King's Lynn 1 Wisbech Town 2
1st December 1982
Linnets boss Keith Rudd must now e doubting the wisdom of his own decision to arrange a mid-week friendly against ECL neighbours Wisbech.
Wednesday's game at The Walks could not have answered any questions. Rather it may have added some lingering doubts he may have.
Recent games between Lynn and Wisbech, whether of a "friendly" nature or in cup competitions have tended to be niggling, untidy affairs.
The latest match was no exception with the Linnets sinking to the low form they showed against Spalding a fortnight ago when losing in the East Anglian Cup.
If anything was proved it is that when Ray Elliot is not in midfield the Linnets do not seem to have the same direction to their play. Elliot was rested for this game along with winger Brian Thomson who was having a trial with Chesterfield.
Rudd said later: "I give Wisbech credit, for they battled hard while we looked very ponderous probably because we expected we could have time on the ball. We always wanted to have too many touches and we paid for it.
"Wisbech looked a yard quicker, but you talk to them and they admit that thy don't play like that every week. If they did they would walk through the Eastern Counties League."
The Linnets had put up the Culey Cup for grabs as an added incentive to the game and they should have gained a firm advantage in the third minute. Les McJannet thumped over a deep cross from the right which found Andy Higgins unmarked at the far post, but he leaned back and hoisted his shot high over the bar.
Much attention was on Paul Chapman who switched from Lynn to Wisbech last month and he was obviously keen to make an impression on his return to The Walks.
After a quarter-of-an-hour Chapman lined up one shot which flew wide of the post and when he escaped the defensive cover a few minutes later he drove in a low shot which Mick Drewery blocked.
The Fenmen went ahead in the 33rd minute through Mattless who drove in after Scase had provided the opening from a corner.
If this was not bad enough for the Linnets, they had a penalty awarded against them in the 42nd minute when Drewery was judged to have brought down Chapman. Player-manager Roy McManus, another of the former Linnets in the Wisbech team, too the responsibility himself and smashed his shot high over the bar.
There had not been much for the Linnets to cheer about, but that changed in the 67th minute with a superb goal from Jim Kabia. Nolan Keeley and Fred Easthall were involved in the build-up with Kabia chesting the ball down and crashing in a shot of tremendous power wide of the keeper.
Just three minutes later it was Wisbech who were celebrating when Chapman looped a shot over Drewery when the Linnets had stood back waiting for the offside flag.
Before the end, Scase and Smart could have added to that lead while in Lynn's final attack, Kabia had a close-range shot blocked by Burridge.
Wisbech: Burbridge, Blunden, Taylor, Jones, Mattless, Rider, Smart, Brightey, Scase, Chapman, McManus: sub Ward.
Referee: R Adams. Attendance: 250 Report by permission of the Lynn News