Lancaster City 2, Hyde United 1: Dolly Blues topple high-flyers thanks to Jake Connelly's late strike

Jake Connelly’s late winner sealed a 2-1 victory in front of nearly 800 spectators – the Dolly Blues’ sixth successive home win.

It was Hyde who looked most dangerous early on with their top goalscorer Jack Redshaw always a threat.

However, David Norris was a blocked shot away from opening the scoring for the hosts, while Charlie Bailey only narrowly lofted a header over the bar

City broke the deadlock when Nico Evangelinos burst onto Charlie Bailey’s through ball.

It looked overhit, but the striker found a yard on the advancing goalkeeper and arrived first before being caught.

Sam Bailey crashed the resultant penalty home into the lower right corner.

Hyde’s riposte was a threatening spell before half-time. Tom Pratt’s looping header which looked for a moment to trouble Sam Waller in the City goal before he made the save.

Hyde flew out of the traps in the second half, levelling it up after 50 minutes.

Waller had just stretched to complete a fine, low save, but was beaten shortly after when a low cross came through the crowd in the box and was smashed in by Aaron Fleming.

Back came Lancaster with Kyle Brownhill’s sidefoot effort from 18 yards skidding just wide.

Hyde responded, nearly taking a late lead through Redshaw as he shimmied past blockers in the box but could not send his shot beyond them.

In the thick of it all, Lancaster had brought on Jake Connelly for Charlie Bailey, and though Mark Fell had left the substitution late, it was ultimately perfectly timed.

He had hardly touched the ball, but when Sam Bailey found freedom on his edge of the box and hooked the ball back into the centre, Connelly was unmarked there and finished with icy coolness.