Stags Back To Winning Ways

Mansfield Town 4-1 Crawley Town (EFL League Two) 01.04.23

The Stags returned to winning ways with a convincing, 4-1 victory, at home to Crawley Town, on Saturday afternoon, Davis Keillor-Dunn firing home a second half brace to aid the celebrations.

Victory came on the back of three draws, including consecutive, goalless draw, at home, in their last two games, and four games without a win in total – it was much needed.

The road to victory started early, nearing full-strength, and reverting back to the recent, tried-and-tested, 3-5-2 formation, the hosts were a goal up early on.

Following a recent suspension, Stephen Quinn returned to the starting line-up, in devastating fashion, providing the assist for the opener, alongside having several chances of his own; this, inside the opening five minutes would see him lay-off captain, Ollie Clarke, who swept home into the bottom, right-hand corner.

Somehow, and despite numerous chances, it was the only goal of the first half, Kieran Wallace, and twice from Keillor-Dunn, either side of the ten minute mark, then, five minutes later, Lucas Akins and Keillor-Dunn, again missed golden opportunities.

Dominic Telford would see his effort saved by Christy Pym, the visitors trying to muster some sort of attacking prowess; Keillor-Dunn then seeing another effort, this one saved by Corey Addai, come to nought.

Ashley Nadesan would try to drag his side back into the game, he having a couple of quick-fire efforts, before Quin, Clarke, and twice from Rhys Oates, saw the Stags pepper Addai’s goal, Oates’ first being saved , before Nadesan then saw another effort saved by Pym ahead of the interval.

The second began pretty much the same as the first had, a chance for Nigel Clough’s free-flowing charges, Oates seeing an effort blocked however, the resulting corner, swung in by Akins, was met by the head of Alfie Kilgour, with his fourth since joining, he nodding past Addai, in the middle of the box, doubling Mansfield’s lead.

Another save from Pym, minutes later, kept the hosts’ lead intact, this from Jack Powell, before a third was quickly added, and Keillor-Dunn put the rampant Stags, out of sight.

Proving a constant threat all afternoon, Keillor-Dunn quickly added his fourth, and fifth goals, since joining the club back in January; the first of the two, collecting a pass from Oates, fired home from close range, just before the hour mark, then, ten minutes later, added his second, and the Stags’ fourth of the game, firing home into Addai’s top left corner.

Between the two, Keillor-Dunn strikes, Akins (twice), Quinn, Oates, all had chances; afterwards, Kellan Gordon, on his return to his former club, and having been booked earlier in the game, along with Rafiq Khaleel, both had efforts, before they finally pulled one back.

Nadesan again proved a thorn to the home back-line, and this time played in Mazeed Ogubongo, who fired into Pym’s bottom right corner, affording the visitors a glimmer of hope.

The hosts though, they wanted more than the four they finished with, putting firmly behind them the previous, four outings; Akins rattled the left upright from the edge of the box, before Hiram Boateng, on for Quinn, who’d put in a workman-like, hour-long shift, proceeded to hit the crossbar, with an effort from outside the box.

A Boateng set-piece was close to being finished off by Jordan Bowery, in the closing minutes, but his effort was high and wide, before Clough brought on young gun, Taylor Anderson, for the closing minutes, the Stags’ academy players seeing some, deserved game-time, in recent weeks.

The Stags, they made do with the 4-1 win, although they’re still to break back into the play-off places, sitting one place, and two points outside, with a game in hand on several sides above them; just five points though split fourth place Carlisle United, and the eighth place Stags, ahead of an Easter double.

That will see Mansfield travel to eleventh place Swindon Town on Good Friday, 7 April, before welcoming bottom club Rochdale, on Easter Monday, 10 April, by which tome, hopefully, the Stags will have broken back into those play-off places.

Mansfield Town: Christy Pym, Elliott Hewitt (Taylor Anderson, 90), Alfie Kilgour, James Perch, Lucas Akins, Kieran Wallace, Ollie Clarke (Jason Law, 70), Stephen Quinn (Hiram Boateng, 62), Jordan Bowery, Davis Keillor-Dunn, Rhys Oates.