Yellows maintained their explosive recent run of form at the expense of their hosts, who made life difficult for them with their rugged and rough defensive style but could not deny a bullet header from Craig Westcarr that secured the win.

Andy Ingle named no changes to the side that beat Clifton 4-2 in Hucknall’s final home game of the season last weekend.

In a game of incredibly few clear cut chances, it was Hucknall who managed to carve out almost all the ones that did present themselves in an amazingly close contest. The first of which came very early in the game, with Aaron Lamb racing in behind to try and reach a through ball from Joe Ashurst before being hacked down to no whistle from the referee. Seven minutes later, Westcarr was the next Yellow to find an opportunity as a gorgeously clipped ball from Jamie Crawford picked the striker out in behind before he held off his marker and dragged a low shot wide of the post.

There were only half-chances to feed off of from there, but Ashurst almost broke the deadlock with what would have been a world beater as he met a cleared ball with a sidewinder volley from outside the box, that whistled agonisingly wide of the post.

More good work from Lamb as the half drew to a close revealed another partial chance as the youngsters cross made its way towards the waiting Niall Towle at the back post, but a fine intervention from the Dunkirk defence stopped it in its tracks. Brad Lathall saw another rare chance, just after Louis Kinnerley diverted a back post header from Dunkirk away to his left, as the tricky winger glided into space before digging out a daisy cutter that the keeper collected gratefully.

Immediately into the second half is where Yellows found their breakthrough, as a standard procedure Louis Tomlinson cross picked out Westcarr, who beat the flag to blast home a header past the helpless goalkeeper.

It took almost twenty minutes until another chance came around, which came through Ashurst who had fallen in his attempts to reach a centre from Kai Wilson, but managed to recover while on the floor to flick the ball on goal, only for it to be smashed off the line at the death.

Yellows gritted their teeth from there and stood against everything Dunkirk could throw at them, with a resolute defensive performance from Billy Brooks and Aaron Short keeping their attack quiet as they scrambled to find an equaliser.

Yellows found a half chance to find a second, as a long pass from Kinnerley unlocked substitute Jack Thatcher to break in behind the back line, but his touch let him down as the keeper recovered.

It was to be the last notable action of the contest, as Yellows held on firm to wrap up the three points they needed to confirm their participation in the play-offs for the second season running. Just desserts for a team in fine form.

Hucknall starting XI: Kinnerley, Crawford, Brooks, Short (C), Tomlinson, Ashurst, Wilson (Thatcher 76’), Towle (Knight 60’), Lathall (Sims 60’), Lamb, Westcarr

Unused subs: Fin Whyte, Oli Brown

Man of the Match: Jamie Crawford

Report by Louis Wheeldon