Gainsborough 0 King's Lynn 3
2nd April 1983
THE Linnets demolished Gainsborough with three goals in seven minutes late in the second half of Saturday's
NPL fixture.It was a well deserved victory - the sixth away in the league - and the surprising thing is that it took the Linnets until the 76th minute to find a way through.
Gainsborough managed to hold on that long through more luck than judgement. Twice in the first half the full back Trevor Thompson came to his goalkeeper's rescue with clearances off the line to deny first David Burrows and then Andy Bircumshaw; in between these two escapes, the home side were also relieved to see a diving header from Jim Kabia thump against the post.
There was not a lot to bother the Lynn back four which. saw Richard Johnston and Andy Bircumshaw strong in the middle, Marty Wiles effective on the left side and Paul Bartlett (back on loan to the club from Boston) playing as right full back instead of his usual right wing position and doing a good job.
Lynn found that Gainsborough made it fairly easy through their ability to get offside with regularity although Andy Claxton was called on to dive at full stretch and turn away a header from Ian Thompson in the 31st minute.
Early play in the second half was pure comedy of errors by both sides, brightened only by a solo run and shot from Kabia and at the other end a 20-yard effort by Ian Thompson which Claxton saw late and saved near the post.
The biggest cheer from the small crowd went up in the 66th minute when Claxton ran 25 yards out of his goal and made an effective headed clearance (watch out Richard Johnston) which set Lynn on the attack before Kabia's shot was blocked.
KABIA had been so close on a number of occasions it was almost inevitable that he would find the target eventually and he did in the 76th minute with a free header from Keith Rudd's well-struck corner.
Two minutes later it was Kabia and Easthall setting up the chance for RUDD to steal in behind a ragged defence and slide a low shot past Frankish.
And Rudd was involved in the third goal as well, with a header back into the goalmouth from Burrows' centre and there was CHRIS WATTS to finish It off.
Galnsborough; Frankish, T. Thompson. Jones, Lodge, Bennyworth, 1. Thompson, Snee, Wignall, Wlggan. Slmpson (sub Lown 76). Brolly.
Lynn: Claxton, Bartlett, Johnston, Bircumshaw, Wiles; Easthall, Foster, Welts, Burrows; Rudd: Kabia; sub Lindsay.