TEN-men Mansfield Town produced a stirring second half display at Weymouth to take a hard-earned and deserved point following Max Chanot's needless sending-off in first half stoppage time of the 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon.
Stags had been second best for much of the first half and trailed to a 21st minute Chris McPhee strike.
But, with their first shot on target of the half, Emile Sinclair levelled matters with his fourth goal on loan from Forest on 42 minutes.
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However, in first half stoppage time Sheffield United youngster Chanot was shown his second red card in a Stags shirt for a silly and needless head butt on Adam Bygrave.
Matt Somner had already been fortunate to stay on the field for a lunging tackle earlier which had earned him only a yellow card.
On what had gone before it looked like an out-of-sorts Mansfield would be left fighting a rearguard action for the whole of the second half.
Instead the Stags came out in positive mood and took the game to the home side for the first time, pressing them back and coming close to a winner on more then one occasion with Paddy Gamble having little to do all half.
Stags were rightly applauded off by their 120 visiting fans in a 931 crowd on a bitterly cold afternoon on the south coast.
Boss Billy McEwan began the game with a new formation.
With Nathan Arnold left out, Chanot came into the heart of a three-man central defence with Gary Silk and Alex Jeannin operating as wing backs.
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The home side were without injured striker Stuart Beavon but included ex-Stags forward Ryan Williams.
McPhee almost unlocked the Stags defence on six minutes with the first real chance of the afternoon.
The Mansfield defenders were looking for an offside flag as McPhee raced clear down the right, but he had timed his run to perfection and reached the by-line before cutting back inside O'Hare and rifling a low finish across the face of goal.
On 12 minutes Williams and Reed worked the ball along the edge of the Mansfield box for Cutler to let fly a waist-high shot straight to Gamble.
There was more danger as Joseph-Dubois again got to the by-line and cut a pass back for McPhee who looked set to finish until D'Laryea came up with a crucial challenge to concede a corner.
Gamble came for the flag kick but could only help it out towards McPhee who thankfully missed his kick as the ball dropped for him 15 yards from goal.
The home side were asking all the questions and deservedly took a 21st minute lead albeit with a slice of luck.
O'Hare won the ball in the box with a sliding tackle. But the ball broke towards his own goal and the alert McPhee nipped in to flick the loose ball across Gamble and inside the far post.
Sandwith wasn't too far over the bar with a 20 yard free kick soon after.
Still the Stags' defence was getting stretched and Williams was afforded acres of space down the right where he cut inside Jeannin but crashed his finish into the side netting.
Stags finally created some danger on 28 minutes as Sinclair wriggled into the box on the right past Moore and slid the ball almost onto the goal line where Bygrave hooked clear before anyone could finish.
There was a lengthy hold-up while Chanot received treatment but he was eventually able to continue.
Luck was on Somner's side on 37 minutes as he jumped into a tackle on Reed which looked a certain red card on what has gone before this season, but he escaped with a yellow to the disgust of the home supporters.
Lee, with back to goal, tried to set up D'Laryea but McPhee's challenge was just enough to make sure the Stags midfielder hurried his shot over the bar.
But Stags were back on level terms three minutes from the break with their first shot on target.
Somner threaded a neat pass through from midfield for Sinclair to race onto. Home defenders were hoping for an offside flag but the flag stayed down and Sinclair ran on to slot a superb low finish past a helpless Knowles.
The game exploded in first half stoppage time as Chanot was sent off.
The young defender produced a superb sprint from halfway to the edge of the home box where Bygrave's challenge made sure Chanot's finish spun away for a corner.
But Chanot got to his feet and confronted Bygrave and clearly butted him. Players came running in for a spell of pushing and shoving before the referee produced the red card.
Mansfield started the second half strongly and Sinclair won an immediate corner which was cleared.
On 52 minutes O'Hare's ball over the top again gave Sinclair something to chase and he got there, took the ball on and managed to get a fierce shot on target which Knowles had to beat away.
Gamble did well to hold onto a dangerous low Williams cross from the left.
But it was the visitors who were looking much the brighter and when Lee's flicked header found Sinclair, he did well to sidestep two defenders and then beat another before shooting straight at Knowles.
Williams had an effort on target after cutting in from the left but it was straight at Gamble.
Sinclair had been Mansfield's best player but he was replaced on 68 minutes by O'Connor.
Within a minute Lee was left disappointed after guiding a far post header wide from seven yards from a long Ahmed left wing free kick.
Somner's cutting pass released O'Connor down the right and it took a brilliant diving header from Sandwith to cut out O'Connor's return ball as Somner stole in round the back unmarked.
Ahmed tried his luck with a 30 yard free kick but Knowles was behind it to block at his near post.
Arnold replaced Lee for the final 10 minutes and almost straight away his backheel set up O'Connor for a shot that was blocked.
Jeannin was booked for a late tackle on Reed who was then quickly booked himself for his next tackle as his upset simmered and he went in late.
In the last minute Stags almost came up with a winner as O'Connor steamed into the box but, as he got in a low finish, Doe slid in to keep the ball the other side of the post and preserve a point for the home side.
WEYMOUTH: Knowles, Mawer, Doe, Bygrave, Sandwith, Williams (Coutts 74), Cutler, Reed (Webb 86), Robinson, McPhee, Joseph-Dubois. Subs: Barnard, Collins, Gaia.
STAGS: Gamble, Silk, Moses, O'Hare, Jeannin, D'Laryea, Ahmed, Somner, Sinclair (O'Connor 68), Lee (Arnold 80), Chanot. Subs: Stallard, Wood, Hurren.
REFEREE: John Farries of Oxfordshire.
