Worthing 0 King's Lynn 1
21st October 2006
Rob Norris's first goal for the club meant the Linnets made it a lucky 13
games unbeaten and took their FA competitions season prize fund tally to £12,350.Midfielder Norris struck in the 20th minute to earn a tie at the winners of the Leyton or Maldon replay, and £1,350 for this win.
Boss Tommy Taylor said: "In the first half we played all right, but the second half was a non-event, when we were going slightly up a hill and against the wind.
"In the second half we never got ten men in their half like we did in the first half. But we've gone through, and that's the main thing.
"I'm pleased for Rob. I thought it was more important to get Matt O'Halloran ready for the FA Cup tie, and I wanted to give Rob 90 minutes."
Charlie Defty kept his place at centre-half, which meant Grant Cooper made the bench on his return to the squad from injury. Norris came in for Matt O'Halloran, who was still feeling the effects of a tackle the previous week.
For the opening 45 minutes The Walks outfit controlled the game with crisp passing and, had more than one early chance gone in, the tie would have been closed out.
In the fourth minute a Matt Nolan header from a Dean West cross was saved by keeper Rikki Banks, who a minute later evoked memories of his namesake Gordon with a good save from a stinging Jack Defty effort.
A West header from an Adam Smith corner was cleared off the line by James Fraser.
But Lynn went ahead when Smith sent a deep back-post centre from the left and Jack Defty created panic in the home box for the ball to bobble about. Worthing lost their chance to clear, and Norris drilled home from a tight angle from four yards. Five minutes before the break Jack Defty had a point-blank header tipped over by Banks.
The Sussex side's first real chance was a cross by Danny Davis finding captain Mark Knee, who brought off a fine save from Shaun Marshall, who had returned to the line-up from injury.
Jack Defty went off at half-time in favour of Michael Frew, who was unlucky not to start following good recent displays. Frew made an immediate impression, Banks saving at the second attempt.
The second half was a different story as Lynn fought the slope and the wind, and resorted to long balls as an escape route from a sustained spell of home possession.
But despite their advantage, Worthing created little. On the hour was their best hope of an equaliser as Marshall punched an Andy Lutwyche cross straight up in the air, and West cleared off the line.
The resulting corner saw Ben Andrews head on to the angle of bar and post.
Steve Melton made his Linnets debut when he came on for West, and the game went into a midfield battle. Alex Notman missed with his long-range chip following a poor goalkeeping clearance.
The final 20 minutes saw Worthing enjoy a lot of possession, but Lynn managed to hold them at arm's length.
What the scout from Hucknall, next Saturday's opponents in the FA Cup (when Taylor reaches 100 games in charge), made of proceedings is anyone's guess.
Worthing: Banks, Lutwyche (Carr 76), Joseph, Rogers, Andrews, Douglas, Davis, Fraser, Watson (Alexander 55), Lawley (Brotherton 76), Knee. Subs not used: Metcalf, Harrison. Booked: Andrews, Douglas.
Lynn: Marshall, West (Melton 61), Smith, Warren, C. Defty (Cooper 73), Camm, J. Defty (Frew h-t), McMahon, Notman, Nolan, Norris. Not used: Fry, Higgs.
Attendance: 278. MoM: Mark Warren. Referee: Colin Lymer (Woking).