REPORT: Mansfield Town ease past Scunthorpe to maintain promotion push

Ryan Stirk was on target for Stags at Scunthorpe.

Nigel Clough’s Stags, who are three points off the top three, put sorry Scunthorpe to the sword in a fine half-hour burst either side of half-time.

The home fans showed their displeasure as they threw tennis balls onto the pitch before some stormed onto the pitch in the second half.

Anthony Grant’s own goal started the rout and the visitors never looked back at Glanford Park.

Stephen McLaughlin, Ryan Stirk and Stephen Quinn got the goals to condemn the hosts to a miserable sixth straight defeat.

And with this priceless win Clough’s charges closed the gap on the top three to just three points.

Despite the scoreline, it was the Iron who had a great chance in the first minute as Joe Nuttall headed wide of the mark.

But it wasn’t long before the Stags got into their stride.

They should have been ahead even earlier as Jordan Bowery somehow nodded wide from just six yards out.

But Town finally took the lead in the 16th minute as a Grant turned into his own net after a scramble in the box.

McLaughlin dragged an effort wide as Mansfield really started to turn the screw after going ahead.

It was two in the 32nd minute as Scunthorpe stopper Ryan Watson kept out Bowery’s strike before Lucas Akins teed up McLaughlin to slam home from close range.

Welshman Stirk fired in the third underneath Watson with six minutes to go before the break.

And seconds after the restart Quinn added a fourth as he raced down the left and blasted a left-footed effort in off the post.

Akins came close to getting onto the scoresheet himself as he fired wide after Bowery’s fine flick, but four would be more than enough for the visitors.

Scunthorpe: Watson, Rowe, Gallimore, Delaney, Feeney, Shrimpton (Moore-Billam, 56), Hackney, Grant (Beestin, 68), Lewis (Young, 61), Nuttall, Burns.

Unused subs: Collins, Bunn, Pyke, Hallam.

Mansfield: Bishop, Hewitt, Rawson, O’Toole, Perch, Stirk (Maris, 77), Bowery, Longstaff, McLaughlin (Johnson, 45+1), Quinn (Law 90+1), Akins.

Unused subs: Stech, Law, Wallace, Hawkins.

Referee: John Busby