Salford boss Neil Wood admitted he had been expecting his side to “give someone a good hiding” after their thumping 5-2 win at promotion rivals Mansfield.
The visitors destroyed their opponents, racing into a two-goal lead thanks to Matty Lund’s header from a corner and Callum Hendry’s finish from Elliot Watt’s low cross.
Davis Keillor-Dunn pulled one back after 35 minutes, following up after Alex Cairns had parried a James Perch shot, but Salford went up another gear after the break and, after Louie Barry had hit a post, Luke Bolton got in behind the home defence to make it 3-1.
Bolton then set up Lund for his second before Theo Vassell headed home number five from a corner.
Jordan Bowery’s late reply was of little consolation to the shellshocked Stags.
Wood said: “I have been waiting for a day like this as I knew, if we got everything clicking, then we were due to give someone a good hiding. I just expected it before now.
“We were three without a win, but we felt no pressure coming into the game.
“We have not been on the floor.
“Results have not gone our way in the last three games, but we knew there were elements of our performances that were really good.
“We have stayed positive and kept working hard. We still want to get better.
“It’s nice to win a game, but to win it in that manner and score five goals was great and fully deserved. If I am being picky we could have scored more.
“The lads at the back were brilliant and set the foundations of how we wanted to play today. And we were a real threat going forward.
“We did our homework on Mansfield and we knew they’d have a back five and we needed to break through their lines – and we did it with consistency and quality.
“I just had to select the best team that would be the most dangerous going up against that and cause the most problems.
“If I am going to be disappointed with anything it would be conceding the second goal late on as I don’t think we should have done. It was frustrating.”
Mansfield boss Nigel Clough admitted his side were well beaten.
He said: “They were better than us from the first minute to the last and I thought they played some very good stuff.
“I am not very enamoured with the goals we conceded, but they caused us problems from the first minute.
“Having been solid for a week, with three clean sheets, they looked as though they could score at will today.
“They were too quick and too sharp for us. When you’re at home you want to get on the front foot and try to press. Maybe away from home we’d have sat in a bit more and made it a bit easier to deal with.
“But we have to move on, get over it and get on with it. If you can’t deal with that you shouldn’t be in football, as everyone is going to lose.
