Accrington Stanley lost 3-0 to unbeaten Mansfield Town at the Wham Stadium.

Jay Rich-Baghuelou returned to the starting line-up for the Reds after missing two games as he recovers from an injury which kept him out for almost all of last season.

While it was a full-bloodied battle there were no real chances in the opening 20 minutes.

The first chance to Stanley came on 24 minutes when Tommy Leigh’s ball in was headed wide by Josh Andrews.

Mansfield opened the scoring on 29 minutes with their first real attack. James Gale’s ball into the box wasn’t cleared and it was chested down by Davis Keillor-Dunn who, with his back to goal, hooked the ball home.

The Stags made it two on 36 minutes when Aaron Lewis sent Keillor-Dunn free on the right and his cross was fired home by George Maris.

Jack Nolan had a long-range strike saved by Christy Pym in added time in the first half but, with two shots on target in the first half, Mansfield were clinical.

Stanley started the second half on the attack with a couple of dangerous balls into the Mansfield box but Toby Savin had to be quickly out to stop Maris running onto the ball and grabbing a second on 49 minutes.

The Reds came close on 56 minutes when Mansfield lost the ball and a fierce drive by Andrews was pushed out by Pym but Nolan’s follow up was over the bar.

Brad Hills headed a Lewis strike off the line while sub Hiram Boateng fired narrowly wide for the Stags.

Stanley appealed for a penalty when Shaun Whalley went down in the area on 64 minutes but referee Ross Joyce waved them away.

Mansfield made it three on 75 minutes when Lewis got on the end of a Savin clearance and hit the ball first time, finding the top corner of the net from 40 yards.

There was 14 minutes of added time after a clearance on 83 minutes hit a spectator who needed lengthy treatment from the medical staff.

In this time Savin saved well to deny Will Swan at the near post while Leigh fired wide from a free kick.

Stanley: Savin, Mellor, Rich-Baghuelou (Gubbins), Hills, Longelo, Whalley, Coyle (Adedoyin), Conneely (J Woods), Nolan (Lowe), Leigh, Andrews.

Subs: McIntyre, B Woods, Quirk

Yellow: Rich-Baghuelou

Attendance: 3,094 (1,034)