Paul Stephen reports from Field Mill

The Stags were forced to work hard for a point today as a spectacular Ryan Williams volley in the last minute of the game snatched a draw for the home side from the jaws of defeat. In a game packed full of scoring chances for both sides, Mansfield thought they had lost it after conceding a penalty in the 83^rd minute but clawed it back with almost the last kick of the game and have a share of the spoils.

Mansfield went into today's game largely unchanged from the side that beat Altrincham 3-1 in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round last Saturday.

Manager David Holdsworth had to make one enforced change as tough tackling midfielder Matt Somner missed today's game through suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend. He was replaced by loan signing Oliver Hotchkiss, who made his second home debut for the Stags today following a loan spell at Field Mill last season.

As expected, defender Kyle Nix and midfielder Louis Briscoe were both ruled out of contention through injury as the Stags sought to secure their eighth home win of the season and extend their unbeaten run to five games.

For the visitors, highly rated defender Lanre Oyebanjo returned to Steve Fallon's starting line up after a week-long trial at Peterborough.

The home side got proceedings underway kicking towards the Quarry Lane End.

The first chance fell to the visitors inside three minutes from a free kick awarded for a fairly innocuous challenge on Histon forward Danny Wright midway inside Mansfield's half. The resultant kick was well-aimed to the head of Knight-Percival who rose to meet it but could only steer the ball into the arms of Alan Marriott.

The home side could have gone ahead in the eighth minute as Perry advanced down the left wing. As he approached the edge of the area, he threaded a neat ball through to Mills who had only the keeper to beat. His shot from just inside the 18 yard box forced a good save from Danny Naisbitt in the visitor's goal and the ball went out for a corner.

Mansfield went close again two minutes later in virtually exactly the same circumstances as Williams found Duffy in a similar position just inside the area but he failed to find the target and fired his shot wide.

It was apparent that Dobson's pace was causing problems for the visitors as he rampaged time and again down the right flank and in a trademark run, he was forced to cut inside by Histon left back Gareth Gwillim. As he looked to get into a shooting position Dobson was felled in the midst of a clutch of defenders 25 yards out and directly in front of goal. A free kick was duly awarded which Perry blasted straight into the Histon wall where it was eventually cleared to safety.

This time it was the visitors turn to attack and scare the Mansfield defence as Williams was dispossessed on the left flank allowing Histon to break. Danny Wright crossed the ball to Knight-Percival, who was lurking at the back post, forcing Scott Garner to intervene. The ball was cleared only as far as Jamie Barker who over hit his cross causing it to go out for a goal kick.

This saw the start of a purple patch for Histon as they gained some momentum from the game and pressed forward in search of the opening goal. Right back Lanre Oyebanjo got himself forward into a dangerous position to deliver another pinpoint cross to the head of Knight-Percival who rose highest and nodded the ball goal bound. His header looked to be going in until Marriott pushed it behind for a corner with an outstretched arm.

Only minutes later, John Kennedy hit the post with his glancing header as the Stags' defence struggled to deal with a succession of crosses into the area.

The pressure was finally relieved by Dobson who was asking questions of the Histon defence, this time on the left flank. He managed to get a cross over to Perry who was unmarked, in space and only ten yards out. He rushed his shot though and blasted it straight at Danny Naisbitt.

The game took an unfortunate turn ten minutes before half time when Captain Gary Mills received the first booking of the afternoon. It came after another free kick had been awarded to Mansfield on the edge of the box which was subsequently taken quickly. The ball was played to an unmarked Dobson in the box who was then stopped by the whistle as referee Mr Wright deemed the kick to have been taken too quickly and ordered a retake.

Understandably the players were none too impressed with the decision and in the ensuing discussion between Mills and the ref (aptly named Mr Wright), a yellow card was shown to the Stags' Captain for showing signs of dissent.

