Mansfield Town suffer promotion set-back after being drubbed at home by Salford City

Mansfield Town suffered a nightmare home afternoon as they were destroyed 5-2 by classy promotion rivals Salford City.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The dominant visitors were well worth their big win, which could have been by more, and leapfrogged Stags in the play-off places on an afternoon to forget for Nigel Clough's men.

Silky Salford took control of the game with two games in three first half minutes as Matty Lund's 18th minute header was followed by a Callum Hendry finish soon after.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Stags battled back and Davis Keillor-Dunn pulled one back on 35 minutes.

First half action from Stags' home clash with Salford City FC this afternoon. Photo by: Chris HollowayFirst half action from Stags' home clash with Salford City FC this afternoon. Photo by: Chris Holloway
First half action from Stags' home clash with Salford City FC this afternoon. Photo by: Chris Holloway

But Luke Bolton restored City's two-goal advantage within five minutes of the restart and Lund's second of the game six minutes later left home hopes in tatters with Theo Vassell's 81st minute header piling on the agony before Jordan Bowery's late consolation.

The Stags side, having just won three times in a week, was unsurprisingly unchanged, with eight players still out injured, but there was the welcome sight of January signing Callum Johnson returning from his injury on the bench.

Salford, without a win in three games, made four changes with Lund, Hendry, Barry and Leak coming in and ex-Stag loanee Richard Nartey returning to their bench.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There was applause pre-match as a large wreath in the shape of a Stags shirt with 'Bird 6' on it in honour of the late Mansfield Town legend Kevin Bird, who passed away last week.

Former players including Rod Arnold, Terry Austin, Graham Brown, Barry Foster, Mick Laverick, Jimmy McCaffrey, Sandy Pate, Dudley Roberts and Ian Wood were pitchside to pay their respects too.

In a cagey start, Lund had strayed offside for the game's first attempt at goal on four minutes.

On eight minutes, with Stags calling for an offside flag, Villa loanee Barry got to the left by-line but no one was able to turn it home.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Stags responded with a great cross by Hewitt that eluded Akins and then Bowery had a shot blocked.

Immediately City threatened again and Watson flashed a shot into the sidenetting from the left.

Perch was booked on 13 minutes for a late tackle on Hendry.

The visitors drew first blood on 18 minutes as City skipper Touray sent over a cross from the left to the near post and Lund popped up to guide home his header.

Worse was to come three minutes later as Watt got to the right by-line and crossed hard and low, the ball rolling to Hendry, who blasted home through a crowd of players.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Stags almost pulled one back on 26 minutes after good footwork by Clarke saw him make space for a cross that Keillor-Dunn poked wide of the target.

A minute later Quinn's cross was beyond the far post where Hewitt pulled it back for Keillor-Dunn, who flashed his first time effort well over.

Lowe was booked on 28 minutes for leaving a foot in on Bowery.

Wallace was then too high with a snapshot from a long Hewitt throw as Mansfield probed for a way back into the contest.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And it came on 35 minutes from another Hewitt throw from the right. It was cleared as far as Perch whose low shot was half-stopped by Cairns, but he could do nothing as Keillor-Dunn turned home the loose ball from close range.

Salford could have had a third on 42 minutes as Hendry raced away onto a through ball and was one-on-one with Pym, but the City striker placed his low finish wide of the far post.

In the second of three added minutes Barry tricked his way past Harbottle on the left and fired a shot on target that Pym was able to block as the visitors went in with a slender advantage.

Stags made a change at the back with Johnson replacing Harbottle for the second half, Hewitt going into the three man central defence and Johnson at right wing back.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hewitt had to hook away a Bolton cross from in front of goal on the restart after Bolton had beaten Bowery for pace.

On 50 minutes a swift Salford move down the centre saw Hendry fire a low shot against the right post.

But seconds later Bolton again got in on the right and this time smashed a low finish beyond Pym to restore their two-goal lead.

Clarke was added to the book on 52 minutes for a foul on Watson.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Stags' task became a mountain on 56 minutes as another City attack on the right saw Bolton pull a tempting low ball back for Lund to bury his second of the afternoon from just inside the box.

That sparked a triple change for the desperate home side and immediately Perch headed over from a Keillor-Dunn corner while Keillor-Dunn had a good effort blocked.

Cairns was also safely behind a bundled Boateng volley as Stags tried to heap on the pressure.

Pym made a superb point blank range save to deny sub McAleny as he tried to turn home a low cross from the right on 77 minutes as the menacing visitors continued to threaten.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A minute later Bowery went down in the box and was booked for diving.

On 81 minutes Salford bagged a fifth as Vassell was able to power home a header from a right wing corner.

Johnson became the fourth home booking for an 83rd minute foul.

A minute later Pym was down to save from McAleny.

Stags did grab a consolation two minutes from time as Bowery poked home a Callum Johnson cross from close range.

But it was too little, too late.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

STAGS: Pym, Hewitt, Harbottle (C. Johnson HT), Kilgour, Perch, Bowery, Clarke, Wallace (D. Johnson. 59), Quinn (Boateng 59), Keillor-Dunn (Anderson 85), Akins (Law 59). SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Abdullah.

SALFORD: Cairns, Touray, Lowe, Watt, Watson (Mallan 76), Lund (McLoughlin 88), Hendry (Morton 76) , Barry (McAleny 70), Bolton, Leak, Vassell. SUBS NOT USED: Bellagambi, Smith, Nartey.

REFEREE: Marc Edwards.ATTENDANCE: 6,868 (115 away).