Dunstable Town 4 King's Lynn 1
24th August 2004
FORGET Chatham and Corby away last season. This is a game that will live in the memory of Linnets fans for a long time - but for all the wrong reasons.The Linnets produced one of their most uncommitted and disjointed performances for many a year and piled on the misery for their travelling supporters by gifting Dunstable three of their four goals with some kamikaze defending.
After the game joint bosses Darren Bloodworth and Kevin Boon emerged from the changing room as shell shocked as the large band of loyal Lynn fans, who had made up more than half the Creasey Park gate.
A stunned Bloodworth said: "There wasn't one of our players to come out of the game with any credit in some way.
"As a team we're a bunch of individuals. When we've got the ball we look interested, but when we haven't we are not prepared to work hard enough to get it back.
"We were a soft touch and looked easy to beat and I didn't think any of my sides would ever be like that."
Dunstable, without a point and defensively suspect before Tuesday night, were. full value for their first win of the campaign, but in truth they were helped by Lynn's gutless showing.
The Blues took the lead 17 minutes into the game when Martin Williams' free-kick was more-or-less pushed on to the head of Carl Spring by Steve Wilson for the unmarked striker to nod home.
Lynn gave themselves hope by levelling in the 30th minute through Mark Burrows, who bundled home a Mark Angel corner.
There was little the Linnets could do about Dunstable's second strike three minutes later when Adam Turner unleashed a 35-yard thunderbolt which whistled into the top corner of Wilson's net.
Lynn's best spell of the game saw them twice come close to grabbing a second equaliser before the break.
Stevenson was foiled by a brilliant save by Paul Taylor before the same player saw his follow up hacked off the line by a home defender.
Three minutes prior to the break, home keeper Taylor was all at sea, but Tony Battersby screwed his effort wide with the goal at his mercy.
The Linnets were locked out of their dressing room at the interval, and in truth, it looked as though half of them had failed to return to the field for what was a dire second half display.
A comedy of errors at the back saw Dunstable bag a 3-1 advantage when Neil Pugh chipped into an empty net after a dreadful mix-up between Daniel Hammond and Wilson.
Worse was to follow 15 minutes from the end when Ryan Frater was allowed a free header by a generous Linnets back four from a corner.
Lynn introduced Chris Bacon, Robbie Harris and Craig Fishlock late on and although all three ran their heart out the damage had already been done.
Lynn's only resemblance of a chance in the second 45 minutes came when Mark Angel blazed a free-kick high over the Dunstable bar and into the night sky
There were several candidates for worst player of the match, leaving the Lynn management team with plenty of food for thought ahead of the tough visit of Chesham on Saturday. Dunstable: F Taylor, D. Walker, A. Turner (W Mills 68), R. Frater, M. Kefford, R. Kean (J. George 78), M. Williams (N. Pugh 53), A. Fontanelle, G. Carney, K. Spring, P Okai. Subs not used: C. Hemmings, J. Barnett.
Lynn: Wilson, Camm, Setchell, Burrows, Hammond, Sutch; Stevenson, Holmes (Fishlock 74), Battersby, Bloomfield (Harris 69), Angel (Bacon 66). Not used: Jones, Osborne.
Referee: R. Smith (Halesowen).
Attendance: 195.
| FACTfile | Shots on Target | Shots off Target | Corners | Caught Offside | Free kicks Conceded |
| Lynn | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 10 |
| Dunstable | 9 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 15 |