The Linnets' outstanding run continued on Saturday as they increased the pressure on wobbling league leaders Coalville Town.

Gary Setchell's top scorer found the net twice in the second half, as did Sam Mulready once, to ensure that the high-flying Linnets kept up their 100pc league record in 2013 and moved up to second.

And it stretched his side's unbeaten run to nine Evo-Stik Division One South matches as Lynn continue to strengthen their grip on a play-off position and keep up the pressure on Stamford and Coalville – who could only draw 3-3 at Sheffield having been 3-1 ahead.

It was the ninth point the Ravens have dropped in their last four games and they now only sit 12 points ahead of Lynn – who have played three matches less and visit the Leicestershire pace-setters a week on Tuesday.

At The Walks, both teams went into this afternoon's match enjoying vastly differing fortunes of late. The hosts, third, had won their last seven Evo-Stik matches and were unbeaten in eight. The Shropshire-based visitors, 17th in the table, were without a league triumph in eight.

As expected, the first opportunity came the Linnets way in the fifth minute, but in-form midfielder Dan Quigley's header was comfortably saved by Drayton shot-stopper Martyn Davies.

It was a pretty uninspiring affair for the opening 15 minutes with only Russell Dunkley's header, from Spriggs' cross, and Drayton's Dorryl Proffitt's wild shot threatening to break the deadlock.

Ironically, the biggest cheer of the opening 20 minutes was reserved for the man in the middle who marked out 10 yards for a Market Drayton free-kick – just to make sure Dunkley was half an inch further back than he was already standing.

George Thomson drilled an attempt just wide soon after as the Norfolk outfit tried to stamp their mark on proceedings. And while it did get a bit better, it was still very uninspiring from both teams.

It took defender Jason Lee's burst into opposition territory to try and force the issue. His run could only create an opening for Quigley and the Linnets' engine-room dominator could only fizz a long-range drive over.

Lee's next key moment in the match wasn't so impressive as his back pass to Danny Gay was cut out. However, Setchell's number one pushed Craig Ryan wide enough so that his shot was never going to trouble the target.

An uninspiring half was perhaps summed up when a little bit of class from Dunkley played in Spriggs. He, scrappily, found Thomson. And he found the stand. On the 45-minute mark, Spriggs' cross was headed back across goal by Shane Tolley but Dunkley could only nod over.

That brought to a close the Linnets' most uneventful half of the term with many fans probably wondering whether they had been watching a pre-season stroll – rather than a league match.

But The Walks faithful had already seen many an excellent second-half display this season so hopes were still that the stalemate would be ended once the match re-started.

It should have been 1-0, but not the hosts, when Neville Thompson found himself with acres of room inside Lynn's box after Lee had opted not to head a diagonal ball clear. Gay got him out of jail by racing off his line to save with his legs.

And the men in yellow wasted no time in making the visitors' striker pay for his wasted opportunity when Dunkley played in Lynn's little winger and – not for the first time this term – he arrowed a shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the Hospital End goal.

Thomson had a great chance to double the hosts' tally when he latched onto Dunkley's header on the edge of the box. However, he scuffed his shot and it bobbled harmlessly wide.

With about 15 minutes left, Spriggs wrapped up in-form Lynn's latest win by drilling home defender Ross Watson's pull-back from inside the box. It was a good finish, but Setchell's right-back did even better to create the chance with a fine run.

Struggling Drayton should have given themselves a chance of completing a shock comeback but Thompson bent his effort, from about 15 yards out, the wrong side of the post.

Substitute Danny Beaumont nearly put the icing on the cake of another Lynn win but his fine curling effort from 25 yards rattled the crossbar with just a few minutes left on the clock.

He did have a hand in the third though when his excellent cross was headed home by Mulready in injury time to put the gloss on another Linnets' win.

Lynn: Gay, Watson, Gulliver, Lee, Yong, Spriggs, Quigley, Jepson (Bunting, 53), Thomson (Beaumont, 78), Dunkley, Tolley (Mulready, 71). Subs not used: Fryatt, Butt. Booked: Quigley, Dunkley, Gulliver. Goal: Spriggs (50, 76), Mulready (90+2)

M. Drayton: Davies, Porter, Swetnam, Barnett, McMullen, Blake, Ryan, Campbell (Johnson, 69), Thompson (Cooke, 84), Stevenson, Proffitt. Subs not used: Jones, Humphreys. Booked: Ryan.

Referee: S. Pawley

Attendance: 581