King's Lynn 1 Hinckley United 1
18th September
LINNETS' inconsistent form at home struck again in a dour display against lowly Hinckley.
Lynn looked a shadow of the side that had outplayed Havant three days earlier and were lucky to claim a share of the points as they drew twice in four weeks with the Midlanders.
Hinckley created the better chances throughout the 90 minutes and only the woodwork denied them all three points in the dying seconds of the match.
Manager Tony Spearing said: "Once again it wasn't a classic, but we let them off the hook and had enough chances to win the game.
"We look strong defensively but keep giving goals away late on. Looking back at our last five matches I feel that we should have won the lot.
"Last season we made our own luck but we are not doing that the moment."
Spearing dropped the first hint yet that he is beginning to lose patience with his goalshy forwards.
He said: "We're not far away as a team but up front we're not getting across people in the box, and look static. The introduction of Lyndon made us look a lot more livelier."
The only bright spot for Lynn was the performance of Jon Whitney, who netted his first goal in Lynn colours.
Whitney climbed above the Hinckley defence to head home an Adie Hayes corner in the 72nd minute.
But, as so many times this season, Lynn, who sorely missed injured skipper Dave Robinson at the back, went to sleep and conceded late on.
Hinckley's equaliser came from the head of Paul Hunter, who guided the ball into the far corner of the net in the 83rd minute.
With virtually the last kick of the game, visiting substitute Michael Morrell could only watch in agony as his 20yard effort cannoned back off the Linnets crossbar.
Before the goals, Lynn's best two chances had fallen to Zeke Rowe, who should have scored when one-on-one with the Hinckley keeper in the 55th minute.
The visitors had enough opportunities to wrap up the game in the opening 17 minutes.
Gavin O'Toole was foiled by a fine save from Steve Wilson in the fourth minute and seconds later a last-gasp tackle from Glen Fuff denied Andy Lucas a shot on goal.
Twelve minutes later it was Craig Clark's turn to come to the rescue for Lynn, when Lucas' goalbound shot deflected off his boot for a corner.
Lynn: Wilson, Dakin, March, Clark, Fuff, Whitney, Anderson (Rowland 67), Hayes, Rowe, Hudson (Clarke 69), Minett. Sub not used: Evans.
Hinckley: Beattie, Cartwright, Lenton, O'Toole (Brennan 86), Penny (Wilkes 79), Eustace, Storer, Titterton, Hunter, Lucas (Morrell 69), Coates.
Att: 646
MATCH
STATISTICS | Shots on
Target | Shots off
Target | Corners | Caught
Offside | Free kicks
Conceded |
Bookings |
Lynn | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 8 |
|
Hinckley | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 |
Penny (26, shirt-tugging) |
Lynn News Man of the Match - Adie Hayes