Lichfield City ran out 3-2 winners against Whitchurch Alport in an enthralling encounter at the Trade Tyre Community Stadium.
The away side drew level twice after Jamie Elkes and Dan Lomas both netted in the first half, before Jack Edwards found the winner in the 75th minute.
Manager Ivor Green was missing from the sidelines due to illness, but his players certainly did him proud with a resilient performance against a strong opponent.
It was Elkes who opened the scoring for the home side just eight minutes in. The centre-half managed to dart in front of his marker and nod Edwards’ corner kick past the keeper to take the lead.
The visitors looked to strike back three minutes later after Craig Pritchard was brought down just outside the area, but Harry Bower’s free kick couldn’t beat the four-man wall.
James Beeson then produced a handy save low to his right to keep the hosts ahead, before a broken nose saw Whitchurch’s Roman Allen forced him off for the remainder of the contest.
The away side eventually managed to level the scoreline after 42 minutes as Beeson parried a long-range effort into the path of Callum Knowles who fired into an empty net.
But immediately from the restart, Lomas capitalised on Tom Brown’s ball into the area and rifled past Jack Sheward to put his side back in front going into the interval.
Just five minutes into the second period Bower collected the ball from a melee in the area and fired a bobbling effort through a crowd of blue shirts and into the bottom right-hand corner to equalise yet again.
The home side were awarded a penalty in the 66th minute as Lomas was brought down inside the area, but the Lichfield skipper spurned the chance to score his second of the game and blazed the spot kick high over the crossbar.
However, Edwards managed find City’s third with a quarter of an hour remaining. The ever-reliable number seven picked up the ball out on the left flank and drilled his low strike past the Whitchurch stopper from a tight angle to clinch the win.
Substitute Jude Taylor nearly found a fourth nine minutes from time, but blasted his effort wide after breaking in behind the visitors’ backline.
