In-form Mansfield Town closed the gap on league leaders Stockport with an impressive 2-0 win in a top-of-the-table clash at Edgeley Park.

In a closely-fought contest with chances largely at a premium, two second-half goals from George Maris and substitute Davis Keillor-Dunn were enough to wrap up the points.

The victory sees Stags move within two points of Stockport, with two games in hand over the Greater Manchester club.

With the final game of five fixtures in a 16-day spell, manager Nigel Clough made four changes to the lineup.

Defender Stephen McLaughlin, midfielders Ollie Clarke and Aaron Lewis, and frontman Rhys Oates returned to the starting XI.

Louis Reed, Stephen Quinn, Davis Keillor-Dunn and Lucas Akins were moved to the substitutes’ bench. 

Inside the first minute of a tightly-contested half, Oates had an opportunity to test County goalkeeper Ben Hincliffe.

Clarke won the ball in midfield to release Lewis, who then fed Oates. But his second touch escaped him on the right of the box and Stockport were grateful for a goal kick. 

After five minutes, Clarke was the first recipient of a yellow card when he mis-timed a challenge on defender Fraser Horsfall midway inside the home half.

Two minutes later, Stockport carved out their maiden chance as forward Paddy Madden skewed an effort wide from just inside the box.

The hosts were then forced into an early change as the injured Ethian Pye had to be replaced Jayden Richardson.

On 20 minutes, Mansfield also had to make a substitution after Oates chased a loose ball and collided with goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe inside the box, with Lucas Akins coming on as his replacement.

County broke forward midway through the first-half and Madden laid it to the edge of the box for Ben Touray to lash narrowly beyond the right post.

There was concern for right-back Callum Johnson on 28 minutes, who suddenly went down on the ball with a presumed hamstring pull, and midfielder Louis Reed was introduced in his place two minutes later.

It meant a reshuffle for manager Nigel Clough as Jordan Bowery switched across the backline from left-back to right, with McLaughlin moving into the latter position.

On 31 minutes, Akins’ shot from outside the box was blocked and earned Mansfield a corner while at the other end Christy Pym was called upon for the first time to comfortably claim Callum Camps’ drive.

Near the end of the half, Stockport’s Owen Bailey was the next name in the referee’s notebook for pulling down Akins in front of the Stags’ dugout.

Mansfield created the best chance of the half on 44 minutes.

Bowery charged down the right flank to skip beyond Touray and cut into the box to lay it back for Reed, whose curling strike was denied by the fingertips of Hinchliffe.

Stags were ahead just four minutes after the break as the encounter exploded into life.

Following a corner, Ollie Clarke delivered a superb left-footed cross on the right-hand flank and George Maris ghosted in towards the goal area to power a header beyond Hinchliffe.

Stags had McLaughlin to thank on 54 minutes for hacking Callum Camps’ goalbound shot off the line.

There was then a lengthy stoppage when Kyle Knoyle needed treatment after a clash of heads with teammate Ibou Touray. The Stockport defender had to be stretchered off and was replaced by Tanto Olaofe.

Two minutes after the game resumed – on 68 - McLaughlin was shown a yellow card for a foul on Kyle Wootton.

And a challenge on Ryan Croasdale by Louis Reed met the same fate on 77 minutes.

Stags then made a treble change as George Williams took to the field for McLaughlin, while Davis Keillor-Dunn came on for Maris and Aaron Lewis made way for Stephen Quinn.

Defences were on top in a close encounter, although on 88 Stags had an opportunity to double their advantage when Quinn nodded into the gloves of Hinchliffe from Keillor-Dunn’s clipped cross as Stags looked to hit County on the counter-surge.

In the second of 13 minutes added on, Pym produced a brilliant save to keep Stags ahead.

Stockport sent the ball deeper towards goal and Olaofe was well positioned to power forward a header, only to be denied by a superb one-handed stop by Pym.

And Stags’ number one was required again, with three minutes to spare, as Nick Powell’s low strike sent him sprawling across his line to brilliantly tip around the post. 

Then at the other end, Keillor-Dunn missed a chance to wrap up the points.  

Goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe and defender Akil Wright got caught in a mix-up outside the area, and Keillor-Dunn pounced to retrieve possession but was unable to do the rest as he struck wide from 22 yards.

But he made no mistake with ninety seconds remaining as Stags sealed the victory.

Clarke again was the architect, winning the ball midway inside the home half, before sending Keillor-Dunn on his way. And the attacker still had work to do, showing fine footskills inside the area to fire home from 12 yards to make certain of the vicory.

STOCKPORT: Hinchliffe, Knoyle (Olaofe 66), Touray, Wright, Horsfall, Camps, Madden, Pye (Richardson 9), Croasdale (Powell 82), Wootton, Bailey 

UNUSED SUBS: Smith, Byrne, Mee, Johnson

STAGS: Pym, Johnson (Reed 30), Flint, Cargill, Bowery, Brunt, McLaughlin (Williams 78), Lewis (Quinn 78), Clarke, Maris (Keillor-Dunn 78), Oates (Akins 20) 

UNUSED SUBS: Flinders, Swan

REFEREE: Daniel Middleton 

ATTENDANCE: 10,334 (906 Stags’ fans)