Worcester City 1 King's Lynn 1
28th August 2004
LINNETS manager Gary Mills has called upon his players to be more ruthless in front of goal after a catalogue of missed chances condemned them to another draw.
The turning point of the match came when, with Lynn one up midway through the second half thanks to a Dave Puttnam special, Shaun Keeble handballed as he raced clear on goal. The officials waved play on, but Keeble's shot was saved and Worcester went up the other end and scored.
"I did slap the ball down," Keeble admitted. "I dummied to shoot, but the keeper didn't go down, did it again but by then the ball lost momentum and he blocked it."
So the Worcester jinx has struck again: Lynn have been ahead here for the past three seasons but have returned with one point. They haven't won at St George's Lane for 23 years.
"We lacked the killer punch. When we've got chances like that, we've got to put them away," said Mills. "It should have been 2-0 but five seconds later we're kicking off because it's one each. I wish now that Shaun had blasted it over.
"In and around the box we've got to be more ruthless. We're giving the ball away too much and not shooting when we have the chance.
It was very hot out there. A lot of us looked knackered but we've got a point away from home. The whole back five played well. Dave (Robinson) is getting better and better."
Lynn had the first chance of the match after nine minutes when Puttnam played a slick one-two with Lee Wilson and his 20-yard half volley was saved. In another good move, Chuck Martini's long throw went to Puttnam, who drew two defenders, laid off to Wilson on the right and met the return with another volley which flashed wide.
With Wilson dangerous on the right he chased a ball which everyone assumed was going out, and how Keeble missed his centre only he will know. Unfortunately Wilson had to go off after 25 minutes with a hamstring problem.
Worcester had the ball in the net as Mark Owen rounded Dave Robinson and his cross was turned in by Brian Gray, but he was ruled offside. Then Andy Ellis's header was parried by Martini and Robinson brilliantly cleared.
Puttnam lobbed a through-ball which sub Dave Taylor got to before City keeper Darren Steadman but his header just crept past the post. As the hosts found space down the left, Tony Marsden blocked Owen's shot and Jon Purdie blazed over the follow-up.
After smartly dispossessing Purdie. Robinson drove a great ball over the top to Puttnam, who elected to pass to the offside Keeble.
Just before the break Ellis, just five yards out, ballooned up a teasing Paul Carty cross.
Three minutes into the second half Linnets broke the deadlock when Dave Richards pulled back Keeble on the edge of the box. After a lengthy debate on whether the wall was 10 yards back, Puttnam made the matter irrelevant by blasting in a fabulous free-kick past the wall and keeper as if they were not there.
Then came the Keeble 'handball' incident as he hesitated over the ball and Steadman made a fine block and clearance. Worcester punted upfield and Gray nodded home an incisive cross to stun the visitors.
Both sides then did their utmost not to win the game with a host of' opportunities wasted, The best came as Gray's powerful header from a John Deakin corner brought a diving Martini save.
Linnets held out with good work from Robinson and Spearing. Linnets' manager Gary Mills has called upon his players to be more ruthless in front of goal after a catalogue of missed chances condemned them to another draw.
The turning point of the match came when, with Lynn one up midway through the second half thanks to a Dave Puttnam special, Shaun Keeble handballed as he raced clear on goal. The officials waved play on, but Keeble's shot was saved and Worcester went up the other end and scored.
"I did slap the ball down," Keeble admitted. "I dummied to shoot, but the keeper didn't go down, did it again but by then the ball lost momentum and he blocked it."
So the Worcester jinx has struck again: Lynn have been ahead here for the past three seasons but have returned with one point. They haven't won at St George's Lane for 23 years.
"We lacked the killer punch. When we've got chances like that, we've got to put them away," said Mills. "It should have been 2-0 but five seconds later we're kicking off because it's one each. I wish now that Shaun had blasted it over.
"In and around the box we've got to be more ruthless. We're giving the ball away too much and not shooting when we have the chance.
It was very hot out there. A lot of us looked knackered but we've got a point away from home. The whole back five played well. Dave (Robinson) is getting better and better."
Lynn had the first chance of the match after nine minutes when Puttnam played a slick one-two with Lee Wilson and his 20-yard half volley was saved. In another good move, Chuck Martini's long throw went to Puttnam, who drew two defenders, laid off to Wilson on the right and met the return with another volley which flashed wide.
With Wilson dangerous on the right he chased a ball which everyone assumed was going out, and how Keeble missed his centre only he will know. Unfortunately Wilson had to go off after 25 minutes with a hamstring problem.
Worcester had the ball in the net as Mark Owen rounded Dave Robinson and his cross was turned in by Brian Gray, but he was ruled offside. Then Andy Ellis's header was parried by Martini and Robinson brilliantly cleared.
Puttnam lobbed a through-ball which sub Dave Taylor got to before City keeper Darren Steadman but his header just crept past the post. As the hosts found space down the left, Tony Marsden blocked Owen's shot and Jon Purdie blazed over the follow-up.
After smartly dispossessing Purdie. Robinson drove a great ball over the top to Puttnam, who elected to pass to the offside Keeble.
Just before the break Ellis, just five yards out, ballooned up a teasing Paul Carty cross.
Three minutes into the second half Linnets broke the deadlock when Dave Richards pulled back Keeble on the edge of the box. After a lengthy debate on whether the wall was 10 yards back, Puttnam made the matter irrelevant by blasting in a fabulous free-kick past the wall and keeper as if they were not there.
Then came the Keeble 'handball' incident as he hesitated over the ball and Steadman made a fine block and clearance. Worcester punted upfield and Gray nodded home an incisive cross to stun the visitors.
Both sides then did their utmost not to win the game with a host of' opportunities wasted, The best came as Gray's powerful header from a John Deakin corner brought a diving Martini save.
Linnets held out with good work from Robinson and Spearing. Lynn: Martini, Dakin, Spearing, Robinson, Clark, Marsden, Goss, Mills, Keeble (McGinty 73), Wilson (Taylor 27), Puttnam. Sub (not used) Turner.
Worcester:Steadman, Carty, Sandeman, Greenman (Richards 45), Heeley, Cottrill, Deakin, Ellis (Lutz 62), Owen, Gray (Knight 84), Purdie.
| MATCH STATISTICS | Shots on Target | Shots off Target | Corners | Caught Offside | Free kicks Conceded |
Bookings |
| Lynn | 3 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 16 | Puttnam (71, foul) |
| Worcester | 7 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 12 |