Five-star Salford stun Mansfield

Salford stunned Mansfield with a thumping 5-2 away win to move above their promotion rivals in the table.

An exciting first half saw the visitors leave the Stags reeling with two goals in four minutes.

In the 18th minute City skipper Ibou Touray crossed from the left to the near post, where Matty Lund flicked home a fine header across Christy Pym.

It was 2-0 in the 21st minute as Elliot Watt battled his way to the right by-line and drilled a low ball across and Callum Hendry made no mistake with his powerful finish.

Mansfield responded well and pulled one back after 35 minutes.

Elliott Hewitt’s long throw was cleared to James Perch, whose low shot was blocked by Alex Cairns, but the ball ran loose to Davis Keillor-Dunn to tuck away the rebound.

But within five minutes of the restart Hendry had seen a low shot hit a post and seconds later Luke Bolton got in behind on the right, raced into the box and buried a low finish beyond Pym.

It was 4-1 after 56 minutes as Bolton pulled back a low pass from the right for Lund to crash in his second from 16 yards.

Theo Vassell rose well to head home Salford’s fifth from a right-wing corner in the 81st minute before Jordan Bowery turned in a Callum Johnson cross from close range late on for Mansfield.