A resurgent Tadley Calleva took three points in a Tuesday night derby clash at home to Whitchurch United.
The 1-0 win for bottom-of-the league Tadley moves them to within three points of 17th place Hythe and Dibden.
Tenth-placed Whitchurch remained unchanged and are still within eight points of the top five.
The three points for Tadley avenged their 1-0 defeat to the Jam Boys at Longmeadow in November where substitute Ashley Childs scuppered Tadley hopes for a draw.
Delighted Calleva boss Danny Dolan said the squad throughly deserved the win.
“It was a massive game for both sides,” said Dolan. “Over the 90 minutes it was us that should of taken the win.
“League form and position go out the window when you’ve got a derby, on the day it goes to who wants it the most. To get three points leaves us just short of the chasing pack with four games in hand.
“I am confident in the ability of my side, it’s just a very tough league at the moment.”
On Tuesday James Winfield put Tadley ahead 30 minutes into the first half after Whitchurch plied on the pressure in the opening 10 minutes.
A James Tennant cross found Winfield 12 yards out who looped the ball over ‘keeper Thomas Hindmarsh.
With both teams full of nerves and playing their first match following a three-week break due to bad weather, the game settled and Tadley went into the break 1-0 up.
In the second half, Tadley missed an opportunity to seal the game after James Milford was brought down in the box.
Milford’s bottom right penalty effort was palmed away by Hindmarsh.
But Tadley maintained the upper hand and the score remained unchanged by the end of the 90 minutes.
On Saturday Tadley face league leaders Verwood Town at home before taking on Andover New Street on Thursday week.
And on Saturday Whitchurch face 14th-placed Stockbridge.
