Bromsgrove Rovers 1 King's Lynn 1
15th March 2008
THE Linnets conceded a last-gasp equaliser on Saturday and drop to third in the table.
John Turner had scored for Lynn shortly after half-time, but they failed to get a cushion of a second goal, and the hosts scored in stoppage time.
Linnets manager Keith Webb said: "The team did really well, it was as much a one-sided game as you can get.
"Scott Howie didn't have a save to make until they had a spell at the end, but the back four had coped very well with it.
"The only shot on target they had was a header, which they scored from in the 94th minute, which speaks for itself.
"I'm just frustrated that we couldn't get a win and hang on for what turned out to be 95 minutes.
"I don't know where the extra five minutes came from. The physios never came on to the field."
On Lynn's habit of throwing away precious points with late goals conceded, Webb said: "I can't put my finger on it. The goal shouldn't have been scored, it was just a straight ball.
"We didn't defend it well enough, full-stop. We'd done enough to win the game."
Lynn had to contend with heavy mud and rain all game.
Bromsgrove had the first chance on six minutes. Gary McPhee cut inside Gavin Hoyte and his angled drive was gathered by Scott Howie.
On 13 minutes Turner's cross deceived full-back Chris Duggan and fell to Joe Francis, whose shot hit the post, and Ben Sedgemore blazed over the rebound.
Bromsgrove's Lawrence Lambley was given too much time to shoot and sent wide a swirling low drive.
After 24 minutes, following a defensive mix-up, Sedgemore's goalbound shot beat home keeper Karl Lewis, but sharp reactions from ex-West Bromwich Albion veteran Daryl Burgess cleared the danger from four yards out.
Tall central defender Burgess dealt with the threat of Jack Defty all afternoon.
The nearest Defty got was when Matt Nolan laid the ball off to him, but he hurried his effort from 20 yards, which went off-target.
An incident just before half-time summed up Lynn's match. Turner brought the ball down superbly but lacked composure and blazed over.
Six minutes after the interval Defty played in Nolan for a one-on-one from a tight angle, but Lewis saved and Les Hines cleared up.
Lynn's goal came two minutes later. A tame ball from Mark Camm should have been dealt with, but Gary Knight and Burgess got in a muddle.
The ball was cleared off a defender's back and it rebounded to Turner, who slotted under the keeper.
Lynn played well without getting the second goal. Nolan and Francis were inches away from connecting with a Defty centre.
The turning point came when Turner crossed the ball well from the byline and Francis contrived to glance his header wide.
This signalled a Bromsgrove offensive in the final 20 minutes.
Greg Crane made a last-ditch tackle on McPhee, while Hungarian sub Joszeph Jakab went wide with a low driven shot.
At the other end, Lewis bravely saved at the feet of Francis.
David Bridgwater swung a shot over; then – as Lynn gave away far too many fouls in the final phase – he was fouled by Sedgemore.
Bridgwater's free-kick was met by the stooping Jakab to score in the 94th minute. This was virtually the last kick of the game.
Bromsgrove: Lewis, Duggan, Hines, Alsop, Knight, Burgess, Lambley (Downing 68), Bridgwater, McPhee, Cornes (Jakab 53), Birley. Subs not used: McHale, Albott, Taylor. Booked: Duggan, Bridgwater.
Lynn: Howie, Bains, Chapman, Hoyte, Crane, Camm, Turner, Sedgemore, J. Defty, Nolan, Francis. Not used: Bloomfield, Frew, Melton, West, Murray. Booked: Sedgemore.
Attendance: 524. Referee: M. Granda (Shrewsbury). MoM: Greg Crane.