Joy for Mansfield in play-offs

Northampton 0 Mansfield 2

Marc Richards missed enough chances to have put the hosts halfway to Cardiff before centre back Day rose unchallenged to nod Liam Lawrence’s free-kick past the stranded Lee Harper five minutes before the break. And when Junior Mendes tapped home the second from close range midway through the second-half Mansfield took a vice-like grip on the tie.

NORTHAMPTON: Harper, Westwood, Sampson (Taylor 75), Willmott, Low, Ullathorne, Trollope, Hargreaves, Richards (Youngs 61), Asamoah, Smith (Reid 75).

MANSFIELD: Pilkington, Hassell, Eaton, Day, Baptiste (MacKenzie 63), Lawrence, Corden, Curtis, Disley (Larkin 76), Williamson, Mendes (D’Jaffo 84).

Referee: M Jones (Cheshire).