King’s Lynn Town 2 Stamford 1
Two-goal Shane Tolley was the hero as King’s Lynn Town came from behind to end their five-game winless streak in the EvoStik League.
Tolley pounced with a cushion header from a Russell Dunkley centre before netting with an instinctive finish late on after Andrew Hall had given the visitors the lead early in the second half.
The three points handed Lynn their first win in the league since beating Halesowen Town at The Walks on November 3.
As expected, Linnents manager Gary Setchell shuffled his pack with regular right-back Ross Watson serving a one-match suspension.
Ryan Fryatt took the place of Watson on the right side, while Jason Lee came back into the team, alongside Phil Gulliver at the heart of the Lynn defence.
After an ever opening, the first real chance for either side came in the 14th minute when Tolley nodded a Steve Spriggs centre wide of the post.
Andrew Hall pulled the strings for the Daniels in the early stages and a timely header from Lee denied Miller a chance on goal before the loose ball was scrambled clear.
The fingertips of Danny Gay denied Ricky Miller 20 minutes in while Tolley volleyed wide at the other end midway through a rather flat first half.
Lynn penalty appeals were waved away by referee Chris Francis after Spriggs’ cross appeared to strike the arm of Adam Hewitt before Dan Quigley blazed over from just inside the box.
Two minutes before the interval the dangerous Miller worked some space inside the Lynn penalty area but his effort was well wide of the target.
The busy Tolley came closest to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when his header came back off the woodwork with Stamford goalkeeper Matt Finlay well beaten.
Stamford made the best possible start to the second period when Hall provided a clinical finish to Jacklin’s centre in the 47th minute.
The Daniels threatened to add to their tally when Danny Brooks’ deflected free-kick was pushed over the bar by a back-pedalling Gay five minutes later.
George Thomson’s long-range effort whistled wide as the hosts tried to find a way back into the game.
Quigley then saw his goal-bound shot blocked by the body of Tom Batchelor, while Miller spurned a glorious opportunity to increase Stamford’s lead at the other end.
Lynn replaced Richard Bunting with Jamie Thurlbourne midway through the second half as they looked for some extra creativity in their play.
The equaliser arrived 14 minutes from time when Dunkley’s cross was headed home by Tolley.
Stamford almost regained the lead less than a minute later when Gay brilliantly clawed away a stinging shot from Miller.
Gay was at full stretch to his right to keep out a Brooks free-kick in the 83rd minute as Stamford ended the game looking the more likely to find a winner before Tolley’s dramatic winner three minutes from time.
King’s Lynn Town: Gay, Fryatt, Yong, Lee, Gulliver, Bunting (Thurlbourne 67), Spriggs, Quigley, Dunkley (Mulready 80), Tolley, Thomson.
Stamford: Finlay, Jacklin, Hewitt, Batchelor, Jones, Brooks, Hall, Ozmen (Cotton 60), Smith, Miller, McGovern.
Attendance: 749.
Referee: Chris Francis.
Man-of-the-match: Jason Lee.
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