Saturday 29 January 2005 - The Walks Stadium - kick off 3.00pm Southern League Premier Division

Before the game Gary Owers was faced with a dilemma over whether to stick to the 3-4-1-2 formation that he had employed against Cirencester in the 1-0 victory three days earlier. However, in common with City’s troubles all season injury took this decision out of his hands. With Steve Jones ruled out with a broken toe he did not have the personnel to play anything other than four at the back, so Jim Rollo was switched to right-back and he recalled himself into centre midfield. He made one further change replacing Luke Corbett with Darren Hawkins which left 13-goal striker Williams to plough a lone furrow up front. A change in formation had worked perfectly against Cirencester but this time it allowed the home side to tear into City from the kick-off. Within a minute Linnets debutant Hay ran clear onto Holmes’ pass only for Paul Evans to race off his line and save at the experienced striker’s feet. On five minutes Defty headed the ball into the path of McMahon who fired a shot in from just twelve yards. It looked a certain goal but Evans reacted superbly to tip the effort over the bar. From the resultant corner Ford did well to deny Bloomfield before Evans dived on the loose ball. Slowly City began to settle but with their five man midfield failing to get forward to support Williams they were still struggling to maintain any decent possession. And the 17th minute saw them nearly fall behind again. Evans pushed out Holmes’ cross but it dropped perfectly to Camm. He returned it goal-wards where Rollo blocked it on the line and, despite Lynn’s optimistic claims that he had used his arm, the danger was cleared. Another on-target shot from Holmes was blocked by Bailey and then Hay fired wide from just outside the area. Fifteen minutes before the interval Evans was again called into action to save Bloomfield’s deflected shot. The home side were lucky to keep ten men on the pitch when Hammond appeared to elbow Hawkins and then moments later go straight through the back of Sykes – a challenge he was at least booked for. Finally as the half drew to a close City created a couple of half chances – Sykes volleying wide after neat approach work from Graeme Power and then the same player shooting weakly at Wilson following a Williams flick.

Ford shot narrowly wide in the opening minutes of the second period and a bad bounce almost embarrassed keeper Wilson from Sykes’ effort but it was still the Norfolk side that looked the likelier to break the deadlock. Evans was again quick off his line to prevent Bloomfield shooting toward goal on 52 minutes. Sam Bailey then crudely brought down Hay as he looked to run clear, receiving a deserved caution for the challenge. After 58 minutes Evans recovered from a poor clearance to catch Hay’s attempted lob and three minutes later he tipped Clark’s header over the bar. Given their efforts on such a heavy pitch it was no surprise that the home side began to tire as the game went on and with space opening up in midfield City began to grow in confidence. Sykes’ running from midfield was stretching King’s Lynn’s defence and he shot inches wide before Hawkins was felled in the box only for penalty appeals to be waved away. On 70 minutes the Linnets thought they had finally beaten Evans when Hay headed home from Holmes’ cross. However, the linesman’s flag halted the celebrations and two minutes later it was City who went ahead. Ford was the provider as he passed forward to Williams. The big striker was some 30 yards from goal but, with defenders nowhere in sight and Wilson off his line, he produced a stunning lob that was in from the second it left his boot. Within two minutes though City almost gifted Lynn an equaliser. Bailey’s misplaced pass fell to Hay but once again he was denied by a fine block by Evans. Understandably the hosts began to commit more men forward in search of an equaliser and with ten minutes left City took advantage of this to score a second. Sykes burst into space and unleashed a fierce left-foot shot that flew past Wilson into the roof of the net. That killed off Lynn’s hopes of a comeback and City comfortably held them at bay for the remaining minutes to celebrate an unlikely victory. And one that made the 400 mile round trip well worth it.