St Ives Town 2 King's Lynn 2
20th November 2010
LINNETS boss Gary Setchell insisted this was a case of a point gained rather than two lost after his side twice came from behind during a cracking game in the fog at Westwood Road on Saturday.
The Saints, unbeaten at home since August, were clearly fired up for the game and Setchell said this is something Lynn are getting used to.
"Teams are raising their games to play Lynn and giving it their all. They respond to the large crowd we bring with us and want to stick one on us."
Mid-table Saints took the lead on the stroke of half time when Liam Read capitalised on a mix-up between central defender Martin McNeil and keeper Alex Street to lob home.
Lynn equalised nine minutes after the re-start when McNeil headed on the hard-working Jamie Thurlbourne's corner and skipper Jack Defty headed in his 22nd of the season.
St Ives made it 2-1 with 20 minutes left when JP Duncliffe made the most of more poor defending, but Thurlbourne levelled the match with a 15-yard drive in the 75th minute.
Between these goals Lynn had the lion's share of the play, although the hosts were dangerous on the break and regularly worried the visiting defence.
Scott Cubberley's effort for Lynn was well saved as early as the sixth minute by the impressive Niall Conroy-Owen, and Thurlbourne then saw a free kick parried.
Defty, who put in a real shift, saw a shot on the turn blocked by a late tackle, full back Pat Bexfield fired over and then Cubberley was denied again by Conroy-Owen. And in the final minutes of the opening period Defty saw two headers brilliantly saved.
At the other end striker Dan Matson blasted a couple of good chances wide as St Ives created little.
After the break Lynn continued to fashion chances as they searched for the equaliser, and winger Steve Spriggs saw an effort kicked off the line.
After Lynn made it 1-1 Conroy-Owen tipped Defty's point-blank header on to the bar and a Defty effort was hacked off the line, before Saints took the lead on the break.
Lynn soon pulled level, and minutes Danny White failed to cap an impressive performance when he fired over when clean through.
Lynn were laying siege to the home side's goal now. Both Jamie Thurlbourne and brother Luke ' on as a substitute after being rested to make way for new boy Adam Milsom ' fired wide when they should have hit the target.
Jamie Thurlbourne burst through the defence in the final minute, only to see his shot saved by the keeper's legs, Defty's towering header brought more heroics from Conroy Owen and, in the sixth minute of injury time, sub Robbie Harris blasted over a gilt-edged chance from eight yards.
Setchell told the Lynn News: 'I honestly believe it was a hard-earned point. We were the side on the front foot, but we conceded goals at bad times.
"Sometimes you don't get what you deserve, but the players gave their all and this performance was nothing like the draw at Blackstones, where we were poor.'
Lynn are now 10 points behind leaders St Neots, with two games in hand, and Setchell added: "We will keep going and I believe there will be a few twists and turns in the title race yet.
"No trophies are given out in November and no-one's popping the champagne corks yet."
Lynn: Street, Bexfield (Buhlemann 66 mins), Alsop, Milsom (L Thurlbourne 60), McNeil, Stone, Spriggs, White, Defty, Cubberley (Harris 73), J Thurlbourne. Subs not used: Kieran Doherty, Billy Smith.
Booked: St Ives : Kennett (foul, 58 mins); Lynn : Cubberley (dissent, 3 mins), Bexfield (dissent, 14 mins), Thurlbourne (foul)
Attendance: 384.