Mansfield thrash promotion rivals MK Dons to edge closer to top-three finish

Mansfield took a giant step towards League One with an emphatic 4-1 win over promotion rivals MK Dons.

Max Dean put the Dons ahead early on but Elliott Hewitt’s equaliser brought Mansfield level midway through the first half.

The visitors then took charge after the break with substitute Davis Keillor-Dunn scoring twice before James Gale added a fourth to seal the win.

Victory means Mansfield remain third in the table behind promoted duo Stockport and Wrexham but are now five points ahead of MK Dons, having played one game fewer.

The hosts took a 13th-minute lead when Dean outmuscled Jordan Bowery to meet a long ball and curl home a fine strike.

But Mansfield equalised on the half-hour, as Hewitt tapped in from ex-Don Hiram Boateng’s cross.

The visitors completed their comeback just after the break. Keillor-Dunn and Boateng both had shots saved but the former eventually prodded home amid a goalmouth scramble.

MK Dons struggled to rally and Nigel Clough’s Stags duly wrapped up the win with two quickfire goals in the closing stages.

A breakaway move saw Keillor-Dunn outpace the backline to score his second of the match, before he turned provider in stoppage time, setting up fellow substitute Gale for a thumping fourth.