King’s Lynn move five points clear of the National League North drop zone with huge home win over Rushall Olympic
King's Lynn Town 2 Rushall Olympic 1
Johnny Margetts scored a brilliant brace as King's Lynn Town moved further clear of the National League North drop zone with a huge home win over Rushall Olympic.
Alexander Fletcher fired Rushall into an early lead before Margetts cancelled out the Pics' opener with his fourth goal in three games on the stroke of half-time
Margetts struck again 12 minutes from time as Lynn extended their unbeaten run to eight games to move five points clear of Rushall in the league standings with a game in hand.
Manager Adam Lakeland admitted the win was a big one in the context of the table.
"Obviously with the situation, you try and dampen it down as a manager, you try and take as much pressure off the players as you can going into games like that just to give them the best opportunity to perform.
"We said that it was a game that probably neither team could afford to lose but I felt that a loss would have been a lot more damaging to them than to us.
"To be fair, I have to give them credit because we've played them twice, I think they're a good side. I watched them on Tuesday night against Brackley and I thought they were really good. They got done by two set-plays and I've seen them quite a lot.
"They're a good side, the way that they move the ball, they make it very difficult for you and probably them losing Danny Waldron is going to be massive for them. But I just said to their manager then, they just have to stick at it.
"Did we deserve to win the game today? Probably not if we're being completely honest. But that's irrelevant because we have won it and at this stage of the season, it's just about finding ways to get results.
"And I've then equally got to give credit to my players because I think it's fair to say we have been performing better than that recently, probably a little bit of pressure, maybe a few nerves, going behind so early is always tough because you are naturally a little bit deflated from going behind in such a big game."
The Lynn boss was forced into two changes for the relegation six-pointer against the Walsall-based Pics.
Ross Barrows was handed his 'second' home debut in place of Kian Ronan, who was away on international duty with Gibraltar.
At the same time, defender Greg Taylor returned to the starting line-up for the injured Ben Stephens.
When the sides met earlier this season, the Linnets came from behind scoring a 90th-minute penalty to win 2-1 after Danny Waldron’s first-half opener.
The visitors took the lead with their first real chance of the game as they caught their hosts napping at the back.
Lynn were guilty of ball-watching as the ball came in from the left and the unmarked Fletcher slotted home with ease.
It took Lynn 15 minutes to start finding their rhythm despite the referee's best interests and they should have been back on level terms in the 16th minute as Margetts curled over the woodwork after a ball into the box from Cameron Hargreaves.
Penalty shouts for a foul on Margetts by Rico Browne were waved away by referee Richard Holmes, who won few friends in the home faithful with several of his early decisions.
Margetts tested the patience of Holmes following an elbow on Simeon Maye on the left touchline – but the official decided to dish out a yellow to the frontman rather than a red.
On the stroke of half-time, Lynn were back on level terms as Barrows crossed from the right and Margetts didn't need a second invitation to put the ball into the back of the net for his fourth goal in three games.
Lynn missed a huge chance to get their noses in front eight minutes after the restart.
The lively Margetts made a clever run down the left channel and his cross picked out Hargreaves who saw his shot smothered by the body of visiting goalkeeper Jacob Weaver.
Lynn had their moments in the second half with Margetts causing havoc for the visitors.
The winners arrived 12 minutes from time as Dylan Crowe put in a centre from the left and Margetts was on hand to smash the ball home.
Lynn’s hearts were in their mouths late on as visiting substitute Conor Tee saw his effort come back off the post in stoppage time.
The win leaves Lynn sitting 18th in the table – their highest league position this season – ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to Bishop’s Stortford.
King's Lynn Town: Jones, Barrows, McFadden, Taylor, Coulson, Crowe, Hargreaves, Morrison, Walker (Hughes 59), Devonport (Cybulski 69), Margetts. Subs not used: Isaacson, Rogers, Dixon-Hodge.
Booked: Margetts, McFadden.
Goals: Margetts 45 and 78.
Rushall Olympic: Weaver, Roberts, Charles (Hall 59), Fletcher, Brown, Browne, Maye, Moore (Edge 74), Oseni, Farmer, Maher (Tee 79). Subs not used: McLintock, Patterson.
Scorer: Fletcher 5
