Mansfield storm into play-off places with victory over Hartlepool
Mansfield stormed into the Sky Bet League Two play-off places with a 4-0 home thrashing of struggling Hartlepool.
It was a fourth win on the bounce in the competition for Steve Evans' men and they have now not conceded for 352 minutes in League Two.
It could have been so different had Padraig Amond punished Rhys Bennett's fluffed clearance on 14 minutes, lobbing over an empty goal from just inside the box.
Instead the Stags roared ahead on 19 minutes when Shaq Coulthirst's low cross from the right was buried into the net by Ben Whiteman from 12 yards.
It was 2-0 on 26 minutes as Danny Rose stole the ball off a dithering Matthew Bates just outside the box and then rounded keeper Adam Bartlett.
Alex MacDonald came on for his home debut on 65 minutes and within six minutes he made it 3-0 with a low shot from 22 yards after being allowed to run down the centre.
On 78 minutes Whiteman bagged his second with a powerful downward header from a MacDonald cross from the left.
Source : PA
Source: PA