Lincoln United extended their unbeaten league run to seven games with a hard fought 2-0 win against Chasetown.
Second half goals by forwards Matt Cotton and Jordan Hempenstall was enough to earn the three points for the Whites in a game of few chances.
The visitors Chasetown had most of the early possession but struggled to break down a resolute Whites backline.
And it was the away side who had the first real chance of the game. In the 17th minute, Jack Langston fired a free kick just past the post, after a poor foul by Daniel Brooks outside the area.
Just a few minutes later Chasetown went close again. A James Blunden error allowed Mitchell Piggon to pounce, but his shot was straight at Jake Turner from a tough angle.
It wasn’t until the half hour mark that Lincoln United came to life. Chasetown goalkeeper Curtis Pond looked to have the ball under control on the edge of his own area. But his pass out miscued straight to Jordan Hempenstall, whose first time strike lobbed the keeper and agonisingly crashed against the top of the bar.
United pressed on, but Sam Wilkinson’s men couldn’t find the breakthrough they needed, and the muddy conditions were making playing counter-attacking football extremely difficult.
It was Chasetown that went into half time the happier of the teams. Just before the whistle, the visitors came close. Midfielder Jack Langston found space 20 yards out and blasted a volley, forcing Turner into a diving save to his left.
The second half was a similar story to the first. Both sides were in search for a winner but the muddy and wet conditions made it difficult for either team to break forward and create real chances.
With an hour played, the game opened up and Chasetown came close to breaking the deadlock. Matthais Curley’s drive on the edge of the box was destined for the bottom corner, but for a deflection off of a Whites defender which sent the ball fizzing just past the post.
In truth, Chasetown deserved to be in front. But in the 73rd minute Lincoln United took the lead. Matt Cotton won a corner after he forced a decent save from Pond when he was played through one on one. The resulting corner eventually fell to Cotton, whose volley flew past Pond and into the top corner.
The goal sparked the Whites into life. Just two minutes later, Smithson’s delivery from the right wing was greeted in the air by Hempenstall, who headed just wide of the left post.
Then, Norris was played through on goal and looked set to double the Whites’ lead, but his shot flew wide when he should have scored.
By this point, Lincoln United were dominant but in truth, they needed another goal to be sure of victory.
And they did just that in spectacular fashion. Hempenstall collected the ball 40 yards out on the left. The striker looked up and spotted the keeper off his line, before sweetly striking a shot which looped over Pond’s head and landed in the far bottom corner, sparking wild celebrations at Ashby Avenue.
That goal secured the three points and meant United extended their unbeaten run, meaning the last time they lost a league game was at the hands of Northwich Victoria in October.
The Whites will be looking to make it eight unbeaten when they travel to bottom side Rugby Town on Saturday.