King’s Lynn boss wants players to relish New Year’s Day clash by picking up positive result at Boston United in National League North

Adam Lakeland wants his King's Lynn Town side to relish the New Year's Day party feeling by picking up a positive result at Boston United.

Lynn's first game of 2024 promises to be a memorable afternoon as they look to make it back-to-back away victories in the National League North for the first time this season.

Lakeland wants his players to build on the 4-0 victory over Southport just before the start of the Christmas festivities by quickly avenging the Boxing Day loss in the return meeting at the Jakemans Community Stadium.

"It's up to us to go up there and perform now which I'm sure we will do," he said ahead of the return fixture against the Pilgrims.

"They've come off the pitch like they've been promoted so I think that shows a little bit of respect that they know they've been in a game and they've had to work incredibly hard for a result.

"But we'll remember that reaction at the end of the game and hopefully take it into kick-off on New Year's Day."

Lakeland felt Lynn’s Lincolnshire rivals were a little over-zealous in their celebrations during Monday's 2-1 victory at the Walks.

"You've got them celebrating the way that they did, banging on changing room doors at the end of December," he said.

"That will no doubt stick with the players and certainly me and the staff going into that return fixture.

"So hopefully we can go up there and knock on their door on the way back way at the end of that game."

Lynn's boss admitted that his players are giving everything in their quest to lift themselves out of the bottom four as they look to become the fourth side to win on Boston's home patch this season.

"This group of lads, they care and they're giving everything," he said.

"There's been a couple of times where we've been beaten and we've been lacklustre.

“That's hard to defend and easy to criticise, but I think today whilst we haven't got anything out of the game, I think the performance and the effort was there.

"The supporters will go away and they're going to be naturally disappointed, as am I and the players, because you never want to lose, particularly to one of your biggest rivals.

"But hopefully they'll go away and see that we've given everything and we've been hard done by and many of them will make the trip on Monday."

Reflecting on the festive loss to the Pilgrims, Lakeland added: "I think it was one of those where if we'd been 1-0 down and got level I think would have gone on and won it, but 2-0 is very very difficult and whilst we gave everything, we just didn't manage to do enough to get anything out of.

"Some defeats her a lot more than others and whilst we're disappointed and hurting, we're not hurting as much as maybe we have after previous results because the team are giving everything right till the end.

"If the lads keep performing like that, I will have no issues and we'll win plenty of games."