It came in the same week as that dreadful sixth successive home defeat and leaves Stags three points away from safety after similiarly unexpected away wins for relegation rivals Dagenham, Bury and Notts County. Macclesfield, however, were beaten and Wrexham did not play.

• Dearden - We should have won by more

Big striker Jefferson Louis was once again the hero with his third goal in four games and he also set up the winner for Stephen Dawson as Stags came from behind to win for the first time this season.

• Louis was punched in red card drama

Mansfield could count themselves unlucky to be behind to a Neil Austin goal at the break.

But they were handed a lifeline when ex-Notts County defender Alan White was red carded in first half stoppage time for an elbow on Louis.

Mansfield took full advantage as they grabbed two goals in 10 first half minutes to turn the match on its head and inflict only the second home defeat of the campaign on the high-flying Quakers.

Stags gave a debut to loan signing Briggs with Mullins moving to centre half, Jelleyman to left back and Martin left out altogether for family reasons.

• New signing makes his debut

Although part of the Quaker's magnificent area was in full bright sunshine, there was a 15 yard strip right down the length of one touchline still with icy patches and frozen water on a bitterly cold afternoon.

The home side's early threats came down the left with Stags clearing dangerous crosses from Purdie and Ravenhill.

Bell needed treatment after an accidental collision with team mate Atkinson as both went for the same tackle.

Briggs controlled a high ball well and lofted it forward. Louis flicked on and White had to be strong to hold off Boulding as he tried to sneak in for a finish.

On 11 minutes Louis got in a powerful shot from a very tight angle which the keeper could only parry and Foster slid in to concede the corner as Boulding tried to reach the ball with the unguarded goal only a couple of yards away.

Stags continued to take the game to the home side and Atkinson's pass released Louis into the box. He had options to pass but tried to get a shot away and Austin did well with a solid block.

A Bell free kick from 30 yards was floated to the far post where Mullins headed back across. It found Louis but the big striker could not readjust in time and the ball bounced off his leg.

Wright was lectured for a flailing arm into the face of Buxton and when he caught Bell in the face seconds later in his next challenge out came the yellow card.

Darlington forced three corners in succession, Joachim having a shot deflect over from the second. But from the third they went ahead on 22 minutes.

Hodge's kick found Austin at the far post who, despite the challenge of Jelleyman, managed to force the ball over the line from close range.

Boulding was too high with a looping header from Jelleyman's cross as Stags went in search of an equaliser in a game they had largely been in charge of up to the goal.

Bell had been struggling to shake off a knock for quite some time and when he went down a second time in first half stoppage time, he finally limped off to be replaced by D'Laryea.

In stoppage time Louis went down off the ball and after the referee consulted his assistant on that side, a red card was shown to White for an alleged elbowing offence.

Boulding then curled the subsequent 25 yard free kick narrowly wide as Stags went in a goal down but with renewed hope against 10 men.

Mansfieldf penned Darlington into their own half on the restart and within four minutes Blundell was booked for a late tackle on Hamshaw.

Hamshaw's ball inside to Briggs saw as low cross finally reach Boulding whose shot on the turn from 10 yards was smartly saved by Stockdale.

The keeper was down again on 54 minutes to turn aside a 25 yard shot from Hamshaw and Buxton's flicked header was only just over the far angle from the short corner.

It was little more than they deserved when Louis levelled the scores on 56 minutes.

The big striker, booed on his every touch by the home fans since the break, got his head across the defender to nod Hamshaw's cross in off the near post.

Stags went forward again and Hamshaw saw a shot blocked with Louis scuffing the follow-up.

Atkinson then put Boulding in space on the left but Stockdale was well placed for his angled drive.

Dawson sent the Stags fans into wild celebrations when he finally put Mansfield in the driving seat on 65 minutes. Briggs lobbed a high ball forwards, Louis headed it on to Dawson who steamed past two defenders and saw his low shot pass under the keeper's dive and into the net.

Louis should have done better on 67 minutes as he poked tamely wide at the far post when Hamshaw's ball somehow reached him through a crowd.

A Stags corner on 71 minutes saw Mullins head on for Boulding whose close range header was well saved by Stockdale and Louis was crowded out as he tried to reach the loose ball close in.

In a rare Darlington raid Muggleton took two attempts to gather a Foster header with Wright on hand to finish if he had not held on.

The challenges continued to fly in and Hamshaw was warned for one challenge and then Mullins needed treatment soon after.

A neat ball from Boulding put Atkinson into the left of the box and he strode inside one defender before seeing Stockdale block his finish from close range and then punch away for a corner.

Mansfield had to face an agonising four minutes of stoppage time during which D'Laryea suffered a cut head and had to be replaced by Brown for the final nervous seconds.

DARLINGTON: Stockdale, Austin, White, Foster, Purdie (Miller ht), Joachim, Ravenhill, Blundell (Cummins 63), Wright, Valentine, Hodge (Wainwright 72). Subs not used: Kazimierczak, Gall.

STAGS: Muggleton, Mullins, Jelleyman, Bell (D'Laryea 45, Brown 90), Hamshaw, Dawson, M. Boulding, Buxton, Louis, Atkinson, Briggs (Wood 85). Subs not used: White, Holmes.

REFEREE: Neil Swarbrick of Lancashire.

ATTENDANCE: 3,527.