Lucas Akins bags brace as Mansfield Town cruise to friendly win at Oldham Athletic

Lucas Akins bagged a brace and striker partner Rhys Oates the other as Mansfield also chalked up a clean sheet against the National League side.

With several key names missing, Stags put out a side with utility man Jordan Bowery filling in at centre half and they named just four subs as boss Nigel Clough took no chances with niggling knocks and with another friendly at Matlock Town ahead on Tuesday.

The Latics started well and twice came close on three minutes as Fondop forced Pym into a smart save with a powerful strike and Nuttall sliced the rebound wide.

Soon after, Oldham forced a corner from which Hogan fired over from inside the box.

Mansfield settled and Keilor-Dunn had two chances to put the visitors ahead as he forced a save from Norman on 10 minutes from a Maris pass and then dragged another chance wide of the left post.

Macdonald then picked out Akins, who controlled the ball and again forced Norman into action.

Oldham replied with a close range header from Fondop that he headed into the ground and over the bar when he looked certain to score while, on 20 minutes from a Nuttall pass, Ward burst into the box but dragged his finish wide, complaining he was having his shirt pulled.

On 28 minutes Keillor-Dunn's pass saw Oates go past two defenders to get into a promising position but then lose control of the ball.

But six minutes later the visitors were ahead. Johnson got down the right and pulled back an inviting pass to Akins who smashed home a first time finish past Norman from inside the box.

Stags sent on Boateng for Maris for the second half and within eight minutes he made a big impact as he set up Akins for his and Mansfield's second goal.

Boateng managed to whip an inviting ball across the face of goal and Akins was perfectly placed to finish into the far corner.

On 58 minutes it was 3-0 and game over.

Keillor-Dunn played the ball to Oates on the left and the striker cut inside before curling home a superb finish into the top corner.

Two minutes later Akins came so close to his hat-trick as he headed over from close range from a Boateng cross from the left.

Interval sub Reid should have pulled one back for the hosts on 66 minutes but, after Ward had seen his first shot blocked and follow-up saved by Pym, Reid somehow skied the loose ball over from eight yards out.

Reid almost got through on 71 minutes, but Pym was alert to the danger and raced out his box to clear before the Latics man could strike.

With six minutes to go Lewis might have added a fourth, but his first shot from 20 yards rebounded back to him and he burst into the box before forcing Norman into a good low save to his right with his second attempt.

Oldham swept back upfield in search of a consolation goal and a clever ball from Willoughby gave Green room to run into. He fired in a cross for Reid, who made contact, but was unable to divert the ball towards goal.

OLDHAM: Norman, Hobson, Hogan, Raglan, Kitching, Green Shelton, Sheron, Ward, Fondop (Reid HT), Nuttall (Willoughby 76). SUBS NOT USED: Hudson, Sutton, Couto, Gardner, Hope, Tollitt.

STAGS: Pym, Johnson, Kilgour, Bowery (Cooper 88), Macdonald, Reed (Hartigan 78), Lewis, Maris (Boateng HT), Keillor-Dunn, Oates, Akins. SUBS NOT USED: Turner.

ATTENDANCE: 2,425 (315 away).