Injury list grows as depleted Mansfield Town lose at Walsall

Goals from Douglas James-Taylor and Liam Kinsella either side of half-time did the damage as the Stags’ four-game unbeaten run came to an abrupt halt at the Bescot Stadium.

And they also lost midfielder Anthony Hartigan on 28 minutes with what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder on a day when injuries left them naming two keepers and a youth team player to fill the bench.

Stags were by far the better side in the first half but suffered a double blow as the hosts grabbed goals within four minutes either side of the break.

Rhys Oates provided some late drama with his late header, but the Stags slipped to defeat.

Nigel Clough named another much-changed line-up after beating Hartlepool United on Thursday night.

This time it was five as injuries took their toll.

Kellan Gordon, Hartigan, Hiram Boateng, Stephen Quinn and George Lapslie replaced Elliott Hewitt, George Maris, Ollie Clarke, Kieran Wallace and Lucas Akins with only Maris named on the bench.

The Stags started brightly in the Midlands as captain Oli Hawkins fired an early volley at Owen Evans.

Clough’s visitors were unlucky not to go ahead when Kellan Gordon’s flashed ball across the face of goal only just missed Will Swan and George Lapslie.

The pair later combined as Lapslie lashed just wide after Swan did well to get find him from the left-hand side.

But those missed chances came back to haunt the Stags as Walsall took the lead two minutes before the break and against the run of play.

It came out of nothing as Jacob Maddox’s ball was inadvertently directed into the path of Stoke loanee James-Taylor by George Maris and James-Taylor calmly slotted home his first league goal for the club.

Clough’s half-time team talk was straight out of the window as the Saddlers made it two just two minutes after the restart.

Isaac Hutchinson’s corner found Irish defender Kinsella unmarked in acres of space at the back post, and he made no mistake as his bullet header rattled the back of the net inside the far post to leave Mansfield a mountain to climb.

Walsall tails were suddenly up and substitute John-Joe O’Toole almost turned Liam Gordon’s cross into his own net as the Stags survived.

But, after Oates had miskicked seven yards out on 79 minutes when he looked a certain scorer from Maris' pass, Oates grabbed one back with his second goal in as many games when he nodded home Gordon’s cross from similar range on 82 minutes to set up a thrilling finish.

Mansfield threw everything forward in the six added minutes, but the Saddlers held firm for a deserved three points.

WALSALL: Evans, McEntee, Daniels, Monthe, Knowles, Kinsella, Hutchinson, Gordon, Maddox (Cowley 78), James-Taylor (Earring 87), Williams (Wilkinson 73). SUBS NOT USED: Cashman, Allen, Maher, Barrett.

STAGS: Pym, Gordon, Hawkins, Perch, McLaughlin (O'Toole 63), Hartigan (Maris 33), Boateng, Quinn (Bowery 63), Lapslie, Oates, Swan (Law 78). SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Collin, Maris, Anderson.

REFEREE: Charles Breakspear

ATTENDANCE: 6,199