Challinor’s side are not about to blow their tops
STOCKPORT boss Dave Challinor insists his side feel no extra pressure heading into Monday’s clash with AFC Wimbledon at Edgeley Park after returning to the top of the League Two table.
Challinor’s men eased to a 3-0 win at bottom club Forest Green on Good Friday, but he knows they will face a tough challenge from a Wimbledon side who are still very much in the play-off hunt.
“Of course we want to be top and if it gives the players a boost then I’m really happy to be where we are,” said Challinor.
“We’ve got there again – does that mean we’re there to be shot at? I don’t get too embroiled in that, but we are in the position where we want to finish.”
Mansfield will look to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at Wrexham which hauled the Welsh side level on points with the Stags in second place – one point behind Stockport.
Mansfield host Accrington and manager Nigel Clough said his side would look to work off their frustrations after what they believed was a dubious penalty decision that cost them at the Racecourse Ground.
“I wish we had six weeks to get some people fit, but we’ll get a team out, and I think the frustration of the Wrexham match will serve us well,” said Clough, who will have Elliott Hewitt back in contention.
Fourth-placed MK Dons head to free-falling Notts County looking to build on their 5-0 thrashing of Walsall and maintain their bid to muscle in on the automatic promotion places.
And Barrow are also firmly in the hunt as they go to Morecambe having picked up 14 points from 18 in March following Friday’s 3-1 victory over struggling Grimsby. At the bottom of the table, Steve Morison’s in-form Sutton play host to Swindon looking to record a fourthstraight win which could lift them clear of the relegation places.
Olly Sanderson scored twice in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Salford but could drop to the bench as Morison looks to keep his squad as fresh as possible.
In contrast, bottom club Forest Green must pick themselves up from a third successive defeat as they travel to Crewe now four points adrift of safety.
Rovers boss Steve Cotterill insisted there were no harsh words in the wake of the loss to table-topping Stockport, revealing: “It would be easy to go in and shout at them, but that’s not me.”
Colchester, who are one point and one place outside the relegation zone, look to build on a crucial 2-1 win over Newport when they travel to Tranmere, while at the Bescot Stadium, Walsall will look to rebound from a 5-0 thrashing at MK Dons against Salford.
Grimsby will look to ease their own relegation fears at home to Bradford, who bounced back from four successive defeats with a win over Tranmere. Harrogate face play-off hopefuls Gillingham, while Newport meet Crawley.