Caretaker boss Paul Holland saw his hopes of becoming the new full time boss take a big knock as the side went an 11th home game without a win since Boxing Day with a 10th defeat in those 11.

• To watch a video slideshow of match action photos by Chad's Roger Grayson, click on the green play icon

It was certainly not a bad display from Mansfield, indeed, the game was a cracking advert for the division, despite the strong wind.

And the home crowd did all they could to lift them.

Peter Till's goal separated the sides at the break. But a superb Nathan Arnold goal straight after the break put the home side level again.

• AUDIO: Holland - I still believe Stags will stay up

• AUDIO: Luck went against Stags - Mullins

Grimsby's goal led a charmed life for a short time as Stags battered them without reward.

And, after making two crucial goal line clearances from John Mullins efforts, Danny Boshell was the Mariners' hero with a splendid top corner finish on 74 minutes.

The visitors have now only lost once in 13 away games and are still in the hunt for the Play-offs.

But the defeat left Stags five points off safety and desperate for a win at Bury on Monday.

• Ex-boss Watkiss backing Stags to stay up

Holland kept faith with the side that won at Bradford last weekend with new signings Horlock and Wainwright among the substitutes as was Muggleton, who was back from injury.

Hamshaw got to the right by-line in the opening seconds and did well to curl in a cross that landed on top of the goal.

The Mariners swept straight up field and North was too high with a hopeful lob - all within the first 40 seconds.

Arnold picked up a low Atkinson pass in the second minute and blasted a dipping shot just over.

It was end to end and Till had a shot blocked and Bolland crashed the follow-up on target where White turned it aside for a corner.

Then Boulding tried his luck from 25 yards but Barnes was always safely behind it.

Till latched onto a headed clearance by John-Baptiste and took the ball on a couple of feet only to pull a shot well wide.

Then a poor header away by John-Baptiste gave the ball to North in the box but the defender recovered to make an important tackle and recover the situation.

North was also too high with a shot on the turn after a Fenton free kick was helped on to him in the box by Butler.

Stags replied with a raid down the right as Mullins overlapped Arnold only to see his cross pass in front of goal with no one able to get a head on it.

Atkinson set Boulding free into the box but he was always going wide and the keeper did well to snatch the ball off his toes as he over ran it.
A great ball out of defence by D'Laryea set Hamshaw free and he tried to put Boulding in. But defenders quickly closed him down and his final cross for Arnold would not come down quickly enough and the youngster eventually bundled a tame shot at Barnes.

Buxton did well to rob Butler right in front of goal after a free kick had crept through everyone.

And a diving header from Atkinson right in front of his own goal got Hamshaw's dangerous cross away for a home corner as both sides continued to try to probe in the difficult windy conditions.

And it was the visitors who drew first blood on 32 minutes as Stags struggled to clear their lines, Till eventually shooting goal wards from the right hand side of the box and, with the help of a slight deflection, found the net just inside the far post.

• I want to help Stags stay up - debutant Wainwright

Atkinson had a shot deflect wide for a corner after a good run from Dawson had set him up on 37 minutes. The corner was cleared back to Hamshaw who skipped a tackle before curling in an inviting cross on the outside of his boot which John-Baptiste threw himself at but could only head over from five yards.

Mansfield won two more corners without reward and Dawson was lucky at the other end when he missed his kick in the box as he attempted to hook clear and Bolland quickly whipped a shot just over.

A moment of magic from Arnold quickly had Mansfield back on terms within four minutes of the second half.

D'Laryea pumped the ball out to him wide on the right and he turned Newey inside out before dispatching a superb low finish across Barnes and inside the far post.

He almost netted again two minutes later with a great curling shot that Barnes palmed round the post.

When the corner came in Grimsby survived an almighty scramble as Mullins saw Boshell twice block his finishes on the line, one going up and against the bar, and then Barnes turned a Hamshaw shot away.

Barnes was also comfortably behind a Boulding shot before Grimsby broke and Till lifted a lob over keeper and bar from a good position.

Dawson fed a great ball to his left as Arnold ran on but the ball bobbled at the wrong moment and Arnold screwed his finish wide.

Jelleyman was booked for holding on Till just outside the box and Stags were thankful to see ex Stags Clarke's free kick drilled into the wall.

Grimsby made a double swap on 66 minutes when Stags also gave Wainwright his debut in place of Atkinson.

Fenton's foul on Arnold on the edge of the box earned him a yellow card and Stags a free kick which Boulding saw fly wide thanks to a deflection.

But it was the visitors who retook the lead on 74 minutes. Stags' defenders stood off too much as the visitors attacked from the right and Till's pass found Boshell 20 yards from goal and he beat White with a superb finish just under the left angle.

Great skill from Till saw him get awy from Dawson and pull the ball back for Boshell who blasted wide of the near post.

Horlock made his debut on 76 minutes for D'Laryea as Stags stared down the barrel of yet another home reversal.

Louis replaced Hamshaw for the last six minutes as Stags threw everything forward.

Mullins was again unlucky as his far post attempt to touch home was blocked as we entered stoppage time.

John-Baptiste headed over from an injury time corner and even White went up for another deeper into time added on but it wasn't to be.

STAGS: White, Mullins, Jelleyman, D'Laryea (Horlock 77), Hamshaw (Louis 84), Dawson, M. Boulding, Buxton, John-Baptiste, Arnold, Atkinson (Wainwright 66). Subs not used: Muggleton, Briggs.

GRIMSBY: Barnes, Clarke, Newey, Fenton, Till, Bolland (Jones 66), North (Hunt ht), Boshell, Hegarty, Butler, Atkinson (Bennett 66). Subs not used: Montgomery, Taylor.

REFEREE: Andy Hall of West Midlands.

ATTENDANCE: 2,616.