.Graham Coughlan.
Graham Coughlan.

“On Saturday they got done late on so we're not the only that concede goals in the latter stages of the game. It's part and parcel of the game.

“It's been a frustrating season there by all accounts. We know what we know about them – the system of play and personnel.

“We played them in November with Bristol Rovers so we know all about them.”

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With bottom side Stevenage losing, Saturday's 1-1 draw at Morecambe actually pulled Stags further away from trouble, despite conceding late, as they opened a 10-point gap to the bottom.

But Coughlan said: “It's four points over the last two games we've let slip. So let's call a spade a spade and be honest.

“I am disappointed with those two results. I would have liked to have won them as we had the games in the palms of our hands.

“At the same time one or two players came off the pitch and said to me they might have lost those games previously.

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“I have to be positive. I can't do anything about those games now.

“I have to look forward and think long term. We are a work in progress and I do think we are making progress on and off the pitch.”

The high winds and torrential ran, followed by heavy snow, has seen the weather hamper preparations for the trip south.

“You look out of the window and see the training ground is under water,” said Coughlan.

“Getting anything done on Sunday was nigh on impossible.

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“It's impossible trying to keep bibs, balls and cones in one place. They just blow all over the place.

“It does affect you preparations, trying to get your messages across to players in a gale-force wind with the rain lashing in your face is difficult.

“We have had to do a bit more classroom-based work with DVDs, so there is ways and means around it.

“We did a debrief on Saturday. You look back on the video and we played some good stuff in very testing conditions.

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“It has affected us but we're not the only club up and down the country that will be affected.”

On Saturday Orient were held 1-1 at home by Macclesfield, leaving them 19th in the League Two table, on 35 points, three ahead of the Stags, who would leapfrog them on goal difference if they could secure a win tomorrow night.

Orient have won seven of their last 10 EFL games against Stags including coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at the one Call Stadium earlier this season.