Akins & Evans Kick Down Cobblers

Mansfield Town 4-1 Northampton Town (EFL League One) 21.03.2026

Nigel Clough’s charges continued their recent upsurge in form, stretching their unbeaten run to six matches, following a 4-1 home win over lowly Northampton Town on Saturday afternoon.

Braces from both Will Evans, netting early in each half, and Lucas Akins, both in the second half, gave the hosting Stags a valuable three points which also sees them push towards the top ten in League One.

The opening goal arrived after just five minutes when Frazer Blake-Tracy’s ball out of defence came off the Cobblers’ captain, Jon Guthrie, falling for Will Evans, and the Stags’ number eleven slotted past Lee Burge in the visiting goal.

Deji Oshilaja, Evans, Oates, and Regan Hendry all had chances throughout the opening half in which to extend the Stags’ advantage, but to no avail, whilst the visitors’ best chances came as Michael Jacobs’ cross fell short of Cameron McGeehan midway through the half, and McGeehan then saw an effort saved well by Liam Roberts just after the half hour.

Clough made a couple of defensive changes at the start of the second half, bringing on Kyle Knoyle and Ryan Sweeney for Elliott Hewitt and Frazer Blake-Tracy, and within minutes of the restart the hosts’ lead was doubled, another of the Stags backline, Deji Oshilaja, combining with Lucas Akins on the right, the latter squaring for Evans to tap home his second of the game.

A third was added just after the hour when Lucas Akins got to a rebound after Jon Russell’s left-volley came crashing back off Burge’s crossbar; ten minutes later and McGeehan got one back for the visitors, getting on the end of Nottingham Forest loanee, Kyle McAdam’s low ball across the box.

Evans came close to completing his hat-trick as the game ticked into the final fifteen minutes, heading over from close then, in stoppage time, a fourth goal was bagged for the hosts, Aaron Lewis’ corner met by head of Akins to wrap up a 4-1 win.

The win sees Clough’s side move within a point of the three sides directly above them in the table as Peterborough United (12), Barnsley (13) and AFC Wimbledon (14) are tied on 50pts apiece; next up for the Stags, a trip to seventeenth place Doncaster Rovers’ Eco-Power Stadium, on Good Friday (3 April), kick off 12:30.

Mansfield Town: Liam Roberts, Elliott Hewitt (Kyle Knoyle 46), Deji Oshilaja, Frazer Blake-Tracy (Ryan Sweeney, 46), Lucas Akins, Jon Russell (Nathan Moriah-Welsh, 86), George Abbott (Joe Gardner, 94), Stephen McLaughlin, Regan Hendry 9Aaron Lewis, 86), Will Evans, Rhys Oates (Oliver Irow, 78).