More home misery as Mansfield Town are sunk by Barrow fightback

It left Stags with only one home win in six outings and this was Barrow's first win in six as Nigel Clough's men slipped out of the play-off places and Barrow jumped back into them.

Stags were excellent for most of the first half and in firm control, but lost their grip after being rocked by replies either side of the interval.

A 10th minute Stephen McLaughlin free kick and a solo effort from Stephen Quinn on 25 minutes had Mansfield firmly in command.

But Billy Waters pulled one back against the run of play in first half stoppage time before interval sub Josh Gordon, the visitors' top scorer, levelled within four minutes of coming on to stun the Stags.

Worse was to come as Oli Hawkins turned a low cross into his own net on 77 minutes as the visitors produced a very different second half display of attacking menace and solid defending.

The Stags side showed two changes with George Maris and Elliott Hewitt coming in for George Lapslie and the injured Anthony Hartigan with Stags playing a 4-3-3 formation and pushing versatile Hawkins up front from his recent role in the centre of defence.

There was also the welcome return on the bench of young striker Jimmy Knowles after recovering from a serious long term knee injury.

Mansfield started brightly and on three minutes McLaughlin warmed Farman's hands from distance, the ball falling towards Swan who could only poke the follow-up tamely to the keeper's hands.

The home pressure continued and Neal flattened Maris 25 yards out on 10 minutes – and from the free kick the home side were ahead.

McLaughlin curled the free kick through the wall, clipping a defender on the way, and, although Farman got a hand to it, the ball ended up nestling inside the keeper's left post.

Great work by Boateng put Hawkins into space on the right of the box but, with two team mates to his left, his pull back found neither.

But Stags were two to the good on 25 minutes thanks to the battling of Quinn. He dispossessed a dithering Ray 30 yards out and then ran clear to calmly slot under a helpless Farman.

Barrow finally threatened on 32 minutes after winning a corner on the left.

It reached Bennett who miscued his first shot but was still able to get a second bite at it, shooting high into the Quarry Lane Stand.

A nasty tackle from behind on Quinn by Gotts saw the first yellow card produced on 35 minutes.

Farman had to get down at his near post to stop a speculative 20 yard blast from Oates on 41 minutes.

But in the first of two added minutes the visitors pulled back a goal against the run of play.

Waters had a cross blocked by Gordon on the left of the box. But when the ball came back to him, he caught everyone napping by whipping in a curling shot across everyone and inside the far post from a tight angle.

The visitors made a double change at the break, one of which was sending on their leading scorer Gordon.

And within four minutes he had levelled the match as he met a Warren cross from the right with a close range header for his 11th goal of the season.

A low Swan shot was deflected away for a home corner as Stags sought to regain control and, when that was half-cleared, Boateng was wide with his first time shot.

Ray was booked on 58 minutes as he brought down Hawkins to prevent him breaking clear on the left, a second card shown to a member of the visiting bench for protesting too vociferously.

Gordon threatened to break away down the middle on 64 minutes, Maris taking one for the team to halt him with a foul and being shown a yellow.

A minute later Pym's poor goal kick went straight to Gordon who forced the keeper to save with his legs.

Swan screwed a shot wide from 25 yards as the home side kept up the pressure.

Foley was added to the book for hacking down Gordon on 75 minutes.

Stags made a double change, but Barrow took the lead for the first time on 77 minutes as Warren drilled in a firm cross from the right and Hawkins could only turn the ball into his own net at the near post.

With three minutes left Knowles made his return to action in place of Gordon.

Seven added minutes offered Stags some hope, but Barrow held out and Waters sent a rising drive over as they looked for a fourth on a miserable afternoon for Mansfield which ended in boos from the stands.

STAGS: Pym, Gordon (Knowles 87), Hewitt, Hawkins, Perch, Quinn (Lapslie 75), McLaughlin (Law 85), Maris, Boateng, Swan (Bowery 75), Oates. SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, O'Toole, Anderson.

BARROW: Farman, Brown (Whitfield HT), Brough, Canavan, Waters, White (Foley 71), Neal, Gotts (Newby 71), Warren, Ray, Bennett (Gordon HT). SUBS NOT USED: Maloney, Gordon.REFEREE: Neil Hair.ATTENDANCE: 6,081 (148 away).