League Two Tips: Evans to fire up Boro

Boro need the Evans rocket treatment

Mansfield 1.84/5 v Stevenage 6.05/1; the draw 4.03/1

Christmas has come early – or late – because the pantomime season is back. Popular villain to football supporters Steve Evans is back in League Two. By a twist of fate his first game in the Stevenage hotseat is at Mansfield, the club he left four years ago this month for League One Peterborough. Scripts don’t come much neater.

Evans is a tough character who, having departed Gillingham in January, doesn’t need a gentle reintroduction to football. Not that he will get one. The fans who previously supported him will probably be as hostile as any towards a manager who football supporters in general seem to love to hate.

Rants on the touchline at anyone who comes near give onlookers just a flavour of what it must be like to be in one of his dressing rooms. As several former players have said, however, once you’ve played for him and understand his methods and moods, he can get the best from you and you love winning under him.

It should not be forgotten that he held the Crawley Town hotseat in 2010 when nobody else would touch it and continued to do so after a big investment was made by a new owner.

Evans brought in the right players – on big money for the level – to lift the Reds out of non-league and lead them on memorable FA Cup runs such as to the fifth round, where they lost 1-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford. They were on the brink of promotion from League Two (which they duly completed) when he upped sticks near the end of their debut EFL season for Rotherham.

Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace couldn’t wait any longer for Paul Tisdale to turn results around and parted company with the former Exeter boss in midweek. Boro’s under-performing players need a rocket up them. And that’s the least they can expect from Evans. His appointment will make or break them as they try to stave off relegation.

Luke Norris and Luke Prosser finally broke the team’s four-game scoring duck in a 2-2 draw at Leyton Orient and Chris Lines netted late against Northampton on Tuesday, but Stevenage have really struggled. Tisdale managed just three wins in 19 games. Stevenage did not score in 10 of those matches. Under Alex Revell, they failed to score in six of 17 games. Elliott List scored all his eight under Revell.

Mansfield’s fantastic form – 14 games unbeaten – has taken a slight dent with successive defeats, at Tranmere and Port Vale, but it is no surprise that Nigel Clough’s team are odds on.

Matthew Longstaff, Rhys Oates, Ollie Hawkins and others have not stopped scoring though. Mansfield have 10 straight wins at home, point out Opta, equalling a club record from 1949. The last team to win 11 in a row at home, they add, was Swindon in 2012. Evans will remember: he lost 2-0 there on a wet Tuesday night before another huge cup tie, at home to Stoke City. He’ll just have to thwart a greater statistic by overcoming an away winless run of 17 games, say Opta, and earning Boro just a second away victory this season.

It would take a massive form swing for the visitors – who are bottom over six games – to pull off only a second away victory of the season.

But that’s exactly what I am going to tip. I’ve talked myself out of a few such opportunities this season.

If for no other reason, unless the visitors earn victory here, they will have nightmares about going into work for the final eight weeks of training, which will start on Sunday at 9am.

Sutton in need of home comforts

Sutton 2.526/4 v Tranmere 3.39/4; the draw 3.39/4

Tranmere were not outstanding at Crawley when I saw them some weeks ago. The game wasn’t hugely entertaining. The visitors won by a goal that sneaked in from a free kick.

Their away record continues not to reap too many wins – just four this season. They might seem quite capable of drawing on their travels, with seven, but as Opta stress they have lost their last four away. Sutton, meanwhile, have not lost in 11 at home, the statisticians stress.

They will not fear Micky Mellon’s side, then, despite their obvious strengths. These include the experienced Peter Clarke at the back (who scores a fair number for a defender) to Kane Hemmings up front and one or two who can supply him, such as Josh McPake.

The youngster on loan from Rangers has much experience in this division, having played at Harrogate last season. Kieron Morris and Elliott Nevitt are others to look out for. If it seems defender Ben Goodliffe and Coby Rowe will have their work cut out defending, their attackers have every ability to outscore opponents.

Right back Joe Kizzi is in fine form, netting in four of the past five games. Matt Gray’s men have not lost at Gander Green Lane in 11 matches, scoring at least three in their past two matches. It’s not always glorious, with four draws – against some of the most in-form sides – before beating Scunthorpe 4-1 and Rochdale 3-0. Hopefully from their perspective their injury list eases, because they need a victory to keep pace with a promotion challenge.

Swindon can take advantage of Yems woes

Crawley 3.02/1 v Swindon 2.77/4; the draw 3.613/5

Swindon seem to have got their house in order at home and are in danger of matching their excellent away form – which is the joint best in the division for points and the best for wins.

Harry McKirdy is relishing his time at Swindon, clearly, having played for a couple of other League Two clubs. Sixteen goals this season says as much. Combine that with Jack Payne’s 10 from midfield and the Robins have plenty to worry Crawley boss John Yems.

Kwesi Appiah might be back from injury – and scoring – for the Red Devils, but there is a huge gap in what Crawley have been achieving compared to their visitors. The hosts have three straight defeats after a tumultuous and well worked out victory over league leaders Forest Green. Opta point out that a once proud home record has disintegrated. The hosts have won just twice in 13 home games (four draws).

Ashley Nadesan is back to boost them, looping a chance onto the top of the net to almost force an equaliser on Tuesday.

Exeter seemed to wrap the game up by half-time, even if Yems will protest that his keeper Glenn Morris was fouled for one of Tim Dieng’s goals.

However, he had to make various rearrangements to his team on Tuesday, playing George Francombe as an auxiliary centre-back. He’s played in central defensive midfield at times this season.

He’s normally a wider defender than that. Jake Hessenthaler, alongside him, is also a midfielder. Recognised centre-backs Joel Lynch, Jordan Tunnicliffe and Tony Craig were all missing. They are likely to have their work cut out coping with their visitors.

Bantams are on Songo’o

Bradford 2.89/5 v Port Vale 2.8815/8; the draw 3.39/4

Bradford have suddenly found some feet under Mark Hughes, winning back to back games for the first time since August. Yann Songo’o and Matty Foulds were the the scorers in Tuesday’s 2-0 win at Hartlepool, following up Saturday’s 2-0 win at faltering leaders Forest Green.

Left-back Foulds, said Hughes, was probably a little nervous in his first couple of games for the new manager, because he was being asked to play a little bit differently. Hughes felt once the Bantams went ahead they were not too troubled. Elliot Watt and Alex Gilliead might or might not be fit for Saturday, but with two clean sheets in a row the new City boss will be eager to improve his side’s home record.

Eight draws at Valley Parade have blunted their chances of a promotion push. Callum Cooke and Andy Cook seem in fine fettle, both scoring last weekend.

Perhaps a couple of wins and a former top level professional in their ears means that Bradford will not fear Port Vale, who have shot back up to fifth in the six-game form table. They are making a desperate scramble to keep up with the promotion hopefuls. A split is starting to emerge. Any slip ups now could widen the gap from the Valiants’ ninth place (56 points) to Bristol City seven place (60 points).

Port Vale won their last two matches, scoring seven times. But that was at home. The away form of the side currently led by Andy Crosby is average. Of their last six on their travels, Ben Garrity, James Wilson and co have won once and secured three draws. They could pick up another point, but I think the Bantams are more in the mood to maintain momentum.