Micky Adams named the side beaten in the FA Cup at Scunthorpe last Saturday, but all eyes were on Bobby Zamora again at refurbished Field Mill today.
We revealed on Friday that the Seagulls had turned down a £1.2 million bid from Third Division rivals Cardiff for the prolific 19-year-old.
Manager Micky Adams said he will not prevent Zamora from making a move to a Premiership or First Division club, providing the price is right.
The influential Danny Cullip recovered from a calf injury which has restricted his training to take his place alongside Matthew Wicks at the heart of the defence.
Scott Ramsay was back among the replacements, with Lee Steele ruled out until the New Year by a knee injury sustained in a car crash.
Mansfield, beaten in their last four outings but only once at home in the League, welcomed back several players from injury and suspension.
They included defensive lynch pin Stuart Hicks, attacking midfielder Darrell Clarke, and 21-year old former Southampton striker Shayne Bradley.
Albion made all the early running on a good playing surface.
Passing the ball with confidence they managed to peg Mansfield back inside their own half.
Barrett, signed recently by the Stags from Plymouth for £10,000, had to be alert to thwart Rogers when the Seagulls' skipper threatened to latch onto Hart's cross to the near post.
Bradley forced the first corner of the contest for Mansfield in the eighth minute.
It was poorly struck by Pemberton and cleared with comfort at the near post by Oatway.
Albion put together a promising four-man move as Jones released the overlapping Watson down the right.
His deep cross was knocked back by Zamora for Rogers to flick the ball goalwards from close range.
It was kept out by Mimms with his left hand but would not have counted anyway, as the linesman had signalled that Watson's centre had gone out of play.
Mansfield responded by breaking incisively down the right through Williams.
Clarke, having recoved from Achilles trouble, could not direct his effort on target to add to a seven-goal tally.
Clarke had found plenty of space inside the Albion area in that instance and Kuipers remonstrated angrily with his defenders.
Little had been seen of Greenacre, Mansfield's equivalent to Zamora, in the early stages.
The former Manchester City forward eventually made his mark with a turn and shot from outside the area which flashed wide, with Kuipers suggesting he had it well covered.
The Seagulls were fortunate not to fall behind midway through the half.
Williams' pass through the inside right channel put Clarke in behind a defence looking in vain for offside, but he fired over from ten yards.
A foul by Hicks on Zamora gave Carpenter and Watson an opportunity to demonstrate their set piece expertise.
Carpenter's ensuing free kick 30 yards out was punched convincingly clear by ex-Everton keeper Mimms.
It had been a rather flat performance by Albion so far.
They had not been bothered much at the back, but by the same token had not really troubled Mimms either.
Billy Dearden, the Mansfield manager, was idolised by Adams when he played for Sheffield United and the Albion boss watched the Blades as a youngster.
Dearden's outfit were now much better organised than the rabble destroyed 6-0 last season in Albion's first ever League game at Withdean.
Mimms, signed from York just before last season's transfer deadline, was forced into more meaningful action on the half hour mark.
Zamora's left wing cross was headed out as far as Carpenter, whose sweetly struck half volley from 25 yards was pushed over.
Clarke, perhaps frustrated by spurning Mansfield's two best chances, had his name taken in the 37th minute for a lunging tackle on Oatway, which Albion's combative midfielder happily walked away from.
Oatway has been showing great constraint since hovering on the brink of a ban with his fourth booking back in October.
It was easy to see why only Blackpool have emerged victorious from Field Mill in the Third Division so far this season.
Mansfield looked a solid, hard-working side and Albion were finding it difficult to break them down.
It needed either a spark of inspiration or an error to end the stalemate.
Mansfield almost broke the deadlock a minute before the break.
Kuipers, bidding for his third clean sheet out of four in the League, made a smart reflex save when Greenacre got a boot to Williams' cross-shot.
After the break Adams made an interesting substitution introducing Brooker at the expense of Jones.
Hart was moved inside to partner Zamora, with Brooker given something of a free role but operating primarily behind the front pair.
And immediately Brooker injected much-needed impetus into Albion's play.
The former Fulham winger was popping up all over the place as Albion began to ask more questions of the Mansfield defence.
They came agonisingly close to taking the lead in the 53rd minute.
Hart met Carpenter's free kick from the left with a flick header which beat Mimms and was destined for the net when Hicks somehow cleared it off the line.
Carpenter was narrowly too high with a visionary lob from 30 yards a few minutes later.
Mansfield went ahead in the 61st minute with an lucky 13th goal of the season for Greenacre.
Blake's effort landed at the feet of the Stags' top scorer and his left foot shot on the turn from virtually on the penalty spot sent Kuipers the wrong way.
Kuipers immediately sprinted towards the linesman to protest, presumably thinking Greenacre was offside, and the big Dutchman was promptly booked by referee Stephen Lodge.
Zamora, kept relatively quiet by the home defence, headed a Mayo cross straight at Mimms four minutes later.
Freeman, who hit an opening day hat-trick against Mansfield at Withdean last season, made his comeback with 17 minutes left at the expense of Rogers.
But it just wasn't to be Albion's day again and Greenacre calmly slotted his second goal of the game with a minute left.
Team news
Mansfield Town: Bobby Mimms; Les Robinson, Stuart Hicks, Adam Barrett, Bobby Hassell, Martin Pemberton, Darrell Clarke, Mark Blake, Lee Williams, Chris Greenacre, Shayne Bradley. Subs: Lindley, Disley, Asher, Boulding, Corden.
Albion: Michel Kuipers; Paul Watson, Kerry Mayo, Danny Cullip, Paul Rogers, Gary Hart, Charlie Oatway, Richard Carpenter, Nathan Jones, Matthew Wicks, Bobby Zamora. Subs: Crosby, Freeman, Brooker, Ramsay, Melton.
Referee: Mr. S. Lodge (Barnsley).
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