FT: Mansfield Town 1 York City 4: Win was the best showing of my Minstermen reign: Wilcox

Shaq Coulthirst, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, produced a timely juncture to score his first two goals for the Minstermen, with the only downer on the day coming with the dismissal for keeper Bobby Olejnik after 33 minutes for handball outside his area.

By then, City were two-nil up thanks to a ninth-minute opener from Keith Lowe and a strike eight minutes later from Coulthirst.

Jake Hyde’s header gave the Minstermen a three-nil buffer seven minutes after the interval and despite substitute Matt Rhead pulling one back for the Stags 13 minutes from time, York were then afforded the coup de grace.

It came from Coulthirst in the 89th minute, with the forward, who netted for Torquay at Field Mill in a loan spell last April, on target with his second for the visitors.

The win moves York three points away from the bottom two.

Wilcox said: “It was the best performance since I took over because of playing for so long with 10 men at a difficult place against a big, powerful team.

“The three centre-halves were immense, along with the rest of the group.

“That was the base to build from and they were the catalyst that kicked us on. They got first contact on most balls that came into our box and showed their experience.

“It was the icing on the cake to score from two corners. They were two fantastic deliveries by Josh Carson and it just shows what can happen when you make first contact, you get opportunities to score goals.

“The main thing to take from today was the mental side of it.

“To play with 10 men for an hour and still manage to score two more goals as well and continue to show great shape, commitment and organisation was tremendous.

“We weathered a bit of a storm at the end and there were a few nervous moments at 3-1, but to get the fourth goal at the end topped it off nicely.

“I am proud of the group, but we have to go again next weekend.”

Lowe got the decisive touch to Josh Carson to put City in front and Coulthirst beat the offside trap to double York’s lead after good play from Luke Summerfield.

Olejnik then saw red after getting a touch with his hand outside the area to Rakish Bingham’s lob, but York dug deep and a fine header by Hyde following Carson’s corner made it 3-0 esrly in the second half.

The Stags notched a consolation when Rhead struck on 77 minutes but Coulthirst had the final word when he drilled home with a minute left to rubber-stamp an excellent one.

It put the seal on a positive few days for York, whose new stadium plans were finally granted permission on Friday.

Mansfield Town: Pidgeley, Riley (Hawkridge 23), Tafazolli, Bingham, McGuire (c), Beevers, Oliver (Fisher 66), Elder, Clements, Kee (Rhead 53), Raynes. Substitutes unused: Studer, Sutton, Ravenhill, Thomas.

York City: Olejnik, Lowe, Winfield, McCombe, Halliday, Penn (Ingham 34), Summerfield, Carson, Platt, Hyde (O’Hanlon 73), Coulthirst (Miller 90). Substitutes unused: Ilesanmi, McCoy, Montrose, Meikle.

Referee: D Webb (County Durham).