But, with Peterborough winning, the faint Play-off hopes look even more distant with a seven-point gap now opened up.
The Imps have had a jinx over Stags in recent seasons and this was the sixth successive game Mansfield have been unable to beat them in.
But it had looked like a defeat was on the cards since Francis Green managed to squeeze a shot under the dive of Kevin Pressman on 53 minutes.
But Russell who had not played since the end of January with his broken toe, came on a 79th minute sub and came up with the goods with his second goal for the club.
And there was still time for Pressman to deny Jamie Forrester in stoppage time with a superb save.
At kick-off Stags still harboured outside hopes of the Play-offs but, with only five games, left know this was two points dropped, despite their late escape which made it only one defeat in 11 matches.
Stags had won three of their previous four and Lincoln had lost three of their previous four as the sides lined up on an afternoon which was more noticeable for the crazy mixed weather rather than goalmouth excitement.

Those Play-offs look a mountain to climb now but manager Peter Shirtliff said: "If we beat Orient next Saturday the outlook could be different again.
"All we can do is get as many points as we can from every game. If we take six points over Easter who knows what can happen?
"The Play-offs were always a tall order but we will keep on going to the end and see what happens.
"A point away at Lincoln is a good result. It would have been a travesty if we'd lost.
"The conditions were difficult and Lincoln test you with their style of play and set pieces. But I thought we coped with them well and played all the football.
"I was disappointed with the goal we conceded. We had enough players back there to have dealt with the cross and Kevin was a bit disappointed the ball went under him.
"But that's football and I thought the lads showed great character and spirit to come back from it."
Stags' starting 11 was unchanged. But Russell had recovered from the broken toe that had kept him out long term to make the bench while Brown's hernia pain has eased enough for him to also return to the bench as did Day after his dead leg.

Lincoln, playing a 4-3-3 formation, also welcomed back former Stags striker Bacon onto their bench after his lengthy lay-off with a broken leg.
Top flight referee Uriah Rennie was the man in the middle.
Lincoln, with the powerful swirling wind mostly behind them, won a corner after only two minutes which Stags struggled to clear.
Marvin Robinson had a shot blocked and, when the ball was lofted in back towards him at the far post, he was inches away from turning it home but just couldn't reach.
Much of the early stages of the first half was played in the Mansfield half but Stags rarely looked in any real trouble.
On 14 minutes Hughes blasted well wide from over 35 yards as both keepers remained spectators.
Stags mounted their first real attack on 16 minutes as Buxton fed Uhlenbeek for a cross towards Barker that Marriott eventually gathered.
Marriott was the first keeper in action on 18 minutes as Rundle squared the ball to Coke who drilled in a low shot from 20 yards that the keeper was firmly behind.
And, after a scramble at the other end from a long throw, Coke again tested Marriott, this time from 30 yards, but again he was perfectly placed.
Buxton did well to head a dangerous Kerr free kick away for a corner. And when Stags laboured to get that clear McCombe eventually lofted well over.
But as the half wore on Stags were finally able to get the ball down and start to pass it around.
Buxton was booked for hacking down Kerr in full flight on the left on 37 minutes, Pressman punching clear Kerr's wicked curling free kick.
As the skies opened with a burst of hailstones, Uhlenbeek turned on the style as he loped past two opponents on the right before drilling in a low shot that Marriott saves at his near post.
The visitors forced their first corner on 41 minutes, Uhlenbeek pulled it back to Rundle who lifted the ball over a defender before lashing a volley wide.
Lincoln responded with their third flag kick of the half three minutes later which was easily cleared.
In stoppage time McCombe got a glancing flick on a header from a free kick but it dropped wide as the half ended without score.
Pressman was out his box quickly to head clear as Forrester closed in while Rundle was well off target for Stags seconds later as the second half started in an exciting manner.
A superb Stags move on 49 saw Wilson thread a pass down the left to Coke who showed good strength and vision to hold off defenders before pulling a pass back to Barker who poked a shot at goal from 12 yards which Marriott got in the way of.
A minute later Rundle skidded a low cross through everyone. But Reet was leaning back five yards out and blazed over at the far post.
Marvin Robinson was warned by the referee for a dive as he clashed with John-Baptiste in the box.
But the deadlock was finally broken on 53 minutes. Cryan lofted a deep cross in from the right which reached an unmarked Green.
He got his shot on target and, although Pressman looked to have it covered, the pace of the shot saw the ball manage to squeeze under his body and over the line.
The goal sparked some unrest between the two sets of supporters in the main Lincolnshire Co-Operative Stand which stewards moved in quickly to contain.
As the bright sunshine was again replaced by lashing rain on 61 minutes Wilson was booked for bringing down Forrester and, to great cheers, Brown entered the action for the visitors in place of Reet.

Brown won a free kick just outside the penalty area which Uhlenbeek touched to Wilson whose shot was blocked.
Coke won a free kick almost 30 yards from goal which Barker struck well over the bar.
Coke was then booked on 73 minutes for arguing with a linesman when he felt he'd been fouled. Before play restarted Dawson replaced Rundle.
Steve Robinson was yellow carded for continuing play to waste time after Lincoln had conceded a free kick and the whistle had gone.
Robinson was quickly replaced by Stirling.

Stags should have been level six minutes from time when Buxton's cross picked out an unmarked Coke seven yards from goal who guided his header wide of the target.
It was a strong finish by the visitors and Buxton won them another corner on 86 which Dawson sent to the near post where Hjelde headed wide.
But the visitors still had a sting in their tail.

Brown won Stags a free kick 22 yards from goal in the final minute.
And sub Russell stepped up to find the bottom right hand corner and send the 1,500 travelling fans into wild celebrations.
In added time Wilson was well over from 25 yards.
Pressman was then the hero at the death as Forrester controlled the ball well on the edge of the box and, spotting the keeper off his line, looked to have chipped him to perfection. But the veteran keeper reached upwards high to somehow claw it over the bar.

Even deeper into almost five minutes of added time Stags broke down the right but Brown chose to shoot and was wide of the near post with team mates screaming for a ball inside.
Sadly for the second successive Saturday, the afternoon ended in crowd trouble as fans clashed outside the stadium.