Mansfield Town under-18s' title credentials will be put under the spotlight as they take on Oldham Athletic at Brooksby Melton College in the EFL Youth Alliance this Wednesday (kick-off 12:00 pm).
The Stags are leading the way in the North East Division with a five-point cushion and two games in hand over second place Notts County.
A win in their previous game away at Scunthorpe United has helped cement their position, with goals from Keaton Ward, Tyrese Sinclair, Sam Jackson and Jake Dumbleton securing a 4-0 win.
Mansfield have won eight and drawn two of their last ten league games and have only suffered one defeat all season.
The impressive run has seen John Dempster's team propel themselves to the summit of the EFL Youth Alliance, but Stags will have to be wary of their next opponents.
Oldham inflicted the Stags’ only league defeat of the season with a 2-1 win at the Chapel Road Training Ground back in mid-October.
Midfielder Cuinedu Uche grabbed a brace with Aiden Walker pulling a goal back for Mansfield. The defeat spurred Stags on, however, as they proceeded to win six consecutive games without conceding a goal.
Despite an impressive first half of the season, Oldham have struggled in the second half as a combination of pressure from Mansfield and first-team call-ups for half-a-dozen academy players has taken its toll.
The Latics’ 2-1 win against Grimsby Town in their last game was their first in seven, the run as seen them slip to third having played two games more than Mansfield.
Dempster believes this game will be a battle and one he's looking forward to as his academy team look to set the record straight and all but eliminate Oldham from the title run-in.
For fans wishing to attend the game the address is: Brooksby Melton College, Brooksby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 2LJ. Follow signs for 'Sports Department.'
