Keeper Ian Dunbavin made a fool out of his manager John Coleman ... but the Accrington boss doesn't mind one bit.

Instead Coleman was celebrating the heroics of his shot-stopper after Dunbavin saved two penalties and played a starring role in only Accrington's second away point of the season.

Coleman said after a late Paul Mullin equaliser snatched a deserved point for Stanley at Mansfield on Saturday: "Ian has made me look a fool, but I don't care. I took him off two minutes before the end of last Tuesday's cup tie at Watford because I didn't fancy him for the penalty shoot-out.

"Now he has saved two penalties I suppose I had better let him stay in goal the next time we face a shoot-out!

"Ian was magnificent today and certainly saved us, we could have lost by five or six but for him."

Coleman also praised his side's resilience.

"I thought we worked very hard and deserved our point. The lads never gave up and we might even have won it at the end. It must have been a great game for the neutral, I feel like I have run a marathon, gone 12 rounds with Ricky Hatton and I am absolutely exhausted.

"I do think that we were exhausted after a long trip to Watford in the cup on Tuesday, whereas Mansfield had a home tie and looked the fresher for it.

"It wasn't the best of performances, but we have shown a lot of character to get a draw. We had chances to win at the end, but perhaps that would have been cruel on Mansfield."

Mullin headed in from six yards to give Accrington a 15th minute lead after Andrew Todd and Gary Roberts, a threat throughout, capitalised on a mistake by Gareth Jelleyman to work a clever cross from the right side of the area.

Then for 45 minutes the visitors hung on grimly as Mansfield laid siege to the goal. Dunbavin's heroics came thick and fast as he beat away Richie Barker's point-blank header, saved the striker's 29th minute penalty with his feet - after Phil Edwards had handled as he tangled with Chris Beardsley on the ground - and then blocked Jake Buxton's close range header in first half injury time.

Nine minutes into the second half Beardsley, trying to capitalise on a slip by Robert Williams, was brought down by Dunbavin - but the keeper redeemd himself, diving superbly to his right to turn away substitute Alan Sheehan's penalty.

Accrington somehow survived again just a minute later when Buxton headed Matt Hamshaw's corner against the bar and Barker nodded the follow-up narrowly over.

Dunbavin was finally beaten in the 57th minute when Hamshaw's 18 yard free kick flew through a crowded penalty area and into the bottom corner.

A minute later Dunbavin responded by acrobatically tipping over substitute Danny Reet's goalbound header, after Alex John-Baptiste hammered a low drive against the foot of the post.

Substitute Romauld Boco's lob was saved, his cross was inexplicably nodded wide by fellow substitute Andrew Mangan when it looked easier to score, Ian Craney's thunderbolt crashed into the side netting and Roberts was twice denied by the increasingly busy Jason White.

However, for all Accrington's chances, it was Mansfield who took the lead in the 81st minute when substitute Michael Boulding beat the offside trap and placed his finish past the advancing Dunbavin.

To their credit the visitors refused to accept defeat and two minuts from time Mullins ghosted into the area unchallenged to head in an Andrew Todd free kick.

Then in injury time Phil Edwards' low drive struck the post, just when Accrington were dreaming of their first away win of the season.