Blackstones 1 King's Lynn 1
17th November 200
WATCHING St Neots manager Dennis Greene would have been the happiest spectator in the ground on Tuesday night after seeing the Saints' main title rivals turn in another inept midweek display on the road.
Town handed the league leaders a timely title boost after dropping valuable points on their travels at Lincoln Road with a display that mirrored Lynn's defeat at Deeping earlier in the season.
The Linnets took the lead when Jack Defty's played in Danny White to fire his side in front with a fine finish ten minutes after the interval.
But a lively Stones outfit deservedly got a share of the spoils from an Addie Staffieri penalty midway through the second period following Dan Buhlemann's clumsy challenge on Ben Porter.
Blackstones were always a threat with Staffieri and Nelson always lively and the Lynn defence had to produce arguably their best performance this season in order to keep them out.
On Greene's scouting mission, joint Linnets boss Gary Setchell said: "We certainly didn't show him too much out there tonight.
"That wasn't a typical King's Lynn Town performance, so he wouldn't have learned much tonight."
Fellow joint manager Kevin Boon said: "In certain areas of the field it was a very disappointing performance and a few of our players were far from at their best.
"Our final ball and delivery into the box in the final third of the field just wasn't good enough."
On a positive note, Boon said: "I thought our back four, especially our two centre halves were magnificent, while Jack (Defty) has ran his socks off without too much reward. "People need to remember that we are still a very young side and once the players cross that white line there's very little Setch and myself can do about it."
The first half was pretty much a non-event with Steve Spriggs wasting two half-chances for Lynn. Robbie Pearce's header struck the Lynn bar early in the second period before White's goal sparked Lynn into life.
Ten minutes later Spriggs' curling effort from the corner of the box hit the bar with Duggan well beaten. Staffieri finished from the spot for the equaliser despite the unlucky Alex Street touching the ball onto his post.
Both sides had chances to win the game.
On 71 minutes Staffieri rounded Street before cutting back inside and shooting, but McNeil slid in and blocked the effort with it destined for the back of the net.
Three minutes from time Spriggs was thwarted as Duggan saved well when the winger cut in from the right.
Staffieri wasted a golden chance to win it for Blackstones but he shot wide when well placed.
Blackstones: Mick Duggan, Tim Quy (Andy Boome), Danny Barker, Matt Porter, Michael Goode, Steve Burns, Robbie Pearce, David Burton-Jones, Addie Staffieri, Michael Nelson, Ben Porter.
King's Lynn Town: Alex Street, Daniel Buhlemann, Jamie Alsop, Luke Thurlbourne, Martin McNeil, Brady Stone, Stephen Spriggs, Danny White, Jack Defty, Pat Bexfield (Robbie Harris), Jamie Thurlbourne.
Referee: A. Wilson. Attendance: 220.