Crawley 1 King's Lynn 2

5th February 2000

BOSS Gary Mills praised his side's character after two late goals gave Lynn their first ever victory at Crawley on Saturday.
Lee Gibson and Glen Fuff scored twice in the last six minutes as Lynn shrugged off the release of four first team players.
"It was a very pleasing result," enthused Mills. "We played very well and deserved the result.
"It just shows the character of the side. We have had to toughen up because of what has happened and I think the players showed that on Saturday. They did everything I asked of them."
Linnets had just 11 fit first team players with defender Dave Robinson playing in a strikers role and youngsters Lee Gibson, Simon Bush and Wayne Anderson on the bench.
However, Lynn twice played themselves into trouble in the opening stages when Tony Marsden's misplaced pass forced Chuck Martini into a diving save to stop Clinton Moore's shot.
Craig Clark then missed a header from a free kick, but Moore could only shoot straight at a grateful Martini.
Linnets fell behind after 27 minutes when Martini tried to collect a corner through a crowd of players and only succeeded in dropping the ball at the feet of John Ugbah who poked the Newtowners ahead.
Lynn's most threatening attacks came through emergency frontman Dave Robinson who gave a good account of himself in his new role.
Lyndon Rowland, after starting the move with a good run, just failed to get on the end of a Puttnam cross while Puttnam screwed a shot wide when well placed as the Linnets upped the tempo.
Rowland missed a good chance after the break with a header from a Puttnam cross before Mills replaced the ineffective Marsden with youngster Gibson.
And the substitute made an immediate impact as, two minutes after coming on, he drilled a low shot home following a Puttnam run and cross.
Martini then produced a stunning save to keep the Linnets level when he dived full length to push away Ugbah's 25-yard effort.
But the Linnets had the final say on proceedings when Puttnam's corner was met at the far post by Glen Fuff who rose above the home defence to send a looping header into the net.
Lynn: Martini, Dakin, Spearing, Fuff, Clark, Turner, Nwadike, Marsden (Gibson 80), Robinson, Rowland (Bush 82), Puttnam. Subs not used: Anderson.
Crawley: Little, Doherty, Payne, Taylor, Ugbah, Hurdle, Pullan, Sharman, Wordsworth, Moore, Lovett,. Subs not used: Johnson, Best, Vines.

MATCH STATISTICS	Shots on Target	Shots off Target	Corners	Caught Offside	Free kicks Conceded	Bookings
Lynn	5	6	6	5	15
Crawley	5	6	2	3	16

Lynn News Man of the Match - Glen Fuff

Report by permission of the Lynn News