Scott Garner grabbed an equaliser in the dying minutes of normal time to send this FA Cup First Round tie to a replay at Field Mill in ten days time.
Scott Garner grabbed Mansfield an equaliser in the dying minutes of normal time to send this FA Cup First Round tie into a replay at Field Mill in ten days time.
The young defender popped up in a crowded penalty area to ensure that Mansfield's name was in tomorrow's draw.
Forest Green, however, made Stags sweat and proved tough opponents - defying their lowly status in the Blue Square Premier.
It was Stags who were the brighter of the two sides in the early stages, however, and in the opening two minutes, Rob Duffy got away from his man of the right side of the area, but dragged his shot wide from an acute angle.
Two minutes later, Kyle Perry miscued from the edge of the area, but debutant Michael Brough followed up, only to see his shot easily saved by Terry Burton in the Forest Green goal.
Forest Green registered their first shot on goal with eight minutes on the watch.Sean Rigg turned well on the edge of the area before firing goalwards, but goalkeeper Alan Marriott was equal to it.
Rigg smashed another towards Marriott ten minutes later, but the Stags number one watched it all the way.
The home side broke the lead on 28 minutes when they hit Stags on the counter attack. Their chief tormenter, Rigg, played the ball across the face of the area to the unmarked Jared Hodgkiss, who was left with the simple task of slotting it home.
On 40 minutes, Kyle Perry slammed a free kick against the wall from 25 yards, as Stags searched for an equaliser.
Two minutes later, Perry was hauled down in the area by Mark Preece, who had both hands on Perry's face as he dragged him down.But referee Brendan Malone let play continue to the amazement of the following Stags fans, behind the goal.
In the closing moments of the first half, Jake Speight headed into the arms of Terry Burton with his back to goal following a long ball forward.
It was a first half which saw few clear cut goalscoring opportunities, but the second period was a more open half and the match grew as a spectacle.
Stags' boss David Holdsworth made a double change seven minutes in the second half, in a bid to change Town's fortunes.Steven Istead and Jake Speight were replaced by Ryan Williams and Craig Dobson. It meant a change in formation also. Stags reverting to a 4-4-2 operation, as opposed to 4-3-3, with which they started.
On 58 minutes, Forest Green's Rigg struck from the left side of the area, but Alan Marriott got down well to make the save.
Then on the stroke of the hour, Gary Mills swung in a telling cross and seconds later, Williams did the same from the left side, but no one could connect.
Then at the other end, Conal Platt twisted and turned in the area before unleashing a powerful drive, but Alan Marriott pushed over and behind for a corner.
Stags had Marriott to thank again on 65 minutes.Platt surged down the right and as the ball fell to Rigg on the left side of the area, he smashed it low but was denied by a fine one handed stop by Marriott.
Minutes later, Rigg slid through three players on the left side before driving it at Marriott from an acute angle on the byline as Forest Green heaped on the pressure.
With twenty minutes left, Gary Silk of all people, had a shot on goal from 25 yards from the centre of the pitch as Stags were well forward in numbers.
Blair Sturrock then came off the bench to replace Rob Duffy.
On 79 minutes, Kyle Perry connected with a Williams' left wing cross, but the burly forward headed over.
Then Perry flashed shot wide on 84 minutes and scuffed a shot a minute later on the other side of the area.
Conal Platt shot hard and a low seconds later, but fortunately for Mansfield, it flew wide.
Stags then grabbed a dramatic equaliser on 87 minutes to set up a grandstand finish.
Ryan Williams' cross was deflected and the goalkeeper made a mess of it as he tried to punch clear. But Scott Garner was on hand at short range to head home in a crowded penalty area to send the 363 Stags' fans into raptures.
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