Mansfield Town back to their best with demolition of Crawley Town

The score could and should have been more as Stags tore their opponents to shreds at times and emphatically ended the visitors' recent revival of five games unbeaten.

It blew away the frustration of the two home 0-0s last week and was a first win in five outings for Nigel Clough's men to keep them in the play-off hunt.

An exciting first half saw Stags take an fourth minute lead through Ollie Clarke and create a wealth of chances to extend that, though Dom Telford twice came close for Crawley, Christy Pym in the way of one of his attempts, while Ashley Nadesan sent a searing volley just over.

But much of the half was home pressure with Stags much-improved on recent outings and on the front foot.

Home nerves were eased with two goals in the first five minutes of the second half as Alfie Kilgour headed the second on 47 minutes before David Keillor-Dunn added a third three minutes later and then his second on 65 minutes.

Battered Crawley battled gamely on and grabbed one back through Mazeed Ogungbo on 71 minutes.

But it was a brief respite as a hungry Stags continued to press and twice hit the woodwork.

The Mansfield side showed three changes.

James Perch came in for the concussed Riley Harbottle on midfield while Stephen Quinn was back from his three game ban and Rhys Oates was given a start, Danny Johnson and James Gale dropping to the bench.

Crawley have a debut to free agent midfielder Anthony Grant, who signed as a free agent in the week. They included ex-Stag Kellan Gordon who joined the Red Devils in January.

Stags went with a flat back four for a change with Akins pushed up front alongside Oates and Keillor-Dunn just behind them.

Stags made the perfect start with a goal after just four minutes.

The move was carved out by a delicious turn by Keillor-Dunn that made space to send Quinn down the left. He played the ball low into the box to Clarke who was able to steer a low finish inside the right post from 12 yards out.

Grant was booked in the aftermath for protesting an earlier challenge.

On seven minutes Hewitt put in a great low ball in from the right by-line which deflected away for a corner with Stags players so close to turning it home.

Keillor-Dunn twice came close to a second on 13 minutes, seeing a low shot blocked and then flicking a header over from Hewitt's cross as the home side maintained the pressure.

Crawley's first attempt came on 14 minutes as Gladwin whistled one just over from 30 yards.

Akins also had a shot blocked and Keillor-Dunn curled the follow-up over the top.

Pym had his first save to make on 19 minutes as he got in the way of a close range Telford shot after the ball broke for the visitors' top scorer off a home player.

Telford was close again two minutes later as he sent a snapshot just wide from 20 yards.

On 24 minutes Keillor-Dunn warmed Addai's hands after a one-two with Oates took him into space on the right.

Four minutes later, from the second of two corners, Stags cleared as far as Nadesan, who sent a vicious volley just over.

Oates saw a shot deflect wide from just outside the box as the chances continued to flow.

On 33 minutes Keillor-Dunn's fine pass to the left picked out Quinn and he forced Addai to save with his legs at the near post. The ball was kept in play and Clarke screwed a low finish wide of the target.

Oates should have made it 2-0 on 35 minutes as Akins sent him one on one with the keeper, but Addai was down well to save.

Oates then headed over from a Hewitt cross.

Stags finally doubled their lead two minutes into the second half.

Oates had a shot blocked from an early corner. Akins picked up the ball on the left and crossed into the box where Kilgour, still up there from the corner, headed superbly home into the top left corner.

From the restart Telford again warmed Pym's hands from distance.

But Stags struck again on 50 minutes with a fine move down the right. Akins sent Oates scampering away and, drawing the keeper, he squared a perfect ball for Keillor-Dunn to roll it into the empty net.

Akins twice came close to a fourth. First Addai smothered his finish after Oates had set him up and soon after his header from a Clarke cross deflected just wide.

Addai was down to save from Quinn seconds later, then blocked a low Oates shot from a tight angle on the hour and another from Keillor-Dunn seconds later as the home side ran rampant.

Boateng replaced Quinn and within seconds he went down in the box under a challenge from Gordon while chasing Keillor-Dunn's through ball, but no penalty was given as both players received treatment.

But it was 4-0 on 65 minutes. Oates played the ball in from the right and a determined Keillor-Dunn battled for it before sweeping home a finish from 10 yards.

Crawley should have pulled one back on 68 minutes when the ball was sent to an unmarked Gordon at the back post only to see Bowery superbly block his finish.

However, the visitors did break through on 71 minutes as a well-worked move saw Crawley play through the back line with Nadesan setting up Ogungbo for a low finish inside the right post beyond Pym.

On 81 minutes sub Law's pass gave Akins sight of goal on the left but his shot rattled the near post.

And on 86 minutes Boateng steadied himself 16 yards out and crashed a shot against the bar.

Gordon was booked for a foul on Akins with a minute left to round off a miserable return to the One Call.

STAGS: Pym, Akins, Hewitt (Anderson 90), Kilgour, Perch, Bowery, Wallace, Clarke (Law 69), Quinn (Boateng 62), Keillor-Dunn, Oates. SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Wauchope, D. Johnson, Gale.

CRAWLEY: Addai, Gordon, Conroy (Johnson 72), Lynch, Powell (Fellows 58), Nadesan (Tilley 72), Telford (Spong 72), Gladwin (Oteh HT), Khalel, Ogungbo, Grant. SUBS NOT USED: Schofield, Mason.REFEREE: Sam Allison.ATTENDANCE: 6,080 (105 away).