A display of total dominance, watched by a crowd of 16,086, was rewarded with a 4-0 victory over Scunthorpe United.

Adam Chicksen and an own goal sent us into the break ahead before Macaulay Langstaff equalled Tom Keetley's record of 39 goals in a single season with two goals after the break.

Luke Williams welcomed number-one goalkeeper Sam Slocombe back from injury – a timely boost with his stand-in, Tiernan Brooks, on international duty with Republic of Ireland’s Under 21s.

Kyle Cameron, Geraldo Bajrami and Connell Rawlinson were his last line of defence, with Adam Chicksen and Aaron Nemane on the flanks.

A midfield quartet of John Bostock, Jim O’Brien, Matt Palmer and Ruben Rodrigues played behind lone striker Macaulay Langstaff.

On the bench, Richard Brindley returned from injury and took his place alongside Archie Mair, Frank Vincent, Sam Austin and young defender Lucien Mahovo.

We should have been ahead with less than a minute on the clock when we worked the first of many first-half openings down the right, Nemane squaring the ball for Bostock 10 yards out. Unmarked, he looked set to fire us into the lead but miscued his shot straight into a defender.

It only took seven minutes for our early dominance to count, though, and while Nemane was involved again, it was Rodrigues who deserved the plaudits as the Portuguese brilliantly let the ball run for Nemane before supplying a teasing low cross which was turned home by Chicksen from close range.

And, three minutes later, it was two when Langstaff made a rare foray into a wide position to receive the ball before turning inside the area and seeing his cross-shot deflect into the net off Ben Richards-Everton.

The first half couldn’t have been going any better – that was until Jacob Butterfield clattered Slocombe after the referee had blown for offside on 13 minutes. The keeper tried to play on but soon had to make way for Mair.

The substitution came shortly after Chicksen had brilliantly controlled Nemane’s cross before sending the ball over the bar with a right-footed volley.

And Nemane was involved yet again on the half-hour mark, producing a sublime dummy to race towards goal inside the area. His deflected shot was held by Billson.

The half ended with Rodrigues sending a dipping 25-yard shot narrowly over and Langstaff also clearing the crossbar with an effort of his own.

And, after the break, our top scorer missed a golden opportunity to get on the scoresheet when he headed Rodrigues’ perfect cross wide from eight yards out.

It was threatening to be a frustrating day for the forward, whose fierce shot was brilliantly tipped on to the bar by Billson shortly after the hour mark.

But he was never to be denied as, 10 minutes later, substitute Austin provided a delicious delivery for him to head the ball home in front of a packed-out Kop.

And, three minutes later, he equalled Keetley’s record with by rounding off a sensational team move with a sweeping finish from Palmer’s clever cut-back.

Langstaff was now on the hunt for his first Meadow Lane hat-trick and probably should have had it on 82 minutes when Palmer supplied him again, only for the forward to scuff his finish wide of the far post.

Two left-footed chances followed – the first being saved by Billson and the second flashing just over as his 40^th goal of the season continued to evade him.

And, in the end, Langstaff had to settle for just the two on a memorable afternoon at the Lane.

STARTING XI: Slocombe (Mair 17'); Cameron, Bajrami, Rawlinson; Chicksen (Austin 63'), Nemane (Vincent 63'); Bostock, Palmer, O'Brien, Rodrigues; Langstaff

UNUSED SUBS: Brindley, Mahovo

ATTENDANCE: 16,086 (1,750)