A century from Paul Horton and a dynamic bowling display by Lancashire's attack helped Glen Chapple's men move to the brink of victory after a dominant third day against Hampshire in Division Two of the LV= County Championship.
After Lancashire batted in an enterprising fashion to score 284 for five declared they reduced their visitors to 137 for seven at the close, still 359 runs short of their notional victory target of 496.
In the morning session, Lancashire added 159 runs in just 30 overs to extend their lead to 409. The solitary Hampshire success was claimed by debutant Brad Taylor, who had Luis Reece caught behind by Adam Wheater for 65 - the Lancashire opener's sixth successive championship fifty.
Horton was undefeated on 91 at lunch and he completed his first century of the season soon after the resumption. The opener faced 143 balls in reaching three figures for the first time since last July, striking 11 fours and two sixes in the process.
The afternoon session brought more success for Taylor, who took three further wickets to finish with 4-64 from 14 overs on his maiden first-class appearance. The 16-year-old off-spinner's victims included Horton for 111 before Chapple declared.
He made an immediate breakthrough when opposite number Jimmy Adams edged to Andrea Agathangelou at second slip for four, but the Red Rose skipper was forced to limp from the field with an Achilles injury a couple of balls later.
Lancashire's other seamers ensured their leader's absence was not keenly felt; Tom Smith and Kyle Hogg winning lbw verdicts over Liam Dawson and Michael Roberts respectively.
Hogg's next wicket, that of James Vince who lost his off stump when driving loosely, made the seamer the leading wicket-taker in this season's championship with 56.
The next two scalps were claimed by Simon Kerrigan, who had Sean Ervine caught on the leg-side boundary by Luke Procter and then had Neil McKenzie pouched at mid-on by Smith when a delivery from the slow left-armer caught the South African's leading edge.
McKenzie's 44 was the most sizeable contribution to what was a limp Hampshire batting performance, and this was characterised by Chris Wood's farcical run out for six as the day edged towards its close in gloomy light.
Wicketkeeper Adam Wheater remains unbeaten on 31 and successfully defended the final overs alongside Matt Coles to take the match into its fourth morning.