King's Lynn 2 Bedford Town 1

1st January 2008

THE Linnets consolidated their position at the top of the BGB Southern Premier Division with a lethargic performance New Year's Day display in front of another four-figure crowd.
Goals in each half courtesy of Dan Buhlemann and Joe Francis were enough to earn a tired-looking Lynn side against the Eagles who netted a late consolation through Craig Grieve.
The Walks outfit were far from their best, but the winning margin could have been more severe had it not been for the efforts of Bedford goalkeeper Andrew Stevens who pulled of some fine stops between the posts.
Stevens made hid his first telling contribution in the tenth minute when he denied Danny Bloomfield with a superb one-handed reflex save.
The dangerous Joe Francis was then foiled by the Bedford keeper a minute later, but there was little he could do for Lynn's opener in the 17th minute when a deep cross from Francis was nodded in by Dan Buhlemann at the far post.
Bedford's best chance of the half came 11 minutes before the break when a Jonathan Woolf free-kick crashed against the Linnets' bar with Scott Howie well beaten.
Lynn moved up a gear at the start of the second period with Stevens saving well twice, the first from a point blank Jack Defty effort and the second from a Francis cross-shot.
The Linnets added their second from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.
Buhlemann was bundled over in the box and Francis made no mistake from the spot.
Lynn's inability to deal with set pieces set up a tense final few seconds when the unmarked Craig Grieve headed past Howie from a Miller corner in injury time.
Lynn: Howie, West, Chapman, Camm, Crane, Sedgemore, Buhlemann (Fisk 83), Melton, J. Defty (Turner 59), Bloomfield (Nolan 67), Francis. Subs (not used): C. Defty, Murray.
Bedford: Stevens, Miller, Lawley, Grieve, Gentle, Farrell, Woolf, Stupple, Hatch (Phillips 60), Lynon (Draycott 78), Sinclair. Subs (not used): Knight, Brown, Amagebe. Bookings: Woolf, Miller.
Referee: S Ferrick (Peterborough). Attendance: 1,132.
MoM: Joe Francis.
Stats, Lynn first on-target 5, 4; off-target 4, 4; corners 2, 6; offsides 2, 1; f-kicks con 17, 24.