Lichfield City sealed their place in the Midlands Football League Premier Division play-off final with a very professional performance against Highgate United.
Dan Smith struck twice and Jack Edwards once, while a late penalty from Aaron Brown served as the only consolation for Highgate.
Ivor Green’s only change to the starting lineup, Luke Childs, took a blow to the head early on but looked dangerous after returning to the field of play.
It was Smith who scored the opener for Lichfield just 7 minutes in, as he spun in the area and fired his shot past Reece Francis in the Highgate goal.
“Wonder” then doubled the deficit, after the keeper spilled the ball inside his six-yard box, allowing the prolific number 9 to stab a second into the back of the net.
A stellar stop from James Beeson then kept his side two goals up, denying Bassit Manday who cut in from the left, before Jack Edwards struck a third for Lichfield with a terrific volley.
Amazingly,
City then won a penalty after Smith was brought down inside the area, but Edwards failed to capitalise from the spot.
Smith then went down with a very painful looking injury that saw him taken off, before Demetri Brown’s attempted lob went just wide during a lengthy period of stoppage time as City went into the break 3-0 up.
The hosts started the second half brightly, as Dom Lewis nodded an effort just over the cross bar. Edwards then forced Francis into a strong save from a tight angle.
Lichfield had to clear their lines several times as Highgate ramped up the pressure in the second half, after one of their efforts hit the back of the net but was deemed offside.
Brown then netted a penalty for the visitors in 89th minute, but it served only as a late consolation for Highgate, as the referee’s final whistle confirmed their spot in the final.
City will be back in action this Thursday, as they head to Wolverhampton Casuals for their third semi-final in eight days in a bid to defend their J.W. Hunt Cup title.
City: Beeson ©, Burnside, Clement, Elkes, McMenemy, Lewis, Edwards, Brown (Taylor), Smith (Brown), Kirton, Childs.
Subs: Wykes, Holt, Dunn.
Attendance: 424