Assistant manager Paul Raynor is confident that the Stags have the quality to end their four-game goal drought but suggested they made need some to good fortune in order to do so.
Stags have been unable to convert one of more than 25 good chances in their last four games, despite dominating large periods of each match.
And Raynor, 50, says the Stags will continue to work hard on the training ground to ensure the goals begin to flow once more.
“It’s unprecedented really. They’re not half-chances either; they’re full chances, they’re good chances, they’re at crucial times in the game and we can’t put our finger on it (why the chances aren't being converted)," Raynor said.
“We’ve tried different things; we’ve worked on it in training as you can imagine. We’ve done shooting drills, finishing drills – you name it, we’ve done it!
“It’s just a period that we’re going through at the moment and speaking to our chief scout (Stuart Gray) yesterday, it might just be that we need something to fly in off somebody’s backside or an own goal or something silly and [our luck] turns.
“It will come. We have got players and strikers that can score goals, that’s in no doubt whatsoever. It’s about shuffling the pack and finding the right options in the attacking areas.”
Stags welcome Carlisle United to One Call Stadium on Saturday (3.00pm kick-off) and manager Steve Evans’ right-hand man is fully aware of the threats which the Cumbrians will pose.
“We can’t disrespect Carlisle; they’ve got a good manager who will certainly be up for coming to his former club [and] they’ve got some good players.
“They had a good result on Tuesday night – we watched the footage of that yesterday and they played some cracking stuff and were probably unfortunate not to come away with a victory.
“They’ve got a number of attacking threats, so they’re a good all-round team. They play good football, they like to get it down and play, so we’re aware of that.
“We’ve had a good look at them; we’ve played them a couple of times already away from home, so it’s got the makings of a great game of football in League Two.”
Former Preston North End striker Raynor says Saturday’s match presents Stags with an opportunity to ‘get back on track’ and reignite their play-off charge.
“We’re under no illusions; it’s going to be a tough game but what a good game to get back on track, get three points and get right back amongst it.
“In recent weeks, [the results] have gone our way a little bit. We’ve gone back in the dressing room and we’ve still been sitting in eighth and only a couple of points off it but you can’t keep not winning and expect everybody else to do you a favour.
“We’re certainly not giving up on it at all, we’re in with a shout.
“We’ve accumulated the points that leaves us in with a chance but we’ve certainly got to start winning some football matches and getting right in and amongst it towards the end of the season.”
Supporters can login to Stags PlayerHD to watch Paul Raynor’s news conference, in full.
