King's Lynn 5 Merthyr Tydfil 1
1st December 2007
THE Linnets went to the top of the BGB Southern League on Saturday with two goals each from Danny Bloomfield and Joe Francis, and a penalty by Mark Warren.
This fixture twice remained goalless last season, but The Walks outfit more than made up for that, the game being over at half-time with Lynn 3-0 up and a subdued Merthyr side seldom looking to come back into it.
They had no answer to Lynn's pace and movement up front.
The Welshmen's main threat in recent years has been forwards Garry Shephard and Craig Steins. But with Shephard now busy managing the side and Steins sporting a "spare tyre", their threat was almost non-existent.
After Jack Defty had a deflected effort tipped around the post, two goals in as many minutes from poacher supreme Bloomfield set Lynn on the way to victory.
He took advantage of a poor back pass to net from an acute angle on 18 minutes, then 60 seconds later got his second when Defty robbed a defender.
Matthew Harris produced the first save of the match for Lynn's Scott Howie on 33 minutes.
In first-half stoppage time Lynn gained a penalty for handball when Warren's shot hit Gareth Wharton's arm. Warren blasted the spot kick into the top of the net.
The second half saw the game open up as Lynn continue to dominate.
Bloomfield was denied a hat-trick by keeper Ryan Griffiths' legs. Sub Dan Buhlemann was thwarted from 20 yards, while Andrew Fisk thundered the bar following a flowing move.
Lynn failed to clear a corner and Steins finished a scruffy goal after 73 minutes.
But on 73 minutes substitute John Turner's centre was only half-cleared by Dale Griffiths, and Francis (who was troubling the visitors with his pace) was at the right place at the right time to coolly slot the ball home with his favoured left foot.
Francis got his brace three minutes later, beating the defence and finishing in a similar fashion as Lynn hit five in the league for the first time in 2007/08.
Lynn: Howie, West, Lake, Warren, Crane, Camm, Frew (Buhlemann h-t), Fisk, J. Defty (Turner 65), Bloomfield (Nolan 70), Francis. Not used: Mulryne, Murray.
Merthyr: R. Griffiths, Williams, Glassey, D. Griffiths, Wharton, Rewbury (Porter 77), Khalil (Jones 55), Thomas, Harris (Cushen 55), Steins, Clarke. Booked: Steins, Clarke. Not used: Watkins, Martin.
Att: 995. Referee: C. Evans (Lincoln). MoM: Joe Francis.
Shots on target 7, 3; off target 6, 3; corners 8, 4; offside 3, 5; free-kicks 13, 11.