GORNAL Athletic’s sixth league win on the bounce helped keep the pressure on league pace-setters Black Country Rangers and Wednesfield.

Bustleholme started the game brightly and carved the early of the openings with a move that saw Wayne Richardson and James Clews combining to give the latter a dangerous opening, which needed the intervention of Connor Gater to deny a goalscoring opportunity.

But Gornal got the breakthrough on 15 minutes after Ricky Nicholls found Marvin Nisbett with an excellent pass down the right and the nippy striker drew an illegal challenge from James Dale for a penalty.

Matt Martin stepped up to blast the spot kick low and hard past his namesake in the Bustleholme goal.

A couple of minutes later Nicholls was unlucky not to double the lead when a Martin pass to Matt Weyman found the midfielder and his shot was saved well.

Nicholls did indeed double the lead with his first goal for Gornal on his first start when he lashed a 25 yarder into the net, after Matt Martin’s freekick shot had been blocked by the wall.

With Gornal seemingly comfortable, Bustleholme fought their way back into contention as a long pass down the middle saw Gornal keeper James Pemberton charge out to clear, only for the clearance to hit the oncoming Clews and end up in the net.

The home side restored their three-goal lead on 38 minutes when a sublime cross on the right from Nicholls into Nisbett in the six yard box was turned into the net by James Dale.

And on the stroke of half time the game as a contest was almost ended when Nisbett hit the post from outside the area and Nicholls, who was in plenty of space and with time to spare, struck the other post.

Nisbett was more fortunate just after the break when he nodded home on the line after a powerful Chris Waterhouse header was parried on the line by Martin.

Just minutes later sloppy defending at the other end saw Dale put right the own goal when he fired in Richardson’s cross to make it 4-2.

The second half was a flat affair with few chances of note.

On 73 minutes substitute Andy Dicken’s pass found Nisbett in space which Matt Martin came way out of his area to deal with, only for the ball to end with Rich Young on the touchline. The full-back lofted a shot towards the net which would have gone in had Chris Norton not cleared well on the touchline.

And two minutes later a Matt Martin shot was well saved by his namesake and Young was unable to convert the rebound from close range.

Gornal travel to Continental Star in the FA Vase on Sunday (ko 3pm) before taking on Cadbury Athletic in the Midweek Cup at home on Tuesday (ko 7.45pm).

Gornal: James Pemberton; Richard Young; Matt Martin; Connor Gater; Chris Waterhouse (Captain); Kristian Green; Mike Perks (Gurdeep Wilkhoo, 76); Lee Wherton (Pete Wood, 85); Ricky Nicholls (Andy Dicken, 64); Marvin Nisbett; Matt Weyman.

Bustleholme: Matt Martin; Connor Deeley Brewer; Chris Norton; Max Whitehouse; James Dale (Captain); Wayne Richardson; Adam Burgess; Adam Griffiths; Sebastian Craven (Callum Jones, 45); James Clews (Marvin Whitter, 64); Tom Seaman.