Mansfield Town come from behind to beat Manchester City’s stars of the future in five-goal thriller

This game provided superb entertainment in a much-maligned competition and could have ended with a much bigger scoreline with both sides creating countless chances and playing bright, passing football.

Lucas Akins headed Stags in front on 16 minutes but City's talented stars of the future roared back with two goals in three minutes, both from long goalkeeper clearances that the home defence will not want to see replayed to them.

But it was all square again with a first Stags goal for young striker James Gale on 50 minutes before sub George Lapslie snatched a winner six minutes from time.

In five exciting added minutes City hit the bar and failed to beat Scott Flinders in a one on one on his Stags debut.

Nigel Clough made eight changes to the side from the weekend, two enforced.

John-Joe O'Toole missed out due to a foot injury picked up at Sutton while Saturday's goalscorer Oli Hawkins missed out due to illness.

Flinders, Kellan Gordon, Elliott Hewitt, Kieran Wallace, Ollie Clarke, George Maris, Jordan Bowery – back from illness - and James Gale all came into the Stags' starting XI.

Also making way were Christy Pym, James Perch, Anthony Hartigan, Stephen Quinn, George Lapslie and Will Swan.

City began in confident fashion with some sharp passing though had to defend a Stags corner in the third minute.

A minute later and a fast counter saw Mebude put in space on the right of the box. He cut inside and fired past Flinders but Hewitt was perfectly place to clear off the goal line.

On six minutes Charles sent Larios into the box and his low finish skidded wide of the far post.

Stags had their first sight of goal on eight minutes as City failed to clear a Gordon cross and Bowery's stabbed finish deflected just wide.

A minute later and Maris set up McLaughlin for a 25 yard blast destined for the top corner until Van Sas spectacularly tipped it away.

The visitors thought they had gone ahead on 11 minutes as Dickson turned home Mebude's low cross from close range only to be denied by an offside flag.

Akins looped a header over the top from a McLaughlin free kick as the highly entertaining start continued.

On 14 minutes McLaughlin picked out Gale five yards out with a teasing cross, but somehow Van Sas blocked his header with his legs.

Gordon almost picked out Bowery at the far post, but Larios just got there first to concede a fourth corner from which Mansfield grabbed the lead on 16 minutes.

Maris sent it over from the left and Akins guided home a close range downwards header.

Larios was booked on 25 minutes for bringing down Bowery on the left.

Three minutes later Akins pulled back a deep low cross that McLaughlin met with a ferocious rising shot over the far angle.

But for all their pretty football, City levelled from route one on 29 minutes.

A pinpoint clearance from Van Sas picked out the intelligent run of Borges and he beat the onrushing Flinders to it, sidestepped him and rolled it into an empty net.

Soon after a poor back pass from Wallace put Flinders in trouble, but Hewitt slid in to save his blushes.

But parity didn't last long as Stags were once again cut open by an accurate clearance by Van Sas on 32 minutes. This time he picked out Mebude in space on the right and his low cross was easily slotted home by Dickson with Stags' defence in tatters.

City's first corner on 36 minutes was pulled back low to Charles in a training ground routine that saw him sidefoot wide.

Gale headed just over from a Maris corner while in added time McLaughlin was too high with a header, again from a Maris corner.

Stags won a corner on the restart which interval sub O'Reilly almost headed into his own net, a combination of bar and keeper preserving their lead.

Then Bowery was inches away from turning home a low Gordon cross.

Mansfield were rewarded for their strong start with an equaliser on 50 minutes.

Bowery's left wing cross was headed on by Gale to Akins. Akins nodded the ball back towards Gale and he acrobatically volleyed home from six yards.

Gale should have scored again on 56 minutes but put a free header over from six yards from a great Gordon cross.

A powerful low Wallace cross struck Gale on the heel in front of goal and Van Sas had to block.

City hit back with a spell of dazzling possession with nothing at the end of it before McLaughlin sent a diving header at the keeper from a Maris cross and Maris was too high with a shot after a good Wallace tackle won him the ball.

Stags then made a slew of changes as we edged towards penalties.

Harbottle blocked a Breckin shot on 77 minutes after more glorious approach passing from the young visitors while a block at the other end took the sting out of a Bowery shot after he had cut in from the left.

With just six minutes to go, sub Lapslie finally put the Stags back in front.

Hewitt got to the left by-line and pulled back a low cross that the midfielder swept home from six yards.

In the second of five added minutes Borges was put one on one with Flinders but the keeper saved with his legs. And a minute later Borges rattled the Stags crossbar from 20 yards as Stags held on.

STAGS: Flinders, Gordon, Hewitt, Harbottle, McLaughlin (Perch 68), Clarke (Hartigan 73), Wallace (Swan 73), Maris, Akins (Lapslie 68), Gale, Bowery. SUBS NOT USED: Pym, Quinn, Boateng.

MAN CITY U21s: Van Sas, Larios, Burns, Katongo, Taylor (Galvez 60), Charles, Mebude, Breckin, Dickson (Oboavwoduo 60), Bobb (O'Reilly HT), Borges. SUBS NOT USED: Alleline, McNamara, Smith, Ndala.

REFEREE: Ross Joyce.

ATTENDANCE: 1,804 (64 away).