King's Lynn 3 Salisbury City 3

6th March 1999

GARY Mills described this as the poorest display by his side during his spell in charge.
After taking the lead twice the Linnets had to rely on an injury time equaliser from Lee Wilson to earn a valuable point in their fight against relegation.
Mills' assessment on his players was based on their second half performance when they allowed high-flying Salisbury to dominate the game.
The Lynn boss said: "I think that's the worst we've played since I've been at the club. We didn't show enough passion or commitment and, as individuals, we all had an off day.
"I didn't see enough of our players rolling their sleeves up. We were twice ahead in the game but only got a point and could have ended up losing. I'm not a happy man' .
“We were too far apart as a team. When we got the ball we gave it away n too easily.. People have got to take responsibility, want the ball and be prepared to get tackled and get hurt.
"It's easy to play the ball behind their defence but, at times, I want more."
Mills was obviously upset at the second 45 minutes but his side played well in the fist half of an entertaining game.
Steve McGinty drove over the bar for Lynn while the dangerous Paul Sales hit his shot straight at Chuck Martini, back from training with the Morocco B squad.
Lynn took the lead after 20 minutes following a foul on Lee Allen.
McGinty took the free kick Wilson's header was tipped on to the post and Glen Fuff slammed home the rebound.
But the lead was short-lived as, in the next minute, Steve Winter cracked a 20-yard volley that literally left Martini watching as the ball rocketed into the roof of the net.
Soon after, Fuff nearly grabbed his second from a corner, his effort being headed on to his own bar by Roger Emms.
Winter saw another effort cleared off the line by Mark Turner before Lynn went ahead again in the 34th minute.
Wilson played Mills in with a neat back heel and the player-manager ran into the box and hit a shot into the bottom corner of the net.
His goal celebrations took him over to the Lynn bench, where assistant Darren Gee placed an imaginary note into Mills', back pocket - a result of the bet the two had, Gee believing Mills would, not manage to net this season.
Sales saw a strike palmed away by Martini late in the half - a prelude of what was to come in a one-sided second period. The same player was denied by Martini again while Ian Chalk should have scored after slicing through the home defence.
On 58 minutes, Salisbury grabbed the equaliser. A cross was only half cleared by Tony Spearing and Chalk drilled the ball home.
Sales waltzed through the defence but mis-hit his shot and Martini saved comfortably and Sales, again, was denied when Dave Robinson made a superb block to keep out his goal-bound strike.
Sales did manage to get on the scoresheet, however, stooping low to head home in the 78th minute.
Lynn’s best effort before their third goal when Wilson fired a shot that hit the outside of the post but he had more luck in the 92nd minute.
Mills found Allen and his cross by substitute Micky Nuttell for Wilson to divert home.
Then came that brawl . . . .
The ball went out of play and into the Salisbury dug-out but one of their coaching staff on the bench held on to it, infuriating Lynn personnel.
That prompted assistant manager Darren Gee to try to snatch the ball back and he was allegedly punched by one of the Salisbury staff. Gee went down clutching his face and the incident sparked amazing scenes involving virtually all the players, members from both benches and fans.
After things had been calmed down, Robinson received the red card for punching a Salisbury player - a decision that infuriated Lynn manager Gary Mills.
He said: "Their coach incited trouble and it's bang out of order so I want to know why my man has got the brunt of it again.
"How can the referee see only one punch? I must have seen 50 punches thrown in about 30 seconds. Two people have got black eyes in my dressing room and it's harsh that only one man has been sent off.
"The referee should have either sent no-one off or loads off and the game would have then been abandoned because about five from each team would have gone."
Lynn: Martini, Hoyle (Nuttell 82), Spearing, Robinson, Fuff,, Mills, Turner, Ramsey (Clark 80), Allen, Wilson, McGinty (Palmer 70).
Salisbury: Matthews, Winter, Ewens, Rofe, Emms, Randall, Bowers (Thompson 74), Sales, Bright (Lovell 90), Chalk, Housley. Subs (not used) Coles.

MATCH STATISTICS	Shots on Target	Shots off Target	Corners	Caught Offside	Free kicks Conceded	Bookings/S-Off
Lynn	7	8	4	3	4	Robinson (violent conduct,90)
Salisbury	14	3	7	5	9	Housley (foul 79)