Crawley continued their impressive away form by stunning Mansfield with a 4-1 win at One Call Stadium.
The West Sussex side scored two in either half and by the time substitute Hiram Boateng pulled one back for Mansfield on 80 minutes the damage had been done.
The visitors recorded a fourth straight away win while Mansfield will now turn to Tuesday’s game at home to Forest Green on Tuesday to try and climb back into the top three.
Following Easter Monday’s postponement at home to Accrington, two changes were made from Stags’ previous fixture, a 2-0 loss at Wrexham on Good Friday.
George Williams slotted in at right-back, replacing the injured Lewis Brunt, while Stephen Quinn was introduced for Aaron Lewis in midfield.
Crawley registered the game’s first shot inside the second minute as Aden Flint uncharacteristically conceded possession, enabling Danilo Orsi to rifle wide from outside the box.
And less than two minutes later the visitors broke the deadlock.
From the left flank, Nicholas Tsaroulla sent a ball into the box and as Mansfield failed to clear Kellan Gordon directed his effort into the bottom left-hand corner with the aid of a deflection.
Stags were gifted a golden chance to level in the seventh minute as Crawley ‘keeper Corey Addai played a simple short ball to Dion Conroy inside the box. But the defender gift-wrapped a loose pass to Stags’ forward Davis Keillor-Dunn, who blasted over from the edge of the area with most of the goal to aim at.
At the other end, Orsi was presented with an opportunity on the left of the box but his shot lacked the necessary power or accuracy to seriously test Mansfield ‘keeper Christy Pym.
There was no want for chances by Mansfield in the first-half and on 17 minutes, Ollie Clarke’s rasping low drive had to be turned behind by Addai after neat set-up play by Keillor-Dunn just outside the area.
Crawley doubled their lead, however, on 25 minutes.
Ronan Darcy embarked on a darting run forward and after continuing unopposed he found Nicholas Tsaroulla on the let of the box who curled a pin-point attempt beyond Pym.
As Stags looked to reduce the deficit, Swan floated an effort off target from 20 yards.
Mansfield came closer on the half-hour mark when Akins struck into the side netting after a fine low pass by Louis Reed.
Akins was agonisingly close to finding the net when Swan squared into the goal area, but his attempted flick was deflected behind for a corner as it trickled inches past the post.
Clarke sent a venomous shot goalwards which hit forward Will Swan and the ex-Forest frontman had two opportunities himself soon after. From the first he was unable to get a shot away, with the second ballooning beyond the target.
In stoppage time, Crawley’s Will Wright was booked for chopping down Swan on the edge of the box.
Within a minute of the restart, Quinn teed up Swan to shoot at goal but it was a routine stop for Addai.
The Crawley ‘keeper was called upon to make a more serious save on 52 minutes as he pushed aside Bowery’s bended hit from 20 yards.
But it was Crawley who dealt a double killer blow as they bagged two goals within two minutes.
Tsaroulla was again the architect as he laid it low from the left and Orsi was allowed to turn from eight yards out and fire into the net.
Shellshocked Stags conceded again when Klaidi Lolos was given the freedom to run forward before lashing beyond Pym.
Mansfield made all five changes on 62 minutes as Stephen McLaughlin, George Maris, Hiram Boateng, Aaron Lewis and Tom Nichols were introduced for Hewitt, Reed, Quinn, Keillor-Dunn and Akins.
Nichols almost made an immediate impact but nodded narrowly wide of the bottom right-hand corner.
Substitute Adam Campbell lashed wide on 72 minutes for Crawley and at the other end Maris’ shot was tipped behind by Addai.
Boateng netted a consolation on 80 minutes as Lewis provided and his fellow midfielder steadied himself from 12 yards to fire into the roof of the net but by then the outcome was beyond doubt.
STAGS: Pym, Williams, Flint, Hewitt (McLaughlin 62), Bowery, Reed (Maris 62), Clarke, Quinn (Boateng 62), Keillor-Dunn (Lewis 62), Swan, Akins (Nichols 62)
UNUSED SUBS: Flinders, Gale.
CRAWLEY: Addai, Gordon (Adeyemo 66), Maguire, Conroy, Wright (Roles 77), Tsaroulla, Williams (L. Kelly 60), Darcy (Mukena 77), Lolos, J. Kelly, Orsi (Campbell 66).
UNUSED SUBS: Sandford, Khaleel.
REFEREE: Ollie Yates
ATTENDANCE: 7,342 (206 Crawley fans)
