King's Lynn Town boss delighted with Hereford victory

Lynn – with four senior players watching from the stands - looked out of sorts in a first half when they gifted Hereford the lead. 

But it all changed after the break – Aaron Jones and Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain reverted to their more natural roles after starting as a holding midfielder and right back respectively. And when Lynn added Ken Charles to the attacking mix around the hour mark, they got the goal Widdrington says he always knows is coming – the sub taking three minutes to get on the scoresheet. 

Ken Charles scored soon after coming on to get Lynn back in the game (Image: Ian Burt)

It was mostly one-way traffic, but it needed a deflected Cameron Hargreaves shot to seal the win. 

The hard graft delighted Widdrington, as did the tactical tweaks that changed the game. But he will know that the really good teams, the ones who win titles, are the ones that overcome adversity within games to come out on top. Which is what Lynn did. 

“Every time we have lost a game all season we have bounced back and won and that is a really good habit to get into,” he said. 

“I asked the lads to get back on the horse and they have done that. They might have had a little wobble at the first fence but they came home for me and we got our noses in front.  

“I didn’t think we weren’t going to win the way we started the second half. I think our energy from the off was excellent and our intent was clear and we were just not not going to score.  

“I believe we will score in every game - I was gutted we didn’t score last week (in the FA Cup against Stevenage) but I think we will score in every game, and we did today.” 

Victory was made all the more impressive given some relevant factors: a week ago there was what Widdrington called a ‘carnival’ at The Walks as the BBC cameras turned up hoping for a Cup upset that never came – so did more than 4,000 fans. But this is bread and butter stuff during tough economic times and a week later just under 900 people turned up. 

Then there was the absence of four key players - the injured Theo Widdrington, Jordan Ponticelli and Ben Stephens as well as suspended central defender Adam Crowther. It forced Widdrington to name academy player Paulius Falcao on the bench. 

“We are down to bare bones in terms of numbers,” said Widdrington. “ I think we need to add one or two if we can.  

“We had a 17-year-old lad on the bench, so from that point of view that is why it is one of our best wins.” 

He added: "I had a good chat with the chairman before the game, I told him my intention for December and he has backed that. I am hopeful that a new face or two fairly soon. We know who we want, it is whether we can get them from the club they are at."

Victory looked a little unlikely after just 12 minutes when Jones headed towards his own goal from the edge of the area, but only found Tyrone Barnett, who quickly brought the ball under control and slotted it past Paul Jones. 

Hargreaves and Gold Omotayo had chances to level, but it was the introduction of Charles that swung the game Lynn’s way as he scored from close range from Josh Barrett’s cross after a corner. 

A similar routine just two minutes later almost put Lynn ahead: Barrett’s corner met by the head of Omotayo but his effort cleared before it had crossed the line. 

The winner eventually came when Hargreaves's effort through a crowded area took a big deflection off Jordan Thompson before creeping over the line. No the prettiest of goals - not that anyone really cared. 

King’s Lynn: P Jones, A Jones, Callan-McFadden (Charles 59), Coulson, Denton, Scott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hargreaves, Clunan, Barrett (Walker 89), Omotayo. Subs not used: Fleming, Falcao, Blair.  Goals: Charles 62, Thompson 82 og 

Hereford: Eve, Evans, Haynes, Thompson-Sommers, Storey, Hanson, Barnett, Holmes (Pendley 69), Thompson, Melhadoo (Latty-Fairweather 72), Rus. Subs not used: Campbell, Rowe, Dinanga. Goal: Barnett 12 

Att: 898