A goal fest of a second half saw AFC end a poor streak of form and advance into the third round of the Buildbase FA Vase.
Goals from Brandon Webster, Luke Walker and Connor McMillan sealed a fine win over in-form Step 6 side Long Buckby at Clipstone's Lido Ground.
The contest's first chance fell to the hosts, but it wasn't enough to test Bucks 'keeper Lubomir Sabol as Jack Warner wiggled his way into space before dragging the ball wide from 30 yards.
AFC had the better of the opening remarks, and should have gone ahead when Luke Walker chased down a ball along the right channel before squaring across goal for Brandon Webster, but Sabol was in the right position to parry from point blank.
Looking lively for the visitors was winger Gez McGahey, who almost found the net from 25 yards but his low effort deflected inches wide for a corner with Dylan Parkin at his mercy, before Ethan Flaig headed the resultant corner wide.
Straight down the other end, Webster was the next to test Sabol in the visiting sticks, who did well to tip the winger's curling effort around his far post.
Again a key chance came the way of Matt Chatfield's side, but Buxton couldn't anticipate the low cross driven through a crowd of bodies by Walker, and the skipper prodded wide from yards out.
Whilst that chance was barely troubling goalkeeper Sabol, he had it all to do when he somehow tipped Buxton's close-range header over the crossbar.
AFC continued to create the game's chances, and a flurry of them came the way of Brandon Webster who, set up by Buxton inside the penalty area, frustratingly saw two efforts blocked.
Despite the uneven balance of possession, Long Buckby almost went into the break with the lead when Cameron Hough's slip allowed Jimmy Smith through on goal, but the striker was denied with a last-ditch block.
The Bulls started the second half as brightly as the did the first, and yet another big chance went begging when Warner fired wide after Sabol couldn't properly punch Walker's delivery clear.
The visiting outfit then had their clearest chance yet, but Max Proudlock could only scoop over the bar from ten yards out on the end of a square ball.
AFC's battling performance was finally rewarded on the 67 mark, with Webster curling into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area with Sabol only able to get a finger on it.
And after so many chances going amiss in the first half, the lead was doubled almost instantly when Luke Walker beat Sabol to a loose bouncing ball and prodded into an empty net.
With five minutes of normal time remaining, Buckby were handed a lifeline when Jimmy Smith headed home past Dylan Parkin from close range.
But the Bulls were in no mood for surrendering their lead, and substitute Connor McMillan sealed their place in the Third Round Proper when - in similar style to Walker's goal - put Sabol under pressure and forced his clearance to ricochet off the midfielder's body before he cleverly curled home beyond the reach of any defender.
The draw for the Third Round Proper takes place on Monday.
MATCH DETAILS
Final score | AFC Mansfield 3-1 Long Buckby
Scorers | Webster (67'), Walker (69'), McMillan (90'+2) - Smith (85')
Bulls XI | Parkin (GK), Corder (Williams 45'+1), Slone, McGuire, Hough, Annable, Warner, Darker (McMillan 63'), Walker, Buxton (C), Webster
Unused subs | Lucas, Stancliffe (GK), Warhurst (GK)
Yellow cards | Buxton (90')
Long Buckby XI | Sabol (GK), Gamble, Flaig (Boe 78'), Harris, Finney, Finlay, McGahey, Yeates (C) (Collins 78'), Smith, Halim, Proudlock
Unused subs | McEnroe, Linton, Allen, Farrow, Roggero (GK)
Yellow cards | Finlay (75')
Man of the Match | Brandon Webster
Attendance | TBC