MATT Green left York City boss Russ Wilcox looking on with envy as Mansfield left Bootham Crescent with maximum points.
The former Birmingham City forward pounced twice by the half-hour mark to turn the tables on a home team who had taken a sixth-minute lead.
But Reece Thompson’s early strike – his second since a move from Frickley earlier this month – proved to be the Minstermen’s first and only on-target effort during another wayward afternoon in front of goal. 
The 21-year-old rookie also remains the only City centre forward to get on the scoresheet in 14 matches since on-loan striker Shaq Couthirst and Jake Hyde netted in March’s 4-1 ten-man dismantling of Saturday’s opponents. 
Since then, Hyde has failed to hit the target in a dozen outings while the club’s other recognised front men, Vadaine Oliver and Emile Sinclair, have both gone ten games without a goal.
For Oliver, that barren run can be extended to 16 matches should pre-season friendlies be counted.
If City are to avoid another struggle in League Two this term, then some of the goalscoring burden, currently on Thompson’s shoulders, needs to be shared around, although question marks also persist over the fitness histories of Hyde and Sinclair.
With Wilcox’s men having conceded two or more times in four of their opening seven fixtures, the team certainly do not look capable of getting the three or four goals that would have secured victory in those contests.
Addressing those defensive deficiencies might require a rethink in terms of the team’s favoured formation, with City’s back three looking vulnerable again at the weekend.
The dependable Keith Lowe has definitely not looked as assured in the 3-5-2 system this season as he was during the tail-end of last term, and it is hard to imagine a flat back four, with him and Dave Winfield at its heart, shipping as many goals. 
When City’s strikers are misfiring, the likes of skipper Russell Penn and fellow midfielder James Berrett must snaffle up the chances that were presented to them against Mansfield.
At 2-1 down, Penn headed wide from seven yards when it appeared easier to hit the target just before half-time and, midway through the second period, Berrett was equally as wasteful when Adam Chapman’s under-hit back pass sent him clear on goal but he dragged his shot weakly across the face of goal.
Both opportunities needed to be taken ruthlessly.
Earlier, the Minstermen had scored only their second first-half goal at Bootham Crescent since Valentine’s Day and their quickest on home soil since Good Friday 2014. 
Thompson was fouled through the left channel, allowing Luke Summerfield to once more prove his prowess from set-piece situations.
The City midfielder’s inswinging free-kick also afforded Thompson the chance to display his predatory instinct, steeling in front of the visitors’ defence to beat veteran Stags keeper Brian Jensen from a couple of yards after six minutes.
Mansfield were not deterred, though, with Green levelling after Mitchell Rose’s 25-yard shot had been diverted off target by Berrett’s sliding challenge.
From the resulting corner, Reggie Lambe’s lowly-struck corner picked out unmarked midfielder Chapman in the home penalty box and he helped the ball on to Green who, having also been left unattended, bundled in from a couple of yards.
Summerfield’s short free-kick then saw Berrett swing a ball in from the edge of the box for Oliver to volley over before Green grabbed his second of the game.
Charging on to Craig Westcarr’s ball through the left channel, the Bath-born 28-year-old ran at a back-pedalling Winfield before firing a 15-yard shot inside Scott Flinders’ near post.
Oliver lofted over an eight-yard chance following David Tutonda’s raid down the left and Penn headed across the face of goal after Marvin McCoy’s centre from the opposite flank.
After the break, Flinders spilled ex-Minsterman Malvind Benning’s hopeful, long-range strike behind for a corner before Berrett was played in through the right channel by Chapman after 64 minutes.
The former Yeovil midfielder rushed his shot and it bobbled wide of Jensen’s right-hand post.
As against Hartlepool a fortnight earlier, City faded completely as an attacking force during the final half-hour with the anticipated grandstand finish, kicking towards the David Longhurst Stand, never materialising.
The nearest City mustered to a response saw Femi Ilesanmi head over from two Berrett crosses, while the visitors might have added a third goal after 85 minutes when Chris Clements struck the outside of Flinders’ right-hand post from 20 yards before home fans greeted the final whistle with a smattering of boos.

City
Scott Flinders: 5 – endured a couple of nervy moments and might have done better with second goal
Keith Lowe: 5 – looked uncomfortable at times on right side of back three 
Dave Winfield: 6 – defended well generally but tied in knots by Green for second goal
STAR MAN Femi Ilesanmi: 7 – best distributor from back and determined throughout 
Marvin McCoy: 6 – put in a fine cross for Penn before being withdrawn in second half 
Russell Penn: 6 – should have hit target with his headed opportunity but won his tackles 
Luke Summerfield: 6 – a threat from dead balls before injury meant he didn’t reappear after the break 
James Berrett: 6 – delivered some good balls into box but wasteful with second-half chance 
David Tutonda: 6 – couple of good crosses but needed to get forward more 
Vadaine Oliver: 5 – found it difficult to make an impact against his old team 
Reece Thompson: 6 – in the right place to give City the lead but a little quiet afterwards 

Subs: Ben Godfrey 6 – eager (for Summerfield, 46), Emile Sinclair 5 - peripheral (for McCoy, 65), Josh Carson (for Thompson, 76). 
Subs not used: Michael Ingham, Eddie Nolan, John McCombe, Callum Rzonca.

Mansfield
Brian Jensen, Nicky Hunt, Krystian Pearce, Ryan Tafazolli, Malvind Benning, Reggie Lambe (Lee Collins, 77), Adam Chapman, Mitchell Rose (Jack Thomas, 60), Chris Clements, Craig Westcarr (Chris Beardsley, 89), Matt Green. Subs not used: Liam Marsden, Nathan Thomas, Adi Yussuf, Jamie McGuire.

Star man: Green – tormented City’s back three throughout
Referee: Tony Harrington. Rating: 8/10 – got little wrong 
Booked: Clements 17, Winfield 76, Benning 90+8.
Attendance: 3,215 (632 from Mansfield)
Shots on target: City 1, Mansfield 5
Shots off target: City 7, Mansfield 4
Corners: City 6, Mansfield 3
Fouls conceded: City 18, Mansfield 13 
Offsides: City 5, Mansfield 2