Rushall Olympic 3 Brigg Town 1
Rushall reeled off their fifth successive victory and a third in UniBond League First Division South action that resulted in the Pics back at the summit for the first time since early September.
A brace from top scorer Nathan Lamey, in addition to an opener from striker partner Paul Szewczyk, set the Dales Lane outfit on their way to a 3-1 home success against rock bottom Brigg Town.
Brigg began the game extremely brightly and had the home side on the back foot during the opening stages, by playing some attractive one touch football that belied their lowly league standing.
Rushall were rarely an attacking threaten during the first half of the opening period but in the 23rd minute they sprang into life.
A Richard Beale corner was met by the head of Szewczyk at the near post, who deftly headed home past keeper Chris Barnett from close range.
Lamey almost doubled Olympic's advantage in the 40th minute after racing clear of the offside trap but, as Barnett raced off his line to narrow the angle, the front runner's lofted effort from the corner of the penalty area bounced harmlessly wide of the far post.
Six minutes into the second period and Michael Jacklin was the next Zebra's player to find himself being issued with a caution, following a foul on Lamey.
In the 64th minute, Olympic doubled their advantage when Szewczyk brought a high ball under control on the left side of the penalty area, before pulling it back cross the face of goal into the path of Nathan Lamey, who stroked clinically home into the bottom right corner.
Rushall custodian Tony Breeden was called into action to pull off a brilliant double save in successive moves, as the Zebras applied some intense pressure on their hosts.
In the aftermath of the goalmouth action, one of the home rear guard was found guilty of a hand ball. Despite strong protestations, Jack Muldoon was allowed to place the ball on the 12 yard mark and clinically dispatched into the bottom right corner.
The goal gave the visitors renewed vigour but in the 86th minute the Pics slammed the door shut in their face, when Lamey beat Brigg's offside trap and slotted home from just inside the 18-yard box past Barnett into the bottom corner.
To compound their misery, the Zebra's goalscoring hero Jack Muldoon turned villain two minutes before the start of stoppage time.
The forward was dismissed for a horrendous looking foul challenge on Niki Preston.
