Northampton 0-2 Mansfield

Celebration time for Junior Mendes

Mansfield put one foot in the Division Three play-off final with a first-leg win at Northampton.

Rhys Day's free header from a Liam Lawrence cross gave The Stags a first-half lead against the run of play.

Junior Mendes sealed the win in the second half, reacting first to tap in after Cobblers keeper Lee Harper spilled Tom Curtis's shot.

Ashley Westwood was sent off for Northampton who paid the price for missing several first half chances.

Mendes was given the thankless task of ploughing a lone furrow up front for Mansfield.

But he managed to carve out the first chance of the afternoon, evading three tackles before sliding a pass into the path of Wayne Corden who shot timidly at Lee Harper.

But Northampton soon got the measure of the Stags and it was Marc Richards's muscular presence which caused Mansfield problems.

Richards twice brought saves from Kevin Pilkington after turning sharply inside the box and saw his audacious overhead kick flash inches wide.

Derek Asamoah's pace was a good complement for Richards' physique and Asamoah did well to find his partner in space on the half hour, only for Richards to squander Northampton's best chance of the first half.

Mansfield had shown little attacking inclination and inevitably Northampton's wastefulness came back to haunt them five minutes before half-time.

KEY MOMENTS 40 mins Rhys Day heads Mansfield ahead 66 mins: Junior Mendes makes it 2-0 to the Stags 90 mins: Northampton's Ashley Westwood is sent off

Liam Lawrence swung in a free-kick from the right and as Northampton's defence stood rooted, Day ghosted in to plant a firm header past Harper.

The goal seemed to both deflate Northampton and buoy Mansfield, who came out in a more confident mood in the second half.

Robert Ullathorne was again denied as Pilkington showed great reaction to his point-blank header, before Mansfield began to carve out chances.

Another inviting free-kick from Lawrence was cleared under duress by Ian Sampson before Harper had to react sharply to keep out Junior Mendes's effort.

Mendes, though, would not be denied and put Mansfield firmly in charge of affairs on 66 minutes.

A cross was only half-cleared to Tom Curtis who fired through a ruck of players where the unsighted Harper spilled the effort and Mendes was quickest to react to poke home the loose ball home.

Northampton's afternoon took a further downward lurch when Ashley Westwood was given his marching orders for pulling down Colin Larkin who had a run on goal.

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Northampton: Harper, Westwood, Sampson (Taylor 75), Willmott, Low, Ullathorne, Trollope, Hargreaves, Richards (Youngs 61), Asamoah, Smith (Reid 75).
Subs not used: Thompson, Reeves.

Sent off: Westwood (90).
Booked: Trollope.

Mansfield: Pilkington, Hassell, Eaton, Day, Baptiste (MacKenzie 63), Lawrence, Corden, Curtis, Disley (Larkin 76), Williamson, Mendes (D'Jaffo 84).
Subs not used: Jason White, Artell.

Booked: Day, D'Jaffo.

Attendance: 6,960.

Referee: M Jones (Cheshire).