But part-timers Histon turned in a gutsy second half display to push them all the way and cause much nail-chewing among the excellent 2,703 crowd.

• We showed great character again - McEwan

With former owner Keith Haslam gone it was almost appropriate that the game kicked off under the new regime with a rainbow hanging over the Bishop Street Stand.

And resplendent in their smart new home kit at a spruced-up Field Mill, Stags played some neat football in the first half with Lee grabbing the all-important goal after just 15 minutes.

But no side with John Beck involved behind the scenes will roll over and die and the Stutes, cheered on by just 64 away fans, caused many anxious moments, culminating in a crucial save by home keeper Paddy Gamble on 75 minutes.

It was nervy, it was edgy but it means Stags have four points from the first six and can expect a good crowd for the visit of Kidderminster on Saturday.

With strikers Lee and O'Connor overcoming injury worries to be fit, the one change saw Lee was brought into the starting line-up in place of O'Connor, Stags having nine home BSP debutants.

The evening began with thunder and lightning but the storm clouds thankfully skirted round the town without the expected downpour.

Murray got down to easily gather a low Murray cross as the Stutes mounted the first serious attack on two minutes.

Stags then probed down the Histon left and Mitchel-King had to concede a corner in preventing Blackwood from crossing from the by-line.

But the visitors defended two successive corners and blocked a D'Laryea shot.

Mitchel-King showed his prowess with the long throw, almost on the penalty spot where Lee headed clear.

On seven minutes Blackwood sent over Stags' third flag kick which reached Jeannin who volleyed wildly over.

Five minutes later a clearance was fired goalwards from 20 yards by D'Laryea but without any real power to trouble Naisbett.

Home corner number four arrived on 15 minutes - and produced the opening goal.

Arnold curled it in from the left and found Lee who saw his finish fly up and hit the underside of the bar and had clearly crossed the line before it was hacked clear.

Stags had to defend a well-worked Histon free kick, Moses getting in a crucial header away and Somner a good block.

Knight-Percival got a head onto Kennedy's 29th minute corner which dropped over the far angle.

But Stags worked Naisbett as he left his box to clear ahead of Stallard, dived forward to punch away a Blackwood cross and then watched anxiously as Arnold curled a dipping just over from 18 yards all in quick succession.

An Arnold free kick from wide on the left was enticing for Lee at the far post but he was just able to get his header inside the post.

Histon threatened again and a Kennedy free kick went through everyone in the six yard box. Mitchel-King flicked it back into the mix and Gamble showed good command to leap and hold onto it.

Six minutes from the break a long O'Hare cross was met with a rasping far post volley by Arnold into the side netting.

Stallard went down in the box under Pope's sliding challenge but the referee felt he had won the ball.

The home fans were growing angrier with few refereeing decisions going their way and the players were incensed when Stallard was sandwiched and felled just outside the box and play was waved on.

Midson bundled an early shot wide after the break after Lee had headed away another long Mitchel-King throw.

Then Gamble superbly gathered a Kennedy corner.

He made his first crucial save of the match on 54 minutes as Knight-Percival's flicked near post header from another Mitchel-King throw threatened to drop in and the young keeper tipped it onto the roof of the net,

Jeannin swapped passes with Stallard before almost catching Naisbett napping with a dipping ball in which he turned over the top. And from Arnold's corner, O'Hare came up with a flicked near post header which flew across the goal and wide.

A great left wing cross from Blackwood was then headed over by Lee and Stallard was wide on the turn as the home fans began to warm noisily to their side's performance.

But Histon were not out of the contest at 1-0 and Knight-Percival wasn't far over with a firm header from Midson's long cross.

Somner saw the first yellow card of the night for his tackle on Knight-Percival on 64 minutes.

The Stutes made two changes and came as close as they had done all night on 70 minutes as Kennedy's corner found Knight-Percival with a firm downward header that bounced narrowly wide of the post.

Jeannin was lucky Midson gamely tried to continue his run onto sub Oyebanjo's pass instead of going down in the box as the full back had clearly barged into him and a penalty looked almost certain if he fell.

The pressure grew on nervous Mansfield as Silk hooked away at the far post amid a scramble.

Gamble produced a superb save on 75 minutes as Midson's cross to the far post saw Knight-Percival out jump Silk and get in a tremendous goal bound header that the keeper acrobatically turned away.

Soon after Stags had some brief relief as they broke quickly down the centre through Arnold and the move ended with Stallard cutting inside and, with Naisbett off his line, curled inches over the gaping net.

Gamble was also safely behind a low Midson drive on 83 minutes.

O'Connor replaced Stallard and was just too high with a lobbed effort from his first touch.

In stoppage time D'Laryea produced a great sliding tackle in the box to halt another Histon threat and Langston, in frustration, slid in to end the night with a booking.

STAGS: Gamble, Silk, D'Laryea, Moses, O'Hare, Arnold, Somner, Stallard (O'Connor 83), Lee, Blackwood, Jeannin. Subs not used: Herriott, Shaw, Hurren, Robinson.

HISTON: Naisbitt, Pope (Oyebanjo 71), Okay, Mitchel-King, Langston, Kennedy (Andrews 71), Reeves, Murray, Midson, Knight-Percival, Wright. Subs not used: Barker, Nightingale, Ada.

REFEREE: Gary Sutton of Lincoln.

ATTENDANCE: 2,703.

CHAD STAGS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jason Lee.