MK Dons suffered only their second league home defeat under Mike Williamson after Mansfield rallied at Stadium MK with three second-half goals.
Max Dean opened the scoring for the Dons after 13 minutes with an incredible solo effort to keep his goalscoring run going, but Elliot Hewitt was able to equalise for the Stags around 15 minutes later.
Mansfield made the perfect start to the second half when Davis Keillor-Dunn stabbed home from close range.
A competitive match was eventually decided at the death when Keillor-Dunn scored his second and James Gale added a fourth from distance.
The result leaves MK Dons in fourth place in the Sky Bet League Two table with two games left to play.
Mike Williamson’s starting XI was unchanged from the side that beat Forest Green Rovers 2-0 last weekend, with the same substitutes also named on the bench.
FIRST HALF
MK Dons had the opening chance of the match thanks to some fantastic vision from Dean Lewington, the skipper sent a floated ball into the Mansfield area for Stephen Wearen to attack but Christy Pym was able to claim.
Moments later Max Dean created a chance out of nothing with an audacious bit of skill, the young forward turned his marker with ease and looked to shoot from just outside the area but couldn’t connect cleanly and sent his shot wide.
MK Dons continued to look the stronger side as the half progressed, Jack Payne nearly found Max Dean with a smart pass into the area but his ball was just behind the young striker.
A minute later though Max Dean had scored! The forward capitalised on a mistake in midfield to steal the ball away from Mansfield and run at goal. He checked his run just as he reached the area to cut in and shoot, firing a phenomenal strike into the top left-hand corner. 1-0.
A few minutes later MK Dons had another chance, this time from a free-kick. Jack Payne sent a venomous shot goalwards which looked to have been blocked by a Mansfield defender for a corner, but referee Benjamin Speedie opted to award a goal kick.
MK Dons continued to look composed on the ball as the half progressed, Mansfield struggled to deal with the speed at which the backline passed the ball around with Lewis Bate orchestrating the tempo of the match.
The first yellow card of the match was handed out to Will Swan in the 26th minute for an awful challenge on Kyran Lofthouse.
In the 30th minute Mansfield scored with their first attack of the game. Hiram Boateng did well to square a ball into the box from a tight angle and find Elliot Hewitt who prodded home from close range. 1-1.
Not long after the equaliser Ollie Clarke became the second Mansfield player to be booked after a poor tackle on Daniel Harvie.
In the 37th minute Kyran Lofthouse broke into the Mansfield half with pace and fired a ball across the face of goal, but no player in a white shirt had managed to stay with him.
A minute later Mansfield went down the other end of the pitch and nearly scored a second, Ollie Clarke sent a thumping shot into the crossbar from just outside the area. Hiram Boateng managed to reach the rebound but sent his effort wide.
In the 42nd minute Michael Kelly sent a fantastic ball over the top for Jack Payne to chase down, the midfielder nearly got on the end of it in the Mansfield area but was well-marshalled by Jordan Bowery who headed the ball back to the keeper.
MK Dons had a corner in the final moments of first-half stoppage time but Mansfield were able to clear as the referee blew his whistle for halftime.
SECOND HALF
Mansfield made a change at halftime, with Will Swan being replaced by Davis Keillor-Dunn.
MK Dons had the first real attack of the second half, Kyran Lothouse did well initially to break through the Mansfield defence and run at goal, but the ball got stuck underneath his feet and he couldn’t find a way through to Stephe Wearne who was arriving in the area.
It was Manfield though who scored first in the second half. A goalmouth scramble led to an unbelievable triple save from Michael Kelly at close range, but substitute Davis Keillor-Dunn was eventually able to stab home. 2-1.
MK Dons very nearly equalised straight away thanks to some great attacking play. Jack Payne combined well with Kyran Lofthouse on the edge of the area before the wing-back sent a curled ball into the area which found its way to Lewis Bate. The midfielder flashed an effort towards goal but it went fractionally wide of the post.
Not long afterwards Davis Keilor-Dunn should have doubled Mansfield’s lead. The forward only had Jack Tucker to beat as he bore down on goal, but the centre-back did well and squeezed his man until he had to pass and the chance went begging.
Lewis Bate continued to press for MK Dons’ second, the midfielder beat George Williams on the right-hand side of the pitch before firing a low cross across the face of goal that the Stags managed to clear.
Kyran Lofthouse had another chance for the Dons a few moments later, but his driven shot from around 30 yards was always rising over Christy Pym’s crossbar.
In the 69th minute there was another chance for MK Dons, Stephen Wearne did well in midfield to lift a ball over the top for Max Dean to chase. The striker controlled it brilliantly with his first touch and ran at goal, but the Stags defence did well to limit the angle and his shot was comfortably saved.
Not long afterwards George Williams was shown Mansfield Town’s third yellow card of the match.
Mike Williamson then made his first chance of the afternoon, with Dean Lewington being replaced by Ellis Harrison.
The forward nearly made an instant impact, Alex Gilbey did brilliantly well to hold off a defender and fire a ball into the box for Harrison to hit on the volley. Mansfield managed to get a body in the way though and block the shot.
Mansfield then managed to string an attack together with Tom Nichols finding Hiram Boateng in MK Dons’ area. The midfielder was brilliantly kept out by Michael Kelly though who took a heavy knock and required treatment.
In the 79th minute Mike Williamson made another change with Jack Payne coming off for Dan Kemp.
Mansfield were handed their fourth booking with six minutes left to play after Hiram Boateng fouled Stephen Wearne just outside the area.
Aaron Lewis earned Mansfield’s fifth booking two minutes later after a coming together with Ellis Harrison.
In the 90th minute Mansfield scored their third. Keillor-Dunn found himself one-on-one and kept his cool to slot past Michael Kelly. 3-1.
Mansfield immediately added a fourth as James Gale’s shot from distance found its way into the top corner. 4-1.
The referee blew his whistle after eight minutes of stoppage time to see MK Dons suffer thier first deafeat at Stadium MK since January.
***
MK Dons: Kelly, Lewington (Harrison 70), Tucker, O’Hora, Gilbey (C), Payne, Dean, Harvie, Wearne, Lofthouse, Bate
Subs: Marschall, Norman, Williams, Robson, Tezgel, Kemp
Goals: Dean 13
Yellow cards: Gilbey 89, Harvie 90
Mansfield Town: Pym, Hewitt (Maris 59), Akins, Clarke (Nichols 59), Bowery, Flint (C), Lewis, Williams (McLaughlin 73), Reed, Swan (Keillor-Dunn 45), Boateng (Gale 85)
Subs: Flinders, Quinn
Goals: Hewitt 30, Keillor-Dunn 51, 90, Gale 90+2
Yellow cards: Swan 26, Clarke 32, Williams 69, Boateng 84, Lewis 86
Referee: Benjamin Speedie
Stadium: Stadium MK
Attendance: 11, 212 (3,653)
