Paul Stephen reports from Field Mill

The Stags got their play-off bid back on track with an impressive 4-2 victory this afternoon whilst also halting Salisbury's six match unbeaten run.

Mansfield now go to within two points of the top five after a confident performance all round and four different names getting on the team sheet.

David Holdsworth opted to stick with the same side that secured a point against Luton midweek with the exception of Michael Brough, who replaced the injured Luke Jones at centre half.

A minute's applause was observed prior to kick off in memory of the late Keith Alexander who had been a player, youth coach and assistant manager here at Field Mill during the early 90s and who had passed away earlier in the week. The Stags also ran out wearing black armbands as further tribute.

The game almost got away to the perfect start as Rob Duffy came within an inch of scoring inside the second minute. Gary Mills teed up Louis Briscoe to flight a dangerous ball across goal from the right hand side that Duffy steered narrowly wide with a header from six yards out.

This was followed by a moment of pressure from Salisbury as Foster clumsily took down Reece Connolly on the edge of the box. The resultant free kick was cleared as far as Connolly but he could only drive the rebound straight into the sea of defenders and the danger was eventually cleared.

The Whites won a free kick in a similar position two minutes later that City's top-scorer Matt Tubbs proceeded to fire past the Stags' three man wall but Marriott saw it early and let it fly a yard wide of his right hand post.

In an entertaining opening exchange, the Stags threatened again in the 13^th minute when the ball ran loose near the right hand corner flag and Briscoe was able to whip another cross in. His powerful effort flew straight across the goalmouth before finding Jon Shaw lurking on the otherside of the area. Shaw promptly returned it back into the danger area but his over hit effort succeeded only in finding Briscoe on the opposite touchline whose angled drive was turned round the post by James Bittner in the visitors' goal.

Chances were limited for the home side against a robust Salisbury defence but they were finally breached and the Stags took the lead on the half hour mark. Gary Silk played a neat 1-2 with Louis Briscoe in the area but Silk's shot was weak and blocked by a white shirt where it fell to the alert Jon Challinor. The ex-Cambridge man made no mistake and drilled the ball underneath Bittner from 16 yards out to score his second goal of the season and first since making his debut against Eastbourne in November.

Mansfield came close to doubling the lead barely a minute later when Rob Duffy forced a good save from the visiting 'keeper before finding the net with 10 minutes of the half remaining. Briscoe collected a pass halfway into Salisbury's half before turning and running with it towards the bye-line. His inch perfect cross found the head of Jon Shaw who steered it past the helpless Bittner from four yards out for his third of the season.

In a flurry of first half goals, Salisbury reduced the deficit with one of their own in the 39^th minute when the Stags' offside trap failed to prevent Reece Connolly from pouncing on a loose ball after a hopeful punt down the middle was sent goalbound by a white shirt. Marriott parried it against the post but Connolly was quickest to the ball and poked it over the line. The home side looked over for a flag on the far side, believing Connolly to have been offside, but were left disappointed when the goal was given.

Despite this set back, the Whites failed to threaten again and the Stags went in to the half time break very much with the upper hand.

Holdsworth decided to make his first change at halftime by withdrawing scorer Jon Challinor, who had suffered a slight knock in the first half, for Kyle Nix.

After surviving an early scare when Matt Tubbs headed narrowly over on 46, the second half started brightly and Briscoe exposed the Salisbury defence early on. He picked up the ball on the halfway line the 53^rd minute, got his head down and ran deep into City's area before sending a cross high over Bittner's head and towards the back post. It was too high for Duffy though and went behind for a goalkick.

There was a brief lull in proceedings on the 58 minute mark when skipper Luke Foster went down after a collision of heads. The damage was superficial though and he was up on his feet quickly to soldier on.

Jon Shaw was the next player to be withdrawn in the 65^th minute as David Holdsworth opted to give Kyle Perry a run out in a bid to extend Mansfield's slender lead.

Brough went close from a William's corner before ex-Stag Darrel Clarke forced a good diving save from Alan Marriott in a rare chance for the visitors.

The Stags were looking intent on forcing another goal and finally putting the game beyond the reach of Salisbury. A wonderful dummy from Kyle Perry allowed Louis Briscoe to run in behind City's back four and cross for Kyle Nix whose shot was on target and forced an acrobatic diving block from a desperate defender.

The home side made their final substitution in the 73^rd minute with Blair Sturrock coming on for Williams, who had had a quieter second half as the lively Briscoe was doing much of the running down the right flank.

Desperate to get back into the game, Salisbury were starting to take risks and left themselves hopelessly overstretched a minute later to allow Gary Mills to break away into their half in the 74^th minute. He had Kyle Perry running with him creating a two on one situation and after drawing the solitary defender towards him, Mills played the ball across to Perry who was in acres of space and had only Bittner to beat in the visitors' goal. The big striker did not disappoint and calmly slotted it home for his 12^th goal of the campaign.

Content with a 3-1 lead, the aim of the game was to keep possession and the Stags played out much of the final quarter of an hour trying to frustrate Salisbury in their efforts to regain the ball.

The away side were reduced to speculative long range efforts which eventually paid dividends right at the death. There was little Mansfield could do to prevent Ben Adelsbury from snatching at a rebound on the edge of the D and firing a well-placed shot past Marriott in the 90^th minute to set up a nail-biting finale.

Fans fears were finally put to rest though with almost the last kick of the game as Rob Duffy scored his 15^th goal of the season and restored the home side's two goal lead. Briscoe turned the provider again as he pulled the ball back from the bye-line to Duffy who hit it first time from the edge of the six yard box and watched Bittner who could only parry it into the roof of the net.

With scores at 4-2, full time came immediately after the restart leaving the Stags faithful to celebrate a ninth home win of the season.

Sponsors' man of the match: Andy Nicholas

Attendance: 2,842 (38 away)

Team: Marriott, Brough, Silk, Foster, Nicholas, Williams (Sturrock 73'), Challinor (Nix 46'), Mills, Briscoe, Duffy, Shaw (Perry 65').