The Stags – whose play-off hopes are virtually over after the 2-1 defeat – have never beaten Harrogate in their seven meetings and when Alfie Kilgour turned a Matty Daly ball past his own goalkeeper in the 27th minute, the writing was on the wall.

Daly bagged a second in the 39th minute and, although Will Swan pulled one back in the 67th minute, Harrogate stood firm with goalkeeper Mark Oxley making two superb saves to deny Lucas Akins and Ollie Clarke.

“The spirit we showed second half can’t be undervalued,” said Weaver, whose team made themselves safe from the drop in midweek and have now only lost once in nine games.

“Since January we have rediscovered that and what we’ve been about – going to bigger places than ourselves and fighting for the badge. It was an inspired second-half rearguard performance. Everyone was up for it.

“We have no sulkers here and everyone wants to be up for the ride next season and be part of it.

“We have been in a dogfight but we’ve produced top-seven, top-five form over the last part of the season – the business end when everything is at stake. Reputations and careers are at stake.

“So to come through it like these lads have done speaks volumes for them as characters. They have done it together and we are immensely proud of them.

“Both teams have been under pressure for some time now and I am so proud of our players that stood up to that as men.”

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough admitted his team’s League Two play-off dream looks to be over. The injury-hit Stags now head to Colchester for the final game three points outside the play-offs and with a poorer goal difference than their rivals above them.

“We have fallen short in the 45th game and, barring a miracle, not managed to take it to Colchester next week,” said Clough

“And I thought today’s game epitomised the season we’ve had, certainly here at the One Call.

“It is now highly unlikely we will make it now, but we will go there to try to win the game, as we do every game, and you never know – we will see what happens. But I am realistic and I don’t really believe in miracles.”

Mansfield Town: Pym, C Johnson, Harbottle, Kilgour, Perch (Bowery 46), Boateng (Clarke 46), Reed, Quinn (Gale 87), Keillor-Dunn (Maris 46), Akins, Oates (Swan 46). Unused substitutes: Flinders, Wallace.

Harrogate Town: Oxley, Sims, Eastman, Mattock, Foulds, Falkingham, Sutton, Thomson (Daly 13), Folarin (Muldoon 63), Olaigbe (Ramsay 86), Armstrong. Unused substitutes: Angus,Jameson,McArdle,Horbury.

Referee: David Rock (Hertfordshire).

Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver hails 'inspired' rearguard action that left Mansfield Town hurting