Team Bath 0 King's Lynn 4
26th February 2008
AN earthquake may have hit Britain early on Wednesday morning, but the Linnets sent their own tremor through the league with this result just a few hours earlier.
After Lynn went 1-0 up at the break, ten-man Team Bath, who had Matt Lock sent-off early in the second period, conceded three times in the last 20 minutes at Twerton Park on Tuesday.
The result means Lynn have cut Team Bath's lead at the top of the BGB Premier Division to just a point.
Linnets manager Keith Webb, criticised in the past for his tactics, got them spot-on for this crucial clash.
His spying mission last week on The Students obviously paid off, as he fielded a radically-changed formation.
Loan signing Rikki Bains replaced Dean West at right-back, to give The Walks outfit more height at the back and nullify the threat of Team Bath's 27-goal league leading scorer Sean Canham.
He also dropped Lynn's top scorer Danny Bloomfield, using Jack Defty as a target man, with Joe Francis and John Turner playing off him, plus a further midfield three of Shaun Carey, Mark Camm and Ben Sedgemore.
Canham was nowhere to be seen as a quiet first half ended with Lynn deservedly ahead. Sedgemore had the first chance after nine minutes, shooting straight at Team Bath keeper Jake Meredith.
On 20 minutes came the opening goal.
Jack Defty's shot was parried by Meredith.
Sami El-Abd tried to play his way out of trouble rather than hoof his clearance, and Turner was presented with an easy chance to net from close range.
Marc Canham volleyed over a snap-shot from 25 yards when Lynn cleared a cross, which was the best the hosts could muster in the first half.
Lynn had to withstand a strong spell of home pressure in the early stages of the second half with Team Bath forcing a number of corners.
But the Linnets defence, superbly marshalled by Greg Crane and Hoyte, stood firm to frustrate the hosts, who failed to score at home in the league for only the second time this season.
The turning point undoubtedly came on 62 minutes when Matt Lock was shown a red card for a crude two-footed lunge on Lynn's Ben Sedgemore.
Team Bath changed personnel and their system for the last 25 minutes and it played into Lynn's hands with Keith Webb's side exploiting the gaps with ease.
Sixteen minutes from time John Turner, who had an excellent night on the right flank, delightfully picked out Mark Camm with a diagonal pass before Camm drew the keeper and passed to Defty to make no mistake from six yards.
Defty was then hauled to the ground in the box by Gary Warren, who was lucky to stay on the pitch with the Linnets striker being the last man, and Joe Francis converted the spot-kick.
The icing on the cake to a memorable result came in stoppage time when a mazy 40-yard run from Francis saw him beat three players before firing home to inflict Team Bath's heaviest defeat of the season.
Team Bath: Jake Meredith, Matt Lock, Shaun Lamb, Steve Abbott, Gary Warren (capt), Sami El-Abd, Dan Dillon (Adi Adams 78) Marc Canham (Dean Smith 58), Takumi Ake, Sean Canham, Ben Thomson (Mike Perrott 65). Subs not used: Joe Arnold, Simon Cooper.
Booked: Meredith, Abbott. Sent off: Lock.
Lynn: Howie, Bains, Chapman, Hoyte, Crane, Camm, Turner (Frew 86), Sedgemore, J Defty, Carey (West 67), Francis (Nolan 90). Not used: Bloomfield, Murray.
Booked: Hoyte, Francis.
Goals: Turner 20, J. Defty 74, Francis 85 pen, 90.
Att: 273; Referee: Chris Powell (Poole); MoM: Greg Crane.