Mansfield Town’s 17 league game unbeaten run came to an end as Jake Young scored in either half to give Swindon a 2-1 win at The County Ground.
Stags were set for a point as Lucas Akins climbed off the bench to net his eighth goal of the season to cancel out Young’s first-half strike.
But Young got his brace in second-half stoppage time, turning home from close range after Swindon twice struck the woodwork.
Boss Nigel Clough named an unchanged side from last Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Newport County.
Swindon were immediately under the cosh and former Robins’ midfielder Louis Reed saw his 15-yard effort blocked en route to goal inside the opening two minutes.
Stags maintained their early pressure and home goalkeeper Murphy Mahoney had to punch clear Baily Cargill’s dipping left-wing cross before the defender nodded over from Aaron Lewis’ corner moments later.
Swindon registered their first chance of the contest after 11 minutes when Mansfield goalkeeper Christy Pym dived smartly to his left to claim Remeao Hutton’s side-footed attempt.
Midway through the first-half, Stags’ defender Lewis Brunt made a vital intervention outside the goal area to turn the ball behind for a corner. And from the subsequent flag-kick, captain Frazer Blake-Tracy directed his bullet header wide after a well-work set-piece.
On 29 minutes, Mahoney was unconvincing on the edge of his six-yard box, as Oates saw an opportunity to charge him down. But the goalkeeper’s blushes were spared as he slammed the ball into the Stags’ frontman before watching it spin out for a goal kick.
The Robins wasted a chance to properly test Pym nine minutes before the break. Saidou Kemp weaved into the box to find Jake Young, but his miscued strike was comfortably held by the Stags’ goalkeeper.
Two minutes later, midfielder George Maris received the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Young midway inside the Stags’ half.
And from the free-kick, Swindon were ahead as Kemp and Young again combined.
Kemp dinked the ball directly into the box and Young peeled away from his marker to volley into the right corner of the net from five yards.
Mansfield’s best chance of the half went begging in the final minute of normal time.
Oates did well to dance down the left-hand channel and cut in field to lay a low pass to the advancing Aaron Lewis, whose first time shot from just inside the box was aimed straight at Mahoney.
Nigel Clough made a double change at the break as Stephen Quinn and Lucas Akins replaced George Maris and Jordan Bowery.
And the changes paid instant dividends as Stags drew level on 49 minutes.
Davis Keillor-Dunn knocked a clever pass into space for Lewis who burst over the halfway line. And his low ball forward sent Akins on his way as the striker took two touches to break into the box before planting a lovely left-footed finish past Mahoney.
The game opened up and after Oates flung himself into the way of a Swindon shot, both sides had penalty appeals dismissed.
The Robins thought Flint handled Khan’s strike and at the other end Keillor-Dunn looked to be hauled down, but on both occasions the referee went unmoved.
Stags came close to a lead when Lewis’ strike from 16 yards was blocked and Reed volleyed over the follow-up from outside the area.
Centre-half Brunt then embarked on a dazzling run to feed Keillor-Dunn, but his shot lacked power to seriously test Mahoney.
Stags kept their foot on the pedal and Flint powered a header into Mahoney’s midriff after Reed’s lofted cross from the left.
On 70 minutes, Khan made a crunching tackle on Quinn but after a couple of minutes’ treatment, the midfielder was able to continue.
Stags hit the bar less than a minute after Swindon made their first change.
Reed arrowed a high free-kick into the box and Cargill nodded across the face of goal for Akins, who saw his header cannon back off the bar.
At the other end, Pym was called upon to beat away Kemp’s driven low effort before Williams Kokolo’s follow-up was deflected behind.
On 83 minutes, Oates did well to rob the ball midway inside the home half, though his ferocious attempt flew over. It was his last act of the encounter as Calum Macdonald was introduced for the closing stages.
Lewis was presented with another opportunity on 88 minutes, but his low strike was straight at Mahoney.
A minute later, Flint – who was sent up front – clipped in to a stooping Akins who headed at the goalkeeper after being well-monitored inside the box.
As the game crept towards the 90, Keillor-Dunn made way for Hiram Boateng.
Then came the later sucker-punch.
In the third minute of stoppage time, the hosts twice hit both posts and after Stags were unable to clear, Young was first to the scramble and applied a close-range finish to win the encounter.
SWINDON: Mahoney, Godwin-Malife, Minturn, Blake-Tracy, Hutton, Khan, McEachran (Shade 77), Kinsella, Kokolo (Austin 89), Kemp, Young
UNUSED SUBS: L. Ward, Genesini, Dworzak, Brown, Hart
STAGS: Pym, Johnson, Flint, Brunt, Cargill, Reed, Lewis, Maris (Quinn HT), Keillor-Dunn (Boateng 89), Oates (Macdonald 84), Bowery (Akins HT)
UNUSED SUBS: Flinders, Williams, Swan
REFEREE: Lee Swabey
ATTENDANCE: 8,322 (Stags’ fans 684)
