Best of Britton

They raced to a three-goal lead within the first 28 minutes and added another after the break to end any hopes Rasen had of repeating their dramatic fightback at the Vertigo Stadium in September.

The win leaves the seasiders six points behind leaders Hykeham Town with four games in hand.

They now have to win five of their remaining seven league fixtures to retain their Lincolnshire League crown.

Manager Nick Chapman was pleased with the win.

“We knew it was going to be a battle and that was exactly what it was,” he said.

“The early goal settled us and after that, the result was never in doubt,” he added.

Chapman was without the injured Miles Chamberlain and Luke Rayner-Mistry.

He shuffled his pack to include starts for Alex Nichols and Jamie Epton, with keeper Travis Portas returning.

The game was only a minute old when leading scorer Will Britton headed the seasiders in front.

Fifteen minutes later the Lilywhites doubled the lead from the penalty spot.

Britton raced clear and reached the ball ahead of Rasen keeper Will Bradford, who turned his back and clumsily fell into the striker.

Britton picked himself up and slotted home the penalty.

Rasen, who are now second to bottom in the league table, fell further behind in the 28th minute when Alex Nichols got the final touch after Ben Davison had fired goalwards.

The home side were on the ropes and Aaron Greenback had to clear off the line to stop them conceding a fourth.

Nichols blasted the rebound after Bradford had kept out Courtney Warren’s effort, but Greenback flung himself at the ball to keep it out.

Rasen’s first and best chance of the game finally arrived in the 39th minute when Portas failed to punch the ball clear.

It fell to Ian Smith, but the winger dragged his shot across the face of the gaping goal.

A penetrating run from Rafael Garde ended with a shot that grazed the top of the Skegness crossbar in the 42nd minute.

But the final chance of the half came at the other end where Davison’s far post header was scrambled off the line by Bradford and Ian Smith.

So the travelling faithful were hoping that history would not repeat itself, remembering that Rasen, thanks to a Kyle Paul hat-trick, turned a half time deficit into a 4-3 victory at the Vertigo Stadium.

They were reassured by a stylish performance from Danny Stevens at the heart of the Skegness defence, who looked composed on the ball and frustrated the Rasen forwards with some timely interceptions.

Equally assured was his defensive partner Andy Parish, giving Chapman some comfort as Chamberlain struggles to regain his fitness.

So the fightback from Rasen never materialised, despite a rallying display from skipper Joe Osbourne and some neat skills from Garde, Portas’s goal was rarely threatened.

At the other end Nichols wrapped things up with his second goal midway through the second half.

TOWN: Portas, Warren, Epton, Stevens, Parish, Scutt, Cunliffe, Davison, Britton, Nichols, Parker, Hobbins, Howitt, Potts, Needham.