Mansfield Town 6 v 1 Oldham Athletic: Nicky Maynard scores first-half hat-trick as Stags thrash nine-man Latics

Magnificent Mansfield Town stormed to a 6-1 home victory over nine-men Oldham Athletic to secure their first back-to-back wins of the season in a sensational game.
Mansfield Town v Oldham Athletic, Nicky Maynard scoresMansfield Town v Oldham Athletic, Nicky Maynard scores
Mansfield Town v Oldham Athletic, Nicky Maynard scores

Nicky Maynard was the hero with a first half hat-trick before setting up Dapo Afolayan for his first Stags goal.

A Mal Benning cross that deflected in off David Wheater and 17-year-old Jimmy Knowles netting his first league goal from an ice cool spot kick to round off a great day for John Dempster’s men.

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Stags had been well on top ad 2-0 up before two silly challenges in succession saw Filipe Morais and Tomas Egert dismissed in an explosive 37th minute and showed no mercy as they went for the jugular, despite the nine men pulling one back before Maynard completed his hat-trick.

Mansfield Town v Oldham Athletic, Lee swabeyMansfield Town v Oldham Athletic, Lee swabey
Mansfield Town v Oldham Athletic, Lee swabey

Stags were on the front foot from minute one and you sense their season could finally be on the boil.

Stags had only won one of their last 12 clashes with Oldham and you had to go back to April 1978 for their last success against the Latics in a Football League game,

Stags made just one change with Conor Shaughnessy in for Hayden White who, along with Matt Preston, missed the game through suspension.

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Shaughnessy played in midfield with Stags switching to a 4-3-3.

Jacob Mellis missed out on the 18 with a tight hamstring from the midweek draw with Crewe.

Stags took the game to Crewe in the early stages and on seven minutes fashioned the first chance as Maynard’s firm pass picked out Rose whose low shot was saved by Woods.

Rose came even closer on 14 minutes after a loose ball from Egert reached him to spark a swift counter. Rose found Maynard to his right, who returned the pass, but, with Woods advancing, Rose poked his finish narrowly wide.

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Woods easily gathered another low Rose shot soon after, then Maynard had a shot blocked, as the home side dominated.

Logan finally had to grab a nod-down from Morais in the box on 25 minutes – his first real action of the game.

Two minutes later Khan went on a fine run, taking him to the left of the box before firing across goal and just wide of the far post.

Stags finally got the goal they deserved on 31 minutes. It stemmed from a superb, inviting right wing cross from Gordon and Maynard rose to bury a header from five yards.

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Within three minutes Maynard had doubled the lead, a minute after Morais was booked for a foul on Benning.

This time it was the trickery of Khan on the left as he danced to the left by-line and drilled the ball hard and low across the face of goal where Maynard turned it home from almost on the line.

The game exploded on 37 minutes with a double sending-off for Oldham.

First Morais leapt in late on Bishop after he had played the ball forward to Benning, who was scythed down by a dreadful challenge from Egert.

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Egert was shown a straight red and the referee then ran back to Morais for his second yellow and subsequent red.

The thrills continued as nine-men Oldham was presented with a simple chance and pulled one back on 43 minutes.

The ball was crossed from the left and Logan pushed the ball to the feet of Hamer who made no mistake from eight yards.

But Maynard completed a first half hat-trick to restore that two-goal advantage in the last of four added first half minutes as Shaughnessy threaded an inch-perfect through ball into his path before Maynard expertly rounded the keeper and stroked it into the open net.

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Gordon and Khan shot over in early second half raids as Stags looked to rub in their advantage.

Rose took a knock on 54 minutes and it was decided to throw Cook into the fray.

It was 4-1 on 56 minutes in farcical fashion as a low Benning cross from the left somehow went through defenders and keeper and into the net, possibly off Wheater.

Afolayan replaced MacDonald in Stags’ second change on the hour before Pearce saw Mansfield’s first yellow card for tripping Smith.

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Goal number five came on 66 minutes as Stags broke from an Oldham free kick and Maynard looked set to go clear. But as he was tackled he just managed to thread the ball to Afolayan to roll in at the far post.

Maynard left the field to an ovation on 69 minutes to give teenager Knowles a run out.

At the same time Smith-Brown came on for the unlucky Fage, who had suffered a serious injury and had to be stretchered off within seven minutes of coming on as a sub.

Benning was inches wide with a curling free kick on 76 minutes, then a deflected Khan shot was gathered by Woods who also had to tip over a dipping Bishop shot as Stags turned the screw further.

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A controversial penalty decision against Hamer as he tackled Afolayan on 84 minutes gifted Knowles the chance of his first League goal on 84 minutes and he calmly sent Woods the wrong way to make it six.

Bishop’s persistent fouling saw him booked for upending Missilou as we entered nine added minutes.

Benning was inches wide from another home break from an Oldham corner.

Amid one-way traffic Woods saved a powerful Gordon drive before the final whistle ended Oldham’s agony.

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STAGS: Logan; Sweeney, Pearce, Shaughnessy; Gordon, MacDonald (Afolayan 60), Bishop, Benning; Maynard (Knowles 69), Rose (Cook 54), Khan. Subs not used: Stone, Tomlinson, Hamilton, Smith.

OLDHAM: Woods, Iacovitti, Moras, Vera (Stott 37), Maouche (Fage 62, Smith-Brown 69), Missilou, Sylla, Smith, Egert, Wheater, Hamer, Subs not used: Zabret, Wilson, Adams, Eagles.

REFEREE: Lee Swabey of Devon.

ATTENDANCE: 4,368 (441 away).

CHAD STAGS OF THE MATCH: Nicky Maynard,

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