The two were paired up front together for the first time since the 3-2 win over Salisbury in late February and showed the clinical edge that was lacking in last week’s defeat to Truro City.

It was Babalola that opened the scoring, brushing aside his man to sweep the ball into the near post after 17 minutes.

The Reds were pegged back later in the half by virtue of a Matt McClure penalty but Faal produced a moment of magic in first half stoppage time, cutting in from the left to unleash an unstoppable shot that flew off both posts before nestling into the far corner.

Faal was at it again early in the second period, reacting quickest to head home a loose ball in the box before Babalola completed the scoring just before the hour mark.

Despite the four goals Agutter was left frustrated at his side’s finishing again in the latter stages as they wasted a number of chances to extend their lead further.

Having been absent the previous week through illness, Faal returned and was named in the starting eleven for the first time in 10 matches in one of two changes to the made by Agutter. The other saw the experienced Glen Rea replace Odei in midfield.

The opening quarter of an hour was a relatively quiet affair. Babalola headed a good cross by Joel Colbran over the bar and Danny Cashman tried his luck from his own half but neither came close to troubling Will Henry in the Bluebirds’ goal.

It was Cashman who was the catalyst for the move that ended with the opening goal. After he won the ball high up the pitch, some one touch play between Jack Spong, Faal and Cashman resulted in the latter playing a delightful ball with the outside of his foot to Babalola who burst passed the covering defender and slid the ball home.

The visitors rarely threatened Lucas Covolan in the home goal but were gifted a way back into the game when Joe Cook bundled into the back on Tyreke Johnson as he was going away from goal just after the half hour mark.

Blues skipper McClure stepped up and lashed it past Covolan, high into the roof of the net.

An earlier head injury to Covolan that resulted in him playing the remainder of the match with a head bandage lead to a significant amount of stoppage time at the end of the first period, during which Faal produced the outrageous finish that would give his side the lead going into the interval.

Sam Beard struck a deep free-kick long into the left hand channel for Faal to run onto, he squared up the defender, shifted the ball inside onto his right foot and hit a powerful drive towards the far corner that struck the upright before travelling across the goal line, hitting the opposite post and eventually finding it’s way in.

The game was taking way from the visitors inside the opening 12 minutes of the second half.

Brimming with confidence it was Faal who was first to stretch the lead. Nicky Wheeler’s shot was block and in the aftermath the ball ricocheted into the air and the number nine was quickest to react, guiding the ball into the bottom corner with his head from six yards out.

It was Cashman the provider for Babalola once again minutes before the hour mark, picking the ball up centrally, just outside the box and sliding in Babalola who took a lovely touch that wrong footed his marker leaving him free to finish with his weaker left foot.

Faal was replaced to raptious applause on 62 minutes but not before he should have sealed his hat-trick.

Babalola dispossessed Luke Haines leaving Cashman and Faal with a 2-on-1 situation. Cashman squared the ball unselfishly to Faal but on this occasion his finishing was slightly off, sliding his effort wide of the near post.

Faal then made way for Liam Nash as Agutter rang the changes in the final third of the match, introducing all five substitutes, including Aarran Racine’s return from injury.

The visitors only effort of note in the second half came close to reducing the deficit when Johnson’s did well to find a cross from the left that was met by McClure but he was denied his second of the afternoon by the foot of the post.

The Reds really should have had a fifth when Henry got caught with the ball at his feet trying to play out by Nash; the loose ball falling to Cashman who fed substitute Tommy Willard, who with Henry out of his goal was unable to get the ball past Freddie Grant on the line.

Odei and Cashman had further opportunities to make the victory more comprehensive but given the circumstances a win of any margin was imperative.

It remains extremely tight at the top, with Dorking Wanderers the only team in the top six to drop points, conceding an 101st minute equaliser away at Bath City.

Truro’s win at Hornchurch means they stay ahead of the Rebels on goal difference, followed by Eastbourne Borough who are the Reds next opponents on Good Friday, the same day Truro host fourth place Torquay United in what could turn out to be a pivotal day in this remarkable title race.