Saturday, 12th September 2015: Mansfield Town 4, Crawley Town 0

Mansfield Town managed their first home win of the season at the fourth attempt in style today as they thumped 10-men Crawley Town 4-0.
Mansfield Town v Crawley Town -Skybet League One - One Call Stadium - Saturday 12th September 2015Mansfield Town v Crawley Town -Skybet League One - One Call Stadium - Saturday 12th September 2015
Mansfield Town v Crawley Town -Skybet League One - One Call Stadium - Saturday 12th September 2015

The Stags dominated throughout but had to wait until the 44th minute before Nathan Thomas grabbed his first Stags goal on his recall.

Any hope Crawley had of getting back into the game were gone when Mitch Rose made it 2-0 with his first goal for the club two minuets after the break and then Gwion Edwards was sent off three minutes later for his challenge on Nicky Hunt.

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From then on it was just a question of how many Stags would get as two more goals arrived in as many minutes with Craig Westcarr setting up Matt Green on 71 minutes before Green returned the compliment seconds later.

Mansfield made just one change with Thomas replacing Reggie Lambe in a 4-4-2 formation, Westcarr helping Green up front.

Stags were looking for a first home win of the season against a club with a smaller squad then themselves and only able to name five substitutes.

Mansfield made a very positive start as Hunt made a good interception and ran forward before sending Westcarr in on goal with his final pass.

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However, keeper Woodman was down quickly to block for a corner from which Green was a whisker away from getting a vital touch onto Tafazolli’s header in front of goal.

On six minutes Chapman controlled a clearance 20 yards from goal before sending a dipping volley narrowly wide.

From a corner, Donnelly headed straight at Jensen.

Then the visitors came close on 21 minutes as Harold got goalside of Pearce and looked to be one on one, only for the chasing Pearce to recover well and slide in to prevent the finish.

As Stags resumed their offensive, Clements was just wide with a low shot after a scramble.

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Mansfield’s approach play deserved a goal – and it arrived a minute from the break.

Barnard’s attempted pass to Smith just outside the box was cut out by Thomas, who burst powerfully into the box between defenders and, from an angle on the left, drilled an unstoppable finish past England U19 keeper Woodman.

Stags almost doubled that lead right on the whistle as Tafazolli was given a free header from a Chapman corner which sailed inches wide of the far post with Green straining to get a vital touch.

But within two minutes of the restart it was 2-0.

A Chapman corner was cleared out to just outside the box where Rose drilled a low shot through everyone and under the dive of Woodman.

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The game swung even further into Mansfield’s favour on 50 minutes as Crawley were reduced to 10 men.

The home bench were up in arms as Edwards seemed to stamp on Hunt right in front of them with a late challenge and the referee raced over to agree and brandish a straight red.

Green almost made it 3-0 on 67 minutes as he harried two defenders and won the ball, muscling into a position just inside the box from where his low shot hit the post.

But his goal did come on 71 minutes as a corner was cleared into the Mansfield half where Clements picked out a superb pass to find Westcarr onside on the left. He raced to the by-line and drilled a low ball across which Green turned home from close range.

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Stags grabbed a fourth a minute later as Green returned the favour, sending Westcarr through onside to calmly sidefoot a low finish past Woodman.

Green should have added a second to his name on 78 minutes but couldn’t keep his header down from two yards as he reached a Thomas cross.

STAGS: Jensen, Benning, Rose (Lambe 69), Pearce, Chapman, Clements, Green, Westcarr (Yussuf 83), N. Thomas, Tafazolli, Hunt (Collins 80). Subs not used: Marsden, Beardsley, J. Thomas, McGuire.

CRAWLEY: Woodman, Scales, Walton, Bradley, Edwards, Smith, Young (Rooney 55), Ashton, Harold (Barnard 24), Deacon, Donnelly (Bawling 73). Subs not used: Henderson, Preston.

REFEREE: Andrew Madley of West Yorkshire.

ATTENDANCE: 2,524 (110 away).

CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Chris Clements.

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