"Hindsight is a wonderful thing."

So declared Barnet manager Paul Fairclough after an inspired triple substitution at Field Mill on Saturday.

The Bees were trailing 2-0 midway through the second half when the boss threw on subs Anthony Thomas, Adam Birchall and Jason Puncheon.

All three played a huge part in changing the course of the game, as the Bees salvaged a point, and they even almost went on to win it.

Having started with just one up front in the form of Cliff Akurang, the visitors failed to test keeper Carl Muggleton in the hour or so before the terrific trio made an appearance.

Thomas and Birchall netted the two Barnet goals in what was an amazing turnaround.

It left fans wondering why Fairclough had not started with two up front. And, to be fair to the manager, he was big enough to admit that he perhaps should have. Indeed, with the gift of hindsight, you could argue that most football matches would end differently.

Of course, the Bees came to Nottinghamshire with massive injury problems, highlighted by the fact midfielder Michael Leary had to play in the centre of defence.

At 2-0, Barnet had nothing to lose, and Fairclough turned to the attackers on his bench as a last resort.

Fairclough said: "You have to respond to the situation. To be fair, Mansfield should have been out of sight. It was my intention to unleash Birchall and Thomas at some point. We had to do something to affect the game.

"The players responded magnificently. I think we could have won if there had been more time. We finished very strongly."

As Fairclough also pointed out: "Mansfield did everything right for 60 minutes." But the Stags, fighting for their League Two lives, lost all confidence when Thomas drilled home from the edge of the box with 20 minutes to go. It was virtually his first touch of the game and a superb finish.

Within seven minutes, Birchall had dragged Barnet level. A Puncheon free-kick bounced off the post and Neal Bishop nudged the ball back into the six-yard box, where Birchall turned and fired into the roof of the net. The ex-Mansfield player, who had a difficult time at Field Mill, could not contain his delight.

The Bees did most of the pressing in the final 15 minutes or so, though Mansfield's Simon Browne did waste a great chance in the dying minutes, blazing wildly over after the ball had been rolled invitingly into his path.

But, by then, the fragile confidence of the home side had been shot to pieces.

The Stags had cruised the opening hour of the game. They were gifted their opener on 14 minutes. Michael Boulding played a one-two with Jefferson Louis and then capitalised on woeful defending. The visiting defenders just watched him pick up the return, all holding off from making a challenge, and the striker slotted home with ease. It was perhaps a typical mistake from a side playing with a makeshift defence, the lack of communication all too obvious.

Albert Adomah showed glimpses of promise, but, otherwise, Barnet were second best by far.

And, ten minutes into the second half, it looked all over. Matthew Hamshaw got behind Nicky Nicolau and cut inside before delicately lobbing Harrison as a number of defenders converged on him.

Louis should have put the result beyond doubt. He put a header wide with the goal at his mercy and then saw Harrison push another header against the post.

Those misses were to prove costly, as Barnet came back to claim a point, thus reaching the magic 50, which is traditionally viewed as the benchmark for survival.

"I think we are now safe," a satisfied Fairclough concluded afterwards.

BARNET (4-5-1): Harrison; Parkes, Devera, Leary, Nicolau; Adomah, Bishop, Porter, Carew (Thomas 67), St Aimie (Puncheon 67); Akurang (Birchall 67. Subs not used: Beckwith, Tabiri.

Bookings: St Aimie, Akurang.

Best Bee: Adam Birchall.