Carlisle United 0-4 Mansfield Town: Dismal Blues thrashed by Stags

The Blues conceded four times in the opening 38 minutes as Nigel Clough's visitors ran riot.

Paul Simpson's Cumbrians had no reply and were miles off the promotion-chasing standards they have shown for most of the season so far.

United held onto third place on goal difference despite having failed to score in three successive games for the first time in more than a year - but it was otherwise an alarming and miserable night.

Ollie Clarke headed the Stags in front after 14 minutes before Alfie Kilgour added a second.

Lukas Akins' penalty and an Elliott Hewitt strike further stunned a 4,645 crowd.

Ollie Clarke heads Mansfield in front (Image: Barbara Abbott)

It was the first time since October 2014 that the Blues had conceded four at home in the first 45 minutes of a league game.

They had no reply, Jon Mellish denied with their best chance of a token consolation, and sub Will Swan hitting the post for Mansfield late on.

Blues boss Simpson made one change to his line-up, recalling John-Kymani Gordon to the attack at the expense of Joe Garner.

There was a change on the bench too, with Jayden Harris stepping into the squad and Jamie Devitt sidelined with a calf injury.

Mansfield's Clough, meanwhile, made two changes to his XI, Christy Pym and Jordan Bowery coming back into the side with Scott Flinders dropping to the bench and George Maris not involved.

Carlisle looked to make a positive start, Owen Moxon denied early on while at the other end Paul Huntington slid to block a counter-attack effort from Davis Keillor-Dunn.

But then Mansfield set about imposing their superiority, experienced frontman Akins a regular thorn in the side of Simpson's defenders and forcing a save from Tomas Holy on 13 minutes.

Moments later, Stephen Quinn picked out Clarke to head the Stags' opener, and things went from bad to worse from there for United.

Alfie Kilgour celebrates Mansfield's second (Image: Ben Holmes)

Quinn volleyed over from a good position before Riley Harbottle forced a backpedalling Holy to tip over the bar.

The resulting corner then saw Keillor-Dunn cross for Kilgour to head home.

That was on 24 minutes - and five minutes later it was three, Morgan Feeney penalised for his challenge on Keillor-Dunn at a looping cross, and Akins sending Holy the wrong way from the spot.

Tomas Holy goes the wrong way as Akins' penalty makes it 3-0 (Image: Barbara Abbott)

And Mansfield then added a fourth on 38 minutes when Hewitt fired into the top corner, capping a miserable spell from Simpson's side.

Carlisle's own attacking was paltry and unconvincing, other than an injury-time move which saw Kristian Dennis play Mellish clean through - but keeper Pym saved his shot.

Jordan Gibson watches Mansfield celebrate their fourth (Image: Ben Holmes)

Simpson made a triple change at the break, Omari Patrick, Harris and Garner all coming on, but United could not find any way back.

Bowery came close for Mansfield early in the second half before Moxon tested Pym with a free-kick.

Carlisle applied late pressure without success, Simpson handing a 76th-minute debut to Jack Robinson who replaced Dennis, before sub Swan hit the woodwork for the Stags.

Gordon and Robinson could not convert added-time chances on a night to forget for the Cumbrians.

United: Holy, Feeney, Huntington (Harris 46), Mellish, Senior (Patrick 46), Armer, Guy, Moxon, Gibson (Garner 46), Gordon, Dennis (Robinson 76). Not used: Kelly, Whelan, McCalmont. 

Booked: Gordon, Garner, Harris. 

Mansfield: Pym, Hewitt (Anderson 87), Harbottle, Kilgour, Wallace (O’Toole 68), Perch, Quinn (Law 75), Clarke (Boateng 46), Bowery, Akins, Keillor-Dunn (Swan 75). Not used: Flinders, Johnson. 

Goals: Clarke 14, Kilgour 24, Akins 29pen, Hewitt 38. 

Booked: Harbottle. 

Ref: Ben Toner. 

Crowd: 4,645 (212 Mansfield fans).