Saturday 28 January 2006 - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm

Southern League Premier Division
half-time: 0-1 result: D1-1 attendance: 631
team: Evans, Rollo (c), S Jones, Coupe, G Jones, Harris, Bird, Clarke (Holloway 73), Walsh (Power 85), Partridge, Sykes (Davidge 66). subs not used: Holland, York.
man of the match: Matt Coupe
scorers: Harris (74)
bookings: none
officials: W Bull (Southampton), G Spring (Salisbury), B Matthews (Salisbury)
league position: 5th form: DWdWLD next match: Chesham (A)
Report taken from by Richard Gadsby

It looked like a mouthwatering match between two play-off rivals on paper but there was little flowing football to whet the appetite as City escaped with a valuable point against King's Lynn. It was a below-par performance from City but, for once, they got away with it and even came close to snatching all three points during a spirited second-half fight-back. King's Lynn will be kicking themselves for not making the most of their first-half dominance, though. City were woeful in the game's opening exchanges and almost seemed eager to pass the ball to an orange shirt. Fortunately, a useful-looking Linnetts side were in wasteful mood and never really seemed to step out of second gear as hapless City somehow clawed their way back into a game that could have been over by half-time.

The tone of the first-half was set straight from the kick-off when a lethargic City conceded a corner after 40 seconds. It was eventually cleared by Matt Coupe but several poor passes in City's midfield invited King's Lynn back on the attack and they soon opened the scoring. A simple ball through caught the City defence looking for an offside flag on Danny Bloomfield, but it was fellow striker Matt Nolan who raced clear, rounded Paul Evans and passed into the net with just three minutes gone. While the home side's defending did improve, with Bloomfield and Nolan reduced to falling over in a bid to break through, going forward City seemed barren of ideas and never looked like equalising. King's Lynn, meanwhile, were reluctant to press home their advantage and, as the half drew to an end, there were some signs of hope for the home side.

City's improvement after the break was only slight to begin with. A change of formation, with Jim Rollo moving up to leave three at the back, gave City's overwhelmed midfield more time on the ball and, slowly, they began to create chances. King's Lynn still looked strong on the break though with Jack Defty beating four men in a run into the box, but it was City who looked the more likely to score. Phillip Walsh and Alex Sykes both missed good chances and Evans kept City in it after charging off his line to block Nolan's shot on 70 minutes. It proved to be a turning point with City equalising just a few minutes later. Alex Benstead saved Jon Holloway's effort from a Tony Bird free-kick and then Mark Camm blocked Steve Jones' rebound shot on the line. The ball bounced up for Adie Harris, whose header looped over the goalmouth melee and fell just inside the far post. Another Harris header forced Benstead into a sharp save a few minutes later, and Bird and Scott Partridge also tested the keeper from distance as the momentum of the game swung to City but King's Lynn held on for a point.