Mansfield Town 3-0 Newport County: Home comforts for Stags

A pair of spectacular volleys helped Mansfield defeat bottom club Newport 3-0 and stay in the play-offs.

Craig Westcarr crashed in the opener five minutes after the break, but most fans were left talking about the second stunning volleyed finish in as many games by Mal Benning, this time from 20 yards out.

Substitute Adi Yussuf then completed the scoring in stoppage time.

Newport defended well in a first half in which Mansfield stayed patient and asked most of the questions.

Exiles goalkeeper Joe Day got down to keep out a Benning shot and then did even better to block a diving header from his own defender Matt Taylor as he tried to cut out a Newport cross.

Reggie Lambe fired a shot straight at him from 10 yards from a Ryan Tafazolli nod-down on 37 minutes.

On 42 minutes Day made his best save so far as his legs blocked a far-post diving header from former Newport striker Matt Green, who met a Jack Thomas cross from the left.

But the breakthrough came five minutes into the second half as Benning crossed from the left and Jack Thomas cushioned the ball invitingly for Westcarr to smash home a rising volley from five yards.

Day was then at full stretch to keep out a Green effort on the turn and a Tafazolli header as Mansfield tried to ram home their advantage.

The Stags made it safe on 70 minutes with a stunning goal. Thomas spotted Benning 20 yards from goal and sent over a long inviting cross which the left back lashed into the net on the volley.

Home goalkeeper Brian Jensen then had to twice deny Zak Ansah as the Exiles pushed forward, but Yussuf had the final say when he turned well 18 yards from goal from Mitch Rose's pass to drill home a low finish inside the right post.