King's Lynn 4 Cheshunt 0
29th March 2008
LINNETS striker Matt Nolan clearly loves scoring goals against Cheshunt.Nolan's brace took his personal tally to nine goals in his last four games against The Ambers as Lynn maintained the pressure on both Team Bath and Halesowen at the top of the table.
A resurgent Nolan, who was the main difference between the two sides along with visiting goalkeeper Bobby Smith, said: "I'm going to ask the gaffa if we can play Cheshunt every week.
"The whole team are buzzing at the minute. I'm delighted to be scoring goals and long may it continue.
"Both Keith (Webb) and Lee (Glover) told me that I needed to get in the box more and that's what I've done, along with being in the right place at the right time.
"Danny (Bloomfield) was scoring almost every week and I've carried on where he left off. It's nice to be proving a few people wrong."
On the win, Linnets boss Keith Webb said: "We didn't play particularly well in the first half and we told the players that.
"We asked them to raise their game two or three per cent and that's what they did."
Lynn, showing four changes to the team that won at Bedford on Easter Monday, opened the scoring in the tenth minute when Dean West and Mark Camm exchanged passes before playing in Nolan, who rounded Smith with ease before sliding the ball into the empty net.
West was then on hand to clear a Darrell Cox effort off the line as Cheshunt belied their lowly league position with some neat football.
The final scoreline could have been a lot more severe had it not been for the heroics of Smith, who pulled off an array of fine saves.
Twice in the closing stages of the first-half Smith pulled off fine stops to foil both Greg Crane and Camm, while Glen Parry scrambled Jack Defty's goalbound effort off the line.
On 64 minutes, Smith pulled off a third world-class save from a Michael Frew free-kick, which he could only parry into the path of John Turner who smashed home from close range.
Four minutes later Smith brilliantly saved Jack Defty's volley from close range, but parried the ball into the path of Nolan who blasted home.
Sixteen minutes from time a defensive error from The Ambers was punished when Nolan squared the ball for substitute Steve Melton to stab home.
Late on, Cheshunt's Dave Hicks hit a volley wide, and with the final touch of the game substitute Peter Gambrione had a header brilliantly tipped over the bar by Scott Howie to deny the visitors a deserved consolation.
Lynn: Howie, West, Bains, Crane, C. Defty, Camm, Turner, Sedgemore (Fisk 13), J. Defty (Bloomfield 75), Nolan, Frew (Melton 71). Sub (not used): Murray.
Booking: Fisk. Goals: Nolan (10, 68), Turner (63), Melton (74)
Cheshunt: Smith, Thorogood, Parry, Mwafyuma, Williams, Fenton (Farrell 79), Cooper, Hicks, Cox, Taylor (Giambrone 65), Fitzgerald. Sub (not used): Boateng. Booking: Thorogood.