With the wind at their backs in the first 45 minutes Gateshead produced very little in the way of chances. Craig Baxter came close from a free-kick but it wasn't until injury time when the home side found the net.
A long punt up field by keeper Paul Farman saw on-loan striker Michael Mackay score his first goal since the middle of September.
Mansfield came out in the second half and easily took control of the game with the wind behind them. A free kick by Ollie Hotchkiss, on loan from Leeds, flew in past Farman who didn't move.
A corner by another loanie, Ben Burgess from Luton, went straight in thanks to the wind and in the dying minutes substitute Lee Morris, on loan from Hereford, score on the counter attack.
There was even more bad new for Gateshead after the game when they heard Peter Winn, on loan from Scunthorpe, could be out for the rest of his loan spell after suffering ankle ligament damage in the first half.