Ilkeston Town 1 King's Lynn 1
16th April 2001
Linnets bounced back from their heaviest defeat of the season by sharing the spoils in a dour end-of-season draw in Derbyshire yesterday.King's Lynn got off to the best possible start in the third minute when Lyndon Rowland headed home an inch-perfect cross from Adie Hayes.
Seven minutes later a long ball over the top caught Linnets napping and Ilkeston duly levelled through David Holmes, who confidently slotted the ball past Chuck Martini.
The Walks outfit should have regained the advantage in the 17th minute when former King's Lynn keeper Mark Hales failed to command his area and Rowland nodded the easiest of chances over the bar.
In the 26th minute, the Robins' Matt McKenzie and King's Lynn's Zeke Rowe were involved in an off-the-ball altercation and both were lucky to escape with just a severe ticking off from referee Mr Flanaghan. In the 31st minute, Martini made a superb double save, denying Paul Eshelby and then Holmes.
Eight minutes later Simon Dakin rattled the Ilkeston woodwork with a volley after another telling centre from Hayes out on the left.
King's Lynn's defence was pierced wide open three minutes into the second half when James Whitehead found Holmes in space but the home striker could only blaze over the bar.
Midway through the period, Craig Clark was dispossessed by Jamie Clarke on the left, but he fired high and wide.
Martini then tipped a Clarke header over the bar as Ilkeston, featuring former Linnet Emeka Nwadike, threatened to grab a winner.
After the break, Linnets rarely displayed any attacking intent with the indecisive Hales looking the most likely source of a goal. Lynn: Martini, Dakin, Clark, Robinson, Fuff, Palmer, Anderson, Hayes, Rowe, Rowland (Jones 88), Puttnam (Wright 80). Sub not used: McNeil.
Ilkeston: Hales, Gould, Whitehead, Timons, Middleton, McKenzie, Nwadike, Knapper, Clarke (Cox 82), Holmes, Eshelby. Sub not used Wright, Sissons..
Att: 462.