Magnificent Mansfield Town batter Bradford City away from home to extend lead at the top of the table

The Stags moved further clear at the summit thanks largely to a devastating opening 45 minutes from Nigel Clough’s men.

At a noisy University of Bradford Stadium, wuth Stags backed by an army of 2,495 away fans, it was the Stags who got off to a dream start by notching three times inside the opening 18 minutes.

Baily Cargill was on the mark first, placing a superb header in at the far post after he rose to meet a perfectly-flighted cross from Stephen Quinn.

The home were then further stunned just four minutes later when the rampant Stags struck again.

This time Lucas Akins was on the mark, smashing home on the rebound after Quinn rattled the post and then defender Cargill had seen an effort frantically hacked off the line.

The Stags were totally rampant, and unbelievably they went three ahead, after only 18 minutes.

The visiting fans rejoiced wildly again as Davis Keillor-Dunn tucked home another goal after he’d latched on to Will Swan’s ball into the Bradford box.

With barely half-an-hour gone it was already looking like ‘game over’ for Bradford, and that was pretty much confirmed when Swan drilled home a fourth via a deflection from 10 yards from Keillor-Dunn's pass in first-half added time.

There was little respite for Bradford aftre the break and the woodwork came to Bradford’s rescue bang on the hour mark.

Swan found strike partner Akins in the Bantams’ box, but his shot thundered against a post.

A minute later Swan was denied by a breathtaking save from Sam Walker, before Swan was again thwarted by the Bantams’ keeper minutes later.

Former Stags striker Andy Cook joined the fray from the bench and swept home a close range consolation for Bradford on 72 minutes from Chapman's right wing cross.

But Stags were not done and sub Aaron Lewis grabbed his team’s fifth late on when he netted a rebound following Walker’s initial save from his first shot after Louis Reed had found him at the far post from the right.

That wrapped a thoroughly convincing victory for the brilliant Stags, who moved another step closer to automatic promotion. But still they poured forwards.

In stoppage time Walker made another save to prevent further embarrassment for the Bantams, who were booed off, as he blocked a close range header from Aden Flint.

Soon after sub James Gale sent a low shot inches wide for the visitors as Stags settled for the five and a five point lead at the top with only eight games to play.

BRADFORD: Walker, Tomkinson, Kelly (Oyegoke, 82), Ridehalgh (McDonald, 26), Gilliead, Odour (Chapman, 62), Smallwood, Walker (Cook, 62), Richards, Smith, Wright (Kavanagh, 62). SUBS NOT USED: Halliday, Doyle.

STAGS: Pym, Boateng, Flint, Brunt, Cargill (McLaughlin, 46), Bowery, Reed, Keillor-Dunn (Maris, 46), Quinn (Lewis, 65), Swan (Nichols, 77), Akins (Gale, 82). SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Williams.

REFEREE: Martin Coy.