05/05/2008 - Dagenham 2 Mansfield Town 0
The last away game of the season has always been a day for Mansfield fans to don their fancy dress costumes and party - but not this year.
Instead of the Captain America costumes, women's clothing and jester outfits, a large number of the Yellow Army wore only black.
It was a union designed to mourn the relegation of the club from the Football League after 76 seasons and, at the same time, protest against the continued ownership of the club by Keith Haslam.
After apparently being assaulted after Mansfield's telling defeat at home to Rotherham last week, the club's former chief executive insists he still wants to sell the club.
It remains to be seen whether or not that happens this summer, but the Mansfield supporters who travelled to Victoria Road left it in no doubt they want him gone as soon as possible.
"We're down and it's Haslam's fault' and 'We want Haslam out' were belted out from the Barking College End, where more than 1,000 Stags supporters stood.
It was a last, desperate act as they watched the last rites of a desperate season which will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
There was no anger this time as there had been at Field Mill seven days earlier, all that had already come out.
No, this time there seemed a quiet acceptance of their club's fate - and that things could still get worse before they get better.
Although hoping their side would finish on a high and prove that they were unlucky to be relegated, most of the away following suspected Mansfield might just show exactly why they deserved to be relegated.
And against a side who have not fared much better than them in 2007-2008, that is exactly what they did.
One look at the team-sheet pointed to what was to come with five changes, three enforced to the visitors.
With nothing to play for, Michael Boulding (illness), Johnny Mullins (ankle) and Gareth Jelleyman (Achilles) were all sensibly left out. Alex John-Baptiste (calf) was also not fit enough to return.
Jonathan D'Laryea was dropped to the bench while Jefferson Louis - who has been told he has no future at the club - was not even in the 16.
In came Chris Wood at centre back, Dan Martin at left back, Simon Brown on the left of midfield and Rory Boulding up front.
More encouragingly, Lee Bell returned for his first game since February after recovering from knee surgery.
The predictable lack of cohesion and understanding that resulted was evident from the outset and stayed in place throughout the game.
The lack of height was cruelly exposed by Dagenham, who looked strong from set-pieces, aided by the precise delivery from the excellent Sam Saunders.
And the lack of punch up front meant the Stags managed just four shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes - none on target - to leave home goalkeeper Tony Roberts a virtual spectator.
After a campaign that has been an unmitigated from disaster from first to last, it seemed almost fitting that Mansfield played in a manner so familiar - abject, lacking creativity and fight.
A host of players performed as if they knew or expected this to be their last games for Mansfield and, in doing so, encapsulated just why manager Paul Holland has decided a clear-out is necessary if he stays in charge.
The Daggers could have been in front as early as the third minute when Paul Benson's goalbound header was deflected up onto the bar by Bell.
It set the tone for the rest of the match with Dagenham doing most of the attacking and Mansfield sitting back.
Mark Arber, Saunders and Paul Benson all had opportunities to put the hosts in front and only some desperate defending and profligate finishing prevented it.
All the Stags had to show for their first half efforts was a shot over the bar from Matt Hamshaw from the edge of the box and a shot on the turn from Nathan Arnold that was just too high and as close as they would come all afternoon.
If the Yellows were lucky to be level at the break, it did not take John Still's side long to go in front after the restart.
After Dan Martin had miscontrolled, Saunders picked out Benson, whose volley hit the post and was cleared for a corner.
But Mansfield did not heed the warning and Ben Strevens headed home his 20th of the season, unchallenged, from Sam Sloma's right-wing flag kick.
Within four minutes it was 2-0 and, as the Stags were also reduced to ten men, the end of the game as a contest.
As Benson burst clear, he was clearly being tugged back by Buxton as the striker charged into the box.
Jason White saved the resulting shot, but play was pulled back, Mansfield's skipper given his marching orders for the third time this season and a penalty awarded.
Benson duly stepped up to slam home the spot kick and Holland's response was to blood three youngsters - Ryan Goward, Warren Burrell and Lewis Trimmer.
From then on, it was just a question of if Dagenham could add to their two goals.
The answer, in the end, proved to be no as White pulled off fine stops from Stevens (twice) and Arber.
Mansfield's only sight of goal came when Keith Briggs headed over and Trimmer dragged well wide.
It was fitting that Mansfield's existence at this level - for the time being at least - came to an end at this venue.
Because it is fair to say grounds as small as this are sure to become the norm rather than the exception in what is sure to be a culture shock.
At the final whistle, Mansfield's fans were defiant, singing the team's name and clapping the players - to the generous applause from the Daggers contingent who were nothing but sympathetic to their sad plight.
By the time the Dagenham players emerged to salute their support in a lap of honour to celebrate their safety, just a sprinkling of those in the away end remained to look enviously on.
All that is left for them to do now is to get the road atlas out and look up Stevenage, Forest Green and Histon.
And unless a change of ownership is forthcoming in the next couple of months, it is hard to see how the ignominy of non-league football will be for just one season.