Lichfield City FC were made to work hard for the three points against a stubborn Stafford Town.

The victory keeps Jay Hawkins’ men joint top of the Midland Football League Division One alongside Brocton and Uttoxeter Town.

Jack Arrowsmith had the first chance of the game, heading over the bar from a corner.

Stafford keeper Josh Moreton showed some early glimpses of what was to be an impressive afternoon when he saved a Dan Griffiths shot and a Kyle Patterson effort.

But the resistance was eventually broken when Kienan Palmer found Griffiths who slotted home.

Lichfield had a glorious chance to double their lead when Griffiths was felled in the box, but the City man saw Moreton save his spot kick.

His blushes were spared shortly afterwards though as Palmer’s half-volley found the top corner to put his side 2-0 up.

Griffiths’ duel with Moreton continued, the Stafford keeper producing a fine save to prevent the Lichfield man from putting the game out of sight in the first half.

The chances kept coming with Palmer seeing his shot cleared off the line.

But Stafford hung in there and were rewarded just before the break when Queenton Manase rifled home a free-kick to make it 2-1.

The second half saw Lichfield seek to establish their attacking superiority once again with Palmer forcing another good save from Moreton.

Chances kept coming and Moreton kept saving them to keep Stafford in the game – and City were made to rue not putting them away as Town broke quickly and earned a penalty of their own on 72 minutes. Tom Duffy stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards.

It looked like being one of those days for Lichfield as sub Joe Hartshorne saw his strike cleared off the line. And the afternoon went from bad to worse as Luke Wright was stretchered off after Hawkins’ had used all of his subs, leaving his side to see out the game with 10 men.

But it was City who struck the decisive blow when Hartshorne’s shot was saved but Luke Childs was on hand to tuck home the rebound.

The game almost heralded one more twist as a late Stafford strike came back off the post.

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.