Jordi Osei-Tutu’s goal proved decisive as Wanderers returned to winning ways in a 1-0 triumph away at 10-man Mansfield Town in Sky Bet League One on Tuesday night to return to the top six.
Osei-Tutu’s strike in the 40th minute at the One Call Stadium earned Steven Schumacher’s Whites three points against Nigel Clough's Stags, who had Rhys Oates sent off early on for a foul on Ethan Erhahon.
Wanderers, sporting their all-navy blue kit for the fixture in Nottinghamshire, started on the front foot, as Osei-Tutu found Kyle Dempsey, but his cross was claimed by goalkeeper Liam Roberts.
Max Conway then had to be alert as he delivered a well-timed tackle to intercept possession from Jamie McDonnell following his run into the box
Following Aaron Lewis’ foul on Mason Burstow, Cyrus Christie’s free-kick from 25-yards clipped the top of the Mansfield wall to go behind for a corner. Christie’s resulting set-piece was cleared.
Mansfield were reduced to 10 men on 12 minutes when Oates was shown a straight red card by referee Thomas Parsons for a rash challenge on Erhahon.
Midway through the half, McDonnell hit a strike from distance which swerved in the wind to go just wide of Teddy Sharman-Lowe’s left upright.
Just beyond the half hour mark, Burstow cut inside from right to shoot through a crowd of players which Roberts got down low to save.
Dempsey’s cross was then sliced away by the Mansfield defence but only out to Xavier Simons on the edge of the box, who sent a first-time low drive with his right-foot which was cleared by Frazer Blake-Tracy.
Wanderers led on 40 minutes after George Johnston’s cross from the left was hastily cleared by Baily Cargill, as Osei-Tutu pounced on the loose ball in the six-yard box to strike right-footed beyond Roberts into the bottom left-corner.
In the closing stages of the half, Sharman-Lowe was called into action to hold Will Evans’ snapshot on the turn after Cargill flicked on a deep cross, as Wanderers went into the interval ahead.
Within a minute of play resuming for the second-half, Conway had to throw himself in the way of Blake-Tracy’s left-footed effort from outside the box.
Head Coach Schumacher made his first two changes towards the hour, when Amario Cozier-Duburry and Josh Sheehan came onto replace Erhahon and Marcus Forss.
Minutes later, Sharman-Lowe reacted quickly to bravely dive on a ball which Evans looked to race onto from Cargill’s pass.
Wanderers second switch was another double substitution, with goalscorer Osei-Tutu and Dempsey replaced by Thierry Gale and Joel Randall.
In the final 20 minutes, substitute Gale drove down the left to stand up an enticing cross which was met by Christie at the back post, who flashed a right-footed volley across goal and just past the far post.
Randall then saw his shot kept out by Roberts as Wanderers pushed for a second.
Sam Dalby was Wanderers final change as he came on for Burstow on 79 minutes.
With seven minutes left, Wanderers hit the post when the lively Gale skipped to the byline and his cross was ricocheted off the post before having his low effort saved by Roberts.
Wanderers had to navigate pressure late on as they secured an important victory away from home ahead of Saturday’s return to the Toughsheet Community Stadium for the visit of Exeter City.
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Wanderers: Sharman-Lowe, Christie, Toal ©, Johnston, Conway, Erhahon (Sheehan 58), Simons, Osei-Tutu (Gale 64), Dempsey (Randall 63), Forss (Cozier-Duburry 58), Burstow (Dalby 79)
Subs not used: Miller, Forino
Goal: Osei-Tutu, 40