Two words that Stags boss Peter Shirtliff has used a lot have been consistency and resilience.
And while his young side continue to struggle for consistency, the resilience was there for all to see in Saturday's crucial away win - only their second on the road in the League this season.
It will be the lack of consistency that will probably cost them a chance of promotion this season.
But at least the resilience displayed at Nene Park suggests they could soon drag themselves clear of matters more terrible at the other end of the division.
Shirtliff blames inexperience for the inconsistency.
But when they have slipped up, the players have then taken on board his views, rolled up their sleeves and bounced immediately back. And that bodes well.
Some sides near the bottom would have been fazed by losing 4-1 at Wrexham in midweek and then quickly facing a relegation six-pointer away from home.
But you could sense Stags would bounce back to score a first win over the Diamonds in the league.
The second of two away games for Mansfield, the visitors knew they really could not afford to lose it.
The three points gained put a five-point gap between the Stags and the relegation berths, as well as putting three-point daylight between themselves and Rushden.
Reverting back to his favoured 4-4-2 helped matters for Shirtliff, as Stephen Dawson and Adam Birchall made way for Adam Rundle and Simon Brown.
And for the best part of an hour Stags didn't look troubled at all as they built a 2-0 lead.
Simon Brown marked his first start since November 11 with his tenth goal of the season, an emphatic close-range header from Jake Buxton's cross.
Sadly Brown's afternoon was to end before half-time as his hamstring problem returned.
But five minutes after the interval, individual brilliance by teen midfielder Giles Coke saw him bamboozle the home defence to make it 2-0.
Game over, surely? But that inexperience reared its ugly head as, within seven minutes, a well-beaten Rushden side were gifted a goal back.
Shirtliff felt keeper Kevin Pressman was fouled but John Dempster was allowed to get a goal-bound header onto David Bell's corner and somehow it went in.
That signaled the start of one of the most uncomfortable half-hours for Stags fans this season as Rushden went route one and made the necessary personnel changes to increase the height of the side.
With the dominant Jon Olav Hjelde still ill it was left to a central defence of Rhys Day and Alex John-Baptiste to rise to the occasion.
The visiting fans could barely take their hands away from their eyes as, time and again, Rushden hoisted the ball into the Stags box.
Veteran Pressman again proved his value with a handful of good stops, while John-Baptiste and Coke made vital last-ditch challenges.
Of course, while Rushden were pushing so much forward, there was always the chance Mansfield would settle matters on the break.
But the closest they came was when Barker had a close-range effort blocked from Allan Russell's pass.
For all their huffing and puffing, Rushden struggled to carve clear-cut chances and it was clear to see why no side has scored fewer in the division.
Diamonds had not won in their previous five games and were walloped 4-0 at home by Carlisle in midweek.
And Saturday's win suggested Rushden will be at least one side to finish below Mansfield this season.
As long as two clubs do, many Stags fans will breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to next season. But mid-table is the next realistic target.
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CHAD NEWSPAPER
MANSFIELD Town pulled off one of their most important victories of the season so far as they won 2-1 at fellow strugglers Rushden and Diamonds this afternoon.
If Stags had any ambitions of getting out of this relegation dogfight sooner than later then they knew they had to do the business at Nene Park today against a Diamonds side without a win in five games and the lowest goalscorers in the division.
Rushden were also a side that Stags had never beaten since their promotion to the Football League, though Mansfield have been unlucky against them on more than one occasion.
Simon Brown got the big breakthrough with his 19th minute header before his afternoon turned sour as he limped off, presumably with a recurrence of his hamstring injury.
Then Giles Coke's brilliant individual goal on 50 minutes looked to have paved the way for a comfortable second half for Mansfield.
Instead Stags allowed John Dempster to pull one back within seven minutes which gave the Diamonds a huge lift and they spent much of the rest of the game putting Stags under the cosh.
In the end, however, the visitors stood firm with some dogged defending and thoroughly deserved their second away League victory of the campaign.
"That was a great three points for us and I was pleased with the resilience we showed," said boss Peter Shirtliff.
"I am pleased with the way things are going.
"Rushden just started playing for corners and brought more big players on. They started pumping balls into the box hoping to get a goal.
"It is a horrible way to play but you just have to deal with it and I am pleased with the way we competed.
"When we were 2-0 up I though Rushden would push more men forward and we'd have more chances on the counter-attack.
"But we didn't use the ball well or show enough composure. That is down to our inexperience. They just got caught up in the fracas instead and it wasn't the prettiest of games."
Rundle and Brown were restored to the Stags starting line-up as Shirtliff went back to his preferred 4-4-2 formation after the 4-1 setback at Wrexham on Tuesday.
Dawson, struggling since Tuesday with a shoulder injury, and Birchall both had to be content with a place on the bench.
Veteran Diamonds striker Armstrong showed his quality in the very first minute as he sent an ambitious backheeled volley over the bar.
Uhlenbeek then had Mansfield's first goal attempt only to see Young make the save and then the referee refuse to give the corner.
The visitors defended stoutly in the face of some early home pressure before grabbing a 19th minute lead.
Buxton got forward to cross from the right and picked out the head of Brown who, from six yards, buried a header for his 10th goal of the season.
Keeper Young then had to get behind a low Rundle shot while D'Laryea was desperately close to getting on the end of a low Uhlenbeek cross right in front of goal. The ball eventually reached Rundle at the far post but he was well over with his finish.
Stags lost goal hero Brown in the final minute of the first half. Only just having shaken off a hamstring strain, the striker pulled up and looked to the bench and he was replaced by on-loan Russell.
Stags almost went further ahead early in the second half as Rundle headed just wide from Russell's cross to the far post.
