Crawley Town 1-2 Mansfield Town (EFL League Two) 27.11.21

After a tough defeat at promotion pushing Sutton in midweek it was back to winning ways for Mansfield who are up to fifteenth in the table following a hard earned three points at struggling Crawley.

In blustery conditions the Stags went close early-doors when a Stirk volley from a corner was cleared off the line on seven minutes before the young midfielder turned provider on 23 for Hawkins, chipping through to the big former Ipswich striker who finished calmly on the volley.

Mansfield looked the stronger of the two teams in the first half and attacked their opponents but just three minutes into the second half the Stags conceded an equaliser when Tilley levelled after good work from Hessenthaler.

In reply, McLaughlin then headed over for the Stags, following a deflection from a corner played in, the home side hit a post on the hour after a shot from an acute angle rattled the woodwork, but on 73 minutes Ryan Oates slid home after a superb pass by Hawkins sent the former Hartlepool striker racing towards goal to calmly finish.

In the closing stages, Crawley pressed for an equaliser with possession deep in the Stags half but Sinclair could have wrapped things up on ninety minutes when he hit the post when one on one following a quick counter-attack, that could have came back to haunt Mansfield as the home side went inches to equalising again, hitting the crossbar with a header from inside the area to the home fans disbelief.

The win see’s Mansfield leapfrog Crawley in the table with the Stags now eight points clear of the drop zone and just seven below of the playoffs.

Crawley Town: Morris, Davies, Francillete, Craig, Francomb, Frost (Nichols 46), Hessenthaler, Powell, Tilley (Lynch 90), Nadesan (Grego-Cox 79), Appiah.

Mansfield Town: Bishop, Rawson, O’Toole, Forrester, Hewitt, Lapslie Clarke 90), Stirk, Quinn (Maris 70), McLaughlin, Oates (Sinclair 79), Hawkins.

Venue: Broadfield Lane

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Oliver Hawkins celebrates his goal for the Stags.