King's Lynn 5 Alvechurch 0
22nd December 1984
ALVECHURCH were sunk by reserve team winger Mark Howard,
who was drafted in as a make-shift centre forward because of injury to Martin
Coupe.The pint-size 20-year-old from Gayton, tucked away an easy first goal in the 41st minute when Kevin Ready's low centre beat the keeper.
This must have given Howard confidence and his next strike ten minutes into the second half was a real Christmas cracker. He latched on to a mis-placed pass in mid-field, advanced on the retreating defence and sent a 20-yard left foot shot into the corner of the net.
It was a vital goal, especially as Lynn had reorganised at half time when Clive Adams was taken to hospital clearly shaken after a collision of heads.
The Midlanders dropped their heads and Howard was denied his hat-trick when Allard blocked his way after another speedy run which left the defenders standing. From the resulting corner, however, Freddie Easthall side-stepped one tackle and swerved in a shot through Allard's hands.
That made it' 3-0 after 65 minutes and Lynn were sure of the points.
Three minutes from the end Howard and Twigger converged on another Ready centre and unluckily for Alvechurch a goal-line clearance rebounded off their player-manager John Chambers and into the net via a post.
And right on time Mario Ippolitto accepted a gift pass to drill home the fifth.
It added up to the worst defeat suffered by Alvechurch this season and the fifth time the Linnets have notched five goals in a match. Lynn (4-3-3) Claxton: Mercer, Watts, Adams (sub Fryatt 45 mins), Easthall: Ippolitto, Foster, Hines,: Ready, Twigger, Howard
Alvechurch: Allard. Bowater, Brown (sub Ivey 23 mins), Goodman, Green, O’Dowd, Maffi, Chambers, Mullen, Jones, Brennan.
Att: 449