Mansfield claim first away victory after thriller at Doncaster

Mansfield picked up their first away points of the Sky Bet League Two season with a thrilling 3-1 win at Doncaster.

Ollie Clarke, George Maris and Lucas Akins were all on target as the Stags ended the hosts’ unbeaten start in emphatic style despite Lee Tomlin’s first-half equaliser from the spot.

The visitors forged ahead in spectacular style on the quarter-hour mark when a cross from the right by George Lapslie was headed out by Rovers defender Ro-Shaun Williams, only for Clarke’s fierce edge-of-the-box volley to rocket into Jonathan Mitchell’s top-left corner.

Just past the half-hour mark, George Miller’s header was brilliantly tipped over by Mansfield keeper Christy Pym before the hosts drew level in first-half stoppage time after James Perch was penalised following a collision with Harrison Biggins in the box.

The experienced Tomlin made no mistake from the spot, finding Pym’s bottom-right corner as the visitors’ number one dived the opposite way.

After Kyle Hurst rattled an upright for Doncaster, Maris nudged the visitors back in front after 56 minutes when he side-footed in from 15 yards after Lapslie’s lay-off.

The lively Lapslie was then brought down close to the byline by home sub James Maxwell and Akins sealed victory when he aimed a well-struck, 71st-minute penalty to Mitchell’s left.