King's Lynn 2 Harrogate 3
24th February 2009
THE Linnets threw away a 2-0 second half lead to ten-man Harrogate in a nightmare ten-minute spell on Tuesday.
Michael Frew and Joe Francis had put Lynn in the driving seat in front of the lowest home attendance of the season.
Harrogate had a man sent off, but still grabbed a late winner.
Lynn boss Keith Webb said: "I'm stunned. You're thinking 2-0 up, playing well, and you have an opportunity to make it 3-0.
"You're thinking we can keep it tight and solid and see it out - and we've made three errors and we've been punished for all three.
"It's frustrating to think that we played so well and we got ourselves into a good position, and threw it away.
"It's one of those situations where you can't go in and criticise the team as they did play well for 65-75 minutes."
Honours were even in a scoreless and quiet first half. Scott Mitchell went the closest in the 14th minute with a header from Michael Frew's corner that was cleared off the line by Matty Young as Lynn tested rookie keeper Jonathan Hedge with corners and balls under the bar.
The second half began disjointedly, but soon settled down.
Lynn's first goal came out of nothing, Frew latching onto Defty's lunging long-ball and cheekily side-footing past Hedge at the second attempt.
Five minutes later Joe Francis doubled the advantage with his second league goal of the season into the top corner of the net after an exchange of passes with Mitchell.
Mitchell was soon crying out in the six yard box for Francis to return the favour, but the young winger shot wide instead.
Darren Dunning shot inches wide for Harrogate, who levelled midway through the second period.
Harrogate's James Dean replied with a Hollywood-style finish, defying the attentions of Mark Peters to convert a swift turn and shot after latching onto a bouncing ball.
Just 90 seconds later the visitors levelled with a curling left-footed free-kick by Nathan Peate from the right into the far corner past a two-man wall and over an out-of-position and possibly unsighted keeper Rob Murray.
Murray made amends by saving a fierce shot from Richard Marshall.
Dean fluffed his lines by being shown a straight red card after an off-the-ball incident spotted by the referee's assistant on Bradley Thomas - the second game in succession this has happened to Thomas.
It looked destined for a draw, but Marshall rifled a near-post winner with five minutes to go.
There was just enough time for a Lynn senior debut for young forward Dominic Dwyer, who tested keeper Hedge.
Lynn: Murray, Graham, Chapman (Dwyer 88), Peters, Thomas, Camm, Frew, Johnson, Defty, Francis, Mitchell. Subs not used: Hurren, Smith, Fisk, Howie. Booked: Defty, Chapman, Peters.
Goals: Frew 63mins, Francis 68.
Harrogate: Hedge, Toulson, Hardy, Young, Whittle, Peate, Gray, Dunning, Dean, Marshall, Smith (Lowe 66). Subs not used: Ormsby.
Booked: Gray; sent off: Dean. Goals: Dean 74, Peate 76, Marshall 85.
Referee: S. Hutchinson (Bingham, Notts). Attendance: 656