Davis Keillor-Dunn’s magnificent first-half strike secured Mansfield an important 1-0 victory in an entertaining Nottinghamshire Derby victory at One Call Stadium.
The match-winner coolly fired Stags ahead on eight minutes from 22-yards to bag his 15th goal of the season.
An outstanding effort from depleted Stags moves them up to second place in Sky Bet League Two.
Nigel Clough made two changes to the side that faced AFC Wimbledon last weekend.
Defender George Williams replaced the suspended Jordan Bowery. Attacker Davis Keillor-Dunn came into the side in place of Stephen Quinn who is also serving a one-match suspension.
Stags began in a 4-4-2 diamond formation, with Louis Reed at the base of midfield and Keillor-Dunn in behind the strikers.
Amongst a lively start, it was the visitors who came closest to breaking the deadlock early on.
County winger Jodi Jones let fly from the right side of Mansfield’s box on two minutes, which settled at the feet of David McGoldrick following a deflection. The striker’s close-range effort was superbly stopped by Christy Pym before Scott Robertson turned the rebound past the post.
Stags soon recuperated and began to adopt dangerous positions inside the final third.
Ollie Clarke’s through-pass to Will Swan undid the Notts defence on eight minutes before the forward’s square ball was clambered clear by defender Aden Baldwin.
However, the hosts kept the pressure on by winning the ball back and playing Keillor-Dunn into space seconds later.
Stags’ number 40 wriggled into space just outside the box and directed a sumptuous curling effort beyond Aiden Stone and into the top right corner to give Mansfield the lead.
The visitors looked to strike an equaliser but could only create half-chances in the moments that followed Mansfield’s opener.
On 15 minutes, County midfielder Dan Crowley picked up a loose ball in midfielder and slotted McGoldrick through on goal, only to see his tight-angled effort coolly blocked by a sliding Aden Flint.
Four minutes later McGoldrick found space to shoot from 25 yards, however the forward’s driven effort zipped narrowly wide of Pym’s bottom right corner.
The lively Jones’ in-swinging cross from the right arrived at an awkward angle and evaded those inside the box to clip the outside of the post on 28 minutes.
Minutes later, Aaron Nemane’s dangerous delivery into Stags’ box flicked off the head of Flint to loop the ball over Pym and onto the underside of the crossbar before being cleared away on the goal-line.
Stags restarted the second period brightly and almost found a second on 56 minutes. A well-delivered Keillor-Dunn corner picked out Baily Cargill who looped a header towards Akins lurking at the far post. Agonisingly, the forward couldn’t make a solid connection from close range.
The hosts were dealt a blow on the hour when midfielder Maris was forced into an early substitution due to breathing difficulties following a bout of flu, with Aaron Lewis his replacement..
Mansfield were in again two minutes later after Will Swan drove the team up field down the left wing. The opportunity found its way to Akins, who crossed to Keillor-Dunn on the right side of the box but the forward’s volley bounced narrowly wide.
Stags’ next opportunity came when Akins cleverly rounded his man on the right side to tee-up Keillor-Dunn on the edge of the box. The attacker powerfully struck first time but Stone firmly palmed away.
The hosts’ deadline day signing Tom Nichols was introduced to the action on 81 minutes, replacing the industrious Akins in attack.
Mansfield’s excellent second-half display continued as they created yet another chance on 84 minutes. Keillor-Dunn broke through the midfield before timing an excellent lofted through ball to set Swan away. The striker arrived in the box and forced Stone into an excellent close-range save.
The hosts remained organised at the back to see out an important victory and affirm their place inside Sky Bet League Two’s automatic promotion places.
STAGS XI: Pym, Williams (Nichols, 81’), Brunt, Flint, Cargill, Reed, Maris (Lewis, 61’), Clarke (McLaughlin, 88’), Keillor-Dunn, Swan (Boateng, 87’), Akins
UNUSED SUBS: Flinders, Cooper, Abdullah.
COUNTY XI: Stone, Cameron, Crowley, Langstaff, Jones, Nemane, Baldwin, Bostock, McGoldrick, Robertson (Austin, 87’), Warner
UNUSED SUBS: Ashby-Hammond, Rawlinson, O’Brien, Randall, Adebayo-Rowling, Macari
REFEREE: Thomas Kirk
ATTENDANCE: 8,667 (1,659 Notts fans)
