Banbury United 3 King's Lynn 1
23rd October
Rumours abounded that posters were put up in Banbury on Saturday evening that said: "Missing – 11 Lynn players. Last seen at 3.45pm."
After leading at half-time and being in control, The Walks outfit caved in during an appalling second half and could not cope with the wind swirling at the Puritans' backs, basic errors gifting their three goals.
Okay Banbury were hungry, but their scorers Wayne Blossom and Howard Forinton linking well together aside, Lynn made an ordinary team look good.
The Linnets faded badly, they were second to the ball and looked second-rate, and only Tiverton failing to win saved Lynn from the bottom spot in the division.
The hosts had little to offer in the opening half, while Lynn had many half-chances.
The breakthrough came in the 24th minute when Danny Hammond's header went in off defender Chris Jackson, although with Danny Bloomfield in attendance he'll claim the goal.
After a spell of pressure involving a succession of corners, now was the time to grab a second goal. But the visitors could do little more than threaten with Mark Angel's dead ball kicks while Bloomfield stabbed wide just before the interval.
The proverbial 'game of two halves' continued with David Staff heading off the line Banbury's first shot on target as a sign of things to come.
In the 57th minute a clearance from keeper Simon Tricker was not picked up by three defenders, giving two attackers the freedom of the Lynn penalty area, and Blossom headed over a stranded Steve Wilson to equalise.
Five minutes later the ex-Birmingham and Peterborough midfielder Forinton was allowed to plant a great header from a great cross by Chris Potter past Wilson.
At the other end, Mark Camm and Staff got in a tangle over a prime opportunity, and sub Chris Bacon fired narrowly wide, but that was as good as it got for lethargic Lynn.
Linnets caretaker manager Robert Taylor's frustration was plain to see when he brandished the ball at a throw-in, as if to say: "Who wants it?". The answer: No-one.
It could have been worse for Lynn, with their defence being pulled apart, as Forinton beat the offside trap but was superbly denied by Wilson.
Hammond cleared off the line from Blossom, who nevertheless made it safe with ten minutes left with his second goal. Blossom planted home a header, again unmarked, from Forinton's centre.
Banbury: Tricker, Fuller, Jackson, Sullivan, Essex, Brandish, Stanbridge (O'Neill 90), Blossom, Forinton (McKay 82), Redknap, Potter. Subs not used: Turner.
Lynn: Wilson, Jones, Hammond (Foley 80), Clarke, Setchell, Camm, Holmes (Stevenson 82), Defty, Staff, Bloomfield, Angel (Bacon 70). Subs not used: Fishlock, Harris.
Bookings: Jones (dissent, 25), Camm (encroaching at free-kick, 42), Clarke (push, 42).
Referee: M. Cairns (Northampton). Attendance: 401.
| FACT file | Shots on Target | Shots off Target | Corners | Caught Offside | Free kicks Conceded |
| Lynn | 5 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 15 |
| Banbury | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 15 |