Irthlingborough 1 King's Lynn 2
16th October 1982
Sharp-shooter Ray Elliot managed to set his sight at the second attempt to fire Lynn towards the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup at Nene Park, Irthlingborough on Saturday.
The stocky midfield player almost broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when he literally shook the Irthlingborough Diamonds bar with a rising 20-yard volley which climbed just a shade too much.
And it served as a useful marker for him in first half injury time, as e adjusted his aim to send an unstoppable drive into the top corner after the slickest of moves involving Brian Thomson, Craig Thompson and Freddie Easthall.
Elliott�s initial effort marked the end of an uneasy opening spell by the Linnets in which Irthlingborough, from the United Counties League, showed no respect for the gap in status for them.
They tested Mick Drewery�s reflexes and agility three times and were denied only by the keeper coming through with flying colours on both counts.
Drewery saved superbly from Steve McIlroy and Terry Mortimer in the first 25 minutes and was admirably alert to spare teammate Chris Watts� blushes five minutes later when a low cross hit the defender and threatened to sneak in at the near post.
But it was Lynn who should have broken through in the 34th minute when home full-back Andy Lloyd brought down his first half tormentor Brian Thomson in the area, only for referee Scrivener to perplex everyone by signalling an indirect free kick for obstruction.
Lyn, to their credit, accepted what was a bad decision and merely stepped up gear to go ahead before the break and stamp their mark on a one-sided second half.
Gordon Hodgson and Freddie Easthall combined repeatedly down the left to keep the Irthlingborough side back-pedalling and carve out a string of chances.
Craig Thompson rattled the bar in the 53rd minute, Martyn Wiles, booked for a foul in the 58th minute, headed just over on the hour and Richard Johnston almost brought the house down with a free kick from near the half way line. It came in the 68th minute and, with a swirling wind giving it extra pace and a change of direction, the shot forced keeper George Smith to move smartly to palm it away from the top corner.
Lynn looked safe when centre half Mick Garrett turned Easthall�s low left wing cross into his own net in the 70th minute, but had to endure some late anxiety after Mortimer�s 78th minute reply before rightly taking their place in the next round with football�s top non-league sides. Lynn: Drewery, McJannet, Wiles, Watts, Johnston, Hodgson, Easthall, C Thompson, Chapman, Elliot, B Thomson. Sub: Burrows.