LICHFIELD City moved to within five points of the play-offs after a 3-0 win over Basford United.
Goals from Kieran Francis and Callum Griffin sent Ivor Green’s men in at half-time two goals to the good before Jude Taylor added a third early in the second period.
The perfect afternoon for City was wrapped up when keeper Brendon Bunn saved a penalty late on.
Basford began brightly at the Trade Tyre Community Stadium with an early header over the crossbar.
But it was Lichfield who made the breakthrough after a quarter of an hour when Griffin’s persistence created an opportunity for Francis to net with an overhead kick.
It was almost 2-0 when Francis fired just wide, and then Griffin was denied in a one-on-one by visiting keeper Matt Yates.
City were looking in the mood for goals as the chances kept coming, with Taylor sending a strike past the post and then seeing a save deny him.
Basford put a header into the side-netting as they tried to rally before Taylor continued his duel with Yates who again denied the Lichfield forward.
The second goal eventually came just before half-time when Griffin kept his composure to tuck home.
Bunn made a smart save early in the second half to prevent Basford halving the deficit before the visitors also fired over.
But Lichfield put more daylight between the two sides on 50 minutes when Taylor turned a defender and then lifted the ball over Yates to make it 3-0.
Basford didn’t fold though and forced Bunn into a good stop to prevent them getting a goal back.
Lichfield’s clean sheet looked to be in doubt late on when Josh Mansell was penalised for a challenge in the box, but Bunn got down low to his right to push away the resulting spot kick.
