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| After a winning but hardly testing pre-season campaign where Chris Burns' side scored freely (thirty-three goals in seven games) but didn't put together the kind of football that would unlock their Southern League peers City returned to Premier Division action at Meadow Park this afternoon. |
| Sadly the work of the past month or so was undone in ninety minutes by the East Anglians who had triumphed twice against the Tigers last season as the yellows all too often resorted to the long ball down the flanks despite early indications that the Linnets defence were more than comfortable with the aerial threat. |
Scooby & Shaggy celebrate the goal |
| There were a couple of new faces on both teams with two notable absentees from the Kings Lynn side that faced us last time being ex-professional winger Mark Angel who had surprisingly linked up with Conference new boys Cambridge United in a loan move on the eve of the season. Also lumbering defender Gary Setchell has seen his summer move to Sudbury Town put on hold whilst he served a two month spell at her Majesty's pleasure for beating up his wife. Charming. |
| The City side had a number of changes from the one that finished last season with our two major absentees being striker Jimmy Cox and right winger Lee Smith. T-End favourite Coxy is currently 'shacked up with a bird in Sydney' according to reports so he won't be back anytime soon whilst Smith has made the move to Cirencester Town under the guidance (and taxiing skills) of family friend Brian Hughes. Maybe this'll help to raise the team spirit at Meadow Park following rumours that the pair parted ways with Lee and his elder brother Jamie allegedly giving the City striker a good 'seeing to' before he left for the Southern Hemisphere. |
| Summer signings from Luton Town and Yate Town respectively, both Richard Mansell and Richard Kear made their full debuts for the Tigers with Nigel motoring up and down the left hand flank all afternoon and Kear jetting in (ok, it's Lear but it's close) up front alongside former Cinderford Town teammate Daryl Addis. On the bench was popular trialist Lance Lewis who had been signed on Tuesday following fears that he would be released without having the chance to show the Meadow Park faitful what he was capable of. |
| Definitely out of contention for the game were Dave Wilkinson who had twisted his ankle up at Wellington last week as well as both Chris Burns and Keith Knight who were both serving suspensions carried over from last season. It mean't that Chris Thompson was again asked to fill in on the right hand side but as the game went on it became obvious that he'd be better utilised in the heart of midfield whilst Tuffley Rovers target Jamie Reid looked comfortable on the flank and looks as though he might well be the long term solution in that position. |
| Despite the best efforts of the Groundsman and supporters alike both of the goalmouths hadn't visibly recovered from the problems of the past few weeks and whereas Meadow Park normally boasts a carpet like surface for the first home game this wasn't upto scratch and will no doubt cause tongues to wag among opponents throughout the campaign. Such a shame considering the amount of time, effort and money that goes into the preparation of the playing surface. |
Being the classical ignoramus that I am I can't say I was too impressed with the noise that the Tigers ran out to. Maybe someone can let me know what exactly what it was but in future I will be sticking my fingers in my ears and humming along to Mud's "Tiger Feet"!
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Excitable? Us? You need to look in the mirror boys!
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| The game opened slowly as you might expect from two teams trying to lay the foundations for the next eight months but it didn't mean that either side was afraid to shoot with Lynn's one time UEFA Cup Finalist Cedric Anselin testing Matt Bath from distance. However the Frenchman's shot was easy meat and Bathy sent his drop kick downfield with help from the wind behind him. His massive kick took one bounce on the edge of the area catching the Linnets keeper in no mans land and despite him backpeddling furiously Bathy's opponent couldn't prevent it from dropping under the bar for the most unbelievable goal that I've ever seen City score! |
| The game hadn't really gathered momentum though even though we'd been treated to a freak goal (even if Bathy claims that he mean't it), chances seemed few and far between with City just edging it. Mansell was looking impressive coming forward and a clever little nutmeg on the Lynn right back almost carved an opening but his cross didn't have the beating of his white shirted teammate. |
| Unluckily for Neil Griffiths the thirteenth minute yielded a yellow card as he went in a little bit too late on his opponent, although the referee seemed to indicate that it was the third in a series of offences that he'd commited in a short space of time. I hadn't seen him do anything else wrong though. |
| Daryl Addis was forced off the pitch for a quick shirt change after he'd controlled the ball with his nose causing it to spill claret. His number nine became an eighteen when he re-emerged with that tried and tested nosebleed cure of a piece of bog roll shoved up his nostril. |
| The Crewe official dealt out his second card, this time to Linnets skipper Jack Defty as he took his view of why a free kick to City was the wrong option just a little too far. This was minutes before a Lee Davis free kick was headed away at the far post by Paul Kelly after keeper Higgs had slipped up in the goalmarsh. |
| From the following corner a poor set piece from Mansell came back to him to whip in a cross that Griff returned into the mixer for Marvin Thompson to nod narrowly wide of the far post. I thought it was in from my position on the near side. |
| Reading around the Southern League club forums in the week I spotted this remark from a Kings Lynn fan suggesting that we were an 'excitable' bunch of fans. Quite how he's ever come to that conclusion is a mystery to me as our games against the East Anglians are generally unremarkable affairs. The only time anything outrageous has happened was when we stayed behind to chant "Sack the Board" at, well, you know who. However, their small following got a little boisterous in their spot on the T-End as they were denied a penalty or a corner or who cares what else. |
