But it was not a wasted season with Stags using that pain, and the foundations laid, to go on and lift the Conference Premier title the following year.
Here we take a look at the squad that got Mansfield ticking once again and find out what happened to them when they departed the One Call Stadium.
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1. Alan Marriott
Marriott made his 200th league appearance for Mansfield in a 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon in March 2014. Marriott was offered a new contract at the end of the season, but left the club after turning the deal down before hanging up his gloves. Photo: Dan Westwell
2. Rhys Day
Rhys Day of course made his name at Stags for his first spell between 2003 and 2006. He played nine more times for the club during a second spell between 2010 and 2012. He retired from the game at the end of the 2011/12 season at the age of 29 because of series of knee injuries that kept him out of the team for a 16-month period. Photo: National World
3. John Dempster
It never worked out for John Dempster as manager of Stags. He won just seven of his 28 games in charge before being dismissed. On 7 February 2020, Dempster was appointed as Coventry City's Lead Professional Development Phase Coach, which saw him take charge of the club's under-18 team. Photo: jason chadwick
4. Ben Futcher
Ben Futcher made just 11 appearances for Stags before he climbed the coaching ladder at the former Bury club. In June 2017 he was appointed assistant manager of Swindon Town and followed David Flitcroft to Mansfield Town. Photo: Anne Shelley