Middlesbrough RHC 4 – 6 King’s Lynn RHC
King’s Lynn defeated a stubborn Middlesbrough side on their travels in the eighth match week of the English Premier League.
The scoring began with an unfortunate deflection, Owen Norris accidentally diverting a searching flick past his own keeper; Lynn responded with a far post volley, Jack Tucker receiving from Matthew Baker to send his shot home at the second time of asking. Lynn then went ahead through Baker, whose sharp movement created the space to guide the ball home at the far post. Boro had a few testing moments of their own, Will Martin making a few routine saves before some lax decision-making gifted Boro an equaliser. After saving a slapshot low to his left, Martin failed to clear the ball at the first time of asking, which precipitated a melee in the D that saw Boro convert against the run of play. Josh Taylor could’ve restored the lead after a foul on Baker in the box, but a save from the resulting penalty saw Lynn head into half-time without an advantage for their efforts.
Returning from the break galvanised, Lynn quickly regained their lead, Norris popping a shot off the post and in via a failed clearance from the keeper, minutes before Taylor converted a slapshot at the near post. Lynn then struggled for an extended period, settling in to Boro’s rhythm and failing to upset their defensive solidity. Boro had more time on the ball in the second half, and were able to test Tom Allander in Lynn’s net more frequently than they had Martin in the first. If it weren’t for Taylor’s second of the match, a close range finish from Baker’s chipped assist, giving Lynn a three-goal cushion, Boro may well have finished the game victorious. The shift in momentum was sparked by Lynn’s tenth team foul, giving Boro a direct free hit that was duly converted, before they followed up with a shot from range that beat the unsighted Allander.
With the game almost level, Boro pressed hard for an equaliser, but Lynn’s experience, combined with some outstanding individual possession play from Baker, proved sufficient to secure the result. Lynn even scored a sixth with sixteen seconds to play, Norris latching on to another Baker assist for an assured finish and the certainty of all three points returning to Lynnsport.
Lynn are in action at home to bottom side Herne Bay this Saturday 18th January, with the game commencing at 7.15pm at Lynnsport. Lynn the heavy favourites, they’re expected to secure an eighth victory of the season to maintain their lead at the Premier League summit.
