King's Lynn 1 Redditch United 2
27th October 1973
THE LINNETS, sadly missed :the experience of player-manager Frank Wignall on Saturday as they
slipped to their third
successive Southern League defeat.Wignall went down with flu on Friday evening and ruled himself out of the squad. His presence and advice from the touch-line was not enough and Redditch left The Walks with the points.
Later the Lynn manager said: "we were punished for two defensive mistakes, but in the end we were unlucky not to get back into the game." But unfortunately Wignall's programme notes rebounded on him. He had written "We have got to start winning a few league game before we lose touch with the leaders . . and by Christmas (we) intend being in one of the top two league positions."
These were two more silly points dropped and there will have to be a reversal of not only Lynn's form but also that of teams like Banbury and Burton Albion if the Linnets are going to be in a challenging position by the end of the year.
Lynn's first half performance ranks as one of their worst of the season, with uncertainty in defence, indecision in the middle, and no cohesion up front.
The two Redditch goals in the 7th and 34th minutes came from non-existent marking. In fact the first goal came when John Jones ran clear to head a throw-in to Gary Fleet who had room to turn and shoot in.
The second goal came from a corner on the left. John Richardson moved across to cover a short-corner move, but Jones was left by himself on the edge of the area and his 20-yard shot sizzled into the far corner of the net.
In between these goals there was a hint of a Lynn recovery and they equalised with a penalty. Ipswich referee B. E. Baldry really had no alternative when Martin Shaw brought down Keith Rudd and from the spot, Malcolm Lindsay scored his third goal in three matches.
A minute from half time Ray Elliott was inches from an equaliser, slamming a right-foot shot against the bar after getting past two defenders.
There was more team effort from the Linnets after the interval and a few goal-mouth scrambles; but a tight-packed Redditch defence was not easily opened.
On the hour Wignall reshuffled the team with Lindsay going to the right wing in place of Paul Shoemark, substitute David Brooks taking over the middle and Wright falling back into defence.
In renewed attacks, Brooks and Elliott fired in shots, then Rudd split the defence with a perfect pass inside the full back for Lindsay to run on to, but his pass back across the open goal missed the onrushing forwards
Redditch gained heart and they gained more time when Lynn conceded free kicks for unnecessary retaliatory fouls.
Going into injury time, David Clarke almost snatched a point. Way out on the left he cut past his full back and unleashed a 20-yard shot which had goalkeeper John Blackwell standing, but the ball crashed against the inside of the post and instead of rebounding into the net it flashed back across the goal. Lynn: Willis, Richardson, Lindsay, Wright, Painter, Smith, Shoemark (sub Brooks 60), Elliott, Rudd, Woolmer, Clarke.
Redditch: Blackwell, Day, A. Taylor, Walker, Shaw, Smart, B. Taylor, Werhun, Fleet, Evans, Jones, (sub Parkes)
Attendance: 669, Referee: B. E. Baldry (Ipswich).