LICHFIELD City suffered a surprise 1-0 home defeat against Stone Old Alleynians.
A solitary Jack Tomlinson strike won it for the visitors – but the home side remain four points clear at the top of the Midland Football League Premier Division after second-placed Shifnal Town were also beaten.
It means City’s advantage remains at four points with three games left to play.
Lichfield began brightly when Jack Edwards nodded an effort goalwards in the first minute, but keeper Raajan Gill gathered comfortably.
At the other end, a cool piece of skill from Josh Mansell saw him get away from his marker by the corner flag and set his side free, before Joe Haines forced Gill into action from distance in the eighth minute.
But Tomlinson put Stone in front against the run of play minutes later when he slotted past Brendon Bunn from a tight angle.
Edwards then had another shot kept out by the Stone stopper in the 20th minute as Lichfield fought for a way back into the game.
Skipper Dan Lomas pulled the trigger from range just after the half-hour, but his curling effort was pushed behind by Gill.
From the resulting corner, Leighton McMenemy went agonisingly close to levelling for City, but his flying header hit the post.
The visitors nearly doubled their lead five minutes later when Kasper Mikulski was kept out by Bunn before the rebound was put wide of the tarhet.
City remained one down at the break, but started the second half well. Some neat interplay on the edge of the area saw the home side win a corner 10 minutes in, which was punched clear.
On the left flank, Edwards knocked the ball through the legs of his man and put a dangerous ball into Jamie Spiers after an hour, but again the visitors stood firm.
Substitute Tom Brown attempt to slide in and connect with Josh Mansell’s ball in saw him miss by inches as City’s hunt for a leveller continued.
Joe Haines was taken down just outside the area to earn Lichfield a free kick with 18 minutes to go, but the resulting effort flew just over the crossbar.
The hosts continued to pepper the Stone back line as they game drew to a close, but they couldn’t find the back of the net before the full-time whistle.