Below-par Mansfield Town suffer a first home defeat of the season against Notts County

Sub Callum Roberts gave the confident visitors a half-time lead with a wonderful solo strike before Daniel Kanu made the points safe after a defensive blunder from Louis Reed.

It was a goal which summed up Mansfield’s miserable afternoon perfectly with far too many players off their game.

Defensively Stags looked off the pace and were all too often beaten in the 50/50 challenges during a first half which saw their rearguard exposed far too often for liking.

Any hopes that Stags would come out all guns blazing after the break quickly faded with Notts picking right up where they had left off.

Lucas Smyth cracked the post before Roberts fluffed another great chance to put County in total charge.

But Stags failed to heed the warnings and saw the game fade from their grasp when Kanu converted a goal that had been all but gift-wrapped.

Kanu weakly headed straight at Liam Roberts after Ishe Samuels-Smith picked him out with a dinked cross inside the opening ten minutes.

Roberts palmed away a well-hit effort from Conor Grant on 13 minutes after the visitors easily exposed the Mansfield defence.

James Belshaw saved a Jon Russell shot with his feet midway through the first half after Stephen McLaughlin cut the ball back.

Sub Callum Roberts fired County into a 29th minute lead four minutes after coming on with a spectacular long-range finish into the top corner.

Michael Smith wasn’t far away from an equaliser with a diving header from McLaughlin’s cross three minutes later.

Tyler Roberts perhaps should have done better with a header of his own after getting on the end of Jordan Bowery’s deep cross six minutes before half-time.

Lucas Smyth was inches away from doubling the Magpies’ lead when he hit the post with a glancing header seconds after half-time.

Regan Hendry failed to get enough behind a long-range curler minutes later.

Roberts wasted a brilliant chance to score when he tamely shot straight at the keeper despite having time to pick his spot.

But County did double their lead on 65 minutes when Daniel Kanu took full advantage of a horrendous blunder by Louis Reed to fire home.

Stags never looked like getting back into it from that point with Notts seeing the game out with ease to hand Mansfield a first home League One defeat since February.