After losing four of their last five games, Yeovil's manager Gary Johnson gave his players four days off last week and it paid dividends. They started well and took the lead in the fifth minute when Arron Davies burst through the middle of the defence from the halfway line and planted the ball past Kevin Pilkington.
Mansfield hit back and territorially were having plenty of the play. They were rewarded on 15 minutes with a penalty when Efe Sodje, making his Yeovil debut after a move from Huddersfield, brought down Fraser McLachlan. Richie Barker drove the kick to the keeper's left but Stephen Collis made a fine save.
Mansfield did equalise however on 32 minutes. Adam Lockwood lost out in a tackle on Barker and Adam Rundle picked up the loose ball and smashed it home from outside the box.
Yeovil might have feared recent woes were to continue when they conceded a second penalty five minutes into the second half and fell behind. Paul Terry, brother of the Chelsea skipper, tugged the shirt of Callum Lloyd in a scramble and this time Rhys Day scored from the spot.
Two minutes later Yeovil were back on terms when a good move down the right ended with the ball being flicked on for Darren Way to score.
Yeovil then began to take control and three goals in 11 minutes left the Stags well beaten.
In the 71st minute Michael Rose, a summer signing from Hereford, scored his first goal for the club direct from a free-kick just outside the box, and two minutes later Phil Jevons flicked in his 27th of a prolific season.
Yeovil wrapped it up with a second goal from Way on 81 minutes. He out-jumped much taller defenders to head in a Lee Johnson corner.