| However they seemed to sense something was happening as City struggled to clear a well worked free kick wide of Matt Bath's goal. Marvin had a swipe and missed, then another and flicked it sideways before the ever dependable Griff wellied it as far as he could away from the danger. |
| Another nervous moment followed as Lynn easily carved through the City defence but the shot from Defty was more of a stub that was greeted with ironic cheers from the T-End. At the other end a City free kick routine which looked as though it had been practiced didn't really faze the Kings Lynn wall and was cleared to Mansell who steadied and crossed to Chris Thompson's head which came a close second to the keepers mits. As he tried to throw it out quickly Lee Davis illegally prevented him from doing so and was shown a yellow card. |
| But the early hopes from Chris Burns's men crumbled when a pinpoint ball across the face of goal was volleyed in by Anselin with the side of his foot and the scores were level. The pocket of away fans raced towards their hero with such bounce and glee that from a distance it looked like they were on space hoppers. |
| Following an unfortunate collison with Tom Webb's boot Lynn's Sam McMahon made way for Jack Defty's brother Charlie, before new boy Mansell was out of luck with his long range shot that hit Rich Kear and deflected out for a goal kick. It was the closest that the former Cinderford man came to scoring all afternoon. |
| Lynn's Dean West seemed to be trying it on with the referee as he went down screaming and holding his foot following a fifty fifty challenge with Lee Davis, obviously with Lee's recent caution in mind. It's such a shame when players try to get each other sent off. |
| But the away side had the upper hand now and as the game approached the break were looking to take the lead. A powerful run and shot from former Hemel Hempstead player Kelly was bravely blocked en route by Griff. This was followed by a disputed free kick against Lyndon Tompkins which was met at the far post by one of their bigger players and even though he didn't connect cleanly his effort looped towards the far post with Bath stranded. |
| Sadly our luck didn't hold until the interval as a good counter attack involving the impressive Defty saw a low cross to an unmarked Danny Bloomfield who slid in to bury the ball past Matt Bath. The only good thing that came from that goal was as the half time whistle sounded it mean't that my 'Kings Lynn half time, City full time' bet was still on. Less encouraging news came from the changing rooms though where Lyndon Tompkins was feared to have done the ligaments in his knee again and had to be replaced by Jamie Reid. |
| The young substitute had been given instructions to get on the field and make his mark. He did that within five or so seconds when he was adjudged to have gone in over the top on Paul Kelly who went down faster than a ten dollar whore and Reidy had his name taken. Surely that was the quickest booking in City history?! |
| The two Kings Lynn goals at the end of the first half had knocked the wind out of City's sails and they themselves seemed content to keep what they had Jim instead of going for the caravan or the speedboat. It mean't that there was a lull in play for a good ten or fifteen minutes so I have to keep typing words so the second half report doesn't come across as an afterthought of the first forty-five minutes. |
| The game could've been sparked into life when Neil Griffiths seemed to get in a tangle with Bloomfield as a pass sailed over their heads. Both players were grounded yet surprisingly the referee took no action for what looked every bit a foul by the City man. It would've meant that he'd have been sent off on the opening day at Meadow Park for the second time in his career. |
| Richard Kear made way for Lance Lewis as Burns looked to add some energy to his front line. It had been a disappointing debut for the former Cinderford striker and one can only hope that he was still suffering from his pre-season knock because if that's his best then it won't cut it at Premier Division level. |
| The game progressed to the eightieth minute with just a harsh booking for Richard Mansell to stick in our minds. It was with ten minutes to go that Adie Harris was thrown into the action for Lee Davis and despite "looking like an old man" according to one younger fan he was just what the game needed. |
| It was all City until the final whistle with unrelenting attacks down either flank. We know what Harris is capable of but it was on the other side where Jamie Reid was growing in confidence and looking a serious threat. A low cross from the youngster was met by Lewis but nerves got the better of the teenage striker as he snatched at an air shot. Griff showed him how it was done though as he fired in a low shot that was smartly kept out by the keepers' feet. |
| The frantic last few minutes saw a City corner flash across the face of goal agonisingly past Lewis' dive then another piledriver from Mansell was inadvertantly blocked by another of his teammates, this time Neil Mustoe. But the best chance of the short spell fell to Chris Thompson who saw his deft chip just pawed over the bar by Higgs in the Lynn goal. |
| From the corner a deliberate ball to the far post found Griff unmarked but his fierce header was straight at the keeper. It wasn't our day, maybe we got what we deserved but the final whistle was met with glee by the fans who'd made the ardous trip from the Fens and the City faithful trudged home pointless. |
| Richard Mansell's attacking was definately a plus point from today but Chris Burns will also be aware that both of the goals scored by the opposition came from areas where he should've been defending. If Manse is to make the left back position his own he will need to work on his discipline and not get caught in no mans land like he was today. |
| So it's off to Chippenham on Tuesday night. Hopefully they aren't as good as their position last year suggested and it'll be an easy three points for City. |
| Yeah, right! |
