King's Lynn Town 0 Stevenage 3

(FA Cup, second round)

 

King’s Lynn Town’s FA Cup dream was shattered in five second-half minutes. 

Lynn had more than held their own against Stevenage in a first half of few chances and one huge penalty appeal by the visitors. 

But the visitors exploded into life and within 10 minutes of the restart, it was game over. 

Two goals by Luke Norris and one from Jamie Reid earned Stevenage a place in Monday’s third-round draw – and left Lynn empty-handed. 

A crowd of 4,203 – Lynn's biggest since 5,444 saw the FA Cup game against Oldham in 2006 – and the profits from BBC’s live coverage will be little compensation for Lynn boss Tommy Widdrington, a week after he saw his team exit the FA Trophy. 

Widdrington made two changes to that side. Ken Charles and Ben Stephens dropped to the bench, with Theo Widdrington and Tyler Denton back in the starting line-up. 

Jordan Ponticelli, troubled by a groin injury, was named on the bench alongside Ben Stephens, who came off a week ago – but neither was involved in the warm-up. 

Carl Piergianni gave Gold Omotayo an early nudge to show who he thought was boss while Dan Sweeney bear-hugged the Lynn man in the area, but ref Andrew Kitchen was having none of Lynn’s appeals. 

Lynn enjoyed some good early exchanges, but Stevenage looked dangerous down the right side. Josh Coulson showed his experience by picking the ball off the toes of Jordan Roberts as the visitors threatened to break. 

Eastern Daily Press:

Lynn suffered a setback with just 18 minutes gone when Widdrington fell to the ground, head in hands, his game over. Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain slotted straight in – an additional physical presence. 

Moments earlier, Stevenage were denied what looked like a certain a penalty when Coulson swept Reid off his feet. 

Reid was denied a certain goal by Paul Jones’s trailing left leg as he turned in the area. 

Omotoyo almost bundled home Josh Barrett’s cross at the other end and then Barrett fired into the side netting after Oxlade-Chamberlain mugged Terence Van Cooten in midfield. 

Omotayo was troubling Stevenage and did well to get his head to a Tyler Denton cross as the Linnets grew into the game. 

There were one or two anxious moments before the interval but - the penalty appeal aside - Lynn deserved to be level at the break. 

But those three goals in five minutes early in the second half, turned the game on its head. 

First Reid left Coulson wanting and squared for Norris to sidefoot home from 20 yards. 

Norris struck again when he got his head on to Luther Wildrin’s cross from the right before Reid worked an opening on the left of the area to fire into the far top corner. 

Not surprisingly, Stevenage were a different team, stroking the ball around and leaving Lynn, at times, chasing shadows. 

Aaron Jones slid a shot wide of the far post as Lynn looked for a response, but chances were few and far between. Stevenage managed the game well, Lynn didn’t stop working to get back into it, but the gap between the teams was too much to make up. 

King’s Lynn Town: P Jones, A Jones (Charles 79), Crowther, Coulson, Denton, Scott (Walker 69), Widdrington (Oxlade-Chamberlain 18), Clunan, Hargreaves, Barrett, Omotayo. Subs not used: Stephens, Ponticelli, Callan-McFadden, Fleming, Knowles, Blair. 

Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, Wildin, Clark, Piergianni, Sweeney, Norris (Rose 89), Roberts (Campbell 89), Van Cooten (Reeves 39), Read (Taylor 81), Gilbey, Reid (Amoo 81). Subs not used: Chapman, Smith, Earley. Goals: Norris 49, 52, Reid 54 

Att: 4,203