King's Lynn 0 Boston United 0

24th April 2000

LINNETS failed to complete a deserved derby double
over champions Boston after missing two first half
penalties.
Tony Spearing and Mark Turner both saw their spot-kicks saved as King’s Lynn turned in a lively performance in front of their biggest crowd of the season.
Five former Linnets – Colin Hoyle, Andrew Stanhope, Ian Stringfellow, Micky Nuttell and Shaun Keeble – were in United’s starting line-up as manager Steve Evans shuffled his pack after securing the championship at the weekend.
Player-boss Gary Mills came close to opening the scoring in the first minute with a quickly-taken free-kick which Paul Bastock clawed round the post.
But Lynn’s best chance came from the resultant corner when Micky Nuttell handled Dave Robinson’s header. However, Tony Spearing’s fiercely-struck spot-kick was straight at Bastock, who pushed the ball onto the bar.
Emeka Nwadike glanced a header wide after 12 minutes as Lynn dominated the early stages.
In the 20th minute Chuck Martini was adjudged to have picked up a Robinson back-pass. However, a posse of Linnets on the line blocked Paul Wilson’s free-kick.
Dave Puttnam (dissent) and Spearing (retaliation) were both booked as tempers became frayed.
Lynn were awarded another penalty just before
half-time when Hoyle barged over Puttnam in the box, but Bastock again came to the Pilgrims’ rescue when he dived low to his left to keep out Mark Turner’s tame spot-kick.
Just after the break, Martini produced a good save to deny Stanhope from close range, but it was Lynn who went on to dominate the half.
The unmarked Turner missed a good chance just before the hour when he failed to connect properly with a header from a Puttnam cross.
Puttnam then released Jon Palmer who, under pressure from defenders and keeper, lifted his effort over the bar. Nwadike then had a goalbound shot blocked after good work by Palmer.
Stanhope missed Boston’s best chance of the half when he fired wide with just Martini to beat after persistent work from Keeble, who was applauded off by the Lynn fans.
Lynn thought they had won in the dying throes when sub Lyndon Rowland had a header disallowed for offside.
Lynn: Martini, Dakin, Spearing, Robinson, Fuff, Clark, (Gibson 69), Mills, Nwadike, Palmer (Rowland 82), Turner, Puttnam. Not used: Bogan.
Boston: Bastock, Gowshall, Wilson (Heyes 78), Hoyle, Costello, Allardyce, Stanhope, Stringfellow, (Lodge 63), Nuttell, Keeble (Watts 85), Raynor.
Lynn News MoM: Emeka Nwadike