Swindon Town eventually came away with nothing as they were defeated 3-2 in a five-goal thriller away against table-toppers Mansfield Town.

The first half was largely one-way traffic for the hosts as they repeatedly carved Swindon open after Lucas Akins fired home inside five minutes.

A wild second half saw goals from Paul Glatzel and Aaron Drinan for Town, but Davis Keillor-Dunn and Will Swan both found the net to keep the three points in Nottinghamshire.

Swindon are still awaiting their first away win of 2024 and they remain in 18th and on course for their lowest-ever league finish.

Gavin Gunning switched his formation to a back three for the first time since he took interim charge, with Tom Brewitt coming into the side. Zac Elbouzedi was brought in as a right wing-back, with Paul Glatzel playing off of Aaron Drinan and Charlie Austin.

The hosts made a quick start and could have taken the lead after four minutes when Keillor-Dunn picked up the ball on the edge of the area and crossed low. The ball went under Conor McCarthy’s foot and into Hiram Boateng, but he struck over the top.

A minute later, the league leaders were not so forgiving. Keillor-Dunn picked up a pocket of space just inside the Swindon half and played Akins through on goal, he steadied himself and drilled a shot low into the bottom corner.

Mansfield were keen to press home their advantage and Aden Flint beat Austin in the air to keep an attack going. Keillor-Dunn was again in acres of space on the edge of the area and curled a shot toward the corner, but Jack Bycroft flung himself across to tip it beyond the post.

Elbouzedi was caught well out of position after 13 minutes as Stephen Quinn got free down the left-hand side. He played a low ball towards the near post where Akins arrived and sent an effort narrowly wide. Swindon were still on the bus.

Following 15 of the most abject minutes of the season, Swindon began to find a semblance of a foothold in the game once Mansfield dropped their early intensity, as they had at the County Ground in November. Glatzel was desperately close to finding a Town player from a pullback and Elbouzedi’s cross went narrowly over the head of Drinan.

But the Stags were still creating chances with ease as Quinn was again left free on the left. His low ball toward Akins was deflected into the path of Keillor-Dunn, but he got under the ball and fired over the top.

Frazer Blake-Tracy drove forward from the back unchallenged. He spotted Austin in the middle and floated a ball perfectly onto his head, but he could not keep it down and the ball went onto the roof of the net.

A minute later Tom Nichols managed to squirm his way beyond McCarthy and into a shooting position, but his effort went straight down the throat of Bycroft.

In first-half stoppage time, Godwin-Malife clipped a ball in behind for Elbouzedi to chase after. He kept the ball in play and got it back to Austin, who fired into the path of Glatzel in the middle, he had a go on the spin and it deflected behind for a corner.

Two minutes into the second half Swindon won a corner after a great run from Godwin-Malife. Drinan rose highest in the middle and forced Christy Pym to palm his shot away.

Then all of a sudden, they were level as Saidou Khan’s effort created pinball in the area and the ball eventually fell for Glatzel. He fired a shot fiercely into the roof of the net to level.

Swindon were not able to celebrate for long as Mansfield went straight up the other end and Keillor-Dunn sent an effort curling far into the top corner to see the hosts retake the lead just a minute after losing it.

A frantic second half continued as right before the hour mark, after just having a shot blocked Drinan scored his first goal for the club. Elbouzedi kept the ball in play on the right and the striker was on hand to head Swindon back level.

The second goal finally gave Swindon some belief in themselves, and Mansfield were wobbling. They surged forward and Glatzel received the ball on the top of the box, drawing a strong save out of Pym.

But a triple change from Nigel Clough after 65 minutes saw the momentum swing right back in the other direction as one sub in Ollie Clarke crossed onto the head of another in Swan two minutes after coming on to head the Stags back into the lead.

Swindon had a big chance to earn a point as Drinan raced away on the counterattack and found Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, but he spooned his shot over the crossbar.

MTFC starting XI: Pym, Cargill, Akins, Flint, Quinn, Nichols, Williams, Brunt, Reed, Keillor-Dunn, Boateng.

MTFC substitutes: Flinders, McLaughlin, Clarke, Bowery, Maris, Lewis, Swan.

STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Blake-Tracy, Elbouzedi, Glatzel, Brewitt, Devoy, Godwin-Malife, Drinan, McCarthy, Austin.

STFC substitutes: Brann, McEachran, Hepburn-Murphy, McGurk, Cain, Kokolo, Aguiar.

Attendance: 7,257 (407 away).