Salisbury City 1 King's Lynn 0
29th October 2005
The Linnets went down in their top of the table clash to a 76th-minute
penalty.It was a proverbial game of two halves as The Walks outfit bossed the first half in front of the biggest attendance (922) seen in the league so far this season, but lack of a cutting edge again cost them.
The Whites, the league leaders with a 100 per cent home record at their Raymond McEnhill Stadium, then had the better of the second half.
The pivotal moment came when ex-Southampton midfielder Tommy Widdrington fed the ball to experienced forward Paul Sales.
Sales played a one-two with Matthew Tubbs but the latter was brought down by Mark Camm. Tubbs picked himself up to send the spot-kick into the bottom right hand corner.
Lynn manager Tommy Taylor said: "In the first half we were excellent, in the second we were poor. At half-time I said to them that I didn't want them to come in, they were playing so well, the best I've seen them play this season.
"I said don't change your game, keep passing it. But we sat too deep and we were hitting long balls. The three lads in midfield never got the ball, it was going over their heads.
"In the first half Cedric Anselin ran the shop. In the second you didn't see him because no-one from the back gave him the ball.
"It was a clear penalty, no question. Cammy followed the ball and the runner's gone in behind him."
Some fans alleged Taylor made hand gestures to them, but Taylor replied: "I just held my hands up, it was through frustration as I couldn't do anything about it.
"They kept saying 'change it', but they don't know what's going on on the bench.
"(Forward James) Bunn tweaked a thigh muscle in the warm-up, and I couldn't put him on."
In the opening half Lynn, with Anselin returning from suspension in a 4-5-1 formation, had their chances. Matt O'Halloran shot wide on ten minutes, had one saved by home keeper Kevin Sawyer and blazed over just before the interval.
On the half-hour Danny Bloomfield's header from a Sam McMahon free-kick was denied by Sawyer.
Lynn stopper John Higgs only really had to keep out one effort just before the break, by Sales.
It was a different story after half-time with the hosts more in control of the game. Sales nodded over a cross from Widdrington, who himself had a penalty appeal turned down on the hour mark following a challenge by Grant Cooper.
Then a blockbuster from Wayne Turk was deflected for a corner as Lynn fought a desperate rearguard action before the breakthrough came from Tubbs.
Five minutes from the end Higgs pushed over a goalbound corner from Craig Davis.
Salisbury: Sawyer, Bartlett, Browne, Richardson, Bond, Widdrington, Turk, Davis, Sales, Tubbs, Haddow. Subs (not used): Regis, Ferrett, Holmes, Cooper, Matthews.
Booked: Widdrington, Bartlett. Goal: Tubbs 76.
Lynn: Higgs, West, Smith, McMahon (Jones 86), Cooper, Hammond, Defty, Anselin, Camm, Bloomfield, O'Halloran. Not used: Kelly, McNeil, Bunn, Benstead.
Booked: Hammond, West, Jones.
Referee: Christopher Salt (Pulborough).
Attendance: 922.