Championship side Preston knocked Mansfield out of the Carabao Cup in the first round for the second year in a row after a hard-earned 3-0 victory at the One Call Stadium.

Preston were lucky to be ahead at the break. But two goals in 11 second-half minutes killed the League Two side off.

Mansfield enjoyed the better chances of an open first half but went behind to a goal in the first added minute before the break.

Scott Sinclair lifted home the coolest of finishes over Nathan Bishop after being put in by Sean Maguire’s pass.

But Rhys Oates might have had a first-half hat-trick for the Stags, forcing Daniel Iverson to save from a tight angle and firing two other chances wide.

Preston’s only other first-half chance saw Bishop save Sinclair’s low shot after 13 minutes.

Oates guided a header wide with 66 minutes gone, but a poor kick out from Bishop straight to Sinclair proved costly after 71 minutes.

Despite saving Sinclair’s finish, the ball ran to substitute Emil Riis on the left who out-muscled Farrend Rawson before netting across Bishop.

Brad Potts volleyed against the post with a delicious 75th-minute effort before Sinclair made it 3-0 after 81 minutes, firing home low after a precision pass into the box from Ben Whiteman.