Hiram Boateng red card so costly as Bolton Wanderers roar back late to beat Mansfield Town

The visitors were looking good value for all three points before the red card but were then clinically taken apart late on to slump to their fourth successive League One defeat.

Stags had asked some early questions before Bolton enjoyed a good spell in which Christy Pym was forced into two important saves.

But Stags regained their dominance and went into half-time a deserved goal ahead thanks to Boateng's header on 34 minutes.

However, hero turned villain 20 minutes from time as Boateng was sent off for a second caution in 11 minutes.

And Dion Charles quickly punished him five minutes with an equaliser before Victor Adeboyejo put the home side ahead with 10 minutes to go to complete the turnaround.

John McAtee then made sure of the points on 85 minutes with Wanderers' third goal to rub salt in the wounds.

Having made eight changes to his side for last weekend's FA Cup second round win at Stevenage, Stags boss Nigel Clough made six tonight.

Deji Oshilaja, Frazer Blake-Tracy, Elliott Hewitt, George Maris, Boateng and Will Evans replaced Alfie Kilgour, Baily Cargill (suspended), Stephen McLaughlin, Stephen Quinn, Ben Quinn (injured) and Ben Waine.

Top scorer Lee Gregory remains sidelined and Aden Flint was named on the bench, despite a broken nose.

For Bolton, Szabolcs Schön returned from suspension as one of three changes as manager Ian Evatt took charge of the Whites for the 250th time.

Victor Adeboyejo and John McAtee also came in as Evatt's men aimed for a fifth win in six home league games.

George Thomason was absent through a one-match ban so Gethin Jones took the captain’s armband.

Stags went with a back five and Evans as the lone striker with Maris behind him.

The visitors, with an army of 1,200 noisy fans behind them, began confidently with the early action in the Bolton half.

But the home side forced a corner and that was cleared to Matete whose deflected 30 yard effort was parried by Pym on 12 minutes.

Two minutes late Matete ran at the defence and McAtee took over to force another save from Pym for a third corner.

From that, Jones was left completely unmarked at the far post but saw his header blocked by Bowery with Adeboyejo lifting the follow-up over the bar from close range.

Bolton had racked up five corners before Stags won one on 20 minutes.

From that, Akins held the ball up at the far post and turned to send it across and Maris poked into the near sidenetting.

Hewitt had to make a vital challenge after a loose pass by Bowery almost set up a Bolton break.

Boateng saw a dangerous far post cross curl just over and then Baccus pulled a low effort wide as the visitors tried to regain their early composure.

On 26 minutes Stags forced a scramble in the home box in which Baccus had a shot blocked and then saw his superb overhead effort fly just wide.

But the Stags swept ahead on 34 minutes with a first goal in 331 minutes of league football.

Akins, on the right by-line, put over a superb cross and Boateng, 10 yards out, planted a firm header goalwards which hit the underside of the bar and bounced down over the line as Baxter tried to keep it out.

Two minutes later a square ball from Maris set up Evans, but he missed his kick at the vital moment in the box.

Less than a minute into the second half Bowery pulled back Adeboyejo to earn the game's first booking.

Oshilaja superbly shepherded the ball out for a goalkick under pressure from Collins on 51 minutes, the Bolton man complaining to the linesman and earning a booking too.

Stags had a huge let-off on 51 minutes as a loose pass from Bowery, trying to find Oshilaja inside him in the box, let in Adeboyejo. But he quickly put his big one on one chance against Pym wide of goal.

A good run from Bowery down the left on 56 minutes saw Blake-Tracy then slip Boateng into the left of the box and he saw his shot beaten away for a corner by Baxter from a tight angle.

Boateng was added to the book for a foul on 59 minutes.

Evans was then unlucky to be booked seconds later as he tried to beat Baxter to a poor back pass and caught the keeper with his follow-through for a ball he was completely entitled to go for.

The home side made four changes on 61 minutes.

A rare error from Pym had Mansfield hearts in mouths on 65 minutes as he flapped at a cross and it took Oshilaja and Baccus to clear the danger.

A long Boateng cross from the left on 68 minutes saw Baxter catch under pressure but almost take it over his line, Stags' appeals for a goal denied by the officials, who played on.

At this point Mansfield looked the likely winners.

However, Mansfield found themselves down to 10 men on 70 minutes as Boateng slid into a late challenge on Williams to earn his second caution in 11 minutes and leave Stags facing a tough final 20 minutes.

Within five minutes Bolton were level.

Osie-Tutu crossed from the left, McAtee flicked on with his head and top scorer Charles was there at the far post to meet it and find the net off the inside of the other post.

The officials decided Charles was onside and the goal stood.

On came Flint and Lewis for Evans and Maris on 77 minutes as Stags anticipated Bolton's onslaught to try to win the game.

But they could do nothing three minutes later as Osie-Tutu got to the left by-line and pulled back a low cross that Adeboyejo stabbed in off Pym from six yards.

Clough made a final triple change with seven minutes to go as Waine, McLaughlin and Kilgour replaced Akins, Blake and Blake-Tracy.

But McAtee killed of any lingering hopes two minutes later as Bolton broke and Lolos had a shot blocked by Kilgour only to see McAtee follow-up and beat Pym inside the left post.

Pym had to get down to save from Charles as shattered Stags looked out for the count and deflated with two minutes left of the 90.

Oshilaja pulled back Osie-Tutu in the first of eight added minutes to earn a booking before Pym made a fantastic save to keep out Williams in the 96th minute.

BOLTON: Baxter, Jones, Almeida Santos, Johnston, Sheehan (Lolos 61), Adeboyejo, Dacres-Cogley (Osie-Tutu 61), Collins (Charles 61), Schön (Williams 61), Matete, McAtee (Sharples-Ahmed 90). SUBS NOT USE: Southwood, Forrester.

STAGS: Pym, Bowery, Hewitt, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy (McLaughlin 83), Reed (Kilgour 83), Baccus, Boateng, Maris (Lewis 77), Evans (Flint 77), Akins (Waine 83). SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, S. Quinn.

REFEREE: Sebastian Stockbridge.