King's Lynn 2 Worksop Town 1
27th September 2008
STRIKER Danny Bloomfield ended his FA Cup drought for the club as the Linnets scraped through with a last-minute winner against Worksop at The Walks.
Up until Saturday, the FA Cup was the only competition Bloomfield had failed to register in during his three spells in a Linnets shirt.
But that all changed against The Tigers as fox-in-the-box Bloomfield pounced to send the Linnets through in a dramatic finish.
Substitute Bloomfield poked home in a crowded penalty area after his header had hit the Worksop bar.
Worksop were adamant the ball hadn't crossed the goalline and the resulting protests saw Kevin Dawson – brother of Tottenham Hotspur's Michael – sent-off for dissent.
Bloomfield said: "I definitely got the last touch and I know that the whole ball was at least half a ball over the line when their player hacked it clear.
"Even Worksop's number 4 (Steve Robinson) admitted that the ball had crossed the line after the game.
"It's nice to score and tick another box in my career with Lynn. I never realised that I hadn't scored in the FA Cup for the club before."
Bloomfield admitted that he'd love the club to have a long run in perhaps the greatest domestic cup competition in the world.
"I've never had a decent run in the FA Cup with any of the clubs I've played for before, so hopefully me scoring in it could be the start of something good," said Bloomfield.
"I watched and obviously had a big interest in the Lynn game against Oldham. To be part of something similar this season would be fantastic for the club."
Bloomfield's goal saw off a determined Worksop side, who had bullied a sloppy Lynn team for long periods of the second half.
It was the visitors who created the first opening of the game in the fifth minute when Kirk Jackson's stinging volley was punched away by a surprised Scott Howie.
Four minutes later Lynn took the lead when John Turner bent the ball in from the right and Joe Francis stooped to head home his first goal of the season and his first since the 5-0 home win over Bashley back in April.
Francis should have doubled Lynn's lead in the 15th minute after some unselfish play by Julian Joachim on the right, but was foiled by a fine point-blank stop by Worksop goalkeeper Steve Hernandez.
Worksop were rather animated at times – both on and off the field – and just before the interval assistant Tigers boss Jason Maybury was sent to the stands for remonstrating with the officials.
The visitors caught Lynn cold at the start of the second period when Paul Stansfield's shot was deflected into the path of Jackson to drill home an equaliser.
The goal gave The Tigers some much-needed confidence and for the remainder of the game they were almost first to the ball at every opportunity.
But despite an awful second half, it was still Lynn who carved out the better chances.
In the 69th minute Mitchell miscued a tame shot when one-on-one with Hernandez following a knockdown from Jack Defty.
Three minutes later Defty tripped over the ball as he was about to pull the trigger in the Worksop box and soon after Turner's centre was bravely collected by Hernandez with Joachim waiting to pounce.
Just when it looked as though Worksop would be rewarded with a second bite of the cherry, Bloomfield was on hand to break their hearts by scrambling home a winner.
Lynn: Howie, Weaver, C. Defty, Peters, Crane, Mitchell, Turner (Frew 77), Smith, J. Defty, Joachim (Bloomfield 66), Francis. Subs (not used): Sedgemore, Fisk, Kelly, Murray. Bookings: Crane, C. Defty. Goals: Francis (10), Bloomfield (90).
Worksop: Hernandez, Ludlam (Jennings 44), Davies, Robinson, Boyce, Dawson, Stansfield, Dempsey, Jackson (White 77), Sanasy, Cockerill. Subs (not used): Burridge, Smith. Bookings: Boyce, Cockerill, Dawson. Sending off: Dawson.
Goal: Jackson (47).
Referee: W. Porter (Lincs). Attendance: 1,080.
MoM: Adam Smith.
Stats, Lynn first: shots on target 7, 3; off target 7, 2; corners 7, 7; offside 1, 1; free-kicks 11, 16.