Mansfield Town back to winning ways at Crawley Town

It was the perfect return to action for Mansfield after 17 days without a game

The Stags impressed hugely in the second period, with Crawley having few answers, particularly after they lost Jay Williams to a red card with more than 20 minutes still to play.

The Stags’ first game in almost three weeks saw boss Nigel Clough make a host of changes to his starting line-up.

Callum Johnson, Baily Cargill, George Maris and Ollie Clarke all came back into the starting XI following the draw with Tranmere last time out.

The visitors made an encouraging start at the Broadfield Stadium.

Lucas Akins headed inches wide as he rose to meet Lewis Brunt’s cross.

Cargill then grabbed an early Stags breakthrough after 12 minutes when he smartly headed home Rhys Oates’ cross.

It was all Stags by the quarter-point of the game, with Davis Keillor-Dunn and Oates both going close to a second.

Crawley finally grabbed a foothold, and they went close after half-an-hour when Danilo Orsi blazed over the top from a great position inside the box.

Orsi made no mistake from a controversial penalty soon after, however, tucking home a 36th minute leveller after the referee spotted shirt-pulling off the ball by Lucas Akins which infuriated the visitors.

The hosts almost struck again when Nicholas Tsaroulla fired a whisker over the top.

The Stags came close soon after the restart when Brunt headed Maris’s cross narrowly off target.

Christy Pym was brilliant at the other end as he superbly kept out efforts from Orsi and Campbell.

Two goals in eight minutes then pretty much sealed the Stags’ victory.

After Will Wright had hit the bar from 30 yards for Crawley on 55 minutes, Keillor-Dunn converted Stephen Quinn’s cross from the left, touching home first time on 56 minutes, before Maris then fired home first time after Akins’ blocked shot had rebounded to himon 64 minutes.

Williams’ dismissal four minutes later capped what had been a miserable day for the hosts.

He went in hard on Quinn and then shoved his opponent in the back as he lay on the grass before exchanging words with the referee which saw two yellows in a row and the red quickly produced.

Stags saw out the remainder of the game in comfort, dominating possession and Keillor-Dunn forcing a great save out of Ashby-Hammond on 76 minutes to prevent an even bigger scoreline.

Stags now prepare to head to bogey side Sutton United next weekend, who will be smarting from today's 8-0 demolition at leaders Stockport County.

CRAWLEY: Ashby-Hammond, Williams, Conroy, Maguire, Gordon (Darcy 74), Wright, Gladwin, Tsaroulla (Adeyemo 74), Campbell (Lolos 74), Orsi, Kelly. SUBS NOT USED: Addai, Forster, Johnson, Simon-Swyer.

STAGS: Pym, Bowery, Flint, Brunt (McLaughlin 80), Johnson, Maris (Williams 90), O. Clarke (Quinn HT), Keillor-Dunn (MacDonald 90), Cargill, Oates, Akins (O’Toole 90). SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Boateng.

REFEREE: Scott Simpson.