Match Preview: Ammies look to cling onto play-off places against in-form Mansfield

Salford City will be looking to get back to winning ways on Saturday against one of League Two’s most in-form teams Mansfield.

The Ammies have struggled of late to pick up points going three games without a win, only scoring two goals and are now at risk of missing out on the play-off places.

On the other hand, Mansfield are six games unbeaten, winning their last three games and scoring eight goals.

The last team to stop the Stags from winning was Bradford in a 1-1 draw in early February.

In their last three games Mansfield have significantly outperformed their season expected goals of 1.62xG with 1.85 xG since their game against Gillingham.

Next up: Back on the road 🗺️

🆚 @mansfieldtownfc
📍 One Call Stadium
🗓️ Saturday 25 February, KO 3pm pic.twitter.com/rischaBDjz

— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) February 19, 2023

Salford should look to their previous exploits for confidence.

The team have won the joint fourth highest number of matches this season (14) and have found the net 42 times (1.31 goals per game).

The Ammies still sit only six points off the automatic promotion places and if they can turn rued chances into wins then League One football will remain a possibility.

Salford manager Neil Wood played down the magnitude of the coming game.

He said: “They’re all big. There’s no easy game here you look at the teams we’ve played, even a few weeks back we played Rochdale here, there are teams fighting to stay up, there are teams fighting to get in the play offs, there are teams fighting to get into the automatics.

“There are a lot of positions to play for so I can’t think of any easy game that we can go into.”

Wood emphasised his enjoyment for the big stage saying “They’re the games that you want to play, you want to play those high-pressure games, against the good teams no matter what league it is.”

He added: “I think there’s going to be a lot more twist and turns in this league, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster.

“I think the teams in the playoff spots now, that’s going to change throughout the next four to six weeks. We’ve just got to make sure were in there.”

Salford will travel to Field Mill in Mansfield for Saturday’s 3pm kickoff.