King's Lynn 0 Havant & Waterlooville 1

29th January 2000

IT had to happen one day.
Lynn's lack of firepower up front led to them losing their 13 month unbeaten home record, which stretched back 24 games to Boxing Day 1998, when they lost to Boston.
Lynn - minus Dave Robinson - conceded an early goal, after which Havant defended stubbornly.
Two goals in their last five league games makes it clear to Linnets manager Gary Mills what his side's problems are. They had enough chances to at least draw. Tony Marsden was the worst culprit, missing two close-range chances.
"It's always going to happen at one stage;" said Mills. "You're disappointed when it happens, but you have to take it on the chin and say 'let's go and make another run.'
"People have to appreciate what a great run it was and what it takes to do that.
"At the moment we're going on a run where we can't put it in the back of the net. We created chances and apart from hitting the bar they hardly had a shot on target."
Slack marking led to Tim Hambley converting a centre from close range.
Earlier, in the third minute, Jon Palmer had blazed over Shaun Keeble's flick-on, but on the half-hour the Magpies' Duncan O'Rourke hit the angle of post and bar. Liam Daish also went close with a header.
Just before the break, Keeble crossed and Marsden missed with his header from two yards.
On the hour, substitute Steve McGinty crossed deep for Keeble to head straight at away keeper Sal Bibbo.
McGinty look a free kick to Puttnam, who centred for Keeble to nod across. Sub Lyndon Rowland turned this home. but was ruled offside.
Rowland then had a goalbound effort deflected over. From the corner came a scramble, which Marsden ended by hooking over at the far post.
Ten minutes from the end Rowland missed Linnets' final chance to save their run when he stretched to volley over Puttnam's cross.
Lynn: Martini, Dakin, Spearing, Mills. Fuff, Turner (McGinty 51), Harbottle, Marsden, Keeble, Palmer (Rowland 62), Puttnam. Subs (not used) Nwadike
Havant & Waterlooville: Bibbo, Price, McDonald, Elley, Daish, Jones, Hambley, O'Rouke (Masters 84), Taylor, Wakefield (Wyatt 22), Subs (not used) Cook.

MATCH STATISTICS	Shots on Target	Shots off Target	Corners	Caught Offside	Free kicks Conceded	Bookings
Lynn	5	4	11	7	10
Havant	2	4	3	2	14	Milkins (42, foul) Wyatt (45, time wasting) Hambley (58 fighting) Elley (83 foul)

Lynn News Man of the Match - Tony Spearing