Reece Styche’s goalscoring fortunes changed for the better as he grabbed both for the Scholars, while Gary Birch and Dave Egan were unlucky not to find the target in a tight and committed display against the league’s basement side. The Scholars have risen to become real challengers at the top of the league, with fortunes improving slowly and surely in all areas.

Sean Pugh had the first attack of the game down the right for the Lockmen with home skipper Richard Teesdale able to clear, and the latter then combined with John Branch to dispel a similar move by Daniel Yearwood.

Yearwood then set up Pugh on the left but the forward fired over as Willenhall displayed some good positional play in the opening minutes, but Reece Styche struck back in the ninth minute as he headed over at the near post.

Duncan Horler was next to go close as his shot split the defence but keeper Steve Jackson produced a fine save, but the keeper had no chance on the half hour as STYCHE sent a fine curling shot into the net from just inside the area to put the Scholars ahead.

Styche could have made it two ten minutes later after he beat Jason O’Kelly down the right, but Jackson got a hand to his speculative shot and the ball went wide.

Gary Birch tried to capitalise on a slip by Jackson as the second half got underway but his shot from close range bounced off the post, and Styche was then denied once more by Jackson as the Scholars turned up the heat on their local rivals.

Birch then fired a right-footed shot over the bar from outside the area, while Teesdale seemed certain to double the home side’s lead just past the hour but his overhead kick from Ben Steane’s corner crept over.

The visitors began to fight back with some tough defending, especially against Birch and Horler out on the left, but STYCHE was still in full flow although his low shot into the corner on 74 minutes was disallowed for offside, but he made no mistake three minutes later following a fine cross from John Branch.

Dave Egan then cut round Jackson and a third for the Scholars seemed a certainty, but Wayne Brown produced a fine tackle and somehow forced the ball onto the post.

Chasetown continued to close the game out in a calm closing period, and moved up to second in the table just behind Sheffield FC.

Chasetown: Price, J Branch, M Branch, Slater, Saunders, Teesdale (c), Steane, Egan, Birch, Styche, Horler. Subs: Smith (Birch 83), Miller, Milligan, Thomas, Hawkins.

Willenhall: Jackson, Roofe, Brown, Perry (c), Griffiths, Findlay, Yearwood, O’Kelly, Pugh, Manchester, Pinnock. Subs: Curtis (Pugh 63), Igori (Pinnock 83), Morton, Robins, Nicholls (Yearwood 73).

Goals: Styche 30, 77.

Referee: Mr P J Keane.

Attendance: 316