Around 400 supporters cheered the team to a valuable goalless draw, backing the team as 10 players held out for a point to lift them out of the relegation zone.

Manager Bill Dearden said: "Our supporters were brilliant today and could see what we were trying to do."

And chairman James Derry told Chad: "The fans were fantastic, the 400 made as much noise as the 5,000 home supporters."

Mr Derry, who telephoned the Stags Supporters Association as fans travelled home on Saturday evening to let them know his feelings, added: "The singing in the second half in particular kept the players going and I was very pleased.

"They were magnificent, as were the players. They battled through well against the odds.

"We seem to have turned a corner. On the pitch I felt that came at Barnet with the penalty save and them hitting the post in the last minute.

"And yesterday, despite being down to 10 men, we might even have nicked it."