WITTON’S sense of dramatic timing remains intact seven days on.

This wasn’t last-gasp, but Albion again found the net at precisely the moment an opponent had started to believe their threat had diminished.

To rub it in, they did so twice a matter of seconds.

In the blink of an eye, Chasetown’s chance had gone.

Even at this stage of the season, Carl Macauley’s men could ill-afford to follow a defeat at Belper a fortnight ago with another one.

Add that to the fact two more rivals above them in the table, Spalding and Newcastle, both lost and the manager’s smile after the final whistle was understandably a broad one.

The result was the right one – the visitors were the better team and created more chances – but their destination to maximum points was not without diversions.

Few could have argued had they established a lead of at least two goals before falling behind.

Indeed that advantage might have been in place inside five minutes.

Steven Tames prompted Chasetown goalkeeper Curtis Pond to stretch fully to his left to parry a rising drive after 45 seconds.

Tolani Omotola then scooped his shot over the bar from inside the six-yard box after Rob Hopley teed him up.

Hopley also headed high, from a Brad Bauress corner, as Albion made the running.

The Scholars, with Mitch Piggon playing as a lone striker, toiled to put Witton’s backline – which included Scott Lycett making a first appearance since switching from Sutton Coldfield on Friday – under pressure.

Their best spell preceded the break, during which skipper James Dance had their clearest sight of goal.

He stretched to divert Piggon’s cushioned header past custodian Danny Roberts but, under pressure from Michael Wilson, he could not make a clean contact.

The visitors again had an opportunity to score at the start of the second period, but Pond was swift from his line to smother Omotola’s shot.

Piggon fluffed a close-range header from Josh Ruff’s corner before Chasetown opened the scoring on 58 minutes.

Ruff darted between two Albion defenders after reaching a bouncing ball first, then sent Dance clear.

His finish was emphatic.

Witton had started to give the impression they were out of ideas when Prince Haywood conjured a gorgeous leveller, arcing a perfectly-placed shot in off an upright.

Little more than 60 seconds had passed when Tames steered in Omotola’s pass.

Energised, Albion did not let up.

Hopley jabbed a third goal into the roof of the net, a third goal in eight minutes, after Matthew Devine’s burst up the left flank.

A fourth duly followed when substitute Karl Noon gleefully rammed a rebounded ball over the line after Pond blocked Hopley’s initial attempt.

Dance was denied a second when Roberts arched his back to tip over the midfielder’s header, but it would have provided little by way of consolation.

“That’s a massive win,” reflected Macauley afterwards.

“We knew how important it was to get a result.”

They definitely did that.

Chasetown | 4-5-1 | Pond (GK), Curley, Miles, Slater (Till 28), Wood, Thompson, Langston (Kiembi 76), Brown (Rooney 80), Dance, Ruff, Piggon Subs not used Lake-Gaskin, Weston-Hayles Goal Dance 58 Booked Brown, Dance

Witton | 4-3-3 | Roberts (GK), Gardner, Lycett, Wilson, Devine, Haywood (Noon 75), Reeves (Hickman 83), Bauress, Tames, Hopley, Omotola (Eves 90) Subs not used Garner (GK), Adigun Goals Haywood 66, Tames 68, Hopley 74, Noon 79 Booked Bauress

Referee Simon Brown

Attendance 202