Late heartbreak as Mansfield Town beaten at Crawley by stoppage-time winner

James Tilley comes on and scores the late Crawley winner. Picture by Jamie Evans

Mansfield Town’s woes on the road continued with a heart-breaking last-minute defeat at Crawley.

The stuttering Stags have gone six games without an away win after securing three away wins on the spin.

Nigel Clough’s charges have now lost six of their last eight games and are ten points above the dreaded drop zone.

Supersub James Tilley scored deep in stoppage time as the hosts moved closer towards the play-off places.

Clough named an unchanged side hammering table-topping Cheltenham last time out.

Jamie Reid went close with an early effort as Glenn Morris kept out the striker’s overhead kick.

Down the other end Marek Stech made an early save to keep out top scorer Tom Nichols’ header.

And Reid squandered the best chance of the first half when he headed Stephen Quinn’s pin-point cross wide.

Nichols went close to giving the visitors the lead when he once again tested Stech.

Just before the break, Reid fired over the bar on the turn from the edge of the area.

And Jordan Bowery also fluffed his lines when he scuffed his effort wide of the mark.

The Stags started the second half brightly, but it was the hosts who went closest.

Stech produced a super save to keep out Nichols as Crawley turned the screw.

And Ashley Nadesan was the latest to go close when he headed Archie Davies’ cross over the bar on the hour.

Jordan Maguire-Drew fired a free-kick over the bar as the Stags tried to hold on in the second half.

Substitute Tyrese Sinclair’s late deflected free-kick looped just over the hosts bar as time was running out.

And James Perch nodded the resultant corner wide.

But Tilley hit a last-gasp winner with a venomous half-volley deep in stoppage time.

CRAWLEY: Morris, Francomb, McNerney, Davies, Tunnicliffe, Powell, Hesketh (Tilley, 82), Maguire-Drew (Wright, 76), Hessenthaler, Nadesan, Nichols; Unused subs: Nelson, Rodart, Craig, Tsaroulla.

Mansfield: Stech, Benning, Rawson, Gordon, Perch, Clarke (Ward, 45), Quinn, McLaughlin, Law (Charsley, 76), Bowery, Reid (Sinclair, 68); Unused subs: Pardington, Wright, Sarkic, Sweeney.

Referee: Thomas Bramall.

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