Mansfield Town produced a scintillating home display as they condemned nine-man Oldham Athletic to a 6-1 defeat to pick up back-to-back victories in Sky Bet League Two.
The hosts dominated proceedings from the outset with Nicky Maynard at the double, before both Tomas Egert and Filipe Morais were both shown red cards in quick succession.
Tom Hamer then momentarily halved the deficit before Maynard wrapped up his hat-trick on the stroke of half time.
And Mansfield made their two-man advantage count as Mal Benning, Dapo Afolayan and Jimmy Knowles were all on target in the second period to cap a brilliant afternoon of football off in style.
Boss John Dempster made only one change from last Saturday’s victory over Grimsby as Conor Shaughnessy came in for the suspended Hayden White.
Danny Rose was first to be presented with a sight at Gary Woods’ goal but his strike towards the far corner was pushed away to safety, allowing the visitors to clear.
The Stags’ number 32 was then left frustrated after his partner at the top end, Nicky Maynard, launched a quick counter attack.
A loose pass from Tomas Egert allowed Maynard time to spot his teammate’s run – however the eventual chipped effort bounced wide.
Mansfield were seeking to exploit the spaces that the Latics were leaving vacant when Alex MacDonald’s long-distance attempt fell off target.
Then, some crisp build-up play by the Stags ended with Maynard’s dummy hoping to find Otis Khan before Mohamad Sylla intervened.
The midfielder would soon have an effort to shout about, though, after escaping the attentions of two blue shirts and dragging past Woods’ upright.
It was one-way traffic for the opening half-hour, which began to show when Kellan Gordon broke free down the right channel.
Maynard connected with the wing-back’s beautiful delivery from close range to power a header into the far corner and gift his side a deserved lead.
But the forward was not finished there as just three minutes later he found his second.
Brilliant solo work by Khan, who had been lively throughout, gave Maynard the simplest of tasks to roll home from point-blank range.
An affair already bubbling with action soon hit even higher temperatures as the visitors were reduced to nine men in a matter of moments.
Referee Lee Swabey signalled advantage after Morais’ initial challenge before, seconds later, a dangerous, sliding challenge by Egert ensured both were to be punished with one red apiece.
However, the action had only just begun when Hamer pulled one back for the away side.
Alex Iacovitti’s cross received the slightest of touches from Conrad Logan, and with Hamer in the right place at the right time he was able to halve the deficit.
Although, this seemed only to be a minor blemish as Maynard popped up once again four minutes into stoppage time.
The number 11 sealed a classy, first-half hat-trick in style by rounding Woods and rolling into the empty net – much to the delight of the home faithful.
Into the second half and Mansfield expectedly dominated possession with the option to stick or twist.
The latter seemingly appealed to Gordon, whose effort from the edge of the area rose above the bar.
On 56 minutes, the Stags found their fourth courtesy of a huge slice of luck.
Benning made inroads down the left-hand side and watched as his cross took a deflection against David Wheater, wrong-footing Woods to creep over the line.
And 10 minutes thereafter, the hosts made it five.
Despite the Latics’ best defensive efforts, Maynard raced upfield from Oldham’s set-piece before setting substitute Afolayan to notch his maiden goal in amber and blue.
There were worrying signs for Dylan Fage moments later, who had to be stretchered off following a collision with Maynard in the events leading to Mansfield’s fifth goal.
Neal Bishop was then unlucky not to see his curler from range connect with the back of the net following a fine, fingertip save by Woods.
But the Oldham ‘keeper could do nothing when substitute Knowles took aim from 12 yards.
Afolayan was deemed to have been felled by Hamer – giving the 17-year-old his first goal in Sky Bet League Two from the spot as he sent Woods the wrong way with aplomb.
The home side outplayed their opponents throughout to record a massive victory in Sky Bet League Two.
Next up for Mansfield is an away trip to face Forest Green Rovers on Saturday 19 October.
STAGS XI: Logan (GK), Benning, Pearce, Bishop, MacDonald (Afolayan 60’), Khan, Maynard (Knowles 69’), Shaughnessy, Sweeney, Gordon, Rose (Cook 55’).
UNUSED SUBS: Stone (GK), Tomlinson, Hamilton, Smith.
OLDHAM XI: Woods (GK), Iacovitti, Morais, Vera (Stott 39’), Maouche (Fage 62’), Missilou, Sylla, Smith, Egert, Wheater ©, Hamer.
UNUSED SUBS: Zabret (GK), Smith-Brown, Wilson, Adams, Eagles.
REFEREE: Lee Swabey
ASSISTANTS: Anthony Moore & Andrew Aylott
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Wayne Grunnill
ATTENDANCE: 4,368 (441 away)
