Unlikely goalscorer Gary Silk grabbed a dramatic late leveller to ensure Stags wouldn't leave empty handed in their first ever visit to Church Road.
The game attracted a crowd of just 427 - the lowest Mansfield have ever played in front of.
Despite cementing its place on Stags' record books, the match itself will be quickly forgotton.
Chances were few and far between and entertainment was at a premium in a game where both sides vyed for maximum points for very different reasons.
Hayes & Yeading United may now consider themselves safe, barring a disasterous run of results, while Stags have it all to play for near the top end of the table.
Stags boss David Holdsworth named an unchanged line up fior the second game in succession, following the 4-2 win at Tamworth a fortnight ago.
And it was Mansfield who forced the first corner of the game in the fifth minute after a good three man move, started by Gary Silk and involving Rob Duffy and Jon Shaw.
A minute later, Duffy sent an excellent pass behind the defence, but goalkeeper Clark Masters got there ahead of the onrushing Kyle Perry. The match then saw a four minute delay after Masters received treatment after making the stop.
Hayes' Esmond James was then able to get a shot away in the area fiollowing a left wing cross, but midfielder Kyle Nix blocked the effort and it went behind for a corner.
The home side squandered a great chance to take the advantage when Matt Ruby got a shot away but was denied by Alan Marriott from close range as Scott Garner mis-hit his clearance.
It was Stags who began the brighter of the two in the early stages and they may have done better when Kyle Nix burst his way through the middle on 19 minutes but sliced his final effort.
Hayes made a change a minute later. Injured goalkeeper Clark Masters had to leave and was replaced by Simon Overland.
Gary Mills' hopeful effort flew harmlessly wide on 28 minutes as Stags searched for a breakthrough.
A huge scramble then ensued inside the Stags' penalty area but fortunately Mansfield cleared after Marriott was unable to collect in mid-air amidst a crrowd of players.
Esmond James produced the half's best individual moment when he twisted and turned before unleashing a 25 yard drive to force Marriott into a diving save.
Hayes opened the scoring two minutes before half time.
Gary Mills passed it cross-field to Silk, but Steve Basham was close by and after taking possession of the ball he laid it to Dale Binns who cooly placed his shot into the corner of the goal.
Stags almost pulled one back when Jon Shaw wasn't far away from connecting with a right wing cross, but instead, it was put out for a corner.
David Holdsworth rang the changes at half time. Ryan Williams and Blair Sturrock both took the field replacing Kyle's Nix and Perry.
All eyes were then on referee Ian Cooper as Stags were turned down a penalty. Jon Shaw struck the ball against Adam Green's hand on the right-side of the area, but play was allowed to continue.
Andy Nicholas smashed a piledriver at goal from the left as the game passed the hour mark.
Goalkeeper Overland then denied Jon Challinor's header at point blank range with a fine one handed parry after a pin point left-wing cross from Ryan Williams.
Andy Burgess then came into the fray with 18 minutes left, replacing Jon Challinor and his first touch, a shot, resulted in a corner.
Hayes' Adam Green then whipped in from the left across the dangerzone, but no one was able to connect as it fizzed past the goal.
Shaw was then pushed over in the penalty area but again the referee was unimpressed with 84 minutes played,
Gary Silk was cautioned for a late tackle as the game drew to a close.
But it was Silk who netted a dramatic late equaliser in the 90th minute. Ryan Williams' crossed accurately from the left and goalkeeper Overland seemed to have hold of Rob Duffy's close range header, but he dropped the ball and Silk was on hand to prod into the net.
It was a dreadful blunder by the home goalkeeper but Stags showed no mercy as Silk claimed his first goal of the campaign to break Hayes' hearts.
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