Our reserve team missed the chance to go top of the Final Third Development League (East Division), as they were beaten 3-0 by Scunthorpe United at Kirklington Road tonight.
The Stags dominated territorially but created few clear-cut opportunities against a clinical Iron team, who hit three unanswered goals after the re-start.
Etienne Esajas opened the scoring on 53 minutes, when he cut inside from the right flank and drove a low 20-yard effort into the bottom-left corner.
The visitors made it 2-0 with less than a quarter-of-an-hour remaining when Esajas’ deep right-wing cross was headed home at close-range by an unmarked Callum Howe.
Esajas completed the scoring in the closing stages with a speculative 25-yard snap-shot, which looped up and over the reach of Stags’ custodian Ian Deakin.
Lindon Meikle struck the post in our best move of the match late on, before Ross Dyer’s follow-up attempt was blocked on the line by George Grayson.
It was also a bad night for young full-back Liam Marsden, who was forced off after sustaining a nasty cut to the eye midway through the first half.
The defeat means we remain a point behind leaders Hull City at the top of the table, with just two more matches of the campaign remaining.
Team: Deakin, Marsden (Asare), Beevers, McGuire, Black, Murray, Hutchinson, Briscoe, Meikle, Dyer, Palmer. Unused Subs: Fell, Thomson, Fitzpatrick.
