Within a few weeks of shedding old antlers, stags start to grow new, larger horns. There is a somewhat poetic symmetry with that fact and Mansfield Town’s recent revival.
Five weeks ago, Nigel Clough’s side were staring down the barrel in the League One relegation zone in 21st after a run of six games without a win, five of which were defeats.
But how quickly things can change.
Since then, the Stags have strung together four wins on the bounce, including an away victory at Bolton and a convincing 3-0 demolition of automatic promotion-chasing Bradford City.
With 13 goals scored in that time and just two conceded, Mansfield are now 10th and within just four points of the play-off places – not to mention they have three games in hand on the Trotters and Huddersfield in fifth and sixth respectively.
“I like what Mansfield are doing,” former Peterborough and Hull City striker Aaron McLean told BBC Sport.
“They’ve got momentum, they’ve got confidence and in Nigel Clough they’ve got a brilliant manager.
“They’re winning games and getting a good level of consistency. If they can keep doing that then they will put themselves in the play-off race.”
Victory at fellow play-off hopefuls Stevenage on Saturday (15:00 GMT) would certainly lay down another marker as Mansfield vie for a place in the second tier for the first time since 1978, and just the second time in their history.
