Beaconsfield SYCOB 0 King's Lynn 3
18th September 1999
A HORRIFIC injury to midfielder Steve McGinty took the gloss off a comfortable passage into the FA Cup third qualifying round.
Substitute McGinty - who had only been on for ten minutes - was left with a deep gash down his thigh sustained in a 50/50 challenge and was rushed to hospital before the match had ended. He needed 16 internal stitches and his leg was stapled 35 times. McGinty was discharged from hospital on Saturday night and faces a long lay-off.
. Lynn boss Gary Mills, who celebrated a win in his 50th game in charge of the club, said yesterday: "He'll be out for a long while. We don't know for how long. Steve's got to have the staples out in a couple of weeks. He's a fit lad, but hopefully he will be back quite quickly. He's a great player to have in the side and we've got to win the next game for him."
On the match, Mills added: "We've come and done a job and we're in the hat. Everyone did what they were asked to do. When we come to grounds like this we can easily slip up - the pitch was bobbly and the grass was long.
"You always feel you can come and get egg on your face. Hopefully a few games down the line someone will come to us and feel the same way."
Lynn came through a low-key game mainly played in rain on an uneven surface and in a muted atmosphere, as many Lynn fans arrived at half-time due to a train delay.
The minnows looked the better side in the opening exchanges and can wonder what might have been had they taken two half-chances. In the seventh minute Steve Clements nodded wide from a Steve Jones cross. Then Stuart Walsh should have done much better with a free header from a Robert Paris throw-in, but he could only balloon it over the bar.
Lynn struck with their first opportunity in 25 minutes of play. Tony Spearing crossed, Lee Wilson knocked down and Mark Turner, who forward again quiet start to the season , headed in to give home keeper Julian Taylor no chance. An excellent move involving Turner and Dave Taylor set up Wilson whose shot beat the keeper but Paris pulled off a capital clearance for a corner. This was taken quickly by Jeremy Goss to Mills on the right, and his fired in ball was met by Wilson. Keeper Taylor blocked it but Dave Robinson converted the rebound from close range.
Just before the interval Dave Puttnam turned on a sixpence and how his centre missed Taylor's head only he will know.
Linnets wrapped up the tie five minutes into the second period when ,Beaconsfield were surprised by a decent Chuck Martini kick. Wilson chased it and beat Taylor to the ball with a brave header on the edge of the box, but the Lynn forward was injured in the process. Soon after he was substituted by Jon Palmer, making his first senior appearance of the season.
Lynn should have increased their lead as home defender Simon Sweeney headed Puttnam's cross on to his own post, but Turner was too slow to react and follow-up.
Robinson and Palmer went close while Spearing was inches wide with a 30-yard blockbuster after being set up by Goss. Lynn had a scare as Martini dropped. the ball, but Beaconsfield had to wait until ten minutes from the end for their next chance, Walsh's effort being deflected just past the upright.
Then Lynn had to play the last seven minutes with ten men as McGinty went down. His treatment was helped by Beaconsfield forward Clements, who is a paramedic.
Lynn: Martini, Dakin, Spearing, Robinson, Clark, Mills (Marsden 73), Turner, Goss, Taylor (McGinty 73), Wilson (Palmer 63), Puttnam. Subs (not used) Fuff, Keeble.
Beaconsfield SYCOB: Taylor, Sweeney, Paris (Bedwell 68), Jones, Jarvis, Brown (Cotton 79), Scott, Hale, Clements, Walsh. Sub (not used) Araguez, Lamb
| MATCH STATISTICS | Shots on Target | Shots off Target | Corners | Caught Offside | Free kicks Conceded |
Bookings |
| Lynn | 7 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 10 | |
| Beaconsfield | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 |