Defensive horror show leaves Tigers toothless

Despite going into the break 1-0 to the good, Tigers failed to emerge for the second half with any real conviction, and went down 4-1 to a good Kings Lynn Town side.

Two goals in a five minute spell after the interval, both from corners, put the Linnets in the driving seat and they never took their foot off the pedal – while Tigers were stuck in reverse.

The visitors had the ball in the net in the seventh minute, Shane Tolley firing home, but the flag was up for offside.

Tolley then set his sights from distance, following a lightning quick break, and had Liam Flynn scrambling across his goal as the ball slid past the post.

Worksop were guilty of squandering possession with punts upfield, but after a quarter of an hour they played some nice stuff before Jack Muldoon’s attempted cross was cut out for a corner.

Muldoon’s pace and strength then took him past the last man, wide on the left, and when the shot seemed the best option he tried to play in Leon Mettam, Kings Lynn Town clearing.

Two scrambles in the box then gave Worksop great chances, Kern Miller’s shot blocked and Mettam’s low effort pushed out by keeper Danny Gay.

Ryan Clarke fizzed a shot wide of Flynn’s goal, coming close to a goal against his former employers from 25 yards.

But on 27 minutes James Cottingham showed him how it was done, blasting into the top corner and giving Gay no chance after Shane Clarke had laid the ball into his path.

The Linnets looked dangerous on the break, and the pacy George Thomson threatened before shooting wide.

Stephen Spriggs also tried his luck from wide on the right, the ball once again going the wrong side of the post.

Right at the end of the first half a corner caused confusion as Flynn stayed on his line, and Laurence Gaughan had to make a vital block to deny the visitors an equaliser.

It was a warning Worksop failed to heed.

The second half was two minutes old when Daniel Jacob tested Flynn with a fierce effort, the custodian equal to it with a fine save.

And when Tigers gave away possession again seconds latyer, Flynn was required once more to make the stop.

But Worksop were riding their luck, and when a corner came to the back post, Tolley hooked it over his shoulder into the net, Flynn helpless.

Kings Lynn Town had found a weakness, and on 54 minutes they exploited it once more, a corner from the right allowing Ryan Fryatt to steam in unmarked and power a header past Flynn.

Another series of corners caused all sorts of problems for the home side, before they finally put an attack of their own together, replacement Jack Barnett starting a move that ended in Jordan Lemon’s cross being kept out by Gay.

Reece Twell very nearly brought Worksop level with a fine header from Barnett’s cross, but the keeper touched it round the post.

Lemon then raced to the byline, and a defender’s touch took the ball agonisingly close to the goal - and frustratingly for Tigers the resulting corner was cleared off the line.

Ryan Clarke saw a long range shot deflected wide, and a free-kick to the back post was over the head of Kern Miller and volleyed just over by Rob Duffy.

Disaster struck for the home side on 81 minutes, Duffy searing through the middle only to be tugged back by Gaughan, the referee left with no option but to award a penalty and show the red card.

Duffy took the resulting spot-kick and stroked it past Flynn for a 3-1 lead and three deserved points.

There was a great chance for Worksop to pull one back with six minutes remaining when Muldoon put Twell through, the young striker lifting the ball out of the ground.

Instead, Kings Lynn Town took a three goal cushion, Ryan Clarke turning his man on the edge of the box and feeding Duffy who slotted home.

It was all too easy, and could have got worse had Jacob not fired over from eight yards.

Boss Mark Shaw declined to comment on the result, after giving his side a changing room dressing down at full-time.

Worksop Town: Flynn 4, LEMON 5, Roe 5, Davies 4, Gaughan 4, Miller 4, Muldoon 4, Clarke 4, Denton 5 (Twell 63), Mettam 4 (Mullen 78), Cottingham 5 (Barnett 63). Not used: Salt, Mullen, Pursehouse.

Kings Lynn: Gay, Fernandes, Lee, Fryatt, Gulliver, Clarke, Spriggs (Hall 73), Quigley, Thomson (Bunting 78), Tolley (Duffy 64), Jacob. Not used: Mulready, Butt.

Referee: A. Pashley. Assistants: K. Frampton, M. Edwards.

Goalscorers: Cottingham 27; Tolley 49, Fryatt 54, Duffy 81, 87

Yellows:

Red: Gaughan 81.

Attendance: 270.