Mansfield and Burton share spoils from six-goal thriller

Mansfield fought out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Burton in a topsy-turvy match that represented their first home League One game for 21 years.

Striker Lee Gregory was their last-gasp spot-kick hero after Stags had twice led and then looked to be heading for defeat.

A thrilling first half got off to an explosive start with two goals in the first seven minutes.

A loose pass from goalkeeper Max Crocombe gifted the ball to Davis Keillor-Dunn after four minutes and – although the keeper blocked his finish – the loose ball was tucked home by Will Evans on his home debut.

But three minutes later, Ben Whitfield found Billy Bodin, who blasted home a 20-yard finish to level.

Crocombe had a busy half, saving well from Keanu Baccus, Keillor-Dunn and Lee Gregory, while Evans rattled a post on the half-hour mark.

But in added time before the break, Lucas Akins drilled in a low cross from the right and Jack Armer turned it into his own net at the near post.

Four minutes into the second half, Evans should have made it 3-1 but fired wide after being sent clear by Stephen Quinn.

Instead Burton levelled after 69 minutes as Whitfield saw a low shot deflect inside the near post off Deji Oshilaja.

Keillor-Davis wasted Stags’ second one-on-one after 78 minutes, firing wide from Lee Gregory’s through ball.

Within three minutes Burton punished them as Aden Flint’s poor header allowed Danilo Orsi to send Bodin clear for his second.

But Stags rescued a deserved point in the last of seven added minutes as the referee punished pulling in the box by pointing to the penalty spot and Gregory coolly sent Crocombe the wrong way.