Port Vale 0-3 Mansfield Town (EFL League Two) 08.05.21

Mansfield Town ended their season in victorious fashion as they thumped mid-table Port Vale 3-0 in the Staffordshire rain.

Stephen McLaughlin opened the scoring on ten minutes with a shot from distance which found the bottom corner and it could have been two just three minutes later when Bowery hit the post, flicking on a McLaughlin free kick with his head.

On 23 minutes Bowery spun, shot and saw his effort saved by Brown before the same player missed his hat trick of first half chances when racing through on goal, only to be denied by the Vale keeper.

It mattered not however as on the half hour, Lapslie carried the ball forward before setting up Stephen Quinn to fire home a second and give the Stags the second goal which their dominance deserved.

Vale hit back as McLaughlin cleared off the line and early in the second half Pardington was forced into a save from Conlon but Mansfield made it three nil and three points with a further goal on 63 as McLaughlin curled in a trademark free kick, his second goal of the match and fourth of the season in total.

McLaughlin might even have had a hat-trick with another free kick opportunity on 69 which Brown did well to save whilst Sinclair tried his luck late on with a set play that hit the woodwork before Charsley went through on goal only to hit the side netting with his shot.

A completely dominant performance that ensures Mansfield finish the season in sixteenth, much to build on in the summer for Nigel Clough who steered the ship to safety from Graham Coughlan’s season start before a sticky patch but the Stags ended the campaign winning four of their last five and losing just two in twelve.

Port Vale: Brown, Smith, Brisley, Olagunju (Whitehead 57), McKirdy (Swan 67), Burgess, Joyce (Robinson 67), Conlon, Hurst (Worrall 67), Pope (Amoo 66), Rodney.

Mansfield Town: Pardington, James Clarke, Perch, Sweeney, McLaughlin, Ollie Clarke (Charsley 75), Maris, Lapslie, Quinn (Law 51), Bowery (Reid 75), Sinclair.

Venue: Vale Park

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc a good day for Mansfield who celebrate one of three goals at Vale Park.