A goal in each half saw Mansfield Town fall to defeat against in-form Leyton Orient on Friday afternoon.
After being denied in a one-on-one by Aidan Stone, Danny Johnson made no mistake in scoring from a corner after five minutes.
Johnson had his brace in the second-half, pouncing on a stray pass to double the lead for the visitors.
Stags’ manager Nigel Clough implemented a single change ahead of the match, as George Lapslie replaced Harry Charsley in midfield.
With barely four minutes played, Orient had the first clear chance of the day.
Kellan Gordon’s under-hit back pass towards goal was gambled on by Johnson. As he charged into the area, his shot was saved magnificently by Stone.
However, Johnson made amends for that effort by gifting his side the lead from the resulting corner.
A curling cross was headed across goal by full-back Sam Ling, before Leyton Orient’s top scorer prodded the glancing ball home from just two yards out.
With a quarter of an hour played, Mansfield came close to an equaliser.
George Maris threaded a delightful pass to cut open the Leyton Orient defence. Lapslie kept onside and made the right run into the box, however his first touch let him down and he could not retrieve the ball in time.
The amber and blue continued their search for a leveller, with Law wriggling between challenges in the area on 22 minutes, only to have his eventual goal-bound effort blocked by Joe Widdowson.
Despite the possession, Stone’s wayward clearance found Orient’s captain Craig Clay just moments later. He played an effective through ball into goal scorer Johnson, yet his ferocious shot cleared the crossbar.
Jobi McAnuff’s team ramped up the pressure as the first-half progressed.
Winger James Brophy cut inside from the left wing and found his way into the six-yard box. The final shot would have nestled into the net, had it not been for a combined block from three Stags’ defenders to turn it behind.
With a couple of minutes remaining in the first instalment, the away team’s lead was close to being doubled.
Interim player-manager McAnuff swung a looping cross into the area from the right flank. Clay rose highest from eight yards out, but his header caused no problems for Stone as it flew high over his bar.
Mansfield had a sight on goal as soon as the second-half started.
Lapslie burst into the area and picked up a low cross from Gordon, only for his driven shot to be straight at Orient goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux.
Neat build-up play between Jordan Bowery and Mal Benning resulted in an opportunity for Maris to strike from 20 yards, but he was unable to keep the attempt low enough to challenge Vigouroux.
On 71 minutes, the Stags had another half-chance, courtesy of a long ball from skipper James Perch.
The pass floated towards Jamie Reid in the box, but centre-back Jamie Turley won the battle and headed back to Vigouroux.
A Jason Law corner was then whipped into Farrend Rawson, however his header was subsequently nudged over by Turley.
For all of the Stags’ possession, they fell two behind on 76 minutes.
A weak ball back to Stone from Reid was intercepted again by Leyton Orient’s Johnson, who made no error in sliding the ball under the ‘keeper to increase his league tally to 18.
Mansfield fought hard to turn the tide in the game, with Ryan Sweeney heading a Perch cross back across goal, only for Vigouroux to claim the ball before it reached Bowery.
That proved to be the final opportunity for either side, as the referee signalled for full time.
The Stags will look to return to winning ways with Monday’s journey to Exeter City.
STAGS XI: Stone (GK), Gordon (Sweeney 83’), Perch (C), Rawson, Benning, Maris, Lapslie (Clarke 75’), Law (McLaughlin 75’), Quinn (Charsley 80’), Bowery, Reid (Sinclair 80’).
UNUSED SUBS: Stech (GK), Ward.
LEYTON ORIENT XI: Vigouroux (GK), Akinola, Turley, Ling, Widdowson, Clay (C), Cisse, McAnuff (Kyprianou 67’), Kemp, Brophy, Johnson.
UNUSED SUBS: Sargeant (GK), Sweeney, Judd, Young, Dennis, Abrahams.
REFEREE: R. Madley
ASSISTANTS: I. Stankovic and C. Brown
FOURTH OFFICIAL: A. Hendley