Athletic saw Tesfa Robinson clear off the line while Wayne Cordon and Shane Reaney both struck the frame of the goal and really must have felt that things were not going their way in their fight to avoid relegation as Bedworth won 2-0 to leapfrog Kidsgrove.

That said, the Scholars had more than enough chances to put the game beyond any doubt, with visiting keeper Danny Read head and shoulders man of the match.

After just ten minutes, Read made a candidate for save of the season as it seemed inevitable that Danny Bragoli’s close range downward header would find the net. But, greeted by chants of “one Gordon Banks” Read kept out the effort with the Assistant Referee shaking his head to appeals that the ball had crossed the line.

Jack Lees and Luke Chapman both tested Read with low shots in a fairly disappointing first half.

The visitors started the second half by twice rattling the frame of Danny Watson’s goal until Chasetown gradually took control of the game and took the lead 14 minutes from time. Lee Butler’s near post corner just about reached Nick Wellecomme who, himself, scuffed his pass into the path of Lees. The ball ricocheted from Lees into the path of Joe Halsall who screamed an effort through a crowded goalmouth into the back of the net – his first Chasetown goal at the 27th time of asking.

Halsall almost made it two, forcing Read to dive full length to his left to keep out the goalbound effort before Chasetown continued to warm the gloves of the Kidsgrove number 1 as Wellecomme brought a decent diving save out of Read and then he denied Bragoli for the second time in the game.

With the play offs long out of reach, Chasetown remained in 11th but moved within 3 points of 8th position and 8 points adrift of 6th place – the highest Chasetown can finish this season as they prepare for their Walsall Senior Cup Final with four league games remaining.

Chasetown: Danny Watson, Jack Farmer, Jermaine Johnson, Chris Slater, Tesfa Robinson, Joe Halsall, Lee Butler (Danny Smith, 83 mins), Danny Bragoli, Nick Wellecomme, Jack Lees, Luke Chapman (Ramone Stephens, 64 mins)

Other subs: Todd Evans, Dean Bennett, Mitchell MacDonald (not used)

Kidsgrove Athletic: Read, Street (Grocott, 54 mins), Bramall, Edwards, Twigg, Nicklin, Matranga, Wain (Spence, 69 mins), Jordan Johnson, Reaney, Cordon

Other subs: Edge, Haddrell (not used)