Mansfield Town: Nigel Clough wary of 'surprise' results during promotion run-in
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Nigel Clough had two spells in charge of Burton, as well as stints with Derby and Sheffield United, before joining Mansfield in November 2020
Mansfield Town must avoid any "surprise" results if they are to maintain their promotion push in League Two, says boss Nigel Clough.
The eighth-placed Stags are unbeaten in six games and are one point outside the play-off places with six games to go.
They face back-to-back trips to 14th-placed Grimsby and Newport County, in 18th, in their next two matches.
"We should have more points, a couple more would've put us in that top seven, but we still have time," Clough said.
"It is what it is. I think at this stage of the season, you'll see some surprising results - teams getting results out of nowhere - so we've got to be careful of that in the last six games."
Mansfield have defied a potentially ruinous run of injuries, called "freakish" by Clough, to stay in the promotion race for the second season running.
After losing in the play-off final to Port Vale last term, Clough has steered the Stags back into the shake-up for a top-seven finish thanks to a run of only two defeats in their last 15 games.
"On the last game of last season, we went into the game against Forest Green knowing we could've got automatic [promotion], we could've got in the play-offs, or we could've missed out altogether," Clough told BBC East Midlands Today.
"It may well be the same scenario in a few weeks time - it's that tight."
The Stags do have a game in hand on Salford, who occupy the final play-off spot, and, after their next two away trips, face Stevenage - in fifth - and runaway leaders Leyton Orient at home before finishing the season against relegation-threatened clubs Harrogate and Colchester.
"I think the two crucial ones as well are the ones against Stevenage and Orient here - two of the best teams in the league, so we can't afford to lose those.
"I hope it's not that tight when we go to Colchester - I hope we're in it - and just to be in it at this stage of the season is good. But we know where we should be."