Mansfield Town sunk by early Huddersfield Town three goal onslaught
Three quickfire Huddersfield Town goals inside 10 nightmare minutes early in the first half saw the Terriers cruise to a 3-1 victory over a shellshocked Mansfield Town at a cold and murky One Call Stadium this afternoon.
Bojan Radulovic began the rout on five minutes, Dion Charles added a second on 12 minutes and then came a deflected third for Lasse Sorensen on 15 minutes.
Were it not for some great saves by Liam Roberts and a disallowed goal for offside, it could have been even worse by the end of a first half totally dominated by the classy Terriers.
Mansfield's first shot on target all day on 64 minutes saw Will Evans pull one back to give hope, but it proved to be no more than a consolation in a much better second half from Stags, but with the damage already done.
The Stags side showed two changes to the side that lost at Northampton Town before the international break as Joe Gardner and Louis Reed came in for Nathan Moriah-Welsh and the injured Tyler Roberts.
The visitors were unchanged from the side that beat Plymouth last time out.
Mansfield started out on the front foot but the game was halted on three minutes for treatment to McDonnell after a Terriers tackle caught him late.
But Huddersfield went ahead on five minutes from their first venture over halfway.
With an overload on the left, Miller hoisted a deep cross to the far post where Radulovic's close range header was half-stopped by a reflex Roberts save, but he was unable to prevent the ball crossing the line.
A McLaughlin cross sailed just over the far angle from Stags' next attack.
But the Terriers threatened again with a swift passing move on 10 minutes that saw Wiles and Charles move the ball left to Miller, who forced Roberts to beat away his shot at the near post.
The visitors were now getting into a real groove and another fast-passing move saw them go 2-0 ahead on 12 minutes.
Wiles found Radulovic and he threaded a pass into the box for Charles to beat Roberts with a low finish.
Roberts was down two minutes later to parry one-handed a low Charles shot after another slick move with Huddersfield clearly with their tails up.
Worse was to come for Mansfield as Sorensen picked up possession midway in the home half and ran at the retreating defence before shooting just inside the box and seeing a big deflection off Oshilaja's leg give Roberts no chance for a third Huddersfield goal.
Feeney headed wide from a corner soon after as the waves of attack continued.
Good work from McDonnell sent Oates away and he was brought down by Feeney, who was booked. The referee waved play on and Evans shot wide but the official then surprisingly pulled play back for a free kick.
As Huddersfield tried to break from defending the set piece, Lewis committed a needed foul to halt them and was booked.
On 32 minutes another quick raid from the Terriers ended with Miller's low shot saved by Roberts.
The closest Stags had come so far was on 38 minutes as Oates turned just outside the box and rifled a low shot across the face of goal.
Mansfield had a let-off five minutes from the interval as Roberts only half-stopped a low Miller shot and Charles helped the loose ball over the line from close range only to see he had been flagged offside.
On 42 minutes Charles let fly from outside the box and, with the ball heading for the top right corner, Roberts did well to stretch and turn it away for a corner.
Two minutes later Wiles shot at goal and Charles got a great touch on it that forced another great stop out of the busy Roberts, Radulovic then heading over from the corner.
Boos rang out from the home fans at the end of a half in which their side had been outclassed.
A Huddersfield break two minutes into the second half saw Charles fire over from a tight angle as the visitors resumed their offensive.
Miller then cut in from the left on 55 minutes and curled a shot inches over the far angle.
But on 64 minutes the home side pulled one back.
Oshilaja lifted the ball into the box and Evans beat his man and fired a low finish across Goodman and inside the far post.
Akins and Moriah-Welsh were sent on for Oates and Gardner with the home fans now getting behind their side's efforts.
McLaughlin was wide from distance before the visitors slowed things down with treatment to their keeper.
On came Bowery and Dwyer for added Mansfield firepower, replacing Evans and Lewis with 15 minutes to play.
Anthony Evans was narrowly wide for the visitors from 20 yards eight minutes from time while a sliced Oshilaja clearance passed just over his own crossbar and Taylor then fired a low shot straight at Roberts.
Akins might have pulled another back from Bowery's 88th minute cross but failed to keep his seven yard header down.
Ashia's fine run ended with a shot at Roberts in the final minute, then Gooch fired wide of the far post as the visitors ended the day on a deserved high.
STAGS: Roberts, Knoyle, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy, McLaughlin, McDonnell, Reed (Sweeney 90+2), Lewis (Bowery 75), Gardner (Akins 67), Evans (Dwyer 75), Oates (Moriah-Welsh 67). SUBS NOT USED: Mason, Cargill.
HUDDERSFIELD: Goodman, Sorensen (Gooch 85), Ledson, Wiles (Castledine 85), Harness (Evans 75), Roosken, Balker, Miller (Ashia 63), Charles (Taylor 75), Feeney, Radulovic. SUBS NOT USED: Nicholls, Low. REFEREE: Craig Hicks.
ATTENDANCE: 8, 590 (1,478 away).