Cirencester Town 1 King's Lynn 3
20th November 2004
Perhaps Lynn have turned a corner - from a proposed winter of discontent, there now looks to be a ray of sunshine. A great result at the sixth place side saw the Linnets notch both their first away win since the opening day of the season and their first back-to-back victory thanks to three goals in ten minutes.
The visitors were greeted with a snow-covered Corinium Stadium pitch; and away officials, including director Colin Dawson and the two away stewards, helped to clear it.
Heavy snow fell in the second half, with the referee doing well in the conditions.
Lynn manager Tommy Taylor said: "We played better in the conditions on the day and very well in the first half.
"We should have been two up at half-time but our goalkeeper made two tremendous saves, one at the boy's feet when one of the centre-backs slipped over; then when we gave the ball away on the halfway line.
"They played a midfield five, we played 4-4-2 and put them under a lot of pressure."
On Chris Bacon's first goal of the season, he said: "I'm pleased for the lad. I had a good conversation with him on Thursday, and he knew he had to work hard.
"I said to Jack Defty: There's lots of space in their box, their centre-halves are leaving big holes and he started to get chances after half-time.
"I didn't think the game would be on, we wanted it to be on and we looked a lot fitter. We lasted the pace and were closing people down until the final whistle."
Mark Angel (back from suspension), Nicky Blake and David Chick - who it transpired was not signed on Southern League forms - travelled but did not make the bench. On the bench was new player from Barnet Nick Edwards (19), a central defender who can also play midfield.
Brady Stone joined Nick Matthews to make it the 11th centre-back combination used so far this campaign. However, Stone went off as a precaution with a head injury just before half-time.
Danny Bloomfield in the third minute forced keeper Paul Thompson to save with his legs, later denying David Staff the same way after Chris Bacon had headed down Gary Setchell's cross from the left.
Minutes later Adam Jones centred, Bloomfield stuck out a foot and the ball trickled just past the post.
Carl Holmes headed twice off-target, and at the other end Steve Wilson flung himself to his right to deny Adam Mayo, and came out quickly to block from Gareth Hopkins.
But within seven minutes of the second half, The Walks outfit were two ahead. Staff was fouled just outside the corner of the home box. Jack Defty had an effort blocked from Setchell's free-kick but Bloomfield fired home his 13th goal of the season.
Then from a Staff cross Mark Camm's goalbound shot was blocked, and Defty placed another loose ball into the bottom corner of the net.
A fine third goal wrapped up the game. Defty calmly placed the ball through for Bacon to race on and net.
In the 67th minute, the Gloucestershire side pulled one back, Marc Richards powerfully heading home a corner.
The hosts had more of the play from then on, but Wilson dealt comfortably with shots from Adam Howarth, Shaun Wimble and sub Nicky Stanley as Setchell and Matthews led a pretty solid rearguard.
Cirencester: Thompson, Rich-ards, Halliday (Fitch 70), Jackson, Bird, Howarth, Robinson, Mayo (Bevan 55), Hopkins, Griffin (Stanley 55), Wimble. Subs not used: Cole, Mapson. Goal: Richards 67.
Lynn: Wilson, Jones, Setchell, Matthews, Stone (Hammond 42), Camm, Defty (Stevenson 65), Holmes, Staff (Edwards 80), Bloomfield, Bacon. Not used: Fish-lock, McAnally. Goals: Bloomfield 52, Defty 54, Bacon 63.
Referee: B. D. Baker (Abingdon, Oxfordshire). Attendance: 138
| FACT file | Shots on Target | Shots off Target | Corners | Caught Offside | Free kicks Conceded |
| Lynn | 5 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
| Cirencester | 5 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 12 |
| Lynn News Man of the Match - Gary Setchell | |||||