Mansfield Town end season on a high with comfortable win over Exeter City

Stags' biggest home win of the season was a great way to head into the summer months after avoiding relegation from League One for the first time in over 35 years last weekend.

After Exeter shaved a post inside the opening 30 seconds, Mansfield took control with close range finishes from Stephen McLaughlin on 25 minutes and Dom Dwyer on 38 minutes.

Exeter went up a gear after the break and asked most of the questions, but the points were sealed on 83 minutes as Ben Waine raced away on the break to slot home.

Boss Nigel Clough made four changes to the side that beat Peterborough in midweek as Scott Flinders, Aden Flint, Stephen Quinn and Caylan Vickers replaced Owen Mason, Deji Oshilaja, Elliott Hewitt and Will Evans.

Veteran Stephen Quinn was given the honour of the captain's armband on his final appearance for the club.

Injured defender Deji Oshilaja made a clean sweep of the Player of the Year trophies on the pitch before kick-off, including the Chad Readers' Player of the Year.

Exeter almost snatched a lead within the first 30 seconds.

Niskanen crossed low from the left and Cole tried to guide home a close range finish but saw the ball clip the outside of the right post.

On four minutes Mansfield launched their first raid as Maris and Dwyer worked the ball to McLaughlin on the left and he rifled a low shot across goal and wide of the far post.

After surviving three City corners, Bowery was well over from 20 yards in Stags' next attack.

A City corner routine saw Cole pull the ball back low and Dean try to send a first time chip to the far corner but it sailed over the bar.

But Stags drew first blood on 25 minutes.

Dwyer won a free kick 22 yards out. Reed curled it over the wall and it hit the underside of the crossbar and came down, McLaughlin reacting quickest to head home into the empty net from close range.

In reply Cole had a shot from 20 yards that deflected wide with Flinders wrong-footed.

Bowery almost gifted the Grecians an equaliser on 29 minutes as Colwill intercepted his poor backpass and tried to go round Flinders, the keeper doing enough to push the ball off his toes for a corner.

Cole was then too high from distance after Quinn had lost possession.

Another good spell of Exeter pressure ended with Hartridge shooting wide.

Baccus pounced on a defensive error to try to set up Quinn only to see a defender get there first.

But it was 2-0 on 38 minutes. Flint brought the ball upfield and passed to Vickers to his right.

The Brighton youngster took on and beat his man to get into the box on the right by-line and then drilled a low cross in front of goal, giving Dwyer a simple close range tap-in.

Colwill was wide from 20 yards for the visitors as they looked for a quick way back into the contact.

Vickers almost added a third with a powerful 20-yard shot, after good work by Dwyer to win the ball, but Whitworth made a fine tip-over save to deny the youngster.

Five minutes after the break Cole looked up and tried to lob Flinders from just inside his own half, the ball drifting wide for what would have been an incredible goal.

On 51 minutes Cole slotted a great through ball for Niskanen who rounded Flinders but could only find the sidenetting with his finish.

Three minutes later Dwyer headed a bouncing ball over the keeper from a Bowery cross but an offside flag went up as the ball found the net.

Niskanen missed another chance on 55 minutes as he curled over the far angle.

The visitors had the bit between their teeth and made a triple change on 57 minutes as they searched for their breakthrough.

There was a highly emotional moment on 61 minutes as Quinn was subbed and left the field as a Stags player for the last time, Boateng coming on, the former Irish international getting a huge round of applause.

Flinders comfortably saved to his right as Cole tried his luck on 66 minutes.

Stags then sent on Rhodes and Waine for Dwyer and Maris on 68 minutes.

With nine minutes to go Cole sent a 25-yard free kick into the home wall.

Instead Stags made it 3-0 on 83 minutes.

Reed split the Exeter defence open with a through ball for Waine and the New Zealand international raced away and tucked home a low finish.

A minute later Cole fired against the Mansfield post as City's luck remained out.

Stags gave two youngsters a late outing as Kokkinos and Anderson came on for Reed and Vickers two minutes from time.

Francis lifted a free kick well over in added time as City drew a blank.

With the last kick, Waine sent Rhodes clear and his finish came back off the far post.

STAGS: Flinders, Bowery, Flint, Cargill, McLaughlin, Reed (Anderson 88), Baccus, S. Quinn (Boateng 61), Maris (Waine 68), Vickers (Kokkinos 88), Dwyer (Rhodes 68). SUBS NOT USED: Mason, Evans.

EXETER: Whitworth, McMillan (Oluwabori 70), Hartridge, Fitzwater, Cole, Nisaken, Turns, Colwill (Oakes 87), McDonald (Woods 57), Dean (Yogane 57), Richards (Francis 57). SUBS NOT USED: Phillips, Cummins. REFEREE: William Davis.

ATTENDANCE: 7,494 (569 away).