Mark Stevenson reports

Mansfield Town came from behind to record a thoroughly deserved 3-1 victory away at Gateshead to move into fourth position.

The points were won in the second half courtesy of three goals from Oliver Hotchkiss and firsts for new duo Andy Burgess and Lee Morris.

The victory marks the first time that Stags have come from behind to win in nearly 12 months, and also casts out their mid-week hoodoo, which stretched back over two years.

Stags made four changes from their defeat at Ebbsfleet on Saturday.  Gary Silk returned to right back and Craig Armstrong stepped in admirably at left-back in place of Paul Heckingbottom who suffered a cracked rib in training yesterday.

The industrious Louis Briscoe started on the right of midfield and Kyle Perry returned to the line up following a thigh injury.

It was Briscoe who posed the main threat in a first half which was played against the wind.

He ran rings around Phil Cave all evening and should have had a goal to cap off his night.

Stags attacked with greater urgency than in Saturday's loss at Ebbsfleet and eventually the floodgates opened in the second half

Briscoe was on the money from the first whistle and did well to cross into the box on four minutes after beating his man.

Cave was shown a clean set of heels again by Briscoe ten minutes later as Stags continued to press in the opening moments.

Kyle Perry headed across the face of goal with 15 minutes played, but no one was able to connect.

Gateshead were lucky to keep 11 men on the pitch on 20 minutes when Clark Keltie lunged in on Gary Silk.  But to everyone's amazement, he was only shown a yellow card.

With a little over ten minutes to play, Andy Burgess started to drift in a number of dangerous corners which would create havoc instead the home penalty area.

Mansfield went close on 37 minutes when the burly Kyle Perry flicked the ball on to Briscoe, and after waiting patiently for the ball to drop he smashed a swerving effort inches wide of the post.

It was Stags who enjoyed the better of possession in the final third, but Gateshead's route-one approach almost caused problems.

In the first minute of stoppage time the hosts broke the deadlock.

The goal, similar to Wimbledon in their heyday, started from the back when goalkeeper Paul Farman launched a long ball downfield, and with the aid of the wind, it fell to Michael Mackay who got behind Gary Silk to poke the ball past the onrushing Alan Marriott from inside the area.

Moments prior to the goal, Michael Brough, seemingly injured, was replaced by Oliver Hotchkiss.

Andy Burgess almost found a way through the Gateshead defence on 55 minutes after good play from Jon Challinor, but his goalbound effort was blocked.

Then, just before the hour, came the goal which would not have looked out of place in the Premier League.

Oliver Hotchkiss stepped from up from 25 yards to curl the ball over the wall and into the top corner of the goal.  Put simply, it was a perfect strike.

Matt Somner of all people then fired goalwards from 20 yards with 65 minutes played as Town searched for the advantage.

It wasn't long in coming, however, and one of Burgess' tantalising corners paid dividends a minute later.

His inswinger was so accurate, and, with the help of the wind, flew directly into the goal.  It slapped off the top of Craig Baxter's head, but by then it was already over the line.

Burgess was close from replicating the same feat minutes later and then he provided for Briscoe who headed over on 75 minutes.

Lee Morris came off the bench with ten minutes to play to make the points safe.

In time added on, he darted through the middle to latch onto a fine through ball by Kyle Perry.  Keeping his cool, he slotted it past Farman to seal the points.