Mansfield continue fine run with win over struggling Plymouth

In-form Mansfield piled more misery on Plymouth with a 2-0 home win.

Stags, now five unbeaten in League One, scored in each half as Argyle slumped to a third successive defeat.

Will Evans put Mansfield ahead after just six minutes.

A long Liam Roberts clearance that skimmed off the head of Mathias Ross looked set to be swept up by Brendan Wiredu or Brendan Galloway.

But both failed to clear and Evans made them pay as he muscled past them to beat goalkeeper Conor Hazard.

Tyler Roberts should have done better with his free header from eight yards from a Nathan Moriah-Welsh cross while Lorent Tolaj curled a 25-yard free-kick narrowly wide for the visitors.

Deji Oshilaja’s through ball sent Rhys Oates clear on goal after 48 minutes but Hazard saved with his legs and then saw Oates place his follow-up into the side-netting.

Moriah-Welsh then headed wide unmarked from six yards from an Evans cross after 61 minutes.

Argyle almost levelled after 77 minutes when Jamie Paterson robbed Oshilaja on the by-line but Liam Roberts crucially blocked Tegan Finn’s close-range effort.

Instead, Stags went 2-0 up with six minutes left, Joe Gardner crossing low from the left and, after Moriah-Welsh miskicked his finish, the ball ran nicely for Jordan Bowery to tuck home from five yards.