Manager Billy McEwan had admitted that two players were struggling with knocks ahead of the game, but would not reveal who - though D'Laryea appeared to be having a pre-match fitness test on the pitch.

MANSFIELD TOWN: Gamble, Silk, Moses, O'Hare, Jeannin, Arnold, Somner, D'Laryea, Blackwood, Stallard, Lee. Subs: Robinson, Hurren, Shaw, O'Connor, Herriott.

KIDDERMINSTER: Bartlett, Bignot, Ferrell, Creighton, Jones, Russell, Knights, Penn, Richards, Bennett, Bowler. Subs: Barnes-Homet, Coleman, Britton, McDermott, Riley.

REFEREE: Mr P. Curry, of Northumberland.

The match began with a minute's applause for Mansfield's double Olympic games gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, following her success in the women's 800 metres freestyle swimming final a few hours earlier.

And the feelgood factor continued on the pitch as the Stags raced into a two-goal lead by the half hour.

First Mark Stallard won and converted a penalty and then Michael Blackwood doubled the lead from a Jason Lee flick-on.

Then with the last kick of the half Stallard tapped in his second on the goalline after the keeper made a hash of a routine cross.

Stags legends Kevin Bird, Paul Matthews, Ian Wood, Jim McAffrey, Colin Foster, Terry Austin and Mick Saxby were given a standing ovation at half-time as they paraded onto the pitch.

Substitute Matthew Barnes-Homet pulled one back for the visitors in the 69th minute to launch the Kidderminster fightback.

Then Richards made it 3-2 10 minutes from time, moments after Lee squandered a great chance to make the game safe for the Stags, lifting the ball over the bar from six yards with the goal at his mercy.

Four minutes of injury time added to the tension around Field Mill, before deep into that extra time substitute Aaron O'Connor made the points safe.

At the final whistle cries of 'yellows, yellows' rung out around the Mill on a great of sport for the town.

The only disappointment was the attendance at the Mill, just 2,479 (147 from Kidderminster) - less than for the match against Histon five days earlier.

Full match report to follow