King's Lynn 1 Grantham Town 2
19th October 2004
LYNN'S season slumped to new depths on Tuesday night when local rivals Grantham, without a win in nine games before Tuesday night, stretched their winless run to five matches.And to compound their misery on the pitch, The Walks outfit had Mark Angel and Kevin Boon sent off.
Angel was dismissed for a late challenge on Grantham defender Tim Wooding, while Boon was banished to the stands for comments made to the referee at the interval.
While there was a touch of controversy leading up to both of the Grantham goals, Lynn only had themselves to blame for more inept defending and an awful second half display, which lacked both passion and purpose.
Caretaker boss Robert Taylor said: "We had enough chances to finish Grantham off in the first 15 minutes so to go in 2-1 down at the break was disappointing.
"We panicked after the break and played into Grantham's hands by not passing the ball to feet."
On the performance of Lincolnshire referee Mr P Stanton, who allegedly called for a club doctor and wanted the game abandoned at the break after suffering from earache from a supporters air horn, Taylor said: "I'd rather not talk about the officials as it will only get me in trouble."
Lynn carved open the Gingerbreads defence almost at will in the opening 15 minutes with David Staff and Danny Bloomfield's pace causing all kinds of problems.
Bloomfield should have had a hat-trick in the opening 11 minutes but the efforts of Grantham goalkeeper Mario Ziccardi and some last-ditch defending kept him at bay.
Grantham took the lead with their first chance of the match in the 22nd minute when Fabien Smith sweetly volleyed home after a flag for offside had been ignored seconds earlier.
Lynn were back on level terms six minutes later when Bloomfield, pounced to score after Carl Holmes' header from an Angel corner had only been half saved.
Two minutes before the interval, the Lynn defence stood off Jason Turner who narrowly fired wide.
Grantham's second wasn't long in coming, when deep into first half stoppage time, Wooding fired in a hopeful free-kick onto the head of Stuart Reddington as a static Lynn defence looked on.
Ziccardi then foiled Ryan Clarke with a superb reflex save as the half drew to a close.
Other than a five-minute spell in the middle of the half, where once again Lynn found Ziccardi in inspired form, Lynn offered very little in the second period.
Grantham, who soaked up Lynn's long ball tactics with ease, could have easily increased their advantage with former Lynn striker Jamie Clarke (twice) and Smith both going close.
Lynn: Wilson, Jones, Hammond (Harris 67), Setchell, Clarke, Camm, Holmes, Defty (Stevenson 84), Staff*, Bloomfield, Angel**. Subs not used: Fishlock, Higgs and Harvey.
Grantham: M. Ziccardi, T. Wooding, D. Hallows, A. Sturgess, S. Reddington, A. Speed, F Smith, W. Francis, J. Clarke (S. Huckerby 85), J. Turner, J. Neil, Not used: P Sutton, J. McGowan, B. Darby, N. Spafford.
* = booked. ** = sent off.
Referee: Mr P Stanton (Lincs).
Attendance: 642
Man-of-the-match: Ryan Clarke - the best of a poor bunch by far