Late winner from Mansfield Town sub Will Swan sees off Walsall

Stags started the game well and Jordan Bowery had already hit the bar before George Lapslie gave them a deserved 15th minute lead.

But Liam Bennett levelled on 35 minutes when he beat Christy Pym on his near post with a blockbuster rising finish.

A poor second half saw the game petering out into a draw until Swan finally broke through with an 82nd minute header from a fine Lucas Akins cross to snatch victory.

Stags were once again below-par on their standard of performance but again came up with the goods when it really mattered to remain unbeaten at home and in the thick of the promotion race.

With Stephen McLaughlin and Riley Harbottle recovering from injuries from last weekend's win at Barrow, the Mansfield side was unchanged.

But the Stags were boosted on the bench by the returns of Anthony Hartigan (dislocated shoulder) and Swan (illness).

Walsall were without top scorer Danny Johnson, on loan from Mansfield and not allowed to play against his parent club.

Stags successfully defended three early long throws by Knowles from the right.

But Stags came desperately close to an opener on 10 minutes as Bowery swapped passes with Lapslie on the edge of the box and curled a superb effort goalwards which came of the crossbar.

Two minutes later a Maris free kick from the right picked out McLaughlin just beyond the far post, but his flying header sailed across goal and wide.

But on 15 minutes they were ahead with a well-crafted goal.

Hewitt made a superb burst down the right from his own half which took him to the right by-line.

His excellent cross was nodded down by Quinn for Lapslie, who turned and tucked away a low finish from seven yards.

It took 28 minutes for the Saddlers to fashion a real chance aside of their long throws as Hewitt bravely blocked a shot from Allen and Pym was down to turn Hutchinson's follow-up round the post.

Maris was wide from 20 yards on 32 minutes as Stags searched for a second.

Instead the visitors were back on level terms on 35 minutes.

Bennett was sent into space on the right and, with Pym and the defence expecting his cross, he caught them napping with a powerful rising shot that beat Pym at his near post and flew high into the net.

Two minutes later Quinn put over a teasing cross from the left by-line that no one was able to turn home in front of goal and soon after Hewitt whistled an ambitious 35 yard effort just over.

In one added minute Hawkins flicked away a dangerous Bennett cross as Walsall ended the half on the front foot.

Akins had the first shot of the second half, but it was weak and straight to keeper Evans.

There was worry when Hawkins allowed James-Taylor to get past him on 54 minutes, but Harbottle made a perfectly-timed tackle in the box to spare Hawkins' blushes.

The Saddlers then enjoyed a good spell of pressure which Mansfield survived and also prompted a triple substitution by the home side on 62 minutes, seconds after Akins had sent a tame header wide at the other end.

Boateng, Swan and Hartigan replaced Bowery, Clarke and Quinn.

Almost immediately there was a lengthy hold-up when Knowles stayed down in agony after going into a tackle.

A stretcher was sent on but he eventually elected to limp off to be replaced by Williams on 67 minutes.

McLaughlin tried his luck from range and it was deflected over for Stags' first corner of the afternoon.

On 77 minutes he sent another long ranger well over to groans from the home crowd.

But Mansfield finally conjured up an unexpected winner on 82 minutes as Akins put over a superb cross from the left by-line and Swan was up to bury a header from five yards.

Home nerves were raised as a minimum of seven minutes were added on

STAGS: Pym, McLaughlin, Hewitt, Harbottle, Akins, Clarke (Hartigan 62), Bowery (Swan 62), Maris (Perch 89), Hawkins, Quinn (Boateng 62), Lapslie. SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Law, O'Toole.

WALSALL: Evans, White, Monthe, Kinsella, Knowles (Williams 67), Comley ( Abraham 85), James-Taylor (Cashman 85), Allen, Hutchinson (Maddox 81), Clarke (Gordon 85), Bennett. SUBS NOT USED: Mukuna, Maher.

REFEREE: Sam Purkiss.

ATTENDANCE: 6,821 (796 away).