Lynn 0 Oswestry 0

Another goalless draw does not make easy reading for the Linnets faithful.
But unlike the dour struggle with Southport seven days previously, Saturday's NPL fixture was full of talking points.
In particular the catalogue of escapes by Oswestry in the first 20 minutes and the last ten minutes filled several pages of notebook.
What went on in between was an ill-tempered affair with little to commend it and referee P. Smith of Lincoln did not get a firm enough grip on proceedings.
That early pressure by Lynn looked almost certain to bring a goal. However, twice they were stopped by full-back Ian Clarke who was on the line to clear a header from Wayne Biggins then a flick on by Freddie Easthall.
These two same Lynn forwards also fired in accurate shots which brought out good saves from Bob Ashton in goal. Late in the first half Paul Chapman took advantage of a misplaced pass to side step Ashton, but before he could get a shot into the empty net the ball was whipped away by Keith Garland the other full back.

The front line of Chapman, Biggins and Easthall as not as effective as manager Keith Rudd must have been hoping for, although at times the service they got was not well directed.
Eventually Dave Burrows replaced Chapman and it was the diminutive winger who gave Biggins a simple chance in front of goal but he fumbled it and Ashton got the ball away.
When Lynn did force the ball into the net in the 83rd minute the linesman's flag promptly went up and the effort was not allowed.
A minute later Chris Watts was put clear by Easthall and with the goalkeeper out of position it took yet another clearance off the line to prevent a goal, this time Frank Jones blocking the shot.
And finally Biggins shrugged off a couple of challenges to fire in a shot which beat Ashton all ends up and it smacked against the bar. The rebound was picked up by Easthall who turned in an accurate header and there was Ashton scrambling to his feet to save.
Oswestry managed just a couple of efforts towards Andy Claxton, standing in for the injured Mick Drewery. He dived agily to save from Karl Lewis in the ninth minute and in the second half was well positioned to hold a near post header from Derek Brownhill.

Lynn: Claxton, Wilson, Adams, Bircumshaw, Wiles, Watts, Thompson, Elliott, Easthall, Chapman (sub Burrows 62 mins), Biggins.
Oswestry: Ashton, Garland, Clarke, Reed, Jones, J Roberts, Williams (sub Brownhill 67 mins), Le Cornu, Smith, Lewis, B Roberts.
Referee: P Smith (Lincoln). Attendance: 585.

Report by permission of the Lynn News