Jordan Bowery brace as Mansfield Town come from behind to win final friendly at Matlock Town

Jordan Bowery netted a brace with George Maris and Jakub Kruszynski also on target.

New centre half George Williams was finally given a run-out in a Mansfield shirt for the opening 45 minutes in an otherwise youthful back four.

First team regulars George Maris, Hiram Boateng, Anthony Hartigam and Jordan Bowery all started while young striker James Gale was back in action after a pre-season knock, getting an hour under his belt.

Former Stags loanee Kieran Freeman, who has been training with the club to stay fit and has already played in one friendly, was again included as Clough put the majority of his starters for the coming Saturday into cotton wool.

However, Mansfield could hardly have made a worse start as they conceded within two minutes.

Johnson powered down the wing and put over a ball that Styche guided home.

Stags looked for a quick reply and Hartigan's forward ball found Anderson getting forward form the back on the right. But Deeney grabbed his inviting cross.

On 10 minutes Boateng was just wide with a low effort from the edge of the box.

Stags' next raid was halted by a great last ditch tackle by Hooper in the box.

Mansfield came close to levelling on 18 minutes as, from a Maris corner, Deeney did well to turn Bowery's finish onto a post.

But the equaliser arrived on 27 minutes as Maris turned a low left wing Boateng cross home high into the net from close range.

Bowery then turned the game on its head on 31 minutes as he found the bottom corner beyond Deeney from eight yards from another inviting Boateng cross after an excellent break upfield.

But the Gladiators were not about to give up and on 40 minutes had squared the game again.

McNicholas did well to control a ball punched out of the area and played it back just inside the box to Wakefield who turned and fired superbly home.

They almost took the lead again a minute from the break as Stags failed to deal with a corner that may have come off Flinders' chest for another corner which was headed over.

Wauchope took over from Williams for the second half and within four minutes produced a good block at the near post to block Wakefield’s close range effort.

On 53 minutes Flinders made a magnificent save as he tipped away a deflected shot from Johnston.

And three minutes later the visitors were ahead for a second time as, from another lightning break upfield, Kruszynski played a one-two with Bowery and fired underneath Deeney, who got a touch onto the ball but it was not enough to keep it out.

On the hour good work from Wakefield saw him find Hooper on the edge of the area, but his low curling effort went just beyond the far post.

Instead the Stags pulled further clear at 4-2 with another Bowery goal within 60 seconds.

A mistake in the Matlock defence allowed Kruszynski to get in behind and send over a sidefooted square ball to Bowery, who made no mistake from close range.

Mansfield went close to getting a fifth on 69 minutes from a Maris through ball, but Abdullah fired beyond the post in a one on one situation.

Clark should have pulled one back on 77 minutes but fired well over from close range after good work down the line from White.

Two minutes later Hartigan’s driven shot from distance narrowly missed the far corner.

On 82 minutes the home side again went close as the ball fell to White on the edge of the box and his powerful effort was tipped away for a corner.

Stags are now all set for the big League Two kick-off at Crewe Alexandra this Saturday.

MATLOCK: Deeney, McNicholas, West, Hooper, Sharman, Trialist A, Johnston, Clark, Styche (Catt 85), Wakefield (Demidh 70), White. SUBS NOT USED:, A. Wright, Trialist B, M. Wright.

STAGS: Flinders, Anderson, Williams (Wauchope HT), Cooper, Freeman (Bonser 73), Maris (Flanagan 80), Hartigan, Boateng, Kryszynski (Kokkinos 73), Bowery, Gale (Abdullah 60). SUB NOT USED: Turner.

ATTENDANCE: 1,222.