Telford United 1 King's Lynn 1
7th March 2009
THE club's money troubles have been well-documented, but after a display like that, Lynn's players deserve double pay.
Despite players having to agree to a wage cut and three leaving in the run-up to Saturday's tough trip to promotion-chasing Telford, the squad showed its spirit by working overtime throughout the 90 minutes - 97 as it turned out.
Only Danny Carey-Bertram's injury-time leveller robbed Lynn of all three points after Dom Dwyer's first senior team goal.
The visitors restricted Telford to just one shot inside their penalty box (their goal), so well did they hustle and harry the hosts.
All 12 men who went onto the field played their part in producing a battling performance.
Linnets striker Jack Defty said: "They had a lot of possession and a lot of space, but they didn't really hurt us in the final third of the pitch.
"It's disappointing to concede a late goal, but you know in the last few minutes you're going to get edgy, get deeper and deeper, and invite them on."
Defty added on new strike partner, Kris Renton, on loan from Norwich City: "You can tell he's got some quality.
"He's a big lad himself, has got a fair bit of pace and is a good all-round player."
Lynn's different system, forced upon them by recent player departures, seemed to work, with Andrew Fisk in a floating midfield role.
With Mark Camm and Andy Johnson anchoring the middle of the park, Scott Mitchell played on the right of midfield, and Adam Smith filled in on the left.
In the first half AFC bossed the game but had just long-range efforts by Lee Vaughan (twice), Jon Adams and Liam Blakeman to show for it, while James Meredith came the closest with a shot that whizzed by the post.
For Lynn before the break, Mitchell centred, Defty knocked down and Fisk shot wide.
Lynn goalkeeper Scott Howie after the break had just two efforts on target to save, from Adams and Mark Danks. Howie dropped the ball at a corner, but Camm cleared.
The electronic scoreboard - the only one in the Blue Square North, and probably non-league, unless you know better - announced 150 away fans out of the huge near-2,000 crowd.
And those 150 erupted like 2,000 when Lynn scored.
Fisk played the ball up to Jack Defty, who fed Dwyer, who with virtually his first touch since coming off the bench outmuscled skipper Stuart Whitehead and slid the ball past keeper Ryan Young from just inside the box.
But the host got a stoppage time equaliser .
Meredith crossed from the right, Rodgers and Mark Danks were involved in the build-up, and Carey-Bertram ghosted into the box to level.
This made 16 draws out of 32 in the Blue Square North, and Lynn are closing in on the overall record of 18 stalemates made in the Northern Premier in the 1980 season.
An unused substitute for AFC was former Linnets midfielder Emeka Nwadike. Telford: AFC Telford: Young, Vaughan, Meredith, Cowan, Whitehead, Blakeman, Adams (Edwards 60), Rodgers, Carey-Bertram, Danks, Trainer (Moore 60). Subs not used: Turner, Nwadike, Khela.
Booked: Vaughan 65 minutes, Blakeman 14.
Goal: Carey-Bertram 90 mins.
Lynn: Howie, Graham, Smith, Peters, Thomas, Camm, Mitchell, Johnson, J. Defty, Renton (Dwyer 77), Fisk. Not used: Kelly, C. Defty, Crane, Murray.
Booked: Johnson 48, Graham 80.
Goal: Dwyer 82.
Attendance: 1,990. Referee: Mr. A.J. Horton (West Midlands). MoM: The team.
Stats, Lynn first: shots on target 1, 3; off target 2, 7; corners 2, 6; offside 1, 4; free-kicks 19, 9.