Fourth win in a row for magnificent Mansfield Town at Crawley Town sends them into third place
Magnificent Mansfield Town made it four straight wins as a fine 2-0 victory at Crawley Town saw them move up into third place in League One tonight.
Nigel Clough's men made it five wins in their first eight games after promotion – and a second clean sheet in four days – to join second-placed Wrexham on 17 points, only out of the automatic promotion spots on goal difference.
It was also a third win in four visits to Broadfield for Mansfield.
Ben Waine opened his account for the club after in-form Lee Gregory’s opener as the hosts were brought crashing back down to earth hours after the news Rob Elliot, who watched from the stands, was unveiled as their incoming boss.
Clough made two switches to the side which beat Northampton on Saturday as Jordan Bowery and Aaron Lewis returned in place of Elliott Hewitt and Stephen Quinn.
The Stags made a fast start as Gregory bagged his sixth goal since returning to the club in the summer in the 12th minute.
The former Millwall hitman reacted quickest to smash home the opener after Baily Cargill nodded Lewis’ corner into his path from the far post.
Down the other end, Christy Pym did well to tip Harry Forster’s free-kick past the post in case it curled in, though may have been going wide.
Welshman Will Evans then forced Jojo Wollacott into a decent stop from a free header midway through the first half from Cargill's cross.
Armando Junior Quitirna squandered an effort for the hosts just before the break as he blasted wide of the mark.
Clough made a triple substitution at the break as George Williams, Hewitt and Waine replaced Gregory, Cargill and Keanu Baccus.
Former Stags’ striker Will Swan saw his header turned behind by Adedeji Oshilaja as his wait for a first goal for the Sussex club went on.
The Stags saw huge shouts for a penalty waved away by referee Charles Breakspear after Evans was felled by Wollacott, taking both hands in the head as the keeper tried to punch clear.
Clough was booked for his protests on the touchline.
However, the visitors had a huge let off when Ronan Darcy’s free kick went through everyone and rebounded off the post on 67 minutes – the closes Crawley came all night.
Stags substitute Waine wasted a great chance to put the game to bed as he fired straight at Wollacott when going clear one-on-one after robbing Joy Mukena on 71 minutes.
Desperate Crawley tried to pile on late pressure and New Zealand international Waine was well over with another chance on the break after Tom Nicols had flicked on Lewis' ball.
But the Plymouth loanee made amends in the second minute of stoppage time as he cut in from the right and, from not the easiest of angles, fired home across the keeper with a fine left-footed strike.
Frustrated Crawley were shown six yellow cards on the night with three for Stags, who will tomorrow check on the fitness of Gregory and Cargill after they came off at the break with Blackpool the viistors this Saturday.
CRAWLEY: Wollacott, Mullarkey, Mukena, Flint, Forster (Kelly, 66), Williams, Ibrahim (Anderson, 66), Junior Quitirna, Adeyemo (Roles, 46), Darcy, Swan (Hepburn-Murphy, 66). SUBS NOT USED: Barker, Bragg, Holohan.
STAGS: Pym, Bowery, Oshilaja, Cargill (Williams, 45), McLaughlin, Lewis, Reed, Baccus (Hewitt, 45), Boateng (S. Quinn, 86), Gregory (Waine, 45), Evans (Nichols, 78). SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, B. Quinn.
REFEREE: Charles Breakspear.