Leyton Orient's first win in four games restored their automatic promotion hopes but left crisis-club Mansfield without a win in nine games and without a league goal in 404 minutes.
Throughout the game the fans called for the resignation of chairman Keith Haslam as the disappointing home side slumped to 16th position in the table - their lowest place for over four years.
At the end of another week of turmoil at Field Mill, the Stags had given debuts to the new signings Richie Barker and Paul Warne, but still had to field four teenagers on the bench.
Orient also made four changes, giving a debut to Spurs loan striker Lee Barnard.
But it was Mansfield's new boys who almost made an immediate impact, Warne crossing from the byline in the seventh minute for Barker to head wide.
Barker's aerial threat created a chance for Tom Curtis four minutes later but his low drive flew past the post.
Then Warne also showed his strength to cross from the left to Alex Neil, only for the midfielder's rising shot to be acrobatically tipped over by Lee Harrison.
Orient finally posed a threat on the half hour when Brian Saah's fierce header from a Matt Lockwood free-kick was acrobatically clawed away by Kevin Pilkington.
Five minutes later Harrison repeated his heroics to keep out a Curtis piledriver with his feet after more good work by Warne. Adam Murray stabbed in the rebound only for it to be ruled out for offside.
Harrison's saves proved vital five minutes into the second half when Andy Scott lashed an unstoppable 25-yard drive into the top corner from an acute angle.
Dave Artell's looping header from a Wayne Corden free-kick drifted over as Mansfield pressed for an equaliser.
The home side were given a double let off nine minutes later when an Alan White header from a Lockwood corner was knocked on to the post by Murray and Michael Simpson's follow up was well held by Pilkington.
Orient were almost punished for wasting those chances nine minutes from time when a Curtis cross found the unmark Murray, but his low 20-yard drive was well held by Harrison.