Wycombe 1, Mansfield 2.

FORMER Thame United man Jefferson Louis hammered a dent in Wanderers' promotion hopes with a dramatic 89th minute winner.

The much travelled journeyman won the eighth minute penalty which Michael Boulding converted to put the botton-of-the table Stags ahead.

And then, after Scott McGleish had equalised with his fifth goal in two games against the Stags, Louis twisted the knife with a last-gasp late winner.

And Louis almost made it worse in injury time heading in Boulding who fired over the bar.

Just over a month ago Wanderers stuffed Mansfield 4-0 away at Field Mill with McGleish scoring all four goals.

Since then Wanderers have strengthened their pack with the signing of former Celtic and Northern Ireland captain Neil Lennon who made his home debut in a five-man midfield - but his home debut did not go to the script.

While Wanderers have gone from strength to strength since that win, Mansfield had dropped to rock bottom in League Two.

Their answer has been to sign Louis to boost their survival bid, while Wanderers new striker £50,000 man Leon Knight again had to content himself with a seat on the bench.

But any thoughts that this would be a home banker were quickly dispelled as Mansfield showed no signs of an inferiority complex as they found early gaps in Wanderers' three man defence with Louis and Michael Boulding a real handful.

And the Stag stunned Wanderers by taking an eighth minute lead through Boulding#s penalty conceded by midfieder-turned-centre-back Gary Holt.

The man dropped into the defence to make space for Lennon showed his inexperience in his new position as he got on the wrong side of the dangerous Louis and brought him down as the striker latched onto a headed flick from Boulding following Gareth Jellyman's long ball out of defence.

The goal hit Blues for six and even Lennon was guilty of mis-placing his early passes as Paul Lambert's shell-shocked team struggled to find any cohesion.

Tommy Doherty was the one to lift Wanderers and with him leading by example Wanderers finally threatened The Stags goal after 25 minutes.

Russell Martin's cross was missed by Jake Buxton and the unmarked Craig Woodman, playing against the club he once served on loan, fired just over Carl Muggleton's goal.

At last Wanderers began to dominate possession and pin the Stags back into their own half and they might have done better when John Sugtton rolled his way past Buxton but from a good position on the byline he played his cross straight to a yellow-shirted defender.

Wanderers needed something special and Argentinian box of tricks Sergio Torres provided it with a cheeks backheel which took out two defenders and released Woodman down by the corner flag.

His cross picked out McGleish in the box and the deadly marksman could even allow the ball to bounce in front of him before steering his header from a standing start into the back of the net.

It was just what Wycombe needed but twice at the start of the second half they could have been caught again.

John Mullins headed into Frank Fielding's arms and then Boulding flashed a shot just over the Wycombe keeper's bar as Mansfield set out to prove that having taken the lead in the first half they could so so again.

But Woodman, the provider of the cross for Wycombe's equaliser, had the same train of thought.

And having set up McGleish in the first half he did likewise for Sutton, crossing for the former St Mirren striker flashed his 61st minute header against the bar.

That was Sutton's last contribution though making way with Torres in a double substitution with Knight and Matt Bloomfield entering the fray.

Bloomfield's energy gave Mansfield something else to think about as Wycombe set up camp in their opponents' half.

It was all Wycombe but, not for the first time at home this season, they struggled to turn dominance into chances.

And as they became frustrated Mansfield should have punished some ragged play but Matt Hamshaw's enthusiasm got the better of him as he was flagged offside before sticking the ball in Wanderers' net as Wycombe were left out-numbered at the back.

Wycombe ran out of ideas long before the final whistle. Their desperation was summed up when centre half Mike Williamson came on as a sub up front after almost a year out.

But it was Louis' day and he kept his cool to draw keeper Fielding from Stephen Dawson's pass and bury the winner.