In association with:
ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant
Kings Lynn Town 1-1 Blyth Spartans
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
The Walks
Saturday 28th March 2015
Attendance:
Spartans made the perfect start and went ahead after just a minute. Alex Nicholson was played into the right side of the area by Michael Richardson and capitalised on the hesitency of Linnets keeper Alex Street to loop a cross to the far post. That was met by a cool side foot volley from the unmarked Robbie Dale and he made no mistake from six yards.
That start could and should have got even better than perfect, if that is possible, as Dale nearly grabbed a second in the third minute as Richardson beat the offside trap and crossed for Dale but the winger couldn’t make a meaningful contact and a glorious chance went begging.
The hosts composed themselves after a nightmare start and should have grabbed an equaliser with their first chance of the game in the sixth minute. Jake Jones, who only returned to the Linnets from Halesowen Town on Monday, found some space twenty yards from goal and rolled the ball into the right hand side of the Spartans area but winger Stephen Spriggs could only send his first time effort horribly wide of Nick Thomson’s near post.
The hosts were given a golden chance to grab an equaliser in the sixteenth minute as Spartans conceded a penalty. A loose ball into the Spartans area was picked up on by Jones and after taking an excellent first touch was upended by a naive challenge from Ryan Hutchinson. Peter Winn stepped up to take the spot kick and sent Thomson the wrong way, only to see the ball come back of the keeper’s right hand upright.
There was a moment of controversy soon after the penalty miss as Dale contested a high ball with hosts defender Henry Eze, who seemed to catch the Spartans winger in the face with an elbow. The referee failed to award a free kick, but curiously did chose to speak to Eze without showing a card.
However, there was to be not let off in the twentieth minute as the home side did grab an equaliser. Winn was afforded too much time on the right hand side and took full advantage by curling a wonderful cross to the far post to find Jones, who marked his return to the Linnets by firing home from close range.
Bouyed by their equaliser Town came at Spartans again and should have grabbed the lead just before the half hour mark. Winn managed to squeeze a through ball in behind the Spartans back four to release Stevenson in on goal but the striker sent a low drive wide of Thomson’s far post as the keeper closed him down.
An action packed half continued to gather pace and Alex Nicholson almost put Spartans back in front with, what would have been, a genuine goal of the season contender. The full back skipped past four weak challenges in the Linnets area but could only poke a shot at goal that was comfortably dealt with by Street.
With just a minute to go until the break Jones had a great chance to double his own tally for the day and put his side into the lead. Again it was a cross from the right that caused the problems but this time it was Stephen Spriggs with the centre. Again Jones escaped the attentions of Nicholson at the far post but failed to make contact with the ball and was left to rue what was a fantastic opportunity at the half time break as the referee brought down the curtain on an action packed first half.
Kings Lynn Town: Street, Stocker, Yong, Fryatt, Eze, Marshall, Spriggs, Bridges, Winn, Stevenson, Jones Subs not used: Ramm, Mulready, Zielonka, Watson, Colman Goals: Jones 20
Spartans: Thomson, Nicholson, Watson, Hutchinson (Bramley 24), Parker, Hooks, Rivers, Richardson, Maguire, Wade, Dale Subs not used: Lynch, Wearmouth, Hawkins, Turnbull Goals: Dale 1
Referee: N Guest