NIgel Clough on postponement at Walsall and the qualities Bolton Wanderers will bring to Mansfield Town

Nigel Clough is frustrated at the recent postponements to have hit Mansfield. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Mansfield saw their weekend visit to Walsall called off due to a waterlogged pitch, just days after the original midweek home match against Bolton also fell foul of the weather.

It comes at the worst possible time for on-song Stags after five EFL wins on the bounce.

“Looking at the pictures there was no way the Walsall game could have been played on that surface, so it is frustrating,” he said.

“Every time we talk at the moment it seems to be after a postponed game. It is just a bit concerning that we haven’t played many games in the last three weeks.

“You have a backlog of games to fit in now and the players are chomping at the bit.

“I don’t mind if you have two or three called off over the course of the season, but to have two or three in such a short space of time does disrupt the schedule.

“We don’t know what the weather is going to be like in the next month or two or what part COVID will play. You can’t really afford for any more to be called off.”

Stags hope to make it six wins in a row when they face Bolton at home tomorrow night.

But Clough believes it could be a different Wanderers side, to what Mansfield would originally have faced, following their weekend win over Leyton Orient.

“The win over Orient will have given them confidence,” added Clough.

“They had gone six games without a win so we would ideally have liked to have played them last week when they were in that run.

“They had a deserved victory and it will be a different Bolton coming here.

"We have not played many minutes recently need to get back into the grove. Not playing for so long can go two ways. We didn’t start very well against Southend after a big gap in games and we need to start better against Bolton.

"It can be hard to get back into the grove because your preparation is about the games and then they get called off on the day, so you are always playing catch up.

Clough is also all too aware of the qualities that the visitors will boast around their team.

“They have a lot of experience in the team, people who have played at the highest level,” added Clough.

“Sprinkled throughout their team they have some very good players.”

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