King's Lynn 6 Chatham Town 0

King's Lynn 6 Chatham 0

3rd January 2004

DALE Watkins, who has been a revelation since arriving on loan from Chelmsford, bagged the Linnets' first hat-trick of the season as Lynn turned up the title heat even further.
Jack Defty bagged a brace and Carl Holmes continued his resurgence with his third strike in two games.
The Walks outfit gained their best result since, well, at home to Chatham last season (7-2), actually.
They have closed the gap on leaders Tonbridge - who were inactive at the weekend - from 14 points a month ago to just two with a display so polished that the game could have been sponsored by Mr Sheen.
Acting boss Darren Bloodworth said: "No disrespect to Chatham, but someone was going to get it, they just caught us at the wrong time.
"We're coming out of the gates well, we could have scored three in the first ten minutes.
"In the dressing-room you can see the confidence before they go out, at Histon we had the same attitude. Adding Dale and Setch has lifted everyone. "Alright, there were good individual displays, but it was a good team performance.
"The hardest thing is to keep our feet on the ground.
"We're getting into a pattern, everyone knows how to play and realises the way I want them to play."
On the clean sheet, Bloodworth added: "I'm a member of the centre-halves' union, so with Fuffy I pride myself on keeping a clean sheet. It breeds confidence."
The busy Mark Camm, so influential from box to box in midfield, headed over to finish a great move after just 30 seconds, and this set the tone for the whole match. An early goal settled down Lynn to continue playing sublime one-touch football.
After five minutes Gary Setchell's header was saved and the away defence sat and watched as Watkins volleyed home the loose ball.
The hosts swarmed over the Blues, with Camm, Watkins and David Staff all going close.
Poor distribution from Linnets' keeper Steve Wilson led to half-a-chance for Town, but recent signing Dave Hassett lobbed tamely over.
On the quarter-hour mark an Adam Jones throw fed Watkins, whose dogged persistence enabled Holmes to bundle in his centre at the far post.
With Lynn playing keep-ball, Watkins hit the post with a header and Staff nipped in to touch a long clearance from Mark Burrows just past the keeper and post.
A superb move on 35 minutes involving most of the home side across the pitch earned a corner. Setchell's effort was punched out by keeper Gavin Hopper, and Defty fired through Hopper's legs from eight yards.
Watkins tried an audacious 40-yarder shortly before bagging the fourth a minute before the break.
Great interplay from Defty and Staff ended with Hopper saving from Staff, and Watkins poached Lynn's 50th league goal of the campaign.
In the first chance of the second half on 54 minutes, Watkins forced a save and Staff's follow-up was blocked by a desperate defender.
Paul Raynor turned provider twice in two minutes, firstly his 57th-minute corner producing a trademark powerhouse header from Defty.
Then the midfielder crossed from the left and Watkins, who has already become a terrace cult hero, completed his hat-trick by twisting in mid-air to head into the top of the net.
Lynn's understandable over-confidence led to some breaks from Chatham, who tried to respond with passing moves up front, but little resulted. The game broke down when both sides used their full complement of substitutes, and it ended ten-a-side when Camm limped off and Steve Best was carried off after a collision with Holmes.
Sub Robbie Harris flashed a stoppage time effort inches wide.
On the substitutions, Bloodworth said: "Mark Burrows played with stitches in his knee, Mark Camm had a tight hamstring, Jack Defty got a knock, while David Staff was not feeling particularly well.
"We'll train tomorrow (Wednesday) as we've had two hard games in three days."
Lynn: Wilson, Jones, Setchell, Burrows (March 64), Fuff, Raynor, Defty (Woodrow 58), Holmes, Staff (Harris 58), Watkins, Camm. Sub not used: Nobes.
Goals: Watkins(5, 44, 59), Holmes(15), Defty(35, 57).
Chatham: Hopper, Binks, Larkin, Boyle (Douglas 66), Driscoll, Best, Spriggs, Dyer, Hassett (Radbourne 61), Lombardo, Francis (Lewis 83). Sub not used: Forster.
Referee: J Steele (Ely). Attendance: 893.

MATCH STATISTICS	Shots on Target	Shots off Target	Corners	Caught Offside	Free kicks Conceded	Bookings
Lynn	12	7	8	3	6
Chatham	1	2	5	6	7
Lynn News Man of the Match - Dale Watkins