Plymouth Argyle 3-1 Mansfield Town (EFL League Two) 18.01.20

Mansfield Town were beaten on the road as Graham Coughlan suffered a third straight defeat in charge of the club with the Stags now nearing rather worryingly the foot of the table all be it five points above bottom side Morecambe in the divisions only relegation place.

The Stags went behind to Neil Canavan’s goal two minutes before half time and were 2-0 down a minute past the hour when Matt Preston fouled Joe Edwards inside the box for a Plymouth penalty which Sarcevic dispatched.

Mansfield did pull one back through Andy Cook with a cracking volley which went in off the underside of the bar and as Stags pushed for a leveller late on the home side broke through sub Ryan Hardie who slid past Olejnik to guarantee all three points.

Manager Coughlan stated after the match “If we defend like that, we’re going to lose games of football. I thought our tactics were spot on and we were excellent in the game plan we’ve worked on all week.”

“We should’ve buried them and put them away, but as long as you’re missing chances, you’re vulnerable.”

“We have to defend better. And if you don’t defend better, you get punished and we got punished today.”

Stags: Olejnik, White (Clarke 52’), Benning, Preston, Pearce, Bishop (Charsley 79’), MacDonald, Maynard, Sweeney, Hamilton, Rose (Cook 66’).

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc the Stags in action at Plymouth’s Home Park.