Lichfield City FC made it a productive seven days with a fine 4-2 win over last season’s runners up Littleton in difficult conditions.
City’s previous record against the visitors was played four, lost four, but they started the game on the front foot and found themselves a goal up after just three minutes when a defensive mix up allowed Leon Morgan to nip in and guide the ball under keeper Josh Gandy.
Playing against a strong wind, the hosts continued to take the game to their Evesham-based opponents, Kyle Minto just failing to get on the end of a teasing Morgan cross.
Littleton got the chance to level when a long ball over the top caught City’s defence flat-footed. Danny Rock got in a tangle with Kyonn Evans which ended in the referee pointing to the spot. Evans dusted himself down but Liam Hodgen – in for the absent Craig Johnson – dived to his left to superbly keep the penalty out, only for Matthew Mitchell to react first and smash it home.
The hosts reacted positively to the setback and continued to press, with a fine jinking run by Ashley Evans resulted in him being on the receiving end of a heavy tackle that somehow escaped with just a yellow card as punishment.
But justice was dished out by Lichfield when Liam Holt’s 25 yard free kick came back off the post for skipper Todd Perry to slam home the rebound and restore his side’s lead going into the break.
The second half saw City with the wind behind them as they piled forward searching for a third.
Minto was causing problems with his pace and he was denied when he rolled the ball towards an empty goal only for Simon Fitter to get back and clear off the line.
If City thought they would have it their own way they were reminded how dangerous the visitors could be when a Trevor Beattie free kick hammered the crossbar with Stuart Hall heading the rebound off the bar again.
This respite was only brief as Beattie headed home a free kick with the home defence appealing in vain for offside.
Despite being pegged back for a second time, Lichfield responded well again and on 75 minutes Danny Worrall rose to superbly head home a Dominic Coulson cross.
The home side were rarely threatened in the remaining 15 minutes and put the icing on the cake with a fourth in injury time. Holt’s persistence saw substitute Ashley Bennett played in and he smashed a rising drive into the top corner to cap a good solid display from City.
