Mansfield Town boost automatic promotion hopes with win at Bradford City

Mansfield Town forward Rhys Oates celebrates his first half goal with Matthew Longstaff during Stags' win against Bradford City.

Goals from Rhys Oates and Matty Longstaff were enough to wrap the points up as Stags continued their unbeaten run in 2022.

It showed Mark Hughes the saw the size of the task he has accepted as Bradford boss after his first game ended in a fourth successive loss.

Valley Parade’s second biggest crowd of the season greeted Huges’ arrival in the dug-out against Mansfield.

But it was the in-form Stags who enjoyed the party – stretching their unbeaten run to 13 games with goals from Rhys Oates and Matty Longstaff.

Mansfield began with the confidence of a team who have not lost for three months.

But Bradford, urged on by the crowd, started to find some attacking momentum as Theo Robinson tested Stags keeper Nathan Bishop.

Paudie O’Connor went close with a glancing header wide from Elliot Watt’s free-kick before Robinson went through one-on-one and rounded Bishop – only to miss the empty net. He was unaware of the assistant’s raised flag for offside.

Matty Daly fired over from 25 yards and O’Connor’s header was too high from a Bradford corner.

Jamie Murphy’s close-range shot for Mansfield was blocked by Yann Songo’o.

But the Stags broke the deadlock just before the break, cashing in on a mistake from Matty Foulds as top scorer Oates curled home his ninth goal of the season – before celebrating by cupping his ears in front of the Bradford fans.

It got even better for Mansfield four minutes into the second half.

Murphy’s shot fell into the path of Longstaff and he jabbed past Bass with the aid of a deflection.

The Mansfield fans behind that goal almost had a third to cheer straight afterwards as Bass kept out a fierce effort from Stephen Quinn.

Bass had to be alert again to deny Murphy and Stephen McLaughlin as the Stags took control.

Bradford’s only chance of a fightback came from crosses as Bishop saved from O’Connor and then superbly tipped over a header from Mansfield old boy Andy Cook.

BRADFORD: Bass, O’Connor, Songo’o, Foulds, Hendrie, Watt, Sutton (Evans 75min), Gilliead, Daly (Cooke 59), Robinson (Lavery 75min), Cook. Subs not used: Delfouneso, Kelleher, Threlkeld, O’Donnell.

MANSFIELD: Bishop, Hewitt, Rawson, McLaughlin, Longstaff, Murphy, Quinn (Wallace 80min), Maris (Lapslie 69min), Stirk, Akins, Oates (Bowery 85min). Subs not used: Johnson, Perch, Clarke, Wallace, Stech.

REFEREE: Andrew Kitchen (Durham)

ATTENDANCE: 16,797