Lynn 2 Willenhall 0

ON A bitterly cold afternoon the Linnets made it hot for Willenhall. And that goalscoring partnership of Martin Coupe and Kevin Ready struck in decisive manner early in the second half to keep the fans warm.
The warning had been there in the first half for Willenhall's defenders that the Linnets could not be allowed too much room.
Shots swept in on Alan Dulleston's goal and the keeper made one excellent reflex save to prevent a certain score by Martin Twigger
Willenhall also played their part in a most entertaining game and John Winwood forced Andy Claxton into a goal-line save and then Gary Stevens shot over.
The second half was only a minute old when Twigger swept down the right wing and slipped a perfect pass inside for Coupe to side-foot the Linnets into the lead.


 

Coupe then had penalty appeals turned down after a heavy challenge, but it mattered little as he set up the second goal for Ready in the 60th minute. There was little venom about Ready's shot, but it somehow got through a crowded goalmouth and past the surprised Dulleston to find the net.
After this Willenhall were hardly a threat, realising that their own faint championship hopes had gone. Dulleston now looked most uncomfortable and let one shoe from Steve Hines slip through before Kevin Ashe cleared off the line.
Defensively the Linnets looked supremely confident and in mid-field the contributions of Gale, Foster and Hines were decisive. Foster probably edged the man-of: rating.
And club sponsors Skoda would have been delighted with the way the front line moved into top gear in no uncertain manner.

Lynn: Claxton; Mercer, Wood, Adams, Easthall; Gale. Foster, Hines; Read, Twigger, Coupe: sub Ippolitto.
Willenhall: Dulleston. Wootton. J. Jones, Birch, Ashe, G. Jones. Seddon, Stevens, Muir. Beech (sub Hinngs 61 mins), Winwood.
Referee: R. Pawley (Cambridge. Attendance: 625.
Report by permission of the Lynn News