Atherstone United 1 King's Lynn 2
13th March 1999
LINNETS notched their first ever win at Atherstone thanks to a last minute penalty from striker Lee Wilson.
Only Lynn will know how they didn't go into half-time ahead following Dave Robinson's early header.
But after an uphill struggle against the slope in the second half Wilson's eighth goal of' the season, which makes him joint top scorer with midfielder Mark Turner, sealed a welcome three points.
Results went their way so Lynn rose to 18th for the first time since September, On this form Lynn could finish out of' the bottom four and make questions over the future Hastings irrelevant.
Their lead was set up by debutante Paul Fitzpattrick. Built like the proverbial brick out-house, he provided a solid foundation for Lynn's first half dominance with it super display.
“It's fantastic news that this is our first win here," said Lynn boss Gary Mills. “Before the game I said it was another Rothwell sort of place - even worse. I said we had to battle and then - we might get our reward, and we did in the 92nd minute. Up the slope it was a magnificent all-round performance in the second half.
"When you get a penalty in the last minute, with the hard work we've done and the self-belief we've had, I feel we deserve it. Lee (Wilson) hadn't played well but he showed a lot of bottle to take the penalty. “We should have been two or three up at halt-time but when you score so early you tend to take your foot off the pedal.
“The debut man was superb. Paul hasn't played for two weeks and was man of the match for me. He kept hold of' the ball and put it into good areas.”
Lynn were given a dream start after five minutes thanks to man-mountain Fitzpatrick. When Nick Stanborough fouled Dave Puttnam, who returned from injury to replace the suspended Lee Allen, Fitzpatrick swung in a tempting free-kick which defender Dave Robinson nodded home for his third goal of the season,
Atherstone's Boyd Young replied with a chip which floated wide. Then Linnets wasted a golden opportunity on the quarter-hour mark. Fitzpatrick cleverly sent Jon Palmer clear to beat the offside trap. But with just keeper Dale Belford to beat he delayed too long, took the ball around Belford, but his square-ball missed the advancing Lynn bodies when Puttnam was in a great position to score.
When Robinson fouled Paul White, Lee Middleton struck it free-kick marginally wide.
Then Linnets continued their attack as Turner, who is not getting 1'orward enough for it leading scorer these days, was fed by Wilson but miskicked. Mills tried his luck front 20 yards but it went wide. Puttnam played a neat one-two with Fitzpatrick and sent a wicked curler towards the top corner. However Belford plucked it out of the air.
Two minutes into stoppage time came an equaliser Atherstone barely deserved. In identical fashion to their earlier free-kick, Robinson committed a foul and Middleton drove the deadball kick this time past the hapless Chuck Martini, who could only watch it into the cornet of' the net. Martini later protested his innocence about the equaliser: “I didn’t see it, I was unsighted,” he said.
Immediately after half-time Lynn replied with a free-kick but Puttnam's effort was cruelly deflected inches past the post. Then Atherstone laid siege to the Lynn goal as Robinson and centre-half partner Glen Fuff blocked and tackled manfully. A whipped-in cross, just evaded Adders sub Stuart Aubury, who then tried an overhead kick without success.
A brief respite came from Wilson's persistence resulting in a foul. however Puttnam's free-kick was blocked. Martini showed why he has just appeared for Morocco with an excellent close-range diving save from David Hart, who was let in following confusion in the Lynn box.
A minute later Robinson thought he'd powered home another goal but headed just off target from Mill’s free-kick. Then came an unexpected, and welcome penalty as Hart handballed in the area and, like he did at Salisbury two weeks ago, Wilson drilled the spot-kick down the middle.
Atherstone caused a scare in stoppage time as Martini punched a dangerous corner onto his near post but immediately the final whistle blew.
This was just reward to the Lynn fans who sang their hearts out, and again the players showed their appreciation by performing a mass “Klinsmann dive”.
Lynn: Martini, Hoyle, Spearing, Robinson, Fuff, Mills, Turner, Fitzpatrick, Palmer (Nuttell 67), Wilson, Puttnam. Subs (not used): McGinty, Clark.
Atherstone: Belford, Blair, Barrett, Olner, Stanborough, Redgate, Green, Hart, White (Kelly 61), Middleton, Young (Aubury 67). Sub not used: Elvin.
| MATCH STATISTICS | Shots on Target | Shots off Target | Corners | Caught Offside | Free kicks Conceded |
Bookings |
| Lynn | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 16 | - |
| Atherstone | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 16 |