30/01/2008 - Lincoln City 1 Mansfield Town 2
THROUGH the driving rain and gloomy January skies, the imposing sight of Lincoln Cathedral stood out like a beacon from the stands of Sincil Bank.
But out on the pitch it was Mansfield striker Michael Boulding who was yet again the shining light to seal what could prove to be the Stags' most vital three points of the season.
Throughout a troubled campaign, the former Grimsby and Barnsley hitman has produced the goals to keep the Stags in with a fighting chance of avoiding the drop out of the Football League.
And last night he showed again why he is the man for the big occasion, hitting Lincoln with an old-fashioned one-two just when his team needed it most.
There was no denying Boulding owed his opener to a slice of good fortune as Alan Marriott failed to save a shot that went straight through his hands as he dived to his left.
But the 31-year-old's second in the last of three added minutes at the end of the game was class - and took his tally for the season to 17.
It was the kind of predatory, close-range finish that has marked him out as the key man in a struggling side and the reason why he is a player coveted by so many other teams in League Two.
So shocked were the home officials by the dramatic, final twist, the scoreboard still read 1-1 long after the match had finished.
Yet although they left it to the very last seconds, Mansfield's success - their third on the trot away from home - was no more than they deserved.
There was no doubting Lincoln were well on top in the opening half an hour and should have been in front.
As early as the second minute, Lenell John-Lewis went clear but Carl Muggleton raced off his line to make what turned out to be a crucial stop.
The Imps also had other half-chances as they piled on the pressure going in search of a second home win inside four days.
But after that, Mansfield began to get a grip on proceedings and in the second half they had by far the better opportunities.
Even the disappointment of conceding a leveller through Jamie Forrester's penalty on the hour did not hold them back when they could easily have crumbled.
Instead, the visitors fought on gamely and while it was not the best Mansfield performance by any means, they were rewarded for showing the ambition to go for a winner.
The actions of boss Billy Dearden this season have not always met with universal approval, but his bold decision to throw on attacking players Ian Holmes and Will Atkinson late on, at the expense of losing a degree of defensive solidity, yielded a maximum return.
While teenager Atkinson gave the Stags the width they had made do without for much of the game, it was Holmes' introduction that proved the real masterstroke.
After Simon Brown had struggled to make any kind of headway for three-quarters of the match, Holmes instantly caused City problems.
Perhaps spurred on by the news that another striker, Jefferson Louis, will be signing for the club today, the former Matlock player did his claims for selection against Brentford this coming Saturday no harm at all.
Within seconds he teed up Atkinson for a left-foot shot that could have seen the youngster score with his first touch for the club, but he shot straight at Marriott.
Holmes was then unlucky to hit the underside of the bar with Marriott beaten nine minutes from time before shooting straight at the keeper from another golden chance.
Fortunately from the Stags' point of view, the man from the Wirral did not let his head drop and it was his flick on from Matt Hamshaw's long ball forward that allowed Boulding to slide home the winner.
At the other end of the park, the Stags were resolute and, aside from the goal, Muggleton had just one save to make, tipping over a Lee Beevers header late in the first period.
That was despite losing Dan Martin to a thigh injury early in the second half, which forced a reshuffle of the back four.
The excellent Gareth Jelleyman reverted back to his regular left-back slot, Johnny Mullins came into the middle and substitute Chris Wood went to right-back.
The only serious blemish came from skipper Jake Buxton, who conceded a second penalty in three games,although he clearly felt the decision for pulling back Forrester was a harsh one.
In midfield, the Stags were workmanlike, and Matt Hamshaw continued to show a welcome upturn in form that began with his goal in the FA Cup victory at Brighton.
The huge importance of Mansfield's triumph was underlined by Dagenham's surprise win at in-form Wycombe. Had the Stags lostthey would have been a morale-sapping nine points adrift of the Imps and six points behind the Daggers. As it is, the club are now three points from safety but with two games in hands on their two closest rivals.
There is still a long way to go before Mansfield know what division they will be playing in next season.
But if Boulding continues to play a central role, their chances of League Two football will be greatly enhanced.