"I AM STILL wiping the custard pie off my face," admitted a sheepish John Coleman after two penalty saves from his keeper Ian Dunbavin on Saturday.
The goalie certainly left the Stanley chief red-faced after Coleman had replaced him with Rob Elliot for the penalty shoot-out against Watford in the Carling Cup four days before.
The Hornets won the spot-kicks with Coleman beating himself up about the decision to swap the keepers after the game - and Dunbavin rubbed it in on Saturday.
"That just confirms my worst fears that I have had since Tuesday," said the boss with a wry smile. "Ian was magnificent again and, but for him, we would have lost, it is as plain and simple as that. When we needed him, he stepped up to the plate. It is his job and you would expect him to make saves, but I didn't expect him to make that many!"
Dunbavin was delighted after another heroic show earned an away point for the Reds.
The 26-year-old said: "I felt brilliant. I guessed the right way for the first penalty and just threw my leg out and, for the second, I thought he would double bluff me but I guessed right again.
"I was made up as I have never saved two penalties in a game before. The lads were made up for me too and I have got a lot more confident.
"I have got used to the lads and I do shout at them - although they give it back! - and we have a good squad here. Having Rob (Elliot) pushing me all the way is only good for me and I like the pressure. I would like to think I have done enough to keep hold of my shirt."
Coleman couldn't possibly drop him after such a commanding performance in an enthralling end-to-end game.
Stanley did seem jaded after Tuesday night's escapades in London but still held the lead thanks to their only shot in the first half - headed home by Paul Mullin. Mansfield hit the bar, had a penalty saved and missed an open goal.
In the second half, it was more even with both sides again hitting the woodwork, missing great chances, then scoring dramatic goals - and Dunbavin pulled off another penalty save. It was exhausting to watch, never mind play in.
"I feel like I have run a marathon, gone 12 rounds with Ricky Hatton and climbed Everest," said Coleman. "I feel absolutely shattered so imagine what the players feel like.
"We looked leggy. Mansfield looked like they were in bed at 11 on Tuesday while, at that time, we were taking penalties and then it took us four hours to get home.
"On another day, we could have got beat heavily but it is testament to our character that we kept going to the end - and we could have won it."
One of Coleman's favourite phrases is 'If it was a boxing match, the referee would have stopped it' and, in the first half, if one-time Premiership ref Mark Clattenburg had halted proceedings, it would have been firmly in the Stags favour.
They bombarded Stanley's goal but somehow the visitors were ahead at the interval.
The goal came on 16 minutes when Andy Todd pulled the ball back for Gary Roberts, he crossed and Mullin headed home via a defender on the line. Then it was backs-to-the-wall for the Reds.
The burly Stephen Dawson was almost on the goalline when he got his head to the ball from a corner but somehow Dunbavin punched it clear.
Chris Beardsley had the goal at his mercy but amazingly headed wide while, on 28 minutes, Phil Edwards tried to recover after Beardsley passed him but slipped in the area on the ball and was harshly judged to have handled it. Top scorer Richie Barker took the penalty but Dunbavin stuck out his legs and denied Mansfield again.
Then Peter Cavanagh cleared a John Mullins header off the line and Dunbavin dived low to keep out a certain Barker goal on the stroke of half-time.
The Mansfield press couldn not believe that their side were losing at the interval.
They thought their team would finally get at least a leveller on 54 minutes when Dunbavin and Edwards sandwiched Beardsley and Clattenburg again pointed to the penalty spot.
This time sub Alan Sheehan took control but he had as much luck as Barker, with Dunbavin diving the right way. The goalie was still getting congratulated by his team mates when the resulting corner was whizzed in and Alex Jon-Baptiste thumped the ball against the crossbar.
But, four minutes later, the Stags got what their pressure deserved when they won a free kick on the left wing and the lively Matt Hamshaw rifled it in through a sea of bodies and into the net. Baptiste then hit the upright from another corner as there was little time to pause for breath.
However, it wasn't the one way traffic of the first half and Stanley sub Jay Harris could have made himself an instant hero. The midfielder got on the end of a Roberts' corner and home keeper Jason White needed two attempts to push his effort over.
Ian Craney wasn't too far off after dispossessing Jon D'Laryea while Dunbavin was in action again palming over a Danny Reet header.
And Stanley must have thought they had lined up the winner on 78 minutes when impressive sub Rommy Boco played in the perfect cross for the unmarked Andy Mangan, who had been on the pitch for one minute. But, with an open goal, the pacey striker headed wide.
And it looked like the Reds would pay with nine minutes left when they lost the ball in midfield, D'Laryea's through ball found Michael Boulding who beat the off-side and slotted home.
However, the Stags were only celebrating for four minutes. Then a Todd free kick from his own half found Mullin who had got in front of the defence and headed the ball in for the equaliser.
And Edwards could have grabbed it at the end when he shot from 30 yards - but hit the post - and Roberts had a great chance to wrap it up with virtually the final kick but Mansfield threw their bodies in front of the ball to make sure Stanley didn't chalk up their first away win.
