Pascal Ebigbo's late strike earned a point for Kettering and denied play-off rivals Mansfield a vital victory.

Jean-Paul Marna put the Poppies ahead early on, volleying in the rebound after seeing his penalty saved by the Stags goalkeeper Alan Marriott.

Mansfield soon levelled through Jon Challinor's close-range finish and they were ahead by the break after Blair Sturrock fired past Nathan Abbey.

But Ebigbo gave Kettering a share of the spoils with his 12-yard shot.

Marna's penalty miss came after James Dance was felled by Gary Silk and Alan Marriot did well to save the resulting spot-kick.

Kettering and Mansfield still have an outside chance of making the play-offs with the Poppies five points off the top five and the Stags two points behind them.

Kettering: Abbey, Taylor, Dempster, Roper, Jennings (Ebigbo 76), Noubissie, Hadfield (Wrack 63), Boucaud, Marna (Appiah 67), Dance, Thomas.

Subs Not Used: Thelwell, Charles.

Booked: Jennings.

Goals: Marna 4, Ebigbo 87.

Mansfield: Marriott, Silk, Foster, Brough, Nicholas, Briscoe, Challinor, Mills, Burgess (Nix 65), Perry (Duffy 89), Sturrock (Speight 71).

Subs Not Used: Collett, Garner.

Goals: Challinor 10, Sturrock 33.

Att: 1,188.

Ref: David Drysdale (Lincoln).

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