Sam Collins’ side had to settle for a point in a tightly-contested Youth Alliance League fixture away to Doncaster Rovers on Saturday which finished 2-2.
Goalkeeper Louie Turner, defender Taylor Anderson and forward McKeal Abdullah were absent from Stags’ clash at Doncaster after being called up to the first team squad at AFC Wimbledon.
Jakub Krusynski donned the captain's armband for the first time this campaign due to the absence of Anderson and central midfielder Charlie Carter.
Mansfield forward Alfie King gave his side the lead midway through the first-half but the hosts managed to find the back of Theo Avery’s net prior to the break.
A bright start to the second-half saw the Stags regain their advantage as attacking midfielder Ronnie Kokkinos placed a composed effort into the bottom corner but it was late heartbreak for the under-19s as defender Will Flint fired beyond Avery in stoppage time which saw the points shared at Cantley Park Training Ground.
Both sides enjoyed chances in an exciting start to the encounter.
King had the game's first clear cut opening following a dangerous ball from defender Darien Wauchope, but the attacker ultimately fired at Rovers’ shot-stopper Jacob Bryant.
And just moments later, the hosts had a brilliant chance to also break the deadlock when midfielder Sam Brown found himself through on goal but Stags’ shot-stopper Theo Avery - who was recently called up to a Republic of Ireland training camp - made a fine save to keep the contest level.
Mansfield were rewarded for the work they put into the start of the contest when they broke the deadlock on 18 minutes.
Left-back Louis Bonser - formerly an attacker - fired a venomous effort on goal, which forced a save from Bryant in Doncaster’s goal but the ‘keeper could only push his shot out to the lurking Alfie King at the back post, who was on hand to tap home the opener from close range.
Sam Collins was forced into his first change on 25 minutes when creative midfielder Bailey Hamilton went down following a challenge and was unable to continue and was replaced by forward Daniel Organ.
Rovers’ attacker Tom Parkinson came close to restoring parity for his side on 35 minutes after connecting brilliantly with the ball from the edge of the area only to see his effort crash against Avery’s post.
The hosts looked almost certain to score five minutes before the break when attacker Harry Wood played a through ball to Brown who found himself one-on-one with Stags’ shot-stopper but Avery managed to make an outstanding save.
Doncaster’s pressure was rewarded just one minute later when Wood fired beyond the Stags’ ‘keeper to bring his side level prior to the interval.
The start of the second-half provided Rovers with another brilliant opening when Jack Goodman found himself through on goal but Avery managed to make the pivotal stop with his legs as the ball looked destined to roll beyond the goalkeeper.
Sam Collins’ young guns regained the advantage on 56 minutes when box-to-box midfielder Finn Flanagan drove towards Doncaster’s box. After knocking the ball beyond the defender Flanagan hammered a threatening ball into the area from the byline and Kokkinos managed to take a touch and place his composed effort beyond Bryant into the bottom corner.
Organ had a great chance to extend Mansfield’s lead on 74 minutes but his effort was ultimately saved by Doncaster’s ‘keeper.
King - who scored the opening goal - was replaced by centre-back Daragh Walsh on 79 minutes as they aimed to see out the game.
And they made their final substitution on 87 minutes when Kokkinos was replaced by under-16s’ attacker Che Whitman-Brown.
Mansfield worked hard to see out the game and secure all three points but it was heartbreak in stoppage time for Sam Collins’ side as defender Will Flint managed to poke home Rovers’ equaliser in the dying seconds.
DONCASTER ROVERS: Bryant, Fletcher, Allen, Bennett (Raper 66), Petch (Williams 60), Flint, Brown (Lindley 66), Khan (Scattergood 79), Goodman, Wood, Parkinson
UNUSED SUB: Green
MANSFIELD TOWN: Avery, Hartmann, Maher, Wauchope, Bonser, Whyle, Flanagan, Hamilton (Organ 25), Kruszynski, Kokkinos (Whitman-Brown 87), King (Walsh 79)
UNUSED SUBS: Leech, Aynsley-Johnson