However, it was 2-0 on 50 minutes with a goal of high quality by young midfielder Coke.
He had three Rushden players around him as he received and controlled a very frim pass from D'Laryea. But he turned them all one way and then the other before slipping between them and beating Young all ends up with a cool finish.
But his celebrations with the away fans behind the goal earned him a yellow card.
Unfortunately Stags offered Rushden a lifeline within seven minutes as Dempster was allowed to head home a Bell corner, thanks to sloppy defending.
Rushden then raised the stakes by taking off strikers Armstrong and O'Grady and sent on fresh legs up front in the guise of Tomlin and Broughton.
But it was Mansfield who came close again as Buxton headed powerfully over from a Rundle corner.
Pressman did have a save to make, however, after Bell tried to beat him at his near post with a low shot.
Then Broughton headed over, via a deflection, from yet another Diamonds corner as the visitors clung on.
Great challenges from Coke and John-Baptiste helped preserve the lead while Kelly was well over from an inviting loose ball after Pressman could only get a hand to Tomlin's firm cross from the right.
Stags sent on Dawson in place of Uhlenbeek for the last 10 minutes.
And the visitors almost netted a clinching third on 82 as Russell found himself in the clear down the right. He spotted Barker racing in and crossed low. But his attempt to finish was smothered by a combination of Young and Gier and Barker wasn't even given the corner.
Pressman was again in action to get behind Broughton's low 18 yard shot as Rushden resumed their bombardment.
Diamonds really piled on the pressure in the three minutes of time added on. But the visitors' defence were solid as a rock with John-Baptiste making several superb clearances.
The celebrations as the players went to the supporters behind the goal at the end said it all on such an important afternoon.
Rushden were also a side that Stags had never beaten since their promotion to the Football League, though Mansfield have been unlucky against them on more than one occasion.
Simon Brown got the big breakthrough with his 19th minute header before his afternoon turned sour as he limped off, presumably with a recurrence of his hamstring injury.
Then Giles Coke's brilliant individual goal on 50 minutes looked to have paved the way for a comfortable second half for Mansfield.
Instead Stags allowed John Dempster to pull one back within seven minutes which gave the Diamonds a huge lift and they spent much of the rest of the game putting Stags under the cosh.
In the end, however, the visitors stood firm with some dogged defending and thoroughly deserved their second away League victory of the campaign.
"That was a great three points for us and I was pleased with the resilience we showed," said boss Peter Shirtliff.
"I am pleased with the way things are going.
"Rushden just started playing for corners and brought more big players on. They started pumping balls into the box hoping to get a goal.
"It is a horrible way to play but you just have to deal with it and I am pleased with the way we competed.
"When we were 2-0 up I though Rushden would push more men forward and we'd have more chances on the counter-attack.
"But we didn't use the ball well or show enough composure. That is down to our inexperience. They just got caught up in the fracas instead and it wasn't the prettiest of games."
Rundle and Brown were restored to the Stags starting line-up as Shirtliff went back to his preferred 4-4-2 formation after the 4-1 setback at Wrexham on Tuesday.
Dawson, struggling since Tuesday with a shoulder injury, and Birchall both had to be content with a place on the bench.
Veteran Diamonds striker Armstrong showed his quality in the very first minute as he sent an ambitious backheeled volley over the bar.
Uhlenbeek then had Mansfield's first goal attempt only to see Young make the save and then the referee refuse to give the corner.
The visitors defended stoutly in the face of some early home pressure before grabbing a 19th minute lead.
Buxton got forward to cross from the right and picked out the head of Brown who, from six yards, buried a header for his 10th goal of the season.
Keeper Young then had to get behind a low Rundle shot while D'Laryea was desperately close to getting on the end of a low Uhlenbeek cross right in front of goal. The ball eventually reached Rundle at the far post but he was well over with his finish.
Stags lost goal hero Brown in the final minute of the first half. Only just having shaken off a hamstring strain, the striker pulled up and looked to the bench and he was replaced by on-loan Russell.
Stags almost went further ahead early in the second half as Rundle headed just wide from Russell's cross to the far post.
However, it was 2-0 on 50 minutes with a goal of high quality by young midfielder Coke.
He had three Rushden players around him as he received and controlled a very frim pass from D'Laryea. But he turned them all one way and then the other before slipping between them and beating Young all ends up with a cool finish.
But his celebrations with the away fans behind the goal earned him a yellow card.
Unfortunately Stags offered Rushden a lifeline within seven minutes as Dempster was allowed to head home a Bell corner, thanks to sloppy defending.
Rushden then raised the stakes by taking off strikers Armstrong and O'Grady and sent on fresh legs up front in the guise of Tomlin and Broughton.
But it was Mansfield who came close again as Buxton headed powerfully over from a Rundle corner.
Pressman did have a save to make, however, after Bell tried to beat him at his near post with a low shot.
Then Broughton headed over, via a deflection, from yet another Diamonds corner as the visitors clung on.
Great challenges from Coke and John-Baptiste helped preserve the lead while Kelly was well over from an inviting loose ball after Pressman could only get a hand to Tomlin's firm cross from the right.
Stags sent on Dawson in place of Uhlenbeek for the last 10 minutes.
And the visitors almost netted a clinching third on 82 as Russell found himself in the clear down the right. He spotted Barker racing in and crossed low. But his attempt to finish was smothered by a combination of Young and Gier and Barker wasn't even given the corner.
Pressman was again in action to get behind Broughton's low 18 yard shot as Rushden resumed their bombardment.
Diamonds really piled on the pressure in the three minutes of time added on. But the visitors' defence were solid as a rock with John-Baptiste making several superb clearances.
The celebrations as the players went to the supporters behind the goal at the end said it all on such an important afternoon.