Mansfield Back In Playoff Mix

Swindon Town 2-4 Mansfield Town (EFL League Two) 07.04.23

Four goals, three points, and movement back into the EFL League Two play-offs was the reward for Mansfield Town’s first win in Wiltshire for near fifty years, defeating hosts, Swindon Town, 4-2, in front of a crowd of 9,281.

They did so by coming from behind as well, the hosts netting through Rushian Hepburn-Murphy as early as the third minute of the contest, he heading home an early cross from Remeao Hutton; the same player nearly helped double the hosts lead less than ten minutes later, playing in Ronan Darcy, who fired over.

However, just a couple of minutes after that, the Stags finally waking up, Elliott Hewitt’s cross was met by the head of Stephen Quinn, he nodding past Brynn for the visitors’ first goal at the County Ground in over twenty years.

No sooner had they equalised, the wind was behind the Stags, they pushing for more goals, Quinn hitting the left hand post just before the twenty mark, and Davis Keillor-Dunn seeing Brynn save his effort moments later.

Hutton was then flagged offside at the other end, the game opening up a little, before Saidou Khan tried his luck from fully, thirty-five yards, Christy Pym equal to it in the Stags goal, saving in his top corner, before the visitors led, notching twice in quick succession.

Lucas Akins was the recipient of another goal on his ledger this season, with his eighth, before Rhys Oates completes the turnaround, just a minute later, firing home his fourth from the edge of the box, with a little over half an hour played.

Elliott Hewitt, and Akins, both had efforts in the closing minutes of the first period, whilst Charlie Austin headed wide for the hosts, the Stags going in at the break, 3-1 to the good.

For all the action in the first, the second was much the quitter affair, the visitors grabbing a vital fourth just after the hour mark, Hiram Boateng on for Oates late in the first, nicking the ball off Darcy before curling one home from outside the box – Oates, and captain Ollie Clarke, who was replaced by George Maris at half-time, added to the Stags’ injury woes.

The hosts, they pulled a goal back themselves in the closing five minutes, opening and closing the games’ scoring, George McEachran feeding Jonny Williams, who fires beyond Pym and into the corner; the Stags though, they went back to Nottinghamshire with a 4-2 win, and all three points.

A victory that saw them move a place to seventh in the table, Salford City losing 2-0 at home to leaders Leyton Orient, the Stags now six points off second place Northampton, and with a game in hand on most of the sides above them in the table.

Next up, Nigel Clough’s promotion chasers welcome bottom club Rochdale to the One Call Stadium on Easter Monday, 10 April.

Mansfield Town: Christy Pym, Jordan Bowery,, James Perch, Alfie Kilgour, Elliott Hewitt (Callum Johnson, 74), Kieran Wallace, Stephen Quinn (Jason Law, 70), Ollie Clarke (George Maris, 45), Davis Keillor-Dunn (James Gale, 75), Rhys Oates (Hiram Boateng, 43), Lucas Akins.