Kidsgrove Athletic moved to within five points of the playoff places as they beat Chasetown 4-0.
A brace from Lee Williamson and one each from Kingsley Adu-Gyamfi and Oliver Jepson saw Kidsgrove move onto 37 points for the season and, they still have games in hand on the teams above them in the table.
Ryan Austin made three changes to the side that beat Spalding United on Saturday with James Butler, Sam Hall and Adu-Gyamfi all starting in place of Jepson, Kyle Blake and Anthony Malbon. While on the bench was former Kidsgrove striker Lee Cropper.
The Grove picked up from where they left off on Saturday against Spalding as they tried to find an early goal. However, despite Ruben Wiggins-Thomas having two goals ruled out for offside, they couldn’t find a way past a stubborn Chasetown defence.
While at the other end Kieran Harrison had to get across his line to ensure Levi Reid’s 25-yard strike didn’t hit the back of the net, in what was a rare move forward from the Scholars.
With just five minutes to go until the break, Adu-Gyamfi opened the scoring when he headed home at the near post from a Williamson free-kick to score his 7th goal for the club since joining in the summer.
The Grove had chances in the second half through birthday boy Tom France and Rhys Thompson, however, Ben Johnson in the goal for Chasetown stood firm to deny them.
However, he couldn’t deny Williamson on 71 minutes when after some neat work by Adu-Gyamfi he played in Williamson who shrugged off the defender before powering the ball past Johnson to give the Grove some breathing space.
As the Kidsgrove supporter celebrated the goal, Ryan Austin brought on Cropper from Wiggins-Thomas. Cropper was with the club last season before joining Abbey Hulton United. He was back at the Autonet Insurance Stadium to ensure Kidsgrove had enough cover on the bench.
Williamson got his second goal of the night with just five minutes to go when Adu-Gyamfi was fouled in the box. The former Sheffield United man stepped up to score his second penalty of the week as he blasted the ball over the dive of Johnson.
The final goal of the night came just a minute later when Cropper played in Jepson who ran through the defence to score his first goal of the season and to add the icing on the top of the cake for Kidsgrove.
In the final minute of injury time, Harrison was called into action to save from Joe Berks who looked grab one back for the visitors. However, he couldn’t as Kidsgrove recorded their ninth clean sheet in the league this season.
Austin’s men head to Cleethorpes on Saturday full of confidence as they look for their third win on the bounce which could take them within two points of the playoff places.
Kidsgrove Athletic: Harrison, Coates, Morris, Hall (Jepson, 81), Duffy, Butler, France (Blake, 61), Thompson, Wiggins-Thomas (Cropper, 71), Adu-Gyamfi and Williamson.
Unused sub: Bath
Chasetown: Johnson, Haywood, M.O’Reilly, Beddows (Williams, 85), J. O’Reilly, Curtis, Berks, Reid (Kirton, 58), Wynter, Whieldon and Cocks (Brown, 71)
Unused sub: Riley-Stewart
Attendance: 121
