King's Lynn 2 Cheltenham 1
23rd February 1985
King's Lynn 2 Cheltenham 1
WHAT an amazing mixed bag for The Walks fans on Saturday.
One incredible save . . . two cracking goals by the Linnets . . three most important Southern League points gained ... and what about those four chances that got away?
Cheltenham went home talking about "lucky Linnets". Perhaps they are right, especially over an injury time save by Andy Claxton from Mark Hacker that denied them a point.
Claxton was diving one way. Hacker's shot went the other and the ball hit Claxton's boot in mid-air and bounced out to safety. Aren't our policemen wonderful?
But there can be no complaints about Lynn's second half goals. Steve Hires, drilled a perfect 20-yard free kick high into the top corner beyond the despairing dive of Dave Moss. That was in the 48th minute.
After Cheltenham's open play was rewarded by an equaliser from Brian Hughes in the 77th minute, the-Linnets struck again eight minutes later.
A searching pass from Clive Adams sent Martin Twigger bursting through. and he chipped in the winner as Moss came out too late.
Cheltenham, it must be said, should have been in front by half time. Mark Boyland twice fluffed the chances when he only had Claxton to beat and there were some other narrow escapes.
Hines was inches away from rubbing salt into the injured pride of Cheltenham just before the interval, but it was after his goal that the Linnets really slipped up.
In particular, Martin Coupe and Kevin Ready will not want reminding about the openings served up for them as Moss stood between them and the goal.
Definitely not a game for the purists, but one we will remember for the rest of the season.
Lynn: Claxton: Mercer, Woods, Adams, Easthall: Foster. Watts. Hines: Ready, Twigger. Coupe: sub Ippolitto
Cheltenham, Moss. Boxall, Scarrott, Collicutt, Cornes, Goff, Hughes, Abbley, Boyland, Cotterill, Hacker: sub Murphy.
Referee: M. Bullivant (Cambridge) Attendance: 375.