Ahead of the 2015/16 season, many punters expected that Mansfield Town would struggle and could languish down near the bottom of the Sky Bet League Two table during the campaign. 

Ronnie Moore's Hartlepool go in search of a third successive win at Mansfield this afternoon (3pm kick-off)
Ronnie Moore's Hartlepool go in search of a third successive win at Mansfield this afternoon (3pm kick-off)

In Adam Murray though, the Stags have a young, up-and-coming manager, who has a number one priority to give Mansfield Town fans a team they can be proud of once again.

The Stags currently occupy sixth place in League Two, and have surpassed all pre-season expectations already.

Saturday's visitors to the One Call Stadium are Hartlepool United, who will be looking to continue on from Sunday where they beat Leyton Orient 3-1 in front of the television cameras.

Manager Ronnie Moore has been busy strengthening his squad in recent weeks with a flurry of loan arrivals, and he will be hoping to lead his side into the top half of the table in the not so distant future.

FootballLeagueWorld writer Lee Clarke identifies three things to look out for in this afternoon's match...

1) Mansfield need a goal

Despite a promising start to the season for the Stags, the last five games have been a real struggle in front of goal, with the club failing to find the net.

Admittedly, it has been a tough run of fixtures, but if Murray's men are serious about promotion then they have to start scoring, and quickly.

Saturday will hand them an ideal opportunity to find their feet in front of goal against a Hartlepool side who have kept just five clean sheets all season.

2) Matt Green in the goals

If Mansfield need a goal, then striker Matt Green is in desperate need of one as well.

The popular Stags forward has scored four times this season, but hasn't found the net since October 3rd, when he netted from the spot in a 4-3 win over Dagenham and Redbridge.

Good players do not become bad ones over night, and you feel that if the striker gets one his confidence will return and he will kick on and get a few more.

The ex-Birmingham City striker is getting over a bad injury which kept him out of last season in its entirety and, whilst the goals haven't been coming, his performances have done enough to suggest that a goal to his name is just around the corner.

3) Are Pools back in form?

Moore's men looked in good nick last Sunday in front of the Sky television cameras, and in Crystal Palace midfielder Jake Gray, the experienced boss looks to have unearthed a real gem.

The loan star netted a superb brace against Leyton Orient to help the Pools towards a 3-1 win whilst Kal Naismith, on loan from Portsmouth, also looks the business.

Last weekend's win was their second in succession and Moore will be hopeful of the Pools kick-starting their season with a positive run of results as we enter the Christmas period.

Mansfield and Hartlepool fans... how do you think the match will go? Can Mansfield get back to winning ways? Or will Hartlepool makes it three wins on the spin? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!