Halesowen Town 2 King's Lynn 3
20th February 2007
THE Linnets grabbed a last-gasp winner as Matt Nolan's
second goal of the night ended Halesowen's 13-match
unbeaten run.A tremendous advert for the Southern League saw Lynn take the points, but only after the Yeltz staged a tremendous fightback to level from two goals behind.
The Linnets also avoided an unwanted new record with their victory.
Had they gone an hour or more without scoring it would have been the longest time without netting (more than eight-and-a-half hours) against a fellow Southern League side.
Linnets manager Keith Webb said: "It was a superb performance and both Greg Crane and Sam Gaughran were immense at the back.
"The quality of our goals at Halesowen would have stood up to league or even Premiership clubs."
Lynn, who were without Andrew Cave-Brown who had returned to Norwich City and both Mark Warren and Grant Cooper through injury, were hit by further problems when a car load of players arrived at the ground late.
Manager Webb was forced to shuffle his pack with Gaughran coming in at the heart of defence and Luke Fell going into midfield.
Lynn stunned the Grove by taking a two-goal lead within a four-minute spell.
Nolan's 25th minute looping header from a deep cross curled around home keeper Chris Jay to creep in at the far post.
Matt O'Halloran was then replaced by substitute Jack Defty after suffering a hamstring injury.
Defty had an immediate impact on the match when he doubled Lynn's advantage with virtually his first touch of the game when he turned with his back to goal to hit a glorious 20-yard shot over Jay.
The hosts reduced the arrears a minute before the break from a corner when Paul Devlin crossed for Grant Pierpoint to head home his first goal of the season.
Halesowen put Lynn under a lot of pressure in the second period and it came as no surprise when they equalised five minutes from time.
Devlin swung the ball in from the left and Brown hit an overhead kick from the edge of the area with Troy Deeney on hand to head home from close range.
But the Linnets broke Halesowen hearts with a winner in the dying seconds when Nolan side-stepped the attentions of Rob Warner and smashed home a cracking 30-yard drive into the top corner.
Lynn: Crichton, West, Blois (Fisk 46), Gaughan, Crane, McMahon, O'Halloran (J. Defty 28), Camm, Notman (C. Defty 57), Nolan, Fell.
Sub not used: Frew.
Bookings: Camm and Fisk (time wasting).
MoM: Sam Gaughran.
Attendance: 308.