Preston North End boss Alex Neil hopes for a Stag party in Carabao Cup

Mind you, the North End boss is unlikely to have too many fond memories of being on the receiving end of a 4-0 drubbing at Field Mill.

Neil was a member of the Stags team which was well beaten by PNE in the first round of the competition during the early part of the 2004/05 season.

Back then, North End were the Championship club flexing their muscles against Town, who were two divisions below.

It is an identical scenario tomorrow when the two teams meet once more in the opening round but this time at Deepdale.

With nearly 60 places separating the two clubs in last season’s final league placings – North End finished ninth in the Championship, while the Stags were placed 21st in the bottom flight – Neil will be hoping the current Lilywhites squad can showcase their superiority this weekend like the 2004 vintage did all those years ago.

“I can’t really remember that match at all,” said Neil. “It feels like a lifetime ago if I am honest.

“Keith Curle took me to Mansfield – I played with Keith at Barnsley and he took me in there but he left after only a couple of months.

“When you’re a new player that is always difficult, when the guy who brings you in leaves.

“Carlton Palmer came in but unfortunately me and Carlton didn’t really see eye to eye at times

“To be fair it was a good year at Mansfield. I had a good season. I just wanted to play games and I did that but then I got an opportunity to go home to Scotland and I felt that was the right time for me.”

Town’s last competitive fixture was a 2-1 win over Northampton in March before the League Two season was curtailed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mansfield boss Graham Coughlan has made a number of new signings in the summer and Neil accepted it was difficult to fully assess the threat the Stags will pose but he has seen enough in pre-season to know that his men must be fully focused.

“I have watched all three of their pre-season games,” said Neil. “It will be a tough match, they are quite aggressive, get on the front foot.

“We are going to have to be up for it and you always know when you play League One or Two teams, they will have a go.”