Stags’ run ended as Taylor is the hero
MATT Taylor’s fourth goal of the season ensured Swindon beat promotion rivals Mansfield to end the Stags’ nine-match unbeaten run in League Two.
The midfielder rifled home in the 39th minute to finish off a clinical counter attack and make it four successive home wins in the league for the Robins, who rise to fifth in the table.
Swindon boss David Flitcroft labelled it a front-foot performance and was overjoyed with his players’ effort throughout.
“I am delighted for the players,” he said. “They ran themselves into the ground and created plenty of opportunities.
“Mansfield are a tough team to beat. They have a top manager and a good squad but we dealt with everything they threw at us.
“Defensively we were fantastic. We dug in and kept our concentration, which the boys did brilliantly.”
Swindon showed their attacking intent from the off, with Luke Norris poking Taylor’s cross over the crossbar with less than a minute on the clock.
Mansfield had a great opportunity to take the lead when Conrad Logan’s long punt forward fell into the path of Kane Hemmings, but his lob over Reice Charles-Cook floated just over the bar.
The impressive Keshi Anderson forced Logan into a save with a longrange strike, before Hemmings fired a shot straight at CharlesCook down the other end.
Swindon took the lead through a swift break away led by Anderson. He burst past two defenders before playing the ball to Timi Elsnik, who flicked it on to Taylor, and the midfielder composed himself before smashing the ball under Logan into the net.
The game died down in the second half, but the home side nearly doubled their lead when Anderson got his head on the end of a cross, but his effort was hooked off the line by Rhys Bennett.
Mansfield’s best chance to equalise fell to Danny Rose five minutes from time, but the Stags top scorer blazed his volley over the bar.
Substitute Paul Mullin could have put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, but he blasted his shot over the bar with seconds left.
Mansfield manager Steve Evans said: “It was the harshest result of the season – we were the better team by a long, long way.
“A goalkeeping error has cost us. Conrad should do better than that but we had enough dominance in the second half to get something out of the game.
“If we had got one we would have won.”