Mansfield Town bounce back with superb win at AFC Wimbledon

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Stags’ fourth win in five games keeps the play-off hopes firmly alive and completed a double over the Londoners.

And there was a first goal back for the Stags for Danny Johnson – a half-time substitute – after that successful loan spell at Walsall.

There was an early scare for the Stags at the Cherry Red Records stadium.

Ethan Chislett found space in the box, only for Alfie Kilgour to fly in and produce a superb last-ditch block.

Chislett fired inches wide minutes later as the Dons opened strongly.

The Stags were struggling to gain some momentum, and the hosts threatened again when Josh Davison’s angled strike flashed just past the post.

But the visitors finally gained a foothold, and in the 20th minute Kilgour’s effort, following some neat work from Ollie Clarke, looped inches over the crossbar.

Stags’ Riley Harbottle saw an effort cleared off the line on 23 minutes, before two goals inside five minutes then truly brought the game to life.

The Dons struck first when Ali al-Hamadi smartly slotted home Alex Pearce’s ball, racing past James Perch as the Dons broke quickly on 25 minutes

However, it was 1-1 five minutes later when Harbottle similarly converted a low cross from Stephen Quinn, poking out a foot five yards from goal.

Just before the break Quinn almost made it 2-1 to the Stags when he side-footed over an empty net from an angle after David Keillor-Dunn had challenged the out-of-position keeper.

With was a rather scrappy start to the second period, with niggly fouls and yellow cards breaking up the flow of the game.

Both sides were struggling to put together much fluency, until the Stags bagged their second goal in the 66th minute.

Sub Johnson provided the finish, latching on to fellow sub Hiram Boateng’s cutting through-ball down the centre before slotting comfortably past keeper Nik Tzanev.

A smiling Johnson celebrated in front of the 905 Stags fans by tying his laces – a comedic reference to criticism of his lack of celebration in his first game back.

The Stags were clearly buoyed by their goal, but now it was about defending resolutely in the final 20 minutes.

Tzanev was called upon to keep out a decent header from Kilgour as the visitors went in search of a potentially killer third goal.

And they got that in the 77th minute, thanks to Davis Keillor-Dunn’s arrowing low finish after a poor defensive clearance spun into his path.

Lucas Akins and Johnson both went close to a fourth as Stags saw out the rest of the game in relative comfort.

The win left them in eighth place – one outside the play-off spots but only on goal difference and only five points off third.

DONS: Tzanev, Gunter (Marsh, 74), Pearce (Pierre, 74), Kalambayi, Currie, McAteer (Janneh, 65), Woodyard, Little, Chislett, Al-Hamadi, Davison (Pearson, 74). SUBS NOT USED: Nightingale, Broome.

STAGS: Flinders, Harbottle, Kilgour, Perch, C Johnson (D Johnson, 46), O Clarke, Wallace (Boateng, 61), Quinn (Law, 70), Bowery, Keillor-Dunn (Gale, 87), Akins. SUBS NOT USED: Abdullah, Anderson, Collin.

REFEREE: Ollie Yates

ATTENDANCE: 7,939 (905 away).