Simpson sinks Stags! Mansfield Town beaten at Swindon

Mansfield suffered a second consecutive defeat as striker Tyreece Simpson scored the only goal of the game at Swindon.

The visitors enjoyed some lively moments before the break and finished strongly but the defeat sees Nigel Clough’s side slip to seventh in League Two.

Stags boss Clough made two changes from the defeat to Bradford, with Kellan Gordon replacing the injured James Perch and George Lapslie replacing Rhys Oates.

The visitors edged a goalless first half with the best opening falling to Ollie Clarke on the half hour, only to be denied by a stunning sliding tackle from Louis Reed.

Indeed it was the Stags skipper who had the first look at goal as early as the fourth minute, the ball dropping to Clarke in the Swindon box but his finish was fired over the top.

Rob Hunt had the hosts first real effort but Nathan Bishop saved his weak shot comfortably, before Clarke set his sights again but saw this effort wide of goal.

George Maris then saw his first-time effort blocked from a Stephen McLaughlin lay off as Mansfield pushed for the breakthrough.

Clarke was kept out by Reed’s last-ditch challenge on 34 minutes and it was all square at the break.

The hosts improved after half-time and Bishop produced a fine stop to deny Hunt at the far post.

Clough‘s men then wasted a good opening as Oliver Hawkins went through on goal but opted to square to Danny Johnson and the chance disappeared.

And that proved costly as Swindon took the lead, Simpson scoring his first goal for Town with half an hour to go.

The Stags pushed to level, with Sinclair and then Hawkins going close, but it was Swindon who came closest to a second goal when Reed’s injury-time free-kick came back off the post.

Swindon: Wollacott, Odimayo, Conroy, Crichlow, Hayden, Grant (Williams 58), Reed, Hunt, Payne, Gladwin (Iandolo 76),Simpson (McKirdy 83). Unused subs: Ward, Mitchell-Lawson, East, Parsons.

Mansfield: Bishop, Gordon, Hewitt, Rawson, McLaughlin, Maris, O Clarke (Sinclair 72), Quinn, Lapslie (Bowerie 86), Johnson (Oates 64), Hawkins. Unused subs: Charsley, Shelvey, Burke, Clarke.

Referee: Robert Madley.

Attendance: 8,631