New boy Will Evans on target as Mansfield Town win at Matlock Town to end pre-season unbeaten

Evans, Newport's top scorer last term with 25 goals, signed a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee earlier today and staked his claim for Friday's opener at Barnsley with an eye-catching half hour in which he netted his first goal, Callum Macdonald and Will Swan with the others.

The game attracted a bumper crowd of 1,320 for Nicky Law's Gladiators.

Lee Gregory, Swan and George Williams were also in the squad, the former two starting on the bench, as they try to shake off illness, Swan also recovering from an ankle injury.

And fellow defender Elliott Hewitt was given the first half to help him towards his recovery from injury too.

Aaron Lewis and Williams both did well on the night to give the manager plenty to think about for the weekend.

Stags quickly settled well and Evans almost made an immediate mark as he looped a header over on seven minutes from Williams' cross, who did well to keep the ball in and get it over.

Home keeper Rogan Ravenhill was then behind Abdullah's shot on the turn on 14 minutes.

Hewitt showed his class on 23 minutes with a crucial block in Harrison Poulter's close range finish from just four yards.

And that proved crucial as new boy Evans netted after 27 minutes of his debut.

Fellow new boy Ben Quinn was the architect as he raced past the backline before squaring across the box for Evans to sweep home a curling left-footed strike into the far corner.

It was a brief but impressive appearance as Stags withdrew Evans on the half hour mark, replaced by Gregory.

Macdonald was booked for a late tackle, but on 39 minutes the visitors' full backs combined to double Mansfield's advantage as Williams' cross from the right went through to Macdonald to drill home a superb finish.

Ashman almost pulled one back on the stroke of half-time but headed over the top from a corner.

Carter was first to try his luck after the break with a curling shot that replacement Matlock keeper Townsend held onto well.

Quinn then tested the keeper from long range and he held on at the second attempt.

As the home side rang the changes, on 69 minutes Morris found Hardy in the six yard box and Flinders was forced to save smartly from point blank range.

Stags made them pay for not finishing that chance as Swan swept the visitors into a 3-0 lead three minutes later.

A Macdonald free kick hit the wall but the ball was then flicked into the danger zone with a looping header by Carter and Swan nodded home, prompting Stags to send on the rest of their bench for a taste of the action.

Home sub Ndlovu was straight in the action as his dancing feet caused problems for the Mansfield back line, but his shot was well blocked and the corner came to nothing.

Stags sub keeper Mason had work to do three minutes from time. Hardy held the ball up well and found Morris, but his shot was tipped wide.

Mason also denied O'Grady's header, clawing it away from close range late on from a corner as Stags preserved their clean sheet and ended pre-season unbeaten and raring to go.

MATLOCK: Ravenhill (Townsend HT), Ashman (Poole 62), West, Glover (Milner 67), O'Grady, Oglesby, Durose (Morris 56), Harry Wood (Charlie Wood 67), Poulter (Hardy 59), Essien (Toner 62), Trialist (Ndlovu 73).

STAGS: Flinders (Mason 73), Williams (Warnaby 73), Hewitt (Hartmann HT), Wauchope, Macdonald, Carter, Flanagan, Lewis (Taylor 73), Ben Quinn (Kokkinos 73), Abdullah, Evans (Gregory 30, Swan 60).