The 37-year-old was unsurpassable throughout the match, capping his performance off with a penalty save from Robert Wilson mid-way through the second half.

Brad Gascoigne gave Basford the win after 37 minutes, with a fine downward header as Steve Chettle’s men go seven unbeaten.

The opening half an hour was a bit of a non-story, with both sides sharing half-chances that failed to worry both Collin and Matthew Alexander in the away goal.

Kane Richards did well to spin around a trailing leg, but his pass was between both Rev James and Aaron O’Connor before Christian Sloan went down easily under the challenge from Dom Roma; referee Joseph Goodwin remained unmoved.

However, the game sparked into life when a succession of corners from Ryan Wilson lead to Gascoigne rising highest to stoop a low header under Alexander and give United a warranted lead.

Sam Fishburn then had two fine opportunities to draw instantly level.

Firstly, his header, under the attention of Gascoigne, flicked agonisingly over, before, from the resultant corner, he had time and space from two yards out to control, only to shoot straight into an unknowing Collin who gratefully held on.

The 'keeper continued to be a pin in Lancaster’s balloon, and he was at it again seconds after the break when he brilliantly tipped over Rhys Turner’s stinging effort from range.

And things got better for the former Notts County ‘keeper when he saved low down to his left to thwart Robert Wilson’s penalty after Declan Dunn had clumsily felled Paul Dawson.

A backs-to-the-wall job; Roma did excellently to slide and block Dawson’s advances five minutes later, before Dunn’s trailing leg deflected another shot from range to safety.

With a rare foray forward in the second half, Howes’ deft chip from the by-line cleared everyone, and Richards’ acrobatic effort angled agonisingly wide as United looked to seal the win.

Another stand out performer in Owen Betts then desperately blocked Liam Brockbank’s low cross and City did have the ball in the net, only for the defender to be fouled much earlier in the build-up.

James may have sealed the three points with nine minutes remaining when he danced around the attention of two and found Reco Fyfe, on as a second-half substitute, who blazed over via a deflection.

Lancaster threw the metaphoric kitchen sink at United, only to remain frustrated, and their afternoon was summed up when Wilson’s corner-bound effort was superbly clawed away by Collin who drew the applause from the healthy 304 crowd at Greenwich Avenue.

Josh Scott should have scored his first goal in Basford colours late on, but his side hung on for the win.

MATCH ATTENDANCE: 304