Stockport hit back to edge out struggling Mansfield

Depleted Mansfield dropped into the relegation zone with a 2-1 home defeat by play-off chasing Stockport.

Both sides scored own goals in the first half as Mansfield went a sixth game without a win.

Stockport’s Ben Hinchcliffe produced a one-handed stop after six minutes to keep out a Will Evans effort from an Aaron Lewis cross, while at the other end Liam Roberts made a fine save to prevent Malik Mothersille beating him at his near post after being sent into space by Jack Diamond.

Town, missing 10 players, scored their first league goal in 324 minutes of play after 28 minutes as Kyle Wootton tried to prevent Ryan Sweeney getting a head to a Nathan Moriah-Welsh corner but could only turn the ball past his own goalkeeper.

But Sweeney then netted an own goal of his own after 42 minutes. Jayden Fevrier wrestled his way past Frazer Blake-Tracy on the right and drilled in a low cross that came off Sweeney’s boot in the six-yard box and went past Roberts.

Neither keeper was threatened in a fiercely-contested second half until the 69th minute when Ben Osborn was sent into space on the left after a series of neat passes and his cross found Diamond in the six-yard box to head into the top right corner and seal victory for County.