LEAGUE TABLES
Wednesday 23rd January
Evo-Stik Southern Prem |
01 |
Stourbridge
|
28 |
59 |
02 |
Kettering Town
|
26 |
58 |
03 |
Stratford Town
|
25 |
46 |
04 |
King's Lynn Town
|
26 |
45 |
05 |
Biggleswade Town
|
25 |
45 |
06 |
Alvechuch
|
26 |
43 |
07 |
AFC Rushden & D'nds
|
26 |
42 |
Thurlow Nunn Div One |
13 |
Cornard United
|
22 |
26 |
14 |
Haverhill Borough
|
21 |
23 |
15 |
Diss Town
|
22 |
23 |
16 |
Wisbech St Mary |
22 |
18 |
17 |
King's Lynn Res
|
22 |
17 |
18 |
Felixstowe Reserves
|
23 |
15 |
19 |
Needham Market Res
|
24 |
7 |
Lynn had not tasted league defeat since 1st September when Stourbridge visited The Walks but their 19 match unbeaten run ended at Top Field.
Lynn made two changes to the starting eleven that defeated Barwell at the weekend with Kieren Shipp, making his first start of the season, coming in for the injured Frazer Blake-Tracy and Ryan Hawkins replacing Craig Parker.
Ryan Fryatt, who took a place on the bench Saturday, was ruled out through illness.
Lynn had the first chance when Ryan Hawkins shot wide but the home side didn't have to wait long for the first goal. It arrived on six minutes after Rory McAuley had managed to block tackle on-loan Stevenage striker Harry Draper at the expense of the corner, but the resulting kick from Isaac Galliford eventually found its way to Draper who scored his second goal in as many games since joining the Canaries.
Galliford was the next with a shot on target straight at Alex Street in the Lynn goal but his next shot was only parried by the Lynn 'keeper and substitute Scott Belgrove was on hand to tap home to make it 2-0 after twenty minutes.
The Canaries might have made it three just after the half hour and Galliford was again involved, this time setting up Draper with a free header that went just wide.
Lynn did manage to get their first corner of the game two minutes before the break but it came to nothing.
The second half saw an improvement from Lynn but two long range free kicks from Michael Clunan failed to cause any serious danger for the home side.
Lynn gave a debut to William Mellors-Blair who first effort, shortly after his introduction, went wide but his contribution for the remainder of the game showed promise.
Michael Gash had a shot punched away by home 'keeper Michael Johnson, with Lynn unable to take advantage of the rebound, the shot going over the bar in what was Lynn's best period of the game.
Further shots on the Lynn goal saw Galliford's long-range effort take a deflection and fizz over, Draper go close with a curling effort and Lench hit the upright.
The result was probably beyond doubt but just to end any lingering hopes Hitchin added a third on 80 minutes after Shipp had fouled Draper. Jay Dowie sending Street the wrong way from the spot.
Hitchin: Johnson, Ryan, Chesmain, Dowie, Webb, Ferrell, Bickerstaff, Draper, Forde (Belgrove 11), Galliford, Lench. Subs: Cue, Belgrove, Nolan, Mensah, Packham. Booked: Lench, Dowie. Scorers: Draper 6, Belgrove 20, Dowie 81(pen)
Lynn: Street, Shipp, Kerns, Jarvis (Parker 65), Robinson, McAuley, Clunan, Henderson (Richards 81), Gash, Marriott, Hawkins (Mellors-Blair 65). Subs: Parker, Mellors-Blair, Richards, Gilbert Bastock. Booked: Gash
Attendance: 301