King's Lynn 7 Chatham Town 2
19th October 2002
THE Linnets were in seventh heaven on Saturday as Carl Holmes notched a hat-trick.It was both Lynn's biggest win and their first hat-trick since Jon Palmer's treble in a 6-0 demolition of Tamworth two seasons ago.
In a match enlivened by some eccentric refereeing, each side got a penalty and Lynn's David Staff was sent off for two bookable offences during a frantic 11-minute second half period which also saw three Lynn goals, an injury and a penalty.
But having ten men did not seem to affect Lynn.
As is becoming the habit at home, where they have won their last eight league and cup games, they could have scored more with the chances they created.
Staff and Lee Stephenson had fired off- target before new defender Mark Burrows got the ball rolling with a well-taken second goal in two games since joining the club.
He volleyed in from the left of the box after a typical Stephenson turn-and-shot from a quick Paul Raynor free-kick.
Staff earned his first yellow, a case of mistaken identity as it was in fact Wayne Anderson retaliating for a foul.
Two goals came in two minutes on the half-hour, one for Lynn when a Stephenson effort rebounded off Paul Watts which Joe Dowley could not keep out. Referee Mr Comerford then began a string of mysterious decisions by giving the visitors a penalty - either from challenges by Glen Fuff or Lee Cowling, such was the delay in whistle-blowing.
Ryan Robinson put away the spot-kick.
Lynn soon regained a two-goal lead when Watts beat the offside trap, his shot saved by Kevin Fewell and Fuff followed up from 25 yards.
Poor defending a minute from half-time allowed Watts to flick-on and Holmes to tap-in.
The Linnets sealed the game soon after the break with Stephenson making it five at the second attempt when Philip Miles missed the ball.
Staff was sent off in the next minute, but the hosts shrugged this off with a peach of a goal from Holmes.
He picked up the ball and volleyed sweetly into the keeper's top right hand corner from 25 yards.
Cowling went off after a clash of heads and his replacement Adam Weston's first contribution was earning a penalty when he was pushed by Dave Monteith in the Chatham box.
Holmes sent the keeper the wrong way to cap his hat-trick and his seventh goal in five games.
Both sides had `goals' disallowed and earned a booking each before Chatham gained a late consolation courtesy of a good side-step and finish by Gary Tilley. Lynn: Greygoose, Staff, Cowling (Weston 60), Burrows, Fuff, Johnson, Anderson, Raynor, Watts (Bacon 70), Stephenson, Holmes. Subs not, used: Gowshall, Dobrowolski.
Chatham: K. Fewell, P. Miles, J. Dowley (S. Austin 63), C. Cooke, A. Larkin, S. Best, D. Monteith (A. Lacy 63), R. Robinson, L. Bremner, J. Neal, G. Tilley. Not used: A. Douglas, M. Hoggins, P. Coupland.
Att: 542. Referee: S. Comerford (Royston).
| MATCH STATISTICS | Shots on Target | Shots off Target | Corners | Caught Offside | Free kicks Conceded |
Bookings/S-Off |
| Lynn | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 15 | Staff (21 retaliation) Bacon (81 foul) Staff (53, kicking) |
| Chatham | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17 | Best (21, foul) Bremner (86, foul) |
Lynn News Man of the Match: Carl Holmes