Mansfield 9-2 Harrogate: Stags close in on top spot in League Two after club-record win

Mansfield closed in on top spot in League Two as they equalled the club’s all-time record league win from 1932 by destroying in-form Harrogate by an astonishing 9-2 scoreline.

It was also the first time a side had scored nine in a Football League game since Peterborough beat Barnet 9-1 in Division Three in 1998.

Stags boss Nigel Clough said his side “deserved to score nine goals” and described the achievement as “very special”.

“I thought it was an outstanding exhibition of hurting the opposition when you win the ball and then being clinical with the finish,” Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham.

“To score nine is very special. It has been coming at times this season and it just all clicked tonight.

“We’ve done that to teams a few times here and just haven’t finished the moves off but we did that tonight and there were some very good goals.

“It comes off the training ground and we haven’t taken it onto the pitch all the time this season but we certainly did tonight.

“Hiram got the hat-trick and man of the match but I don’t know how you pick one – everyone played extremely well.”

From the 13th minute when Lucas Akins buried a home penalty after Derrick Abu had hauled down Baily Cargill, the Stags never looked back in a one-sided first half.

It was 2-0 on 20 minutes as Boateng won a tackle 25 yards out, ran to the edge of the box, and slammed home a powerful finish.

On the half-hour Davis Keillor-Dunn’s square pass 18 yards out set up Boateng for his second and four minutes later Stephen Quinn set up Tom Nichols to roll home a fourth after Jordan Bowery had crossed.

Harrogate were reeling and conceded a fifth on 39 minutes as Nichols laid the ball invitingly into space for Keillor-Dunn to easily slot home his 16th goal of the season.

Boateng then completed his hat-trick five minutes after the break from six yards from Will Swan’s pass.

But the visitors were cheered by two goals in just over a minute as George Thomson clinically finished on the break on 54 minutes before Abraham Odoh turned home the rebound after Josh March had hit the post.

However, on 61 minutes Akins saw a shot deflect in for number seven from a George Maris through-ball.

On 75 minutes substitute Swan scored with a fantastic finish across the keeper from 25 yards and he netted again two minutes later, turning home Aaron Lewis’ ball for the ninth.

Mansfield’s previous 9-2 win came in only their second season in the Football League when they thrashed Rotherham United in Division Three (North) in December 1932.

Match details supplied by PA Media.