MANSFIELD Town boosted their Blue Square Premier play-off hopes – and stretched their unbeaten run to four matches – with a hard-fought victory over Salisbury City at Field Mill this afternoon.

After an innocuous first 30 minutes, the Stags took control with two goals in eight minutes from Jon Challinor and Jon Shaw.

Salisbury hit back quickly through Reece Connolly's close range finish to set up a tense second half.

Mansfield looked to have made the game safe when Kyle Perry made it 3-1 – and the hosts should have put the game beyond sight.

City kept going and Ben Adelsbury late strike set up a tense finish, but Rob Duffy netted his 15th goal of the season in the dying seconds to seal three priceless points.

The Stags should have been in front inside 90 seconds when Rob Duffy somehow headed wide of the left-hand post from close range following a superb Louis Briscoe cross from the right.

Andy Nicholas was alert to prevent Matt Tubbs from getting in after Michael Brough's attempted header back to Alan Marriott came up short.

Tubbs tried his luck from a 25-yard free-kick soon after but Marriott was always confident of the ball going wide, which it did.

The hosts went close twice in a matter of seconds as first Jon Shaw flashed across the face of goal and then Louis Briscoe forced James Bittner to push the Ball around his near post.

After a long period of inactivity, which frustrated many of the Mansfield fans, the home side went in front on the half hour.

Good work from Louis Briscoe and Gary Silk in the right-hand side of the box saw the ball eventually break for Challinor, whose shot from 16 yards took a deflection to deceive Bittner and find the net.

It was almost 2-0 moments later as Marriott's long kick found Rob Duffy and his low shot produced an excellent save from Bittner, diving to his right.

But David Holdsworth's men were two goals to the good in the 37th minute thanks to a flowing move.

Ryan Williams switched play to the right flank where Louis Briscoe beat his marker for pace and crossed from the right byline for Shaw to head home the simplest of chances from close range.

But Salisbury were handed a lifeline just two minutes later. A free-kick was cleared onto a City player, which diverted the ball back towards goal.

Marriott was alert to turn the ball onto the left-hand post, but Connolly followed up to tap home the rebound.

Just one minute of stoppage time was added and saw Salisbury on the attack, but Mansfield stood firm until the break.

Before the second period began, the Stags brought on Kyle Nix for Challinor.

But it was Salisbury who started the better and Tubbs headed a good chance over the top after the hosts had failed to clear a left-wing throw.

Mansfield responded with a slick attack that saw Duffy head into the arms of Bittner from Nix's deft cross.

Salisbury were looking dangerous on the counter and Marriott had to be down quickly to keep out Tubbs' volley from a tight angle from a long Chris Bush pass.

Briscoe was at his buccaneering best when he ran half the length of the field, surging past two challenges, before crossing just beyond Duffy at the back post.

Duffy was not too far away when his back header dropped just wide of the right-hand post from Nicholas' long throw.

Briscoe was the next to try his luck just before the hour mark but his shot did not bend enough to find the left-hand corner.

Midway through the half, Perry was introduced for the half working Shaw and as the Stags won a corner, Luke Foster headed just wide.

City were almost level in the 70th minute but former Stag Darrell Clarke was denied by a fine, diving stop from Marriott.

Another break away down the right from Briscoe saw him pull the ball back for Nix, whose goalbound shot was blocked by a visiting defender. Briscoe fired against the outside of the post from the follow up but was ruled offside.

But the Stags did re-establish their two-goal lead thanks to an excellent piece of work by Mills.

He robbed Ben Adelsbury, ran with the ball, committed the last defender and then slid the perfect square pass for Perry, who slid beyond the advancing Bittner with ease.

Salisbury threw caution to the wind and pulled a goal back as the game moved into stoppage time when Adelsbury's drive from the edge of the box deflected past a wrong-footed Marriott.

But Duffy eased the nerves of the Stags fans with the last significant kick of the match, powering home from close range after more smart work from Briscoe.

STAGS: Marriott, Silk, Brough, Foster, Nicholas, Briscoe, Mills, Challinor, Williams, Duffy, Shaw. Subs: Somner, Sturrock, Nix, Collett, Perry.

SALISBURY: Bittner, Anderson, Turley, Clarke, Tubbs, Adelsbury, Connolly, Cox, Bull, Bush, Martin. Subs: Pryce, Colhessy, Ruddick, Gray, Flood.