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Stourbridge 1 King's Lynn Town 2  - Match Report

Stourbridge 1 King's Lynn Town 2 - Match Report

Nigel Gregg4 May 2019 - 22:15
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A brace of goals from marksman Adam Marriott helped the Linnets leapfrog above Stourbridge into the runners-up spot. (READ ON)

A brace of goals from ex-Stevenage and Lincoln City marksman Adam Marriott lifted him to the top of the division’s goalscoring chart and helped the Linnets leapfrog above Stourbridge into the runners-up spot on the final day of the league season.

Storm Helena made her mark both on and off the pitch with some strong gusts of wind causing damage to part of the Social Club roof in the build-up and knocking out the tannoy system too at the same time! It also made for tough conditions for the players and it was a shame that the inclement weather was a spoiler on such an important afternoon.

King’s Lynn arrived at the War Memorial Athletic Ground knowing that only a victory would do to snatch second place at the expense of the home side.

Stourbridge showed one change to their starting eleven from Monday’s goal-less draw at Rushall with Aaron Forde returning in midfield in place of George Forsyth. Luke Benbow and Leon Broadhurst were named amongst the substitutes after both had sat out the Rushall contest.

The Glassboys played against the wind as they attacked the Shed End in the first-half. King’s Lynn’s Ryan Hawkins tried to use the conditions in his favour in the opening minute with a 30-yard shot curling wide and Rory McAuley then won possession well only to fire well off-target as the Norfolk visitors shaded the early exchanges.

Stourbridge struggled to adapt their approach and made little in-roads until the 18th minute when Robert Thompson-Brown had their first effort of note with his low 30-yard free-kick drawing Linnets keeper Alex Street into a sharp save down to his right to push the ball for a corner.

King’s Lynn then went desperately close to taking the lead from a free-kick of their own on 25 minutes. It was touched square to Michael Gash and his thunderbolt of a shot from 25 yards out beat the diving Wren but hit both goal posts before Adam Marriott was flagged offside as he looked to follow in.

Nine minutes later Fraser Black-Tracey swung in a free-kick from the right, however the header from McAuley was comfortably saved by Wren on his line.

Four minutes before the interval though the best move of the half led to King’s Lynn taking the lead. Chris Henderson played an incisive through pass inside Jordaan Brown and into the run of Ross Barrows on the right-hand side of the box. He pulled the ball back low first-time for Marriott to confidently sweep home from seven yards.

Stourbridge tried to respond with Aaron Hayden playing the ball into the left-hand channel for Zak Lilly to chase. He supplied a good low cross which was defended well by Black-Tracey, who covered round to prevent Kaiman Anderson capitalising.

Just before the half-time whistle Lilly turned the ball across to Thompson-Brown and his shot took a deflection and looped up in the air towards goal, forcing Street to take no chances underneath his own crossbar and he touched it over for a corner.

Half-time Stourbridge 0 King’s Lynn Town 1

The Glassboys had an early chance to get back on level terms after the re-start with Mills blazing over from the left-hand side of the area on 48 minutes after being teed up by Thompson-Brown. Five minutes later the ball broke the way of Lilly in the left channel area, but his first-time effort was easily saved by Street.

In the 55th minute a dangerous left-wing corner from Mills somehow managed to evade everybody in the middle as it flew across before the hosts made two changes in quick succession. Benbow was introduced in place of Lilly after 58 minutes with Broadhurst taking over from Forde two minutes later.

With 63 minutes gone though, the Linnets dealt the home side a hammer-blow. A long diagonal ball from wide on the left by Ryan Jarvis found Michael Gash at the back of the box and he turned the ball low across the face of the six-yard box where Marriott reacted quickest and was able to poke home his second goal of the afternoon from close range.

Stourbridge had it all to do now if they were to hold on to second place and they were handed fresh hope in the 68th minute when Thompson-Brown provided a diagonal ball to Mills just outside the left-hand edge of the box and he checked inside and crashed a shot past Street to halve the deficit.

Mills went close again two minutes later when his left-wing corner almost curled straight in with Street performing wonders to stretch back-wards and push the ball away.

By now the visitors were looking to slow the game down now at every opportunity.

Paul McCone had his name taken in the 76th minute for a foul on Henderson before Stourbridge made their final change with eleven minutes remaining as Callum Powell replaced Birch for the third and final change.

A minute later Wren made an excellent tip-over save to keep out a firm header from Ryan Jarvis following a left-wing corner from Black-Tracey and in the closing stages the Linnets had further chances to put the result beyond doubt as Stourbridge were forced to take more risks.

In the 82nd minute Marriott wriggled his way to the right-hand by-line and his low cross was only partially cut-out before Henderson lifted his close range shot over the bar. Four minutes later Marriott could have grabbed a hat-trick goal after managing to dispossess Hayden. He was through on goal however he struck his shot just over the crossbar.

Six minutes into stoppage time Jarvis ran on to the ball but saw his low shot blocked by Wren. It little mattered though as seconds later the final whistle sounded and King’s Lynn could celebrate a deserved three points on the day and victory meant that for a second successive season, they had finished runners-up in their league.

Gary Hackett’s men have to re-group quickly for another stern home test on Wednesday night against Alvechurch and they desperately need their more influential players to be available for the play-offs to keep their promotion hopes alive.

Wren, Hayden, Brown, McCone, Christophorou, Forde, Anderson, Birch, Lilly, Thompson-Brown, Mills

Subs – Benbow (for Lilly 58 mins), Broadhurst (for Forde 60 mins), Powell (for Birch 79 mins), Pierpoint, Forsyth (not used)

Booked – McCone

Scorer – Mills

Att – 791

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