King's Lynn 0 Halesowen Town 1
25th September 2004
Frustration was the order of the day as Halesowen went top following their smash-and-grab raid for the points. The Linnets' approach play was very good, but they were missing a killer instinct. Lynn had the majority of possession and territory but had little to show for it.
They lacked service to the front two, diminutive Danny Bloomfield attracting the high balls rather than the tall Tony Battersby.
Acting boss Robert Taylor said: "Unbelievable, I'm lost for words. They've had one chance at goal and scored, and out of all the chances we created we couldn't get through.
"It summed up our day when we hit the post. I thought we might've picked up after that but nothing happened.
"Jack Defty came on and changed it. He sits in that position what we need and he gets in the box. He'd played one game for the Reserves so I didn't want him to come on too early "At half-time I wanted more urgency, get the tempo up and I said at crosses we've got to get the opposite winger plus a midfielder plus the other striker in the box."
On the substitutions, Taylor added: "I wanted to leave Danny Bloomfield, but I thought Chris Bacon (as well as Carl Holmes) could get on the end of the crosses. Mark Angel needs to work up and down, not just one way.
"If the club wants to bring someone in they should get it done quickly, the players don't know where they are and I don't know what I'm doing, with the first team and the Reserves."
After a minute's silence in memory of managerial legend Brian Clough, the game started with a shock to Lynn.
In the third minute Simon Forsdick laid the ball through for Richard Burgess - scorer of Redditch's play-off winner at The Walks in May - to slot home with Lynn standing looking for offside.
The hosts then laid siege to the Yeltz' penalty area but with men behind the ball, and time-wasting tactics tolerated by Walks favourite Mr Artis, they held firm.
Bloomfield was an early threat, his pace and trickery almost carving out a goalscoring opportunity. He and Carl Holmes went close in the first half, a deflected effort from Holmes being saved on 54 minutes.
Jack Defty came on for his first appearance of the league campaign and kick-started the midfield, and almost brought off an equaliser within a minute.
Battersby's header from a Craig Fishlock ball hit the post and a combination of the keeper Chris Taylor and the outside of the post denied Defty's follow-up.
The Yeltz created little, sub Jimmy Haarhoff weakly shooting and Steve Pope blazing a free-kick over.
On 79 minutes came two good saves by Taylor from Holmes, while near the end sub Chris Bacon centred from the right but Defty headed straight at the keeper.
Fewer of the Barmy Army seemed to be in attendance, possibly as a result of the banning of three fans from The Walks coming into force for the first time.
Lynn need to shake off the hangover caused by the recent managerial upheaval - and fast. Lynn: Osborne, Camm, Blake, Fishlock, Jones, Stone, Harris, Holmes, Battersby, Bloomfield (Bacon 75), Angel (Defty 56). Subs not used: Higgs, Heath-Preston, Foley.
Halesowen: Taylor, Cooper, Haywood (Skidmore 64), Preston, Pope, Jones, Cowley, Moore, Burgess (Haarhoff 81), Baker, Forsdick (Carlton 71). Not used: Steane, Grocutt. Booking: Baker (90, dissent). Goal: Burgess (3).
Referee: S. Artis (Norfolk). Attendance: 802.
| FACTfile | Shots on Target | Shots off Target | Corners | Caught Offside | Free kicks Conceded |
Bookings |
| Lynn | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | |
| Halesowen | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 16 | Baker (90, dissent) |
| Lynn News Man of the Match - Mark Camm | ||||||