Witney Town 2 King's Lynn 3

6th January 1974

Witney 2 Lynn 3
SUNDAY SOCCER certainly agrees with the Linnets who rocked the Southern League promotion hopes of Witney Town with this performance.
When Witney shot into a two-goal lead inside ten minutes and with player-manager Frank Wignall off the field it looked like another Alvechurch.
But the Linnets picked themselves off the floor to pull level before the interval and knock in the winner 16 minutes from the end.
It was a win gained at some cost. Wignall suspected he had a pulled thigh muscle before the game started and his fears were realised after only five minutes. He limped off and said later he would be out of Saturday's FA Trophy match at Bromsgrove.
Goalkeeper Garry Steel received two bad knocks when Witney forwards needlessly followed through after he had saved and his troublesome right knee has swollen again - but Wignall expects him to travel to Bromsgrove.
On a brighter note, defender John Richardson will be making his return to the side after an absence since mid November when he broke his collar bone.
If the Linnets can reproduce the fighting spirit they showed at Witney then they should get a result at Bromsgrove. They were hit by a fourth minute goal from Davy Jones, who kept running when Lynn stopped and appealed for offside, and his shot scorched past Steel.
Off went Wignall who had started in a defensive role and Nigel Smith took over. Before Lynn had settled from this change Trevor Stokes had hit the second from six yards after Steel held kept out one shot.
But gradually the Linnets got more into the game. As Wignall commented: "I could see that Witney were blowing up and we were putting our game together. We were running them into the ground." David Clarke forced the ball home in the 33rd minute but his elation was over quickly for Corby referee R. Baldwin ruled that he had already given Lynn a penalty for a handling offence by John Shufflebotham.
Malcolm Lindsay placed his kick firmly pact Mick Taylor's right hand.
The equaliser came in the 40th minute, Lindsay and McCallum combining to push the ball into the middle where Adams headed on and Clarke was in the right spot to shoot in from 15 yards.
Witney raised their game at the start of the second half but could only force scrambled attacks in the Lynn penalty area. Lynn now had control of the mid-field and their thoughtful moves had Witney in a spin.
A clever 20-yard shot by Adams was finger-tipped away by Taylor and this was the prelude to the third Lynn goal. Another midfield move saw Rudd flashing down the middle for a through ball and it had to be a penalty when Davy Jones pulled him down.
Lindsay again took the shot, this time aiming wide of Taylor's left hand, In the remaining 16 minutes Witney worked hard to salvage something but Lynn were as sharp in defence as they had been in midfield and attack.
Wignall gave full praise at the end: "I was delighted with the running and determination they showed. It goes to prove if you work hard you get success and no one worked harder than our boys today."
While Lynn's eleven heroes - it was the team effort that brought reward - returned home, Witney counted the cost of two lost points but a financial success of a 1,000 gate compared to their usual Saturday attendance in the 600 mark.
Wltney: Taylor. Quinn, Austin, Barr, Shufflebotham, D. Jones, T. Jones, Bradbury, Ball, Stokes, Thomas (sub Eales).
Lynn: Steel, Pointer. Lindsay, Brooks, Wignall (sub Smith 5 min&), Wright, McCallum, Elliott, Rudd, Adams, Clarke