King's Lynn 0 Rugby Town 1
13th February 200
Lynn's jinx with Rugby in this competition continued,
the visitors doing a smash-and-grab raid with an
injury-time winner on Tuesday.The Linnets have now never beaten Rugby in the Southern League Cup in seven attempts.
Just as the crowd of 499 – the highest of all the cup ties so far this season, boosted by the under-15s-go-free scheme – were resigned to extra-time and possible penalties, Valley skipper Craig Herbert slid in to nick the win.
How Lynn never scored only they will know, particularly in the second half when, if any player had had proper shooting boots, then the tie would have been dead and buried.
New signing Steve Diggin on his debut looked lively and carved out the first chance, feeding Luke Fell in the fifth minute, only to be blocked by former Azerbaijan under 21 goalkeeper Farhad Afandiyev.
The stopper had a busy night, saving from Stephen Harvey, Jack Defty and Diggin, who also had one effort cleared off the line.
On the half-hour mark Chris Tullin beat the home offside trap, and only smart combined defensive work from keeper Duncan McAnally, Andrew Cave-Brown and Dean Miller prevented a Rugby goal.
On 34 minutes Charlie Defty cleared off the line to deny David Stone when he had outpaced the defence, but for the remainder of the match it was mainly all-Lynn.
In the second half Charlie Defty, Seamus Kelleher (also on senior team debut), Cave-Brown and Fell all fluffed their lines, Jack Defty's header was nodded off the line by Matt Gearing, while Harvey somehow found the keeper from close range when it was easier to score.
With ten minutes to go Fell hit the top of the bar when set up by Andrew Fisk's burst into the box.
But two minutes into stoppage time, Gearing's quick free-kick was expertly met by Herbert to crash in off the underside of the bar.
Although it was another useful workout for the fringe players and young guns, with promotion on their minds The Walks outfit will shed scant tears on exiting this competition, which few clubs seem interested in.
Lynn: McAnally, Cave-Brown, Buhlemann, Harvey, C. Defty, Miller, Kelleher (Spriggs 60), Fisk, Diggin, J. Defty, Fell. Subs not used: D. Hyde, Cussons, M. Rudd.
Rugby: Afandiyev, Harris (Kolodynski h-t), Tullin, Herbert, Gordon, Hall, Gearing, Francis (Wells 28), Blenkisopp, Stone, Stringfellow. Not used: Sawko.
Att: 499. Referee: R. Kendall (Luton, Beds).