Margate, without a Southern League win for more than two months, conceded an own goal in the opening minute and then proceeded to ram in five without reply before the break. The Linnets, as chirpy as ever at the start of the second half, showed their grit by pulling back two goals before Margate struck again by bringing the score to 7-3.
With both sets of defences looking as wobbly as jellies goals just had to come. The respective centre forwards, Randall for Margate and the thrustful Lindsay collected three apiece.
Lynn went ahead with their first real probe when Blackley had the misfortune to slice a harmless looking centre from Wright into his own net. Immediately Margate struck back and with wingmen Scott and Hughes too sharp for the Lynn backs the ball was constantly in the Lynn goalmouth.
Walls, never very safe, was beaten in the 13th minute by a Randall drive from a long range Marshall free kick. Six minutes later Clifton burst through a gap in the middle as a wide as the Grand Canyon to catch a Holder pass and crash in number two.
Lynn were knocked right out their stride and in the 21st minute Randall, who had the beating of Porter in the air, nodded down a Bracewell free kick for Holder to make it 3-1.
Shots rained in on the visiting goal from all angles and with 37 minutes gone Randall bundled Walls into the net as the goalkeeper stood on the line after
catching a Hughes header. Seconds before the interval Thomson fired in the best goal of the game when he caught a Hughes pass which has split the defence and thundered in a 25 yarder which had Walls beaten all the way.
The points looked as good as in the bag for Margate at that stage but the Linnets struck quickly in the second half. First Laverick tapped in an easy goal after Banson created the opening, then Lindsay drove home a fine goal following a neat bout
of inter-passing between Havenhand and Chilleystone down the right.
Margate’s forwards, however, still carried tremendous potential with every raid and in the 66th minute Randall forced the ball over the line during a melee in the goalmouth.
Eight minutes later Hughes notched a picture goal. He jinked past two defenders in a dash down the left and floated a high ball over the head of the motionless Walls.
By the laws of logic the Linnets should have been finished but, with Lindsay and Laverick moving well in the middle and the home defence playing too square, they succeeded in doubling their tally of three before the close.
In the 82nd minute Hughes (B) could only parry a Havenhand drive and Lindsay was on the spot to score. In the next raid Lindsay, still unmarked despite his constant threat, converted a Banson corner.
Then Bracewell handled on the line following a mistimed lofted back pass from Clifton and Laverick crashed home the penalty.
Margate: Hughes (B), Bracewell, Marshall, Blackley, Harrop, Clifton, Scott, Holder, Randall, Thomson, Hughes (H).
Lynn: Walls, Haskins, Sharp, Brooks, Porter, Wright, Chilleystone, Havenhand, Lindsay, Laverick, Banson.
Attendance: 1,100
Report by permission of the Lynn News