King's Lynn 3 Holbeach United 0
25th April 2011
KING'S Lynn Town's dream of lifting the UCL Premier Division title at the first attempt is over despite this hard-fought win.
The Linnets scraped an Easter Monday victory over Holbeach at The Walks yesterday, but St Neots' 4-1 victory over St Ives at Rowley Park confirmed the Saints as champions.
Lynn, who now host Rothwell Corinthians on Thursday night, are still on course to break the 100-point barrier following goals from Chris Bacon, Jamie Thurlbourne and Danny White against The Tigers.
After an opener by Bacon just before half time the match became a scrappy affair and Holbeach were unlucky not to go home with at least a share of the spoils before a late Lynn rally.
Jamie Thurlbourne doubled Lynn's advantage with a trademark free-kick which went in off the woodwork in the 87th minute before the excellent Street brilliantly saved a Holbeach penalty.
There was still time for midfielder White to rifle home a third as the game approached stoppage time.
The Linnets made two changes from the side which hammered Desborough Town 7-0 on Saturday.
Brady Stone came into the heart of the Linnets' defence, while teenage striker Tom Barnes, fresh from winning the UCL Reserve Division Two crown with the reserves, deputised for the injured Robbie Harris.
The unlucky teenager lasted only a few minutes before a nasty knee injury saw him stretchered from the field
Weekend hat-trick hero Steve Spriggs should have opened Lynn's account in the third minute but blazed over following good work by Barnes on the left.
Home supporters were left infuriated by the match officials when Spriggs' cross appeared to hit both hands of visiting defender Dean Elston in the box but penalty appeals were waved away.
Just before the interval Bacon was foiled by the arms of Hewitt, while at the other end Tommy Treacher was denied a certain goal for Holbeach following a last-gasp clearance by Pat Bexfield.
The deadlock was finally broken on the stroke of half-time when Bacon, on for Barnes, rounded Hewitt to convert a pass from Spriggs.
King's Lynn Town: Street, Bexfield, Alsop, L. Thurlbourne, Stone (McNeil 75), Fryatt, Spriggs, White, Defty, Barnes (Bacon 9), J. Thurlbourne. Subs: Buhlemann, Bacon, McNeil, Johnson.
Attendance: 563.