ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman seems to have the knack of uncovering gems in the left wing role.

First there was the tricky Russell Payne, followed by expert crosser Rory Prendergast and then wing wizard Gary Roberts came and made the spot his own.

And now he seems to have another on his books in pacey Shaun Whalley who held his nerve to fire home what was a vital winner eight minutes from time against Mansfield on Tuesday.

Not that the boss wants to put too much onus on the 19-year-old who has made the step up from non-league side Witton Albion and is getting used to playing regularly in League Two.

"We have got to be careful in that we don't put too much pressure on Shaun," said the Reds chief.

"He is a different type of player to Gary and is a young lad and he won't be used to the pressure he is playing under now.

"He is handling it well so far but we've got to be careful we don't push him too far. Saying that, his goal was an absolute stormer."

Whalley got the ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a fierce shot which tucked into the bottom of the net.

The teenager took it well - and it could be one of the most important goals of Stanley's season if it prompts the turnabout in fortunes which everyone connected with the club so desperately desires.

Coleman knows there has been false starts before with the new year bringing a win against Wrexham and then the Reds slipped into their old ways and slumped to two losses.

But the table suddenly look a lot better after Tuesday's win with Stanley jumping up to 19th place and their first victory at home since September 30 should, hopefully, inspire them to greater things - which means a climb towards the safety of mid-table.

"We have to build on this win," said a relieved Coleman after the game, only Stanley's second victory in 14 league games. "We thought it was the start of something against Wrexham and it turned out to be a false dawn.

"We have got to hammer home that this isn't going to be a false dawn. That this this has got to be the start of the run which gets us up the table.

"It was a strange game and, speaking to their manager on the bench, it was mistakes all round and thankfully we came out on top. It was a massive three points for us."

It was a solid team show from the Reds who did make a couple of the now regular bloopers.

But they were able to make sure that these didn't have the major say in the outcome of the game and Coleman's players took responsibility to have a go - and score some quality goals.

Saying that, striker Paul Mullin will probably not have had an easier goal.

Most of the Stanley fans were open mouthed in amazement when a defensive mix-up after just 24 seconds between defender Alex John-Baptiste and keeper Jason White let in Mullin.

Usually it is Stanley making those kind of mistakes so it was nice to capitalise on one and Mullin walked the ball into the empty net - his eighth league goal of the campaign.

"We got a dream start," continued Coleman. "We were moaning about our luck - that people don't make those mistakes that we were making - and low and behold we got a gift of a goal."

Stanley then took charge of the clash, which was like a cup final between two sides at the wrong end of the table.

The Reds were passing the ball around well and keeper Rob Elliot barely touched the ball in the opening half -an-hour.

And it got worse for the Stags when they lost playmaker Giles Coke - after he fouled Rommy Boco - to a suspected cruciate ligament injury on 23 minutes.

From the resulting free kick, Whalley was then bemoaning the width of the post after cracking a twice taken set-piece against the upright.

Then, though, the home side fell for the sucker punch as has happened all too often this season.

A Matty Hamshaw free kick was punched out by Elliot but only to sub Simon Brown whose shot was deflected to Barry Conlon on the edge of the area.

He fired the ball into the empty net beyond the stranded Elliot - it was Conlon's second goal in two games for his new club since his move from Darlington.

The next major move was another goal - and it was the Stags again who came good.

Two minutes before the break, Hamshaw placed a good ball through for Steve Dawson, who has just returned from a back injury, and he ran onto it and slid the ball past the Stanley goalie.

"We controlled the game for 20 minutes and should have been two or three up, we have hit the post and then for some reason, we gave two stupid goals away and that is disappointing," said the Reds chief.

"But, maybe other teams would have folded when we went 2-1 down with the run we have been on, but we have got big characters in the side and got lads who are prepared to go the extra mile."

And they did in the second half.

David Brown, Andy Todd and Mullin all linked up well just after the break with some good crosses which just needed a touch.

And then came a Michael Welch speciality - and, in terms of importance, this was probably better than his 40-yarder against Stockport.

Whalley had taken most of the free kicks but the defender put himself behind this one on the hour.

He ran up and blasted it with keeper White flinging his hand at it but unable to stop the powerful shot nestling into the top corner of the net.

"I been preaching at them for ages to hit the free kicks hard," said Coleman."I think you have always got a chance if you hit it hard and hit the target like Gary Roberts showed last year. Thankfully it went onto the top corner."

It could have gone either way then with Stanley continuing to build-up strongly and Mansfield were always dangerous on the break.

Martin Gritton raced through but chose to shoot rather than pass and looped the ball over Elliot and the goal.

Meanwhile, Stanley defender Phil Edwards must have got a nose bleed he was so far up the pitch but he twisted and turned like a striker in the area before his close range effort was blocked by White.

Then, it was hearts in mouths time, when Elliot's goal kick landed straight at striker Micky Boulding who had only been on the pitch five minutes.

He had all the time in the world to race forward and score but the keeper, after his mistake, came out and made it hard for Boulding and Elliot denied him a golden chance to retake the lead.

And, from this, Stanley raced straight down the other end with Whalley cutting in but his strike was inches wide of the far post.

"I went down on my knees as I thought that was our golden opportunity gone," said Coleman. "I am sending Shaun the cleaning bill for my trousers!"

It was a breath-taking second half and it was soon the Stags turn to have another go with bustling striker Conlon charging through with only the out-rushing Elliot to beat but he again chipped the ball over the keeper and wide of the empty net.

Stanley introduced new signing, Chris McGrail for the final 10 minutes, a 17-year-old striker who is on work experience from Preston for a month, and he was certainly lively as there was hardly time to pause for breath.

But step forward Whalley who kept his composure beyond his years to fire home his first Stanley goal - and a glorious winner.

The Reds could have added another in injury-time but Mullin's effort was ruled off-side.

"That was a good team performance," said Coleman. "David Brown had a tremendous game and Chris McGrail has come on and been a handful. Toddy (Andy Todd) has run himself into the ground and Jay Harris has too - he had a fantastic game.

"Now we have got to keep applying ourselves and doing the right things and then, hopefully, we will stay up."

Mansfield boss Billy Dearden was distraught as it was a chance to put some space between his side and the bottom few.

"We were outfought and outbattled and I have told the lads so. A few heads have dropped. If we watch the video, I think both managers will see such a lot of mistakes and unfortunately for us, we were punished."

'I can make you feel good' belted out from the tannoy system around the ground at the end - that win certainly made everyone connected with Stanley feel that way.