Harrogate win at Mansfield to go top as hosts finish with nine men

Posted Sunday, September 05, 2021 by PA

Unbeaten Harrogate stormed to the top of SkyBet League Two with a 3-1 win at Mansfield where the home side had both Ollie Clarke and Stephen Quinn sent off.

Both red cards came in the 73rd minute, with Harrogate 2-1 ahead, as Clarke went for a foul as last man and Quinn was dismissed for striking an opponent.

An exciting first-half exploded into life with two early goals.

On three minutes Stephen McLaughlin sent a free-kick to the far post where Rhys Oates steered home a perfect finish across keeper Mark Oxley to put Mansfield ahead.

But the visitors were level within two minutes as Luke Armstrong headed home from a George Thomson corner.

Nathan Bishop’s legs denied Alex Pattison on 25 minutes when a corner was cleared to him while, at the other end, Oxley tipped over a goalbound McLaughlin free-kick.

But two minutes into added time Pattison crossed from the right, Armstrong flicked on in the middle and Jack Muldoon was there to apply the finish at the far post.

In an explosive 73rd minute, the Stags were reduced to nine men as Clarke was sent off for bringing down Jack Diamond and, as players squared up, Quinn was also dismissed as the referee decided he had felled Josh Falkingham.

Bishop saved superbly to deny Muldoon and Armstrong but the nine men conceded a third on 81 minutes as Thomson headed home from close range from a Lewis Page corner.