Stephen Quinn’s second goal of the season wasn’t enough as Stags left Poundland Bescot Stadium empty handed.
Walsall struck eighty seconds after half-time and despite a leveller on 50 minutes, the Saddlers again found the net on 65 minutes to settle the outcome.
Mansfield will be disappointed however to leave without points after creating the game’s better chances and having a perfectly good goal not awarded on 31 minutes as Flint’s attempt clearly went over the goalline.
Three changes were made from Tuesday’s 9-2 thrashing at home to Harrogate.
Hat-trick hero Hiram Boateng was moved to the bench.
Midfielders Ollie Clarke and George Maris were introduced to the starting XI.
Forward Will Swan – who netted a brace in midweek – partnered Lucas Akins in attack.
Tom Nichols and Davis Keillor-Dunn, both of whom found the net on Tuesday, started on the subs’ bench.
Walsall registered the game’s first shot in the ninth minute when Jack Earing‘s half-volley from the edge of the box was well held by goalkeeper Christy Pym following a free-kick from the right flank which was only half cleared.
Stags had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the 17th minute.
Akins sent Swan in the clear but the frontman dragged his shot wide from the right of the box.
Mansfield went agonisingly close again a minute later when a diving Stephen Quinn headed wide after a delicious ball across the face of goal by Jordan Bowery on the right flank.
On 24 minutes, Walsall’s Josh Gordon headed well past the target from a left-wing cross and on the half-hour mark Earing curled into the palms of Pym after Stags again could only half clear from a free-kick.
Back at the other end, Swan’s close-range effort was denied by goalkeeper Jackson Smith and as the ball spun back out, Clarke’s drive was deflected behind for a corner.
Following the flag-kick, Stags thought they had the lead on 32 minutes when Maris drifted a ball to the back post and Flint’s effort clearly crossed the goalline before Smith gratefully claimed at his midriff, but referee Thomas Parsons thought otherwise.
Stags upped the ante and Cargill was next to test Smith with a rasping strike which the Saddlers’ goalkeeper had to beat away at his near post.
Mansfield continued to apply pressure and on 43 minutes Swan burst into the area before bending a right-footed effort past the post.
Both sides made a change at the break as Olle Clarke made way for Hiram Boateng and for the hosts, Emmanuel Adegboyega replaced Priestly Farquharson.
Walsall went ahead just eighty seconds after the restart.
Isaac Hutchinson delivered from the left channel and Jamille Matt managed to bundle it home from close range.
But Stags responded immediately with a leveller on 50 minutes.
Boateng showed guile and vision to pick out Quinn on the left of the box and he steadied himself to finish the move with a low drive into the bottom right hand corner.
Both sides then battled to try and find a way through to goal and it was Walsall who would soon re-establish their advantage.
On 63 minutes, Maris positioned himself well to block Knowles’ piledriver from outside the box.
And the hosts regained their lead less than two minutes later from a corner as Adegboyega’s deft header inside a crowded box flew into the net.
Walsall had their foot on the gas and Pym was needed to make a smart stop by getting down low to deny Josh Gordon’s hit from the left of the box.
Back at the other end, Swan robbed Walsall of possession ten yards outside the box and pull it back for Quinn who saw the ball cannon off his legs and roll behind for a goal kick.
And it was the pair’s last act in the match as Swan was replaced by Davis Keillor-Dunn and Quinn made way for Aaron Lewis as part of two changes on 70 minutes.
On 77 minutes, Stags made another double substitution as Tom Nichols and Stephen McLaughlin entered the fray for George Maris and Baily Cargill.
Mansfield advanced for another leveller and on 86 minutes Smith had to push away McLaughlin’s deep free-kick before Brunt’s follow-up was scrambled clear.
In stoppage time, Smith had to palm away with one hand to expertly keep out Akins’ close-range attempt after Lewis laid it into the box.
WALSALL: Smith, Okagbue, L. Gordon, Farquharson (Adegboyega H/T), Hutchinson, Matt (Faal 89), Knowles, Comley, Earing (Stirk 90), J. Gordon (Tierney 77), Allen
UNUSED SUBS: Evans, James-Taylor, Oteh
STAGS: Pym, Bowery, Brunt, Flint, Cargill (McLaughlin 78), Reed, Clarke (Boateng H/T), Quinn (Lewis 70), Maris (Nichols 77), Akins, Swan (Keillor-Dunn)
UNUSED SUBS: Flinders, Williams
REFEREE: Thomas Parsons
ATTENDANCE: 6,645 (1,637 Stags’ fans)
