Mansfield Town v Bristol Rovers
Sky Bet League One, One Call Stadium, Saturday 23 November, 3:00pm
Bristol Rovers will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to four games when they travel to Mansfield Town in Sky Bet League One.
The Gas drew 0-0 with Crawley Town at The Memorial Stadium in their previous outing despite dominating the first half. Isaac Hutchinson and Luke McCormick hit the bar in the opening exchanges, but the Pirates had to settle for a point and can take the positives from collecting their fifth clean sheet of the season.
It ended a four-game streak of fixtures at home, with Matt Taylor’s men playing away for the first time since their 1-0 loss to Reading on Saturday 26 October.
The Stags were not in action last weekend as their clash with Leyton Orient was postponed due to international call-ups. They lost 1-0 away to Wrexham in their previous match, with Ryan Barnett scoring the only goal.
Tickets...
Tickets can be purchased by card only on the day of the gate at the gate for a £1 increase across all sections.
Travel...
If travelling by car, take the M5 and M42 motorways towards Nottingham. From there, follow signs to Mansfield. Once in Mansfield, follow directions to Field Mill stadium, located on Quarry Lane.
If travelling by train, Mansfield station is 0.7 miles away from the stadium, which takes approximately seven minutes to walk.
Opposition...
Mansfield were promoted from League Two last term to play in the third tier for the first time since 2002. The Stags went up alongside Wrexham and Stockport County, with all three clubs quickly adapting to life in League One.
Mansfield are in seventh position and are two points outside the playoffs. However, they have played two games fewer than Lincoln City in the place above.
They have only played once in the third tier in October, losing to Wrexham, but had a strong September. Nigel Clough’s men beat Crawley, Blackpool and Wigan Athletic, as well as drawing with Birmingham City.
Two summer transfers have been especially effective for the Stags. Will Evans has seven goals since moving from Newport County, with Lee Gregory netting five after switching from Sheffield Wednesday.
Previous Meetings...
The previous 12 meetings between the two teams were played in League Two, with the last meeting coming in 2022. It ended in a 0-0 draw at The Memorial Stadium, with the Stags winning 2-1 in the reverse fixture earlier that season.
However, Rovers won the two games prior in the 2015/16 campaign, winning 2-1 on their travels thanks to goals from Jermaine Easter and Matt Taylor before a 1-0 triumph at home.
Officials:
Referee: Carl Brook
Assistant Referee: Mark Cunliffe and Oliver Bickle
Fourth Official: James Bancroft
Third Kit...
Rovers will wear their Third Kit for the first time this season against Mansfield.
The 2024/25 Third Kit brings a startling contrast in a predominate, sleek black design, cleanly embossed with a carnival pattern in celebration of Bristol’s vibrancy, with a striking neon green and yellow detailing.
Complete with a V-neck fitting, the third shirt is designed with an eco softlock fabric and supplemented by micromesh to ensure maximum performance.
