St Leonards 0 King's Lynn 4
7th April 2003
AN inspired second-half show, with three goals, ensured the Linnets put on the promotion pressure - they now lie six points aft second-place Dorchester.It was the same scorers as Saturday, with Lee Stevenson contributing two goals this time.
Hungry and incisive, Stevenson was far too good for a youthful bottom of the table home defence in the second period.
Having been trounced 8-1 at Histon just two days previously, belief was hardly going to be coursing through St Leonards' veins.
But a reasonable first half performance from them and a poor one from Lynn made a game of it.
The visitors took just 10 minutes to break through when the unmarked Dave Staff delightfully lofted the ball over Greg Nessling into the far corner.
Early on. the gritty Saints showed tidy passing and Lynn almost presented them 'with an equaliser on a plate.
Jimmy Elford hooked the ball back into the danger area and Danny Holyoak inexplicably headed against the underside of his own bar.
Lone Saints striker Gavin Ramsden burst through the inside right channel but saw his effort well blocked by the assured Glen Fuff as .neither keeper was troubled.
That all changed after the break, though, as The Walks outfit motored through the gears.
Within 12 seconds of the kick-off Paul Raynor shot inches wide from 30 yards and seconds later Nessling had to be quickly off his line to block Stevenson's effort with his legs.
Stevenson did hit the target after 58 minutes when he snaked in between Ben Watson and Nick Whiteman to nod home Raynor's inviting free-kick.
With 20 minutes to go Chris Bacon galloped through a gaping hole in the home defence to slide the ball past Nessling before the increasingly influential Stevenson dinked the ball over a defender and volleyed home from close range 12 minutes later.
Stevenson was denied a hat trick when his accurate angled drive cannoned back off the far post. Lynn- Wilson, Holyoak, Blois, Burrows, Fuff, Defty (Holmes 50), Stevenson, Raynor, Bacon, Staff (Woodrow 69), Paul (Weston 74). Subs not used: Jones, Nobes.
Saints: Nessling, Watson, Cyrus, Minnis, (Matthews 78), Ray, Whiteman, Monroe, Bowyer, Henry, Elford, Ramsden. Not used: Ricketts, Leppard.
MoM: Lee Stevenson. Referee: A Valentino (Bexteyheath). Att: 95.