A BRIAN Wake brace condemned Mansfield Town to only a second home league defeat in 14 months at Field Mill today.

Struggling Gateshead punished a dire Stags side as Wake scored early in both halves to earn his side a 2-0 win.

The kick off was delayed by 20 minutes due to crowd congestion with fans flocking to take up the Mansfield offer to pay what they liked to enter.

But after just five minutes the Stags were behind as Wake's 20-yard effort was deflected beyond Alan Marriott into the corner of the net.

A poor Mansfield failed to conjure up a single chance until Jake Speight's shot on the turn at the end of the half.

But the Stags had goalkeeper Marriott to thank for still being in the game after he twice saved well and Wake also missed a glorious chance before Mansfield were booed off at half time.

Mansfield made a double substitution at the break with Jon Challinor and Kyle Perry replacing Hotchkiss and Briscoe.

But three minutes in, Gateshead scored again. Stags skipper Luke Foster was at fault as he left a long punt forward from the visiting goalkeeper.

And Wake obliged as he picked up the ball, cut inside onto his right foot before showing great composure as he drilled the ball beyond Marriott.

Mansfield upped their own tempo as they looked to punish a tiring Gateshead side to get back in the game but they could not carve out any clear chances, a rising Ryan Williams effort over the bar the closest they got before the game entered the final 15 minutes.

The hosts piled on the pressure and good work by Speight saw him find Williams but after he floated in the ball across the face of goal, Speight failed to finish the move he started as he headed well wide.

Paul Farman then pulled off a great double save as he dived at the feet of Speight to save before palming Gary Silk's effort from the rebound onto the bar.

In the 89th minute Stags substitute Tom Shaw dived in at the near post to meet Williams' low cross but diverted the ball over the bar.

Stags: Marriott, Silk, C Armstrong, Foster, L Jones, Briscoe (Perry, 46), Somner, Hotchkiss (Challinor, 46), R Williams, Speight, Duffy (Shaw, 68). Subs: Collett, Brough.

Gateshead: Farman, Robinson, Gate, Curtis, C Jones, G Armstrong (Francis, 69), Sinclair (McDermott, 67), Wake, D Williams, Winn, Ferrell. Subs: Provett, Baxter, Baines.

Referee: Andy Hendley

Attendance: 7,261 (74 visitors)