IT was not the kind of happy home-coming Mansfield Town boss David Holdsworth had been longing for on the lengthy coach trip to Kingsmeadow.

Born and brought up in London, the Stags gaffer would have been desperate to impress on his first return to the capital as a professional manager - especially against brother Dean's old club.

As he chatted to locals before the game and recounted the time he scored against Wimbledon at former ground, Plough Lane, it was clear the gaffer felt right at home.

Yet the same could not be said of his Mansfield players, whose uncomfortable start to the game ultimately cost them three points.

With Kettering and Luton's games postponed because of bad weather, this clash offered a sizeable opportunity for the winner to put some daylight between themselves and the pack chasing to get into the Blue Square Premier play-offs.

For the Stags, it was also a chance to prove their capabilities against another top side after the disappointing Boxing Day defeat at York City, which left more questions than answers for some supporters.

But it was not to be as the Wombles of Wimbledon - led by an Uncle Bulgaria-esque mascot - produced the performance they were looking for to mark the passing of long-time figurehead Allen Batsford.

Former Forest manager Dave Bassett was among those present to remember the man credited with putting the Dons on the path to Premier League Football.

And Batsford, who died just before the turn of the year, would have been impressed by what he saw from the side who are strong contenders to regain their place in the Football League, less than a decade after starting again from scratch.

Mansfield were not completely played off the park. In fact, with some better finishing, the scoreline might have turned out to be quite different.

However, some shoddy Stags defending in the early stages meant they were always likely to be on a hiding to nothing.

It had been 19 days since the visitors' last game - a 2-1 home success over Cambridge United on December 28.

And the way they began made it look as if they had just got back from a New Year cruise in Kingston, Jamaica rather than preparing for an important match in Kingston-upon-Thames.

The chief source of their problems was former Brentford striker Nathan Elder, who led the Stags' back four a merry dance, particularly in the first half.

Having signed for the Dons on Friday, he was preferred to top scorer Danny Kedwell, who is on his way back from a foot injury and was left on the bench.

It took Elder just two minutes of his debut to open his account, heading in a pinpoint Glenn Poole cross after the visiting rearguard had given the winger time and space to pick out his intended target.

The Stags - who made two changes from the Cambridge victory with Andy Burgess replacing Ryan Williams and Louis Briscoe coming in for Lee Morris - were stung into a response.

They had four decent opportunities to draw level, but all were spurned. Captain for the day Gary Silk's shot was blocked by December's BSP player of the month Seb Brown.

Kyle Perry then failed to work Brown when played in on goal and also headed wide from an Andy Burgess corner at the far post.

Strike partner Rob Duffy was just as culpable as he raced away and chose to shoot early from 20 yards, only to fire straight at the keeper.

The lack of an end product from Mansfield was always likely to cost them and as Wimbledon pressed again, they seized their moment.

Elder was again involved as he peeled off to the back post to head Sam Hatton's deep, angled, right-wing centre back into the danger zone and Lewis Taylor had all the time in the world to slam into the left corner.

With less than a quarter of the match gone, it almost felt like game over before it had really begun.

Mansfield, though, did not throw in the towel and Briscoe went close before half-time, while Perry mis-controlled just as he would have been in the clear. With Elder still calling the shots, a change at the back was inevitable and Scott Garner made way for Luke Jones during the break.

That certainly seemed to tighten things up in the rearguard, but there was still the matter of a two-goal deficit for Mansfield to address.

Perry might have reduced that when he volleyed over soon after the restart, before Duffy was thwarted by Hatton's last-gasp challenge as he looked to sweep home Briscoe's cross.

Holdsworth's last throw of the dice was to send on Jake Speight, shortly followed by new signing Jon Shaw.

But their luck was out - Speight having a goal disallowed for a hotly-disputed offside decision, while Shaw hit the right-hand post from close range - and the grandstand finish the travelling fans wanted did not materialise.

Instead, Alan Marriott in the Mansfield goal was left to make two top-drawer saves to deny substitute Ricky Wellard and prevent the margin of victory from becoming even more emphatic.

Presuming Mansfield maintain their solid home form, it is increasingly clear their away form is going to make or break their season.

This latest defeat is their seventh on the road, while they have triumphed on six different occasions.

Three of those defeats have been in the last four outings and, if a top five place is to be achieved, they will know those statistics must improve.

To be fair, what Mansfield have generally done well this season is bounce back quickly from their disappointments.

Next Saturday's home game against bottom club Chester City gives them that opportunity - one they really need to take.

Further down the line, the Stags will have another crack at a London club when they visit Hayes and Yeading.

And if they can make some capital gains at the second time of asking, Holdsworth could get his happy homecoming after all.