Match Day Preview: Mansfield Town v Plymouth Argyle

Mansfield Town v Plymouth Argyle

Sky Bet Football League 2, Saturday 26 October 2013, One Call Stadium (kick-off 3pm)

The answer to Argyle's recent period in the doledrums is arguably quite simple: goals.

Tuesday night's deeply forgettable match against Newport aside, if that vital ingredient had been added to Plymouth's recent displays, they would surely have gathered more points and be sitting more comfortably in League 2.

Manager John Sheridan remains optimistic, retaining the faith he has shown in his players since pre-season:

“I think we are as good as any team [in the division] on our day; I think our level of performance isn’t too bad; I think we’ve deserved more. That’s what I am going to take into the game, and tell the players, until we get the results we deserve," he told the club's website.

Saturday's fixture against Mansfield looks a tough one on paper: The Stags look in decent shape; eighth in the League on 21 points (to Argyle's 19th on 12) but after a strong late August/September, like Argyle they are currently on a winless run (no victory in five games in all competitions) - including a heavy 4-1 home defeat to Hartlepool - and have looked similarly shy in front of goal. With three draws in their last three League games and only the goal against Bristol Rovers to celebrate, there may be vulnerabilities for the Greens to exploit.

Sheridan is certainly backing his players but knows the results need to improve: “Their attitude is good. There are no problems. Everyone comes in with a positive attitude. Everything can be great in training, but Saturday is when you want to get results and when everyone notices how well you are doing.”

The Pilgrims sit three places above the relegation zone. If they want to avoid another dogfight at the bottom, they must begin to find some consistent form and yes, some goals.