Hyde United 0 King's Lynn 1
21st March 2009
AT long last the Linnets turned stoppage time to their advantage with the winner at Hyde United in another late-late show, doing their first-ever BSN double in the process.
In so many recent matches Lynn have had to settle for a draw when their opponents, home and away, have equalised at the death.
But fortune favoured Lynn when substitute Andrew Fisk fired home.
Linnets boss Keith Webb said: "We had better goalscoring chances and I think we deserved it in the end.
"It was nice to get a clean sheet.
"We had to shake them up a bit at half-time. I thought we were just a bit sloppy and not sharp enough in general play.
"But we came out in the second half and were a lot better.
"We've always been difficult to beat, but there's always been the concern of if we've got enough to win games.
"I was pleased with the performance. We've got something to build on."
The only change saw Ross Kelly making a first senior start for Lynn, coming in for Jack Defty.
In a quiet first half, Hyde had the first chance on five minutes. Lynn defender Bradley Thomas conceded a corner, which Farrell Kilbane headed just over the bar.
Shortly afterwards Daniel Douglas-Pringle was denied by keeper Scott Howie, who had a good day between the sticks.
The visitors had two efforts on the quarter-hour mark from Adam Smith free-kicks. Mark Peters had a downward header kicked off the line by Paul Howarth, while a Thomas goalbound header hit team-mate Kris Renton.
Another Peters downward header was just off the mark from a Smith corner on the half-hour.
Both teams came out after the break intent on winning the match, going up a gear.
In the opening seconds Scott Mitchell had a shot saved superbly by Elliot Bernstein.
On the hour Thomas played on a Smith free-kick, and Bernstein denied Dom Dwyer.
Hyde hit back, and a Tom Manship free-kick was well saved by Howie.
Both keepers continued to keep the game scoreless in the final phase.
Bernstein dived to his right to palm away a tremendous shot by Lynn skipper Andy Johnson.
Howie twice denied Hyde's Douglas-Pringle and player/manager Andy Tolson in the final minutes.
But in the 92nd minute Dwyer squared the ball from the left to Mitchell, whose hard drive was blocked by Kilbane with Bernstein already committed to diving.
It remained a simple task for Fisk, just back from injury, to place the ball into the corner of the net to secure the game and the double, Lynn having beaten the Tigers 4-1 at The Walks in September.
Webb added: "Ross Kelly did okay playing in the right wing-back position and did a good job.
"He allowed me to put Scott Mitchell in the centre behind the front two, and it worked out quite well.
"Andrew Fisk picked up a similar goal to the one he got against Farsley Celtic."
On groin injury victim Julian Joachim, Webb added: 'Julian is going to play for the Reserves on Wednesday (Lynn Reserves are at home against Dereham Town).
"He's not kicked a ball in anger for a long while, so he needs to have a game."
On swapping Scott Mitchell for Jack Defty playing behind the front two and putting Defty on the bench, Webb said: 'I just wanted to change things a bit.
"Jack's got the situation where he's not training much because of his work.
"But he took the decision in a positive light ' and I can't speak volumes high enough for him."
Although this result puts Lynn almost certainly safe, as they are ten points above the relegation zone, Webb said: "I'm not looking at that.
"We've still got some tough games left. Stalybridge will be very difficult. They're riding high, although we've done well against teams in the play-off and promotion zone.
"We've just got to keep going. We're not looking over our shoulders anymore and want to finish the season on a positive note."
Hyde: Bernstein, Howarth, Oakes (Owens 55), Munroe, Kilbane, Fitzhenry, Lynch, Manship (Tolson 85), Douglas-Pringle, Simm, Clee. Subs not used: Rich, Innes, Dootson.
Lynn: Howie, Graham, Smith, Peters, Thomas, Camm (C. Defty 60), Kelly (Fisk 80), Johnson, Renton (J. Defty 72), Dwyer, Mitchell. Not used: Crane, Murray.
Referee: Mr P. Bankes (Bootle). Att: 305. MoM: Scott Howie.
Stats, Lynn first: shots on target 6, 6; off target 3, 3; corners 7, 5; offside 5, 5; free-kicks 10, 9.