Mansfield 2 – 3 Sutton Utd
Mansfield’s impressive club-record run of 11 successive home league wins was halted by promotions rivals Sutton who pulled off a deserved 3-2 victory.
With Port Vale winning, sixth-placed Stags now have a six-point gap between them and the third automatic promotion place, although they still have a game in hand.
Sutton, meanwhile, climbed up to seventh with the win as they took advantage of Newport and Tranmere dropping points.
Mansfield gifted their opponent a ninth-minute lead following an error by defender Farrend Rawson.
After having the ball rolled to him on the edge of the box by keeper Nathan Bishop, Rawson allowed himself to be dispossessed by Omar Bugiel who ran on to round Bishop and calmly net.
The hosts were then rocked by a second Sutton goal four minutes into the second half as David Ajiboye was allowed to turn home his eighth goal of the season from six yards from Enzio Boldewijn’s cross from the left by-line.
Stags were handed a lifeline in the 78th minute as a long John-Joe O’Toole ball forward saw Sutton defender Ben Goodliffe loop a header over his own keeper.
But United were 3-1 up two minutes later as substitute Richie Bennett raced clear to slot past Bishop with Stags screaming for an offside flag.
Mansfield pulled another goal back in the seventh of added time when Matty Longstaff saw his low 18-yard shot deflect home but it was nothing more than a consolation.
