Struggling Crawley Town edge five-goal thriller to end Mansfield Town away run

It was the first time Nigel Clough's men had conceded three goals since their Play-Off final defeat to Port Vale at Wembley.

And they were on the back foot from early on in both halves as they conceded almost immediately from the start of both.

There were four goals in an action-packed first half before two-goal Ashley Nadesan’s 46th-minute winner at Broadfield.

Nadesan opened the scoring in the second minute before Tom Nichols made it two in the 13th minute.

Jordan Bowery pulled one back from the penalty spot before George Lapslie’s equaliser.

But Nadesan grabbed the all-important winner early in the second half as the Stags failed to keep up the pace with the top three and remain fourth.

Boss Nigel Clough made two changes from the side which beat Walsall.

Influential ever-present Stephen McLaughlin was ruled out with a knee injury and Stephen Quinn dropped down to the bench.

Anthony Hartigan came into the midfield and Will Swan up front, replacing Lucas Akins, who dropped back to fill McLaughlin's left wing back role.

The Stags got off to the worst possible start as they found themselves two goals behind inside 13 minutes.

Crawley got off to an electric start as Nadesan opened the scoring with a cool finish barely a minute into proceedings.

And Nichols doubled the Stags’ deficit as he rose highest to nod Jack Powell’s fine cross beyond hapless Christy Pym.

But Clough’s charges got themselves back into the game from the penalty spot after Nichols handled in the box.

Bowery stepped up and confidently fired home from 12 yards to halve the deficit, sending the keeper the wrong way.

The Stags then drew level in the 27th minute as Lapslie headed home Elliott Hewitt’s fine cross at the back post.

Swan squandered two good chances to put the visitors in front before the break, but both times he frustratingly fired wide of the mark while Pym then did well to deny James Tilley on the stroke of half-time.

After the break, the Stags were caught napping in a carbon copy of the start of the first half.

It was Nadesan again as he restored Crawley’s lead as he raced clear before finding the back of the net, having got past Riley Harbottle, who was immediately substituted.

Pym produced a brilliant save to keep out Nichols’ fiercely-hit strike which looked destined for the top corner on 51 minutes.

Stags made a triple change on 73 minutes and changed the formation and players' positions as Clough tried to conjure a way back for his side.

And it almost came in the sixth of eight added minutes, but substitute John-Joe O’Toole's left-footed effort on the turn went wide from eight yards.

This was Crawley's first back to back league win of the season, and a third win in a week for interim manager Lewis Young.

Stags will now aim to shake off the disappointment of this result in time to face visiting Newport County on Tuesday night.

CRAWLEY: Robson, Johnson (Jenks, 57), Conroy, Francillette (Francomb, 45), Tsaroulla, Tilley, Powell, Hessenthaler, Fellows (Davis, 71), Nichols, Nadesan (Oteh, 83). SUBS NOT USED: Balcombe, Telford, Khaleel.

STAGS: Pym, Hawkins, Harbottle (O’Toole, 48), Hewitt, Bowery (Quinn, 73), Clarke (Boateng, 73), Hartigan (Wallace, 73), Maris, Lapslie, Swan, Akins. SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Gale, Law.

REFEREE: Sunny Gill.