Two-goal Hendry nets wonder strike as Mansfield Town demolish Leyton Orient for fourth win in a row
Regan Hendry scored one of the best goals ever seen at Mansfield Town as the Stags recorded a fourth win in a row with a magnificent 4-1 victory over visiting Leyton Orient this afternoon.
Hendry ended up with a brace, Will Evans with the third and Luke Bolton with the fourth – his first for the club - while the visitors finished with 10 men after Idris El Mizouni was sent off to compound their miserable afternoon.
Stags played some superb football in an exciting first half and fully deserved the 2-0 lead they built thanks to the brace from Hendry, the first a wonder goal from the centre spot.
But a lapse from a corner eight minutes from the break allowed Josh Koroma to nod home and give hope to the visitors.
But that hope began to disintegrate when Will Evans made it 3-1 on 59 minutes and then three minutes later the visitors had Idris El Mizouni dismissed for his second yellow card in 11 minutes.
Nathan Moriah-Welsh replaced Luke Bolton in the one change for Mansfield.
Orient enjoyed some good early possession but, when Stags broke down the right on five minutes, Evans headed a Knoyle cross over the visitors' bar.
Bowery then produced a god challenge to halt Connolly in the home box at the expense of the afternoon's first corner, which Hendry hooked away.
Evans came close to opening the score on 11 minutes as he met a left wing cross from Blake-Tracy with a header that came off the top of the bar.
Three minutes later a through ball down the centre saw Koroma beaten to the ball by a brave diving challenge from Roberts.
But on 15 minutes Mansfield swept ahead with an absolute wonder goal by Hendry.
Winning a tackle in the centre circle, he looked up and, with the keeper off his line, he launched a shot from on the centre spot and watched it dip perfectly over Simkin and under the bar for an early Goal of the Season.
Blake-Tracy made a great tackle on Moorhouse in the box as Orient looked for a way back.
A fantastic move by the home side then set up Hendry for his second of the game on 29 minutes.
Moriah-Welsh launched a fine crossfield pass to Dickov. He controlled and slipped a pass into the box for Blake-Tracy and his low cross, which took a slight deflection, rolled perfectly into the path of Hendry coming in at the far post where he had a simple tap-in.
Hendry then cut into the box from the right and tried for his hat-trick, the shot deflecting for a corner.
Mansfield were firmly on top by now and playing excellent football.
But poor marking from a corner on 37 minutes let the visitors back into the contest.
O'Neill sent a right wing corner to the near post where Koroma easily got the better of a tussle with Evans and nodded past Roberts.
A poor pass by Dickov set Orient on a break, halted when Cargill went in late on Connolly and out came the afternoon's first yellow card on 42 minutes.
Connolly then sent the 30 yard free kick straight into the hands of Roberts as Stags went in with a narrow advantage.
Five minutes after the restart Evans hacked down Adaramola for a booking and El Mizuni then held back Hendry on the edge of the Orient box for a caution a minute later.
Hendry took the resulting free kick and Simkin did well to tip his powerful effort over the bar.
Orient made a quadruple change on 57 minutes to up their energy levels.
But it was Mansfield who extended their advantage on 59 minutes.
Bowery won a tackle on the right touchline and squared a pass to Evans who turned superbly on the edge of the box and rifled home an unstoppable left footed finish past Simkin.
A frustrated El Mizuni then tripped Moriah-Welsh for his second yellow in 11 minutes and out came the red card and Orient were down to 10 men.
McLaughlin and Bolton joined the fray for Blake-Tracy and Moriah-Welsh on 63 minutes and on 71 minutes on came Sweeney and Maris for Cargill and hero Hendry.
On 73 minutes McDonnell was only just wid with a far post header from a Maris corner, then Knoyle was too high from 20 yards after another fine passing move.
Roberts turned away a cross-cum-shot from O'Neill as the 10 men valiantly tried to push for a lifeline goal.
Lewis took over from Dickov for the last 10 minutes.
With five to go Connolly was afforded a lot of room and went on a run that ended with a low shot straight at Roberts.
In the last of five added minutes Maris put a low ball into the middle where both Evans and sub Bolton had finishes blocked on the line before Bolton smashed home at the second attempt to put the icing on the cake for Mansfield.
STAGS: Roberts, Knoyle, Bowery, Cargill (Sweeney 71), Blake-Tracy (McLaughlin 63), Reed, McDonnell, Moriah-Welsh ( Bolton 63), Hendry (Maris 71), Dickov (Lewis 80), Evans. SUBS NOT USED: Mason, Dwyer.
ORIENT: Simkin, Adaramola (Mitchell 57), Happe (Simpson 57), O'Neill, El Mizouni, Connolly, Craig (James 57), Bakinson, Koroma (White 70), Beckles, Moorhouse (Abdulai 57). SUBS NOT USED: Cahill, Jaiyesimi. REFEREE: Carl Brook.
ATTENDANCE: 7,537 (479 away).