Paul Stephen reports from the Abbey Stadium.

Stags were beaten in controversial circumstances by 10-man Cambridge at the Abbey Stadium this afternoon with a late penalty.

After twice coming back from being a goal behind, Mansfield enjoyed a one man advantage for much of the second half following Dave Partridge's dismissal for two bookable offences. They could not make it pay though and were on the receiving end of a contentious penalty decision following Jon Challinor's challenge on Lee Phillips in the 90^th minute.

Cambridge's top-scorer Danny Crow stepped up to put his side into a 3-2 lead and just when it seemed all over, Stags were awarded a penalty of their own in the fourth minute of stoppage time only to see substitute Jon Shaw shoot wide.

It was nerve-jangling stuff for the Stags' faithful and saw us fall to our 10^th away defeat of the season and second loss in three days.

David Holdsworth made just one change to the side that lost 1-0 at home to Wrexham two days ago by handing Jake Speight his first start since our 'pay what you want' game against Gateshead on February 6^th.

Stags got proceedings underway but it was Cambridge who had the first clear cut chance of the game after just two minutes when Simon Russell squeezed in a cross from the left corner flag that was nodded down to Lee Phillips in the six yard box by Scott Neilson. Marriott stood up to it though and bravely palmed it away before the U's striker could connect.

Challinor was making his presence felt against his old club and was involved in a hefty clash of heads with Dave Partridge near the half way line on nine minutes. A drop kick was given allowing Stags to regain possession and create their first opportunity of the match after Speight narrowly missed connecting with Challinor's inviting right wing cross.

On the quarter hour mark, Sturrock conceded a free kick after a clumsy challenge on Danny Crow on the edge of Stags' area. Jai Reason found Josh Coulson at the back post with his free kick who forced a smart save from Marriott. Stags' custodian followed this up with a second brilliant save when he palmed Nielson's effort from the edge of the six yard box away for a corner before being called on again to prevent Brian Saah getting his head to the corner with just his fingertips.

Cambridge were enjoying most of the early pressure and Marriott was finally breached in the 23^rd minute when Danny Crow was felled on the right hand side of the area and Reason's free kick was nodded past the helpess Marriott by Josh Coulson with little in the way of marking.

Stags replied instantly, however, and the scores were level barely a minute later when the U's failed to deal with Rory McCauley's backpass. The ball skidded off the U's right back and into path of Jake Speight who chipped both Coulson and Simon Brown from just inside the box to score his 12^th goal of the season.

Holdsworth was forced to make his first substitution on the half hour mark with the injured Brough being withdrawn for Kyle Nix. This required a tactical change and Nicholas was moved to the newly vacant berth at centre half, Burgess switched to left back with Nix replacing him in the left of midfield.

Undeterred by surrendering their lead so quickly, the hosts pressed forward for a second goal and it took well timed tackles from Luke Foster and then Andy Nicholas to keep them at bay before Russell's ambitious 30 yard effort flew wide on 41.

Partridge then clattered Speight round the head on the half way line to concede a free kick and earn himself the first booking of the game with half time fast approaching. Speight went to ground whilst trying to get on the end of the subsequent set piece but had his penalty appeals waved away by unimpressed referee Stuart Burt.

There was still time before the break for Cambridge to create a scare when Crow had Marriott beaten from the edge of the six yard box but saw his looped effort bounce off the bar.

Jake Speight registered the first shot of the second half when he sent his effort high and wide into the Newmarket Road End on 46 before Cambridge had a penalty appeal of their own waved away after Reason went down unconvincingly after failing to connect with Partridge's low cross.

They didn't need it though and scored in open play just five minutes into the half to take the lead for the second time when Lee Phillips stooped to meet Danny Crow's waist high cross from just two yards out. Holdsworth's immediate response was to send on Louis Briscoe for Blair Sturrock and shake up Mansfield's frontline in search of another quick equaliser.

Parity was restored in the 56^th minute after Louis Briscoe won a corner on the right flank. Mills' cross was cleared only as far as Kyle Nix who floated the ball back into the danger area only to see it evade everybody including U's 'keeper Simon Brown and bounce into the back of the net.

After failing to hold onto their slender lead, Cambridge's misery was compounded with just over half an hour remaining when Dave Partridge was punished for pulling back Jake Speight on the edge of the area. He received his second yellow card of the game for this indiscretion and given his marching orders to hand Stags a one man advantage.

Mansfield could have put their noses in front for the first time on 61 when Briscoe's cross from the right flashed across the six yard box which Speight slid across the turf to get to and ended up only centimetres away from prodding home.

Stags tried to make their one man advantage count with Briscoe seeing a lot of the ball on the right flank as they tried to stretch the opposition. Foster headed Briscoe's cross into the side netting before Speight headed over from a deflected shot from Challinor.

Still searching for a winning goal and to settle the tie, Holdsworth used up his final substitution by introducing striker Jon Shaw to the fray at the expense of the impressive Jake Speight.

Burgess tested Brown with a long range effort with 10 minutes remaining before Nix tried to lift the ball over the U's 'keeper on 84.

With time fast running out to stake a claim on all three points, Stags went close again on 85 minutes following a Challinor long throw from the right. The U's packed the area with bodies in order to hang on for a point and it was headed away to Mills whose low shot was deflected round the post with the faintest of touches.

But it wasn't to be and Mansfield went behind for the third and final time in cruel fashion when Cambridge were generously awarded a penalty following Challinor's high challenge of Lee Phillips in the 90^th minute. Crow had crossed from the left and it was headed on by Simon Russell where Challinor leapt for it but was deemed to have fouled Phillips in the process.

Challinor was booked and Crow stepped up to tuck the penalty neatly into the bottom left corner for his 21^st goal of the season leaving Mansfield chasing a point rather than all three.

Stags were handed a lifeline, however, in the fourth minute of injury time as Perry was hauled down in the area by Brian Saah in an off the ball incident inside the six yard box. Saah was booked and substitute Jon Shaw placed the ball on the spot hoping to ensure that at least a point went back to Nottinghamshire. Frustratingly, he dragged his effort wide of the left hand post to the relief of Cambridge and their manager Martin Ling thereby squandering a golden opportunity to salvage a draw from the jaws of defeat.

It was the last action of the game and United were left to celebrate their fifth consecutive win on home soil.

Attendance: 2,823 (Stags' fans 225)

Team: Marriott, Nicholas, Foster, Brough (Nix '31), Silk. Challinor, Mills, Speight (Shaw '76), Sturrock (Briscoe '51), Perry, Burgess.