Stags began their pre-season friendly schedule in encouraging fashion, with a heartening performance against Swansea City, which saw the Championship outfit win 2-1.

Latest signing Nicky Maynard opened the scoring from close range after 36 minutes, but Wayne Routledge and Barrie McKay scored at the end of each half to secure the Swans a 2-1 victory.

Stags' boss John Dempster will be pleased with the display of his squad, which was split to play two halves.

Championship Swansea carved out the game's first attack after 12 minutes when James Garrick darted towards the goal line, but his cross-cum-shot was comfortably claimed by Stags' goalkeeper Conrad Logan at the near post.

At the other end, Maynard was inches away from latching onto Logan's long goal kick, but the Swans' stopper raced out to claim.

Wingman CJ Hamilton - one of Stags' outstanding performers last term - was Mansfield's chief tormentors in the first half.

Using his speed and skill on the left flank, the former Sheffield United player forced a corner after 20 minutes. But from it, Noah Stokes headed off target at the far post following Alistair Smith's delivery.

Conrad Logan was called upon six minutes later to make a sensational right-handed save to deny Wayne Routledge's blistering drive from the right of the box.

Stags came close to breaking the deadlock on the half-hour mark. 

James Clarke, a recent under 21s' signing from Burnley, delivered from the right to set up trialist Joe Quigley, whose lovely effort from inside the area cannoned back off the bar.

Stags promising play was to find its reward on 36 minutes.

Hamilton did the damage on the left with pace and trickery to send a low ball into the goal area. And after Swansea failed to clear, Maynard swivelled under pressure to slam home.

Two minutes later, Maynard teed up Quigley to narrowly shoot over.

Swansea were level with the last kick of the half.

A long punt forward saw Stags claim for offside, but when the flag stayed down, Routledge rounded Logan inside the box and applied an easy finish to level the game.

The second period produced far fewer goalscoring opportunities.

Swansea won a corner on 66 minutes, the first real point of note in the half. Nathan Dyer flew down the flank to cross, but it was blocked by defender Matt Preston and out for a flag kick.

Otis Khan attempted to spark the game back into life on 71, with a mazy run through the middle before he was stopped in his tracks.

Then in between the Stags' sticks, young goalkeeper Aidan Stone made a splendid save. 

Following a cross from the wing, Stone had to position himself well and then show fine agility to get down quickly to his near post to keep out a headed effort from close range.

As Stags looked to restore their lead, Jacob Mellis, Mal Benning and Willem Tomlinson tried their luck from outside the box, but to no avail.

The half ended in the same fashion as the first as Swansea scored again.

Barrie McKay cut in from the left to shoot low beneath Aidan Stoke from 15 yards.

Despite the scoreline, boss John Dempster will have been encouraged by the shape with which his side kept against Championship opponents and their high work ethic, along with some impressive displays.

FIRST HALF: Logan, Stokes, Pearce, Sweeney, Clarke, Bishop, Hamilton, Smith, Fielding, Quigley, Maynard.

SECOND HALF: Stone, A. Walker, Preston, Gibbens, Mellis, Law, Tomlinson, Khan, Benning, Cook, Rose.