Sam Clucas back to haunt Mansfield Town as Lincoln City complete double over the Stags

Clucas silenced the home fans who were booing him when he scored directly from a magnificent corner seven minutes from time as City completed a decisive double over Stags, who have now not won for nine matches.

It was a costly night all round for the home side on a freezing evening with Elliott Hewitt, Frazer Blake-Tracy and Lucas Akins all forced off with injuries.

Stags had a couple of warning shots before they went behind on nine minutes through a close range Paudie O'Connor header, Christy Pym having already had to make two saves as City put dangerous balls into the box and Stags struggled to defend.

Lincoln also had an effort disallowed on 18 minutes.

The visitors pressed hard and made life uncomfortable for the home side, but Stags settled down and played some good football and dominated possession without really testing Zach Jeacock in the first half.

The second half proved a tight affair until Lincoln sealed it with two late goals from Clucas and fellow sub Dom Jefferies as Mansfield ended a miserable night to forget without a shot on target.

Boss Nigel Clough made one change to the side that drew 3-3 with Blackpool on Saturday as Frazer Blake-Tracy replaced Baily Cargill, who suffered a nasty hand injury at Bloomfield Road, in defence.

Lincoln made four changes from Saturday's 3-2 loss at Leyton Orient.

Tendayi Darikwa returned after missing Saturday due to the birth of a daughter.

James Collins was selected up front after his goalscoring exploits off the bench at Orient, Adam Jackson came back into defence and Tom Bayliss also started the game in midfield.

Lincoln were first to threaten in the third minute as McGrandles' cutting pass freed House on the left but no one was there to turn home his tempting cross.

A minute later Stags broke down the right through Akins. His cross was cleared to McLaughlin whose powerful effort was well blocked by Darikwa.

The Imps twice had to hack clear Mansfield crosses into the danger zone as Stags assumed some control of the early proceedings.

But Lincoln forced a good save from Pym on eight minutes as Darikwa laid a good ball onto the path of the advancing Bayliss, whose firm strike was turned aside by the keeper at his near post.

From Hackett's corner a minute later Collins was offered a free header in the six yard box and Pym did superbly well to block.

A second corner followed and from that, taken by Bayliss, O'Connor powered home another close range header that this time Pym could do nothing about.

It had been two moments of very poor defending and had proved costly as Mansfield were once again behind.

Stags roared back at the visitors and House did well to head put a teasing far post cross by McLaughlin for a corner that was easily cleared.

Mansfield had a big let-off on 18 minutes.

Williams headed away a right wing cross at the far post and the ball bounced towards Hackett who smashed a bouncing volley across Pym and inside the far post only to see an offside flag raised.

A neat home move on 21 minutes saw Williams send Akins away down the right.

He beat one man to get to the by-line and crossed hard and low to the far post where Bayliss slid in with a crucial challenge as McLaughlin prepared to tuck home.

On 34 minutes Hewitt went down with an injury and was replaced by Flint in the five-man defence.

Jeacock had to leave his box to clear as Evans tried to reach a Reed through ball.

There was a big home call for handball in the box on 38 minutes amid a scramble but nothing given, and soon after Evans flicked a harmless header wide.

Stags dominated the ball for the rest of the half and probed hard, but City defended well for their narrow interval advantage.

Bowery took over from Williams for the second half.

City quickly forced a corner which Mansfield struggled to clear before O'Connor finally flicked a header wide.

Reed poked a tame effort wide at the other end.

Flint had to head a Collins cross away from almost under his own bar as City kept up the pressure.

Before the corner could be taken, Blake-Tracy had limped off with Quinn replacing him. The defender looked in agony as he hobbled round the pich.

On 58 minutes Maris played a nice crossfield pass to Akins on the edge of the box and he teed up Reed for a rising 18 yard shot that cleared the bar.

A fine Maris run then saw him pick out Vickers 10 yards from goal only for the loanee to be out-muscled by O'Connor.

Makama's foul on McLaughlin on 66 minutes was not his first and the referee showed the first booking of the night.

Makama held off Flint to clash a shot over two minutes later before McLaughlin sent a 20 yard free kick onto the visitors' wall at the other end.

With 18 minutes left Vickers and Baccus were replaced by Rhodes and Lewis.

Ex-Stag Clucas was booed roundly by the home fans when he came on at the same time.

But he had the last laugh as on 83 minutes he curled a corner directly home under the far angle before celebrating in front of the home fans to seal the points and earn a booking.

Worse was to come as a minute from the end McRandles crossed from the left and when the defenders failed to clear their lines, Jeffries was there to drill past Pym.

Lewis drilled over for Mansfield in stoppage time and Mansfield finished with 10 men as Akins limped off.

It was a fifth game unbeaten against Stags for the Imps and a first win in five games for them.

With the injuries and the run they are on, Stags could well do without promotion-chasing Wexham as visitors this Sunday afternoon.

STAGS: Pym, Akins, Williams (Bowery HT), Hewitt (Flint 35), Blake-Tracy (S. Quinn 56), McLaughlin, Reed, Baccus (Lewis 72), Maris, Vickers (Rhodes 72), Evans. SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Waine.

LINCOLN: Jeacock, Darikwa, Jackson, Hackett (Jefferies 62), Bayliss (Clucas 72), McGrandles, O'Connor, House (Hamilton 80), Roughan, Collins (Draper 80), Makama (Ring 72). SUBS NOT USED: Wickens, Kamson-Kamara.

REFEREE: Aaron Bannister.

ATTENDANCE: 8, 326 (1,449 away).