Report: Mansfield Town 3-0 Iron

The Iron were beaten 3-0 at Mansfield Town on Tuesday night.

United went into their game making four changes from the side that faced Forest Green at the weekend, as Jai Rowe, Manny Onariase, Alfie Beestin and Ryan Loft came in for Jordan Clarke, Harrison McGahey, John McAtee and Kevin van Veen.

With three minutes gone, the hosts almost got in on goal, but Mason O’Malley intercepted as a shot looked to be incoming before the resultant throw was touched behind for a goal kick to the Iron.

The hosts won a free-kick outside the box in the fifth minute, which was floated into the area by Tyrese Sinclair and gathered comfortably by Rory Watson.

After eight minutes, the hosts won the first corner of the game as Onariase came across to block an incoming low cross from the right.

The corner was played short to George Maris, who curled in a low cross towards the near post. Jamie Reid stooped low for the header, but the effort went over.

In the 11th minute, play was halted for a five minute spell as referee Brett Huxtable spotted a drone above the pitch.

Three minutes after the restart, the hosts took the lead as George Lapslie diverted into the net a low cross from the right by former Iron James Perch.

On 23 minutes, Jem Karacan threw himself at a long range effort from Maris to block the shot before the Iron came away on the counter-attack with Devarn Green, but the hosts won a double ricochet and a throw.

Not long after, Perch found Sinclair with a low cross from the right, with the forward controlling before volleying wide of Rory Watson’s left-hand post.

In the 31st minute, O’Malley got in behind Perch on the left wing to send in a low cross into the area, with the ball turned behind for a corner.

Alex Gilliead’s corner came out to Karacan, with he and Perch both arriving at the ball at the same time, resulting in another corner to the Iron.

O’Malley’s subsequent corner was sent in towards George Taft. The ball was headed to the edge of the box as far as Green, but his effort was wayward.

Mansfield had a great chance to double their lead in the 38th minute when the ball was received by Lapslie on the right side if the area but his shot was tipped over the bar by Watson for a corner, which was cleared.

Then, after a right-wing corner wasn't properly cleared on 41 minutes, Maris latched onto the loose ball and drilled a low effort across goal but wide.

Before the half-time break, Beestin and Gilliead worked the ball well between each other from defence to attack but Gilliead was shrugged off the ball on the edge of the area as he looked to shoot towards goal.

Beestin was clattered one minute into the second period, but the Iron maintained possession and the referee played advantage. O’Malley’s cross came into Loft, but he was penalised for a foul.

Then, on 48 minutes, O’Malley read a loose pass and pressed forward before passing to Eisa. He sprinted past the defender into the box but saw his cross turned behind for a corner.

Three minutes later, Loft headed away as Stephen Quinn’s shot was curling towards the top corner after a free-kick was initially headed away.

They came close again moments later, but Watson got down sharply to his left to deny a powerful low drive from Lapslie on the edge of the box.

In the 55th minute, Watson denied Jamie Reid from point blank range as he blocked an effort from just inside the box.

There was a double Scunthorpe change just before the hour mark as Karacan and Rowe were replaced by Lewis Spence and Teddy Howe.

Soon after, a long range effort from Sinclair took a deflection and looped up and wide of the target for a corner to the Stags.

Then, Sinclair hit another one from the edge of the box, with Watson getting down to his left to stop the effort creeping in.

With 64 minutes played, Quinn opened up onto his left foot and had a shot from 30 yards, with the effort sailing over the bar.

Scunthorpe then brought van Veen on for Loft in the 68th minute, and three minutes later they won a free-kick down the right wing after Green's cross was handled by Stephen McLaughlin.

Taft rose highest to meet O’Malley’s free-kick, with the ball dropping at the back post for Onariase, but he couldn't get enough connection on the effort and the ball was cleared.

At the other end, Sinclair sent an effort over the bar from the right of the area after he was played in down the side.

With 80 minutes gone, Perch rifled in a second for the Stags, from the right side of the 18-yard box after the ball was played across to him.

They made it 3-0 three minutes later as Taft blocked one shot, but Sinclair peeled away to tap in a ball across the box from Perch.

It was the last moment of note in the match, and United return to action on Saturday when they play host to Walsall at the Sands Venue Stadium (3pm kick-off).

MANSFIELD: Stone, Perch (Gordon, 86), Rawson, Sweeney, McLaughlin, Maris, Quinn (Ward, 86), O Clarke (Law, 84), Lapslie (Charsley, 84), Reid (Bowery, 75), Sinclair.

MANSFIELD SUBS NOT USED: Pardington, Benning.

IRON: Watson, Taft, Onariase (Hippolyte, 79), Gilliead, Loft (van Veen, 68), Eisa, Green, Beestin, Karacan (Spence, 58), Rowe (Howe, 58), O'Malley.

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Collins, McAtee, Dawson.