Minutes later a second yellow card was brought out from the referee's pocket but this time awarded to John Kennedy who had carelessly tripped Ryan Williams as he was about to go through on goal. Williams got up to take the free kick himself, curled it round the wall and forced the keeper todive to his right, just tipping it round the post.

Incredibly there was only one minute of added time played despite the many stops and starts created by persistent fouling from both sides in the first half as Mansfield struggled to cope with Histon's route one style of play.

The home side came out for the second half with more purpose and looked likely to finally break the deadlock in the 49^th minute. A dipping Dobson shot from 25 yards out forced Naisbitt to tip it over the bar for a corner. Rob Duffy connected with the resultant corner but saw his header fall about a yard wide of the right hand post.

Much like the first half, the opening exchanges of the second were developing into an end-to-end encounter as Histon forward Josh Simpson broke away from the Mansfield defence. As he flew down the right wing, he turned into the area and was headed goalward before being dispossessed by a last minute slide tackle from Scott Garner which saw the ball roll out for a corner.

The Mansfield defence were exposed again by two corners in quick succession as Histon tried to assert their physical presence in the area. The first fell to Danny Wright on the edge of the six yard box who controlled it with his back to goal, turned and shot straight at the onrushing Marriott who pushed it behind for another Histon corner.

For the following corner, this time the ball fell to Knight-Percival who saw his header drop wide of the post.

On 57 minutes Holdsworth made his first substitution of the afternoon as Armstrong came on to replace Heckingbottom who had required treatment after going down injured in the six yard box as the corner came over minutes earlier. He didn't wait long to make a second substitution shortly after as Speight was sent on to replace the industrious Craig Dobson only a minute later.

The move nearly paid off instantly as Speight hit a volley, from eight yards out and which looked to be hitting the back of the net, with his first touch of the game.

The home side's impatience to break the deadlock and Histon's obdurate defending was demonstrated perfectly by the 66^th minute booking of Gary Silk. As Town toiled and strained to regain possession, Silk pole-axed Knight-Percival on the edge of the 18 yard box. Billy Crooke took the resulting free kick but floated it well wide of Marriott's upright.

Mansfield tried to take the initiative back and saw Rob Duffy come close again in the 72^nd minute when he headed wide from a Ryan Williams cross.

Mansfield made their final substitution in the 77^th minute with Blair Sturrock replacing Kyle Perry as Holdsworth tried another attacking option in search of the elusive opening goal.

This was to no avail however as disaster struck in the 83^rd minute when John Kennedy ran into the area and skipped past two yellow shirts. As he tried to round the keeper on the edge of the six yard box he was brought down by the outstretched arm of Marriott and a penalty was given.

Josh Simpson dispatched the spot kick confidently into the bottom left corner as Marriott dived the wrong way sending Histon into the lead with only six minutes left on the clock.

To their credit, the home side did not lie down and accept defeat and mounted a spirited fight back. With the fourth official indicating three minutes of injury time, Mansfield were roared on by the crowd as they searched for an equaliser although their efforts were continually being thwarted by a determined Histon who were defending in numbers and repulsing wave after wave of attacking moves from the home side.

And then in the fourth minute of injury time, the game was turned on its head with nearly the last kick of the game. A long throw from the left hand side of the area was cleared by a red shirt to Ryan Williams 30 yards out who unleashed a screaming volley toward the bottom corner. Naisbitt was beaten as he dived to his left and the home side had drawn level.

The ref hardly had time for the restart before blowing up and sending the home crowd into raptures as the general feeling was one of relief when they had been expecting despair.

Although the wheels nearly fell off the promotion bandwagon this afternoon, Town have not lost now in over a month since the 3-1 reverse suffered at Barrow in September.

Attendance: 3162 (50 away)

Sponsors' man of the match: Luke Jones

Team: Marriott, Heckingbottom (Armstrong 58), Mills, Jones, Garner, Duffy, Williams, Silk, Perry (Sturrock 77), Hotchkiss, Dobson (Speight 58).