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Match Preview: Mansfield Town v Barnet

Mansfield Town v Barnet

Field Mill

Saturday 23rd April 2016

Kick Off: 15:00

Barnet: The Bees came back from a goal down to beat Notts County 3-1 on Tuesday night, thanks to goals from John Akinde, Mark Randall and Andy Yiadom. Martin Allen’s side are now unbeaten in three games, and have three wins from their last five matches. Barnet’s away form is also much improved – they have only lost once in seven matches on the road. The Bees are safely lodged in 15th place (seven points above 16th place Hartlepool) and are ninth in the form table (last eight games) ahead of their trip to Field Mill.

Mansfield Town: After an impressive start to the season, Mansfield now find themselves in 12th place following a period of inconsistent form. The Stags went on a run of seven games without a win from the end of February to the beginning of April, but have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks. Town have won three in a row going into Saturday’s match – beating Carlisle United, Notts County and Exeter City. They are currently 17th in the form chart (last eight games) and have the 15th best home record in League Two.

In The Dugout: Player-managers haven’t generally been too successful in recent years, but  Adam Murray seems to be bucking the trend. The journeyman midfielder played for an array of clubs ranging from Derby County to Oxford United in a 17 year career, including a season with Mansfield Town in 2004-05. He returned to Field Mill in 2010 (initially on loan) and has gone on to make a total of 189 appearances for the East Midlands side. Murray began combining his playing duties with the assistant manager’s role in 2012, before becoming caretaker manager when Paul Cox left the club in November last year. He was given the job permanently and went on to steer Mansfield clear of relegation, securing a 21st place finish. This season the Stags are much improved; they were in the hunt for promotion, until a difficult March saw them fall out of the playoff spots.

Dangerman: Mansfield striker  Matt Green is enjoying his third spell at the club, with 16 goals so far this season. The 28-year-old first arrived at Field Mill on loan from Oxford in 2011. A fantastic return of 29 goals in 46 games prompted Mansfield to make the move permanent a year later. Green’s goal scoring form continued as he struck a further 27 times in the following campaign, attracting the interest of Championship side Birmingham City. The prolific forward moved to St Andrews but struggled to break into the first team, before returning to Mansfield at the end of last season.

Last Meeting: Barnet lost 3-1 to the Stags at The Hive earlier this season. Reggie Lambe gave Mansfield the lead after half an hour, before on-loan Bees winger Josh Clarke was sent off for a second bookable offence eight minutes later. Matt Green put Town further ahead, but Barnet gave themselves a fighting chance with a 77th minute John Akinde penalty. Mansfield received a red card of their own when Chris Clements was dismissed in the 86th minute, but it was to no avail – a late Luke Gambin own goal ensured that Town went home with all three points. To read a report from that match, click here.

Ticket Details: Barnet supporters will be housed in the stadium’s North Stand (seated), where admission prices are: Adults – £18, Seniors (over 60) – £14, Young Adults (17-21) – £13, Juniors (7-16) – £10, 6 & Under – FREE. Please note: THIS IS AN ALL TICKET MATCH. Tickets must be purchased from The Hive in advance (by 3pm on Friday), as none will be sold on the day of the game. Click here for more information.

Travel: The supporters’ coach leaves The Hive at 09:45 and costs £24 return. You can also get a shuttle bus to The Hive for just £1 each way. For more details click here.

Follow The Match: If you can’t get to Field Mill, you can listen to full commentary of the match on Bees Player HD. We’ll also have live twitter updates throughout the game, and a match report & post-match reaction on barnetfc.com.