Late Stevenage leveller denies Mansfield Town all three points in controversial finish​

Lucas Akins' 78th minute penalty looked set to make it six wins in a row and a fourth league clean sheet on the bounce.

But, temporarily down to 10 men with Ryan Sweeney waiting to come back on after being ordered off by the referee after a knock to the head, Chem Campbell took advantage and drilled in a heartbreaking leveller seven minutes into added time.

It was the first goal Stags had conceded in 437 minutes of football – and Louis Reed was red-carded for dissent in the aftermath.

A scrappy first half on a chilly afternoon saw few chances at either end.

Stevenage did have the ball in the net but were denied by an offside flag while Stags' best moment saw Charlie Goode clear a Lucas Akins shot off the line.

Stevenage upped a gear after the break and asked more of the questions though rarely looked like beating Liam Roberts.

Stags were looking even less likely to break through and the game seemed set for a 0-0 until Rhys Oates was fouled in the box and Akins tucked away his penalty 12 minutes from time.

But Stevenage's late leveller denied them all three points.

Boss Nigel Clough made two changes, giving full debuts to two of his January signings who both impressed coming off the bench last weekend with Oliver Irow and Jon Russell in for Stephen McLaughlin and Nathan Mariah-Welsh in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Cargill at left back in the absence of McLaughlin and Frazer Blake-Tracy.

With Lewis ordered off in the opening seconds after taking a knock to the head, Stevenage quickly attacked the 10 men and Goode's cross was headed tamely straight at Lubala with less than a minute on the clock.

Stags tried to break on three minutes and Phillips tripped Evans and was booked for his and the game's first foul.

The visitors had a let-off on 23 minutes when a 30 yard free kick by White went through everyone and was only parried by Liam Roberts. Ex-Stag Reid followed up from close range and tucked the ball into the net only to see an offside flag raised.

Jordan Roberts was lucky to stay on the pitch soon after as he slid into a nasty-looking tackle on Irow and escaped with just a booking.

Mansfield's first sight of goal came on 25 minutes as Oates made progress along the edge of the box from the right and zipped a dipping finish just over the bar.

On 31 minutes Reid turned sharply and let fly from 25 yards but Liam Roberts was always safely behind the effort.

Akins almost broke the deadlock on 37 minutes after Irow's cross had caused chaos in the home box. The ball was cleared to Akins on the edge of the box and he poked it towards the top left corner only to see Goode head off the line.

Another great cross from Irow, again getting to the left by-line, saw Marschall half-block and and Stevenage clear for a corner.

Ryan Sweeney's brother Dan was introduced for the injured Goode on 42 minutes.

Then a minute from the break Mansfield cleared a Dan Sweeney cross as far as Thompson. But he got it all wrong as he sliced his finish so badly it spun out for a throw and the sides went in all square.

Marschall had to grab an Evans cross that was threatening to drop over from the right on the restart.

Lubala tested Roberts from distance on 49 minutes, Liam Roberts half-stopping it and then grabbing, and seconds later Lubala hauled down Oates to become the third home player to go into the book.

Ryan Sweeney then became the first Stag booked on 51 minutes for holding Reid.

A minute later Phillips crossed and Freestone did not get enough contact on a glancing header to test the keeper.

That sparked a good spell of home pressure and Reid shot straight at Liam Roberts after a neat move on 56 minutes.

In response, on 58 minutes Hendry took over in the Mansfield midfield from Russell.

White was crowded out as he shot wide with Sweeney making late contact with him that could have seen a penalty given on another day.

Bolton took over from Irow on 67 minutes for the visitors.

On 75 minutes Roberts could only get a hnd to a low Kemp cross, and with the ball rolling temptingly in front of goal near Reid, Sweeney did well to quickly hook the danger clear.

Stags had barely threatened all half.

But on 78 minutes they were gifted the lead from the spot.

Evans did well in the box to get the ball to Oates and his movement saw Pattenden trip him.

Akins stepped up and, although Marschall went the right way, there was enough power to see the ball into the net.

With seven minutes left Stags sent on fresh legs with Blake-Tracy, Adeboyejo and Hewitt on for Lewis, Oates and Evans.

A minute from time Stevenage won a free kick just to the right of the box in a decent position. But White whipped it well over the bar.

Handball by Hendry saw him in the book in the first of six added minutes and Akins heroically head the free kick away for a corner.

Dan Sweeney was booked for dissent on 90+2.

In the seventh added minute it all went wrong.

Ryan Sweeney was told he had to go off after a bang to the head, leaving Stags short-handed to see the game out – and it proved so costly.

Roberts then had to claw away a Kemp cross to his right only to see Campbell drill it home low through a crowd of players on 90+7.

A furious Reed made his feelings clear to the referee and was sent off to complete a miserable end to the game for the visitors.

STEVENAGE: Marschall, Piergianni, Phillips, J. Roberts (Patterson 70), Goode (D. Sweeney 42), Freestone, Pattenden, White, Reid (Cornick 76), Thompson (Kemp HT), Lubala (Campbell 76). SUBS NOT USED: Ashby-Hammond, Doherty.

STAGS: L. Roberts, Akins, Oshilaja, R. Sweeney, Cargill, Reed, Lewis (Hewitt 83), Oates (Blake-Tracy, 83), Russell (Hendry 58), Irow (Bolton 67), Evans (Adeboyejo 83). SUBS NOT USED: Moriah-Welsh, Dwyer.

REFEREE: Ben Atkinson.