Swindon Town beat Mansfield Town 1-0 in League Two

A stand-out performance from Simpson was capped with his first goal for the club midway through the second half before Mansfield had what looked to be a clear goal not given – a strike that would have handed the Stags a deserved draw.

But Swindon held on and extended their unbeaten run against Mansfield to seven games while remaining fourth in League Two on goal difference.

Ben Garner made just the one change from last weekend's 1-0 victory away at Salford City as Rob Hunt replaced Ellis Iandolo at left-back. Swindon's newest signing Jayden Mitchell-Lawson was fit enough for the bench.

For Mansfield, experienced defender James Perch was ruled out of the match-day 18 following an accidental whack to the face in training. Kellan Gordon was his replacement - a man who enjoyed a loan spell at Swindon under David Flitcroft.

Swindon started slowly on home soil and Mansfield were allowed to gain the upper hand, though many of the visitors’ attacking play resulted in no shot on Jojo Wollacott’s goal.

Inside the opening 10 minutes, Mansfield captain Ollie Clarke volleyed against the roof of the Alan McLoughlin Town End. Meanwhile, up the other end, Swindon had their first shot on target of the afternoon when Simpson held off his man down the left before finding Hunt. The left wing-back cut onto his right on the corner of the box but scuffed a shot at Nathan Bishop.

Stags captain Clarke was heavily involved in the opening half and set his sights once again in the eighth minute, but his left-footed shot was sliced wide from outside the box.

Mansfield continued to pin the home side in but actually created very little of real meaning.

Swindon could have taken the lead 15 minutes before the break, but Simpson didn’t react quickly enough from Jack Payne’s driven free-kick and the move fizzled out.

And the only reason the score remained goalless at the break was down to a superb goal-saving block from the hard-working Louis Reed.

Stephen McLaughlin fed Stephen Quinn down the left-hand side, and he slid a low cross back behind the Swindon defence for Clarke to run onto. There was a collective intake of breath around the County Ground as most expected the net to ripple, but Reed came out of nowhere to throw himself in front of the effort and turn it away.

Former AFC Wimbledon striker Ollie Hawkins had the final chance of note in the opening 45, but his header from a corner was into the Swindon fans behind the goal from close range.

A scrappy start to the second half subsided as Swindon forced Bishop into a superb save five minutes in. Anthony Grant turned this way and that down the right before clipping a cross towards the back post. Hunt was charging in, but a terrific save from point-blank range turned the ball out.

Minutes later, Mansfield blew a golden chance to take the lead themselves. Hawkins robbed Dion Conroy and raced in on goal. But as Wollacott came out, Hawkins squared it to Danny Johnson. His pass was too heavy though and Johnson saw his effort blocked out by Odimayo as Swindon bodies raced back to help.

That wasted chance would prove costly for the visitors as around 60 seconds after his introduction on the hour mark, Jonny Williams played a vital part in Simpson’s opener.

Williams played a one-two with Jack Payne and raced away down the left. The Welshman crossed into the middle and Simpson bullied his way onto the ball before volleying home between two Stags defenders.

Moments after the goal, Conroy turned away a goal-bound Quinn effort with fans still celebrating the earlier moment of quality.

With a little over 10 minutes to go, Mansfield felt they had equalised following a Tyrese Sinclair free-kick on the left.

Sinclair whipped his shot under Wollacott's cross bar before a goalmouth scramble ensued and the ball appeared to cross the line. However, the linesman remained unmoved and Swindon scrambled it away.

George Maris volleyed at goal as seven minutes of added time were shown, but Wollacott was more than equal to it despite the Mansfield midfielder having a clear sight from the edge of the box.

Reed crashed a free-kick against the post deep into added time, but it mattered not as Swindon held on for victory.

STFC starting XI: Wollacott, Odimayo, Conroy (c), Crichlow, Gladwin, Simpson, Payne, Kesler-Hayden, Hunt, Reed, Grant.

SUBS: Iandolo, McKirdy, Ward, Mitchell-Lawson, Williams, East, Parsons.

MTFC starting XI: Bishop, Gordon, McLaughlin, Hewitt, Rawson, Clarke (c), Maris, Johnson, Hawkins, Quinn, Lapslie.

SUBS: Charsley, Bowery, Shelvey, Burke, Sinclair, Oates, Clarke.