Mansfield cruised to a comfortable 4-1 win at Exeter to keep alive their automatic promotion hopes and crush those of their woeful hosts at St James Park.
Mansfield were in complete control as they forced Exeter into making countless mistakes. And it was from a slip by Dara O'Shea that the deadlock was broken when CJ Hamilton capitalised on his error to round Christy Pym before sliding the ball into an empty net on 20 minutes.
Exeter's reply was instant, as they equalised within a minute, Donovan Wilson picking up the ball on the right edge of the penalty area before crossing for Matt Jay to bundle the ball home with the scruffiest of finishes.
Another mistake, this time from Dean Moxey, helped Mansfield go back in front on 33 minutes as he misjudged the flight of the ball and Hamilton ran through for his second goal.
Mansfield put the game out of sight on 57 minutes when Tyler Walker picked up a throw with his back to goal, turned far too easily and curled a delightful shot into the far corner from 20 yards.
Exeter's Craig Woodman then felled Walker inside the box, who picked himself up and rammed in the penalty to make it 4-1 on 74 minutes.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
