Home humilation as Mansfield Town are blown away by classy Crawley Town

Nervous Stags suffered their worst defeat of the campaign, easily beaten by a classy Crawley side with their own promotion ambitions, conceding two goals in each half amid a performance so unlike Mansfield this season.

Hiram Boateng's 80th minute reply was too little too late as Stags dropped out of the top three places.

It was a fourth away win in a row for Crawley, scoring 13 goals in the process as they aim to seal their play-off place.

On such an important afternoon, Stags could have done with an early lead to settle nerves.

Instead they conceded within four minutes, ex-Mansfield player Kellan Gordon providing the breakthrough, before Nicholas Tsaroulla doubled the visitors' advantage on 24 minutes.

It was dire half for the home side with the tension visible both on the pitch and in the stands.

Things got even worse after the break as Crawley scored two goals in two minutes to halt any hopes of a comeback, Danilo Orsi punishing slack defending on 55 minutes and Klaidi Lolos adding a superb solo effort soon after.

The Stags side showed two changes with George Williams replacing the injured Lewis Brunt in defence and Stephen Quinn preferred to Aaron Lewis in midfield.

Starting with the strong wind at their backs, Crawley survived a first minute home corner.

A minute later a loose pass by Flint saw Orsi pull a low shot wide of goal.

Lolos was also wide soon after.

But the visitors were ahead on four minutes after Stags failed to clear a Tsaroulla cross from the left and Gordon saw hs low shot defkect across Pym and inside the far post.

But Mansfield almost levelled on seven minutes as, from a goal kick, Addai played it short to Conroy, who rolled a loose ball straight to Keillor-Dunn on the edge of the box, but he smashed a hurried finish well over.

Pym was down to comfortably gather a low, scuffed Orsi shot on 12 minutes while, at the other end, Clarke's low shot on the turn was pushed away by Addai, diving to his right.

Crawley's ambitious attacking paid more dividends on 24 minutes as they doubled their lead.

Darcy ran at the home defence down the centre and then found Tsaroulla to his left, who cut inside and lifted a great finish just out of the reach of Pym's clawing fingertips.

On 27 minutes Swan played a one-two with Quinn on the edge of the box but was too high with his finish.

Three minutes later Reed slipped Akins into the box but his shot ruffled the sidenetting. Then Conroy blocked a Swan shot as the home side pushed hard for a way into the contest.

On 33 minutes Clarke sent Swan down the right and Akins was just unable to turn home his low cross at the near post.

From the corner Swan got in the way of Clarke's attempted finish.

The home side's frustration increased as we approached the break as Swan turned superbly just inside the Crawley half and ran on before blazing wildly over.

Darcy warmed Pym's hands with a fierce shot on 42 minutes.

Wright was booked for chopping down Swan in the first of three added minutes. But the free kick was blocked for a corner as the visitors went in firmly in charge.

Swan forced Addai down to gather a shot on the turn in the opening seconds of the second half.

Bowery's 18 yard shot on 52 minutes then brought a great stop out of Addai.

But Crawley broke upfield and Darcy drilled a tempting low ball across the face of goal with no takers.

However, the visitors added a simple third goal on 55 minutes when a low Tsaroulla cross from the left found Orsi six yards out and he was able to control and guide home a low finish.

Shattered Stags then conceded again within a minute.

Lolos was allowed to race down the middle unchallenged and put away a low finish from just inside the box.

On 61 minutes Nigel Clough made five changes to his shelleshocked side.

Gordon was booked for bringing down sub Nichols on 64 minutes and a minute later two subs combined as Nichols headed wide from Lewis cross.

Crawley sub Campbell was just wide on 72 minutes after a superb move by the visitors, who were clearly enjoying their afternoon.

Maris forced a save from Addai on 72 minutes.

Stags were finally on the scoresheet on 80 minutes as Boateng controlled Williams' cross from the right and steered a rising finish home from eight yards.

Adeyemo's foul on Clarke a minute later saw him yellow-carded.

Stags must now regroup quickly and put this behind them with Tuesday’s home clash with Forest Green taking on even more importance.

STAGS: Pym, Williams, Flint, Hewitt (McLaughlin 61), Bowery, Reed (Maris 61), Clarke, Quinn (Boateng 61), Keillor-Dunn (Lewis 61), Swan, Akins (Nichols 61). SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Gale.

CRAWLEY: Addai, Gordon (Adeyemo 68), Maguire, Conroy, Wright (Mukena 78), Tsaroulla, Wiliams (L. Kelly 60), Darcy (Roles 78), Lolos, J. Kelly, Orsi (Campbell 68). SUBS NOT USED: Sandford, Khaleel.REFEREE: Ollie Yates.ATTENDANCE: 7,342 (206 away).