Late Leveller Earns Stags Point

Mansfield Town 2-2 Barnsley (EFL League One) 14.03.2026

A stoppage time equaliser from Stephen McLaughlin saw Mansfield Town battle back from two goals down to earn a share of the spoils when home to Barnsley on Saturday afternoon.

It would be a former Notts County striker, David McGoldrick, who’d open the scoring for the visiting Tykes, midway through the first half, with Scott Banks doubling their advantage early in the second half.

Despite having a mountain to climb, the Stags battled back to earn a point as Lucas Akins netted from the spot, and McLaughlin bagged that valuable second; both sides created chances early on, with Laim Roberts (Mansfield) and Owen Goodman (Barnsley) doing well between their respective sticks.

Goodman, prior to his side opening the scoring, did well to prevent Frazer Blake-Tracy, who this past week signed a new contract keeping him at the One Call until the summer of 2028, and Rhys Oates from finding the back of the net, before, at the other end, Tom Bradshaw’s lay-off to McGoldrick saw the former County striker fire home low from range.

Banks did see an effort shortly after McGoldrick’s opener saved by Roberts, his side going in a goal to the good at the break; he wasn’t to be denied upon the restart though, Patrick Jelly playing in from the left and Banks’ effort, straight at effort, had enough power to go through his hands and into the home goal.

Having made three changes at the break, a fourth for the hosts, Nathan Moriah-Welsh on for George Abbott ten minutes later, paid instant dividends, Nigel Clough’s side getting themselves back into the game from the spot.

Moriah-Welsh was brought down in the box by Banks and referee Martin Woods pointed to the penalty spot, up stepped Akins to smash home the spot-kick beyond Goodman in the visiting goal.

The goal galvanised in the ascendancy, and they finally got their reward, after efforts from Will Evans, and McLaughlin, were denied, four minutes into added time when a throw-in from Elliott Hewitt, one of the half-time changes, is cleared as far as McLaughlin, who chests down the ball and rifles past Goodman from a dozen yards to level proceedings.

MANSFIELD TOWN – Liam Roberts, Kyle Knoyle (Elliott Hewitt, 46), Deji Oshilaja, Frazer Blake-Tracy, Lucas Akins, Louis Reed (capt; Oliver Irow, 87), George Abbott (Nathan Moriah-Welsh, 56), Stephen McLaughlin, Aaron Lewis (Regan Hendry, 46), Victor Adeboyejo (Will Evans, 46), Rhys Oates

The Tykes remain four points ahead of the Stags in the table, the visitors sitting twelfth and the hosts fifteenth after the game, Mansfield now looking a Tuesday (17 March) night’s tough game away to Bradford City, before welcoming second bottom Northampton Town to the One Call on Saturday (21 March) afternoon.