Lichfield City FC made it two wins in as many games they were made to work hard for their victory against NKF Burbage.
Jay Hawkins’ men started brightly in their Midland Football League Division One encounter, Luke Wright heading over from a Kyle Patterson cross during the opening exchanges.
City almost had a fortunate breakthrough when a visiting defender inadvertently lifted the ball over his own keeper, but it drifted narrowly wide of the target.
Kienan Palmer came closest to breaking the deadlock when his strike looked to be heading for the net before the knee of an opponent kept the ball out.
But Lichfield were forced to ride their own luck at the other end with a free header cleared off the line by Jordan Evans before NKF Burbage saw an effort come back off the post.
Several goal line clearances denied City as both sides slugged it out in search of an opener in the first half.
The breakthrough
If the opening period saw both goals living a charmed life, the second immediately saw a change as Lichfield finally made the breakthrough when Ryan Slinn smashed home his first goal for the club.
Slinn turned provider as City finally found their shooting boots. His cross was met by Dan Sheppard who powered the ball home.
Any hopes of Lichfield cruising to victory were dashed though when the visitors halved the deficit with a neat finish from the edge of the box.
But City restored their two goal advantage when Slinn was sent tumbling in the box and Max Black tucked the resulting penalty away.
Again the visitors came back at Lichfield though, netting from their own spot kick after Joel Powell had been penalised for a trip in the box.
The nerves were jangling – a situation that wasn’t helped when Patterson was sent off to reduce the hosts to ten men.
Deep into stoppage time the visitors twice thought they’d claimed an unlikely point as they were denied firstly by a save from Jenkins and then Wright’s goal-line clearance.