SWINDON Town produced their best performance of the season to comfortably see off promotion rivals Mansfield Town 5-2 at the One Call Stadium in League Two on Saturday.

Despite going behind twice in the game, Swindon showed their ever-growing confidence and form to hit back and win the game at a canter in the end.

Jonny Williams struck twice for the Robins, while Luke Jephcott, Ronan Darcy, and Ben Gladwin also made goal-scoring contributions for a Swindon side who moved up to fourth.

Mansfield’s tough day was made worse after having Hiram Boateng sent off around the hour mark – their second red card in as many games.

Scott Lindsey made two changes to the side which deservedly took a draw away from Bradford City on Tuesday night.

Ricky Aguiar dropped to the bench while Frazer Blake-Tracy missed out due to a facial injury. Jephcott and Darcy started instead as the visitors opted for a 4-1-2-1 formation with Williams starting just behind Jephcott and Jacob Wakeling up front.

For the Stags, Nigel Clough made five changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Newport County in midweek. James Perch, Kieran Wallace, Anthony Hartigan, Ollie Clarke and Lucas Akins were replaced by Kellan Gordon, John-Joe O'Toole, Stephen McLaughlin, Stephen Quinn and Will Swan.

It was one of those new Mansfield faces who put the hosts in front inside the first 40 seconds. From the game’s first attack, a throw on the left allowed Stephen McLaughlin to drill a low ball across the box that former Swindon defender Gordon finished off unmarked at the back post.

After Jephcott headed at goal and was turned away by Christy Pym, Williams bagged his first of the afternoon in the seventh minute to put the Robins back on level terms. A poor touch from Oli Hawkins in midfield allowed Wakeling to take over, and the striker raced in towards goal before shooting low towards the bottom right corner. Pym kept it out but could only turn it into the path of Williams, and he tapped home from inside the six-yard box.

Inside the opening quarter of an hour, Sol Brynn kept Swan out after McLaughlin’s ball in was touched goalwards first time.

Tom Clayton was replaced in the 20th minute after picking up a thigh injury, and 10 minutes later the Stags had scored a second when the Swindon defence went AWOL. Lindsey’s men gave it away in midfield, and one pass later Swan was in on goal. The striker took advantage of a breakdown in communication to coolly slot past Brynn to his right.

But yet again, Swindon’s response was quick and decisive. Four minutes later, Remeao Hutton picked the ball up high and played a one-two with Ben Gladwin which saw the right-back break into the box. Hutton volleyed at goal, and it struck the left post before bouncing across goal and almost over the by-line for a goal-kick. But Hutton followed the ball and played a cross back into the middle which Williams finished off with aplomb into the bottom right corner.

Just six minutes into the second half, Lindsey’s men went in front for the first time. A long ball down the left was taken in by Wakeling, and with almost nothing on for the striker, he held it up and turned inside down the by-line as he reached the box. As amber shirts raced back to the line thinking Wakeling was to shoot, Jephcott was left unmarked inside the box. Wakeling simply set the ball back to his striker partner and Jephcott slotted the ball into the corner.

And just prior to the hour mark, the Robins’ gained a man advantage to boot. After being booked for a heavy tackle in the first half, Boateng was dismissed for hacking down Saidou Khan on a breakaway and then preventing the restart.

With 20 minutes to play, Swindon added a fourth goal, and in some style. Substitute Louis Reed clipped a superb pass down the right channel which Hutton latched onto before playing in Wakeling. After Pym denied the striker, Darcy collected the loose ball, cut inside and hammered a curling effort into the top right corner from the edge of the box.

Inside the final five minutes, the Robins made their man advantage count once again after Jephcott was fouled by Pym, going away from goal, inside the box. Gladwin calmly stepped up to pass the ball down the middle and make it five.

Substitute Morgan Roberts was denied his first Swindon goal after he smashed the bar with a late header, but Lindsey’s men were excellent value for their stand-out victory.

MTFC starting XI: Pym, Gordon, Hewitt, Hawkins, O'Toole, McLaughlin ©, Maris, Boateng, Quinn, Lapslie, Swan.

MTFC substitutes: Flinders, Wallace, Hartigan, Clarke, Law, Bowery, Akins.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Hutton, Brennan, Clayton, Iandolo, Khan, Gladwin ©, Darcy, Williams, Jephcott, Wakeling.

STFC substitutes: Brann, Reed, Baudry, Aguiar, Shade, Lavinier, Roberts.

Referee: Carl Brook

Attendance: 6,804 (734)