Mansfield Town coast to big Boxing Day victory at Peterborough United

The game was pretty much done and dusted by half-time with Stags three up and Posh bewildered.

The home side even finished with 10 men after George Nevett was sent off as last man for tripping sub Rhys Oates four minutes from time to rub salt in home wounds.

Posh began the game as the division's second top scorers but also, without a clean sheet in the league all season, the division's second worst defence.

And that leaky defence was pierced twice in the first nine minutes as Baily Cargill and Will Evans put the visitors in charge with two goals in three minutes.

Evans added another before the break as the visitors looked a class above a ragged home side.

Posh briefly went up a gear after the break but found Stags resolute and Mansfield comfortably saw out the game with Christy Pym not seriously tested and several chances created to add to the scoreline at the other end.

Louis Reed returned from a one game ban to replace George Maris in midfield in Stags' only change from last weekend.

Over 1,600 Stags fans made the trip and were loud and proud pre-match which saw boss Nigel Clough applaud them before a ball had been kicked.

Stags forced a corner after just 24 seconds which saw Cargill loop a header that was easy for Bilokapic.

Then Jones showed good pace at the other end, running on to a long ball, Bowery encouraged Pym to come for it and the keeper pushed it off the Posh forward's toes.

Back came Stags as Lewis got to the left by-line and saw his angled shot touched behind for another corner.

Then a Lewis cross was just too high for Akins after Blake-Tracy had done well to keep the ball in play on the left.

An Evans header from a long Hewitt throw clipped off a defender for a third corner in six minutes. And from that Stags grabbed the lead.

Baccus put over the flag kick and Cargill buried his powerful header above the keeper from just six yards.

Three minutes later it was 2-0.

Blake-Tracy sent in a low cross from the left and, when George Nevitt made a mess of his interception, Evans slid in superbly to poke home from six yards.

On 12 minutes Bilokapic had to save a first time shot from Lewis from 20 yards from Akins' set-up play.

Then Akins headed over from a Blake-Tracy cross and Bilokapic had to save a low effort from Reed, scrambling to his left, as the impressive visitors continued their early onslaught.

With home fans already restless, Peterborough finally had a breather midway through the half as Cargill stayed down for treatment after a challenge.

And the home side had their first shot at goal on 26 minutes as ex-Chelsea youngster Mothersille tried his luck from 30 yards, but Pym was behind it all the way.

A Lewis shot deflected wide after the midfielder had done well to make space on the edge of the box.

And from the resulting corner Evans made it 3-0 on 31 minutes.

Baccus sent the corner to the near post where Evans peeled off from a line of players to head into the top right corner from six yards.

On 34 minutes Akins headed over from a Baccus cross as Mansfield continued to dominate completely with mistake after mistake from the shellshocked home side.

Hayes went on a good run from midway in the Stags half on 43 minutes, but again Pym was always comfortably behind the low finish.

Bilokapic had to save from a deflected Baccus cross two minutes later as Stags went in completely in charge.

Posh made three changes at the break and changed formation to match up Stags with wing backs.

Mansfield also replaced Cargill with McLaughlin.

The home side certainly began with more life than displayed in their poor first half.

And Collins almost pulled one back on 52 minutes as he sidefooted just wide from 16 yards from a low pull-back from Conn-Clarke.

Blake-Tracy saw the game's first caution for bringing down Hayes on 53 minutes.

Seconds later Baccus saw a low 20 yard shot deflect just wide to take them into double figures on corner kicks.

McLaughlin's mistimed tackle on Conn-Clarke then saw another booking on 55 minutes.

Three minutes later Baccus crossed from the right, Akins dummied and let it run, and Evans flashed a finish over the angle.

Evans sent an easy shot at the keeper soon afterwards.

Kilgour replaced Blake-Tracy on the hour mark.

Hewitt made a crucial tackle in the box on Mothersille on 62 minutes as he tried to finish a pass from Conn-Clarke.

Hewitt then held Conn-Clarke's shirt a minute later to see Stags' third yellow card of the contest, Lewis joining him on 66 minutes for halting a home break by fouling Collins.

With 19 minutes to go Clough threw on Boateng and Stephen Quinn for Lewis and Reed.

There was a shout for a penalty for handball by Kilgour, but the officials played on.

Oates was given the last 12 minutes, replacing two-goal hero Evans.

Katongo was booked for a late tackle on Boateng on 81 minutes.

Oates had a first time shot defect over as Posh struggled to clear a free kick

Stags came close to a fourth on 83 minutes as Bilokapic denied Oates with his legs.

The lively Oates then nicked the ball away from Collins and as Oates went past last man Nevett on the edge of the box he was brought down for the inevitable red card to sum up Peterborough's afternoon.

McLaughlin took the free kick and it clipped off Akins and forced a save from the keeper.

On 88 minutes from a half-cleared corner, Bilokapic had to tip over a shot from Oshilaja as Stags finished the job on the front foot and now prepare for Sunday's trip to Reading in good heart.

STAGS: Pym, Hewitt, Bowery, Oshilaja, Cargill (McLaughlin HT), Blake-Tracy (Kilgour 60), Reed (Boateng 71), Baccus, Lewis (S. Quinn 71), Evans (Oates 78), Akins. SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Flint.

PETERBOROUGH: Bilokapic, Dornelly (Wallin HT), Mills, Katongo, Nevett, De Havilland (O'Brien-Brady 73), Collins, Randall (Kyprianou HT), Jones (Conn-Clarke HT), Mothersille, Hayes (Odoh 59). SUBS NOT USED: Blackmore, Sparkes.

REFEREE: Jacob Miles.