Stags’ reserves begin their Central League campaign on Tuesday 15 October, when they travel to face Walsall reserves (2pm kick-off).

Mansfield’s second string have completed one match this season, a 4-3 loss to a strong West Brom side in a behind-closed-doors Central League Cup clash.

The amber and blue found themselves 4-0 down in the game, but fought back to 4-3 in a highly entertaining affair.

A hat-trick from Wales international Hal Robson-Kanu helped the Baggies towards a seemingly comfortable lead, but strikes from Andy Cook, Omari Sterling-James and Tyrese Sinclair cut the deficit to just one goal.

Speaking after the game, academy manager Richard Cooper said: “We know that we have talented players and we can open up other teams. The one thing that we have to look at is the manner of the goals they scored.

“They had some high-level players out there but it’s about nullifying the weaknesses that we showed.

“There were loads of things that we could learn from the game but it’s all positive really.

“We could have got something out of the game but West Brom could also argue that they had some good chances themselves.

“The one thing I will say to our boys is full credit must go to them for keeping going. We actually nearly got back into a football match that we thought at times had ran away from us.

“The lads kept going and that’s a real positive about the group and where they’re at. Their attitude is always good. It would have been easy to put their heads down and let the game pass them by but it was a really good performance in terms of attitude and I can’t fault them for that.”

Following their season-opener against West Brom, the Stags will go up against Walsall in their first Central League match of the campaign.

Last term, Mansfield finished seventh in the Central League table, winning five and drawing one of their 14 matches.

This term, with a new-look North East division, the Stags will compete in a six-team league consisting of Doncaster, Grimsby, Rotherham, Scunthorpe and Walsall.

No games have yet been played in this division, yet all six teams will look to get off to a positive start in Tuesday afternoon’s round of matches.

Entry to the match is free of charge and can be found at the following venue: Birmingham County FA Headquarters, Ray Hall Lane, Great Barr, Birmingham, B43 6JF.