King's Lynn 1 Morecambe 1
1st April 1983
MORECAMBE struck in the twelfth minute with a well. executed goat in the Good Friday NPL fixture at The Walks.Nigel Halsall pulled back a low cross and the Lynn defence were thrown off balance by a dummy from Keith Galley which let BOB GRIMSHAW have the space to crash in a ten-yard shot.
Grimshaw should really have added a second immediately after this, but from close range deflected the ball wide. Another chance inside the six-yard box fell to John Beeley in the 34th minute as he went sliding in to reach Halsall's cross and it took a one-handed save by Andy Claxton to save Lynn's blushes.
Morecambe keeper Peter Hunter had, minutes earlier, saved at point blank range after Jim Kabia and Keith Rudd teed up a chance for Colin Foster. Just Before the interval the alert Kabia squeezed the ball past Hunter and watched with disbelief as it went spinning inches wide of the post.
It had been a disappointing first half for the Linnets, but they showed far more endeavour in the second half.
The equaliser came in the 48th minute from a free-kick by Easthall and although Kabia and Bircumshaw both failed to connect, FOSTER crashed a shot high into the net - his first goal since joining the club.
Further heavy pressure brought a succession of corners for Lynn and Morecambe were glad to whack the ball anywhere. Hunter made a finger-tip save to keep out Easthall's curling shot and there was a last minute chance which Marty Wiles sliced wide.
When the Linnets come to look back on their season this will be yet another of the home fixtures where they will consider two points had been lost rather than one gained.
Lynn: Claxton. Watts, Bircumshaw, Johnston, Lindsay; Foster, Easthall, Wiles; Kabia, Rudd, Burrows l sub Thompson
Morecambe: Hunter, Curtis, Milligan, Trainer, Conway, Brownbill, Halsall, Grimshaw, Beesley, Galley, Barrow; sub Silcock.
Referee: R. Gaunt (Burton on Trent ). Attendance: 416.