IT has been a season of frustration for Arron Davies, but things are looking much brighter for the midfielder after an afternoon in the Field Mill sunshine.

The Welshman's early season was hampered by injury and just as he was beginning to find his feet for the Reds, he suffered another setback, damaging his calf in the pre-game warm-up at Cardiff in late January.

Davies has been working hard to get back into the first team reckoning at the City Ground ever since.

And this was some kind of reward with the final run-in for Championship survival just around the corner.

When the international break is out the way, Forest will have six games to save their skins.

And Davies will hope he is back to full fitness and then to play in what the Reds hope will be a push for safety.

Davies was the only recognisable regular first-team squad member in what was a youthful Forest line-up.

He was relatively quiet in his contribution but importantly got 76 minutes under his belt before being replaced by Tim Hopkinson.

Mansfield fielded a strong side with just four players having not featured at first team level this season.

Daryl Clare has been getting slowly fitter since making his loan move to the Stags from Rushden with a view to a permanent deal in the summer.

But a goal is always most welcome for a striker at a new club – even if is in the reserves.

And it was the kind of finish that has earned him the reputation as one of the most prolific goalscorers in non-League football that saw him put his side on their way to a rare reserves victory.

In the fourth minute, Aaron O'Connor turned the ball back from the left byline to the edge of the box, where the ball dropped kindly for Clare.

He needed no second invitation to curl a right-footer past Karl Darlow.

Moments of action were few and far between until the 34th minute when a flowing Mansfield move building from right to left allowed Michael Blackwood to cross for Clare whose header was impressively pushed away by Darlow.

At the other end, Adam Newbold fired in a terrific shot from distance that was heading for the top right-hand corner until White tipped it over

The Reds came out strongly after the restart and Hamze Bencherif blasted over the bar.

That proved costly as Stags made it 2-0 in the 74th minute when O'Connor rifled home from inside the box.

Mansfield: White (English 54), E. Reid, Turner, Havern, Naylor, MacKenzie, Gardner, Woodhouse (Gascoigne 59), Clare (Higginson 69), O'Connor, Blackwood. Subs not used: Ryan, Shaw.

Forest: Darlow, Sharpe, Tait, Hook, Mitchell, Bencherif, Davies (Hopkinson 76), Rodney (Diagne 54), Newbold (Moke 86), Whitehurst, J. Reid. Subs not used: Darnet, Wright.