Linnets pick up three points at Hereford

Hereford 0 King’s Lynn Town 1

King’s Lynn Town maintained their slim National League North title hopes with a slender victory over Hereford at Edgar Street on Saturday.

Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the only goal of a poor game 15 minutes before the interval to give Tommy Widdrington’s side the three points on their travels.

Lynn remain five points behind AFC Fylde at the top of the league standings after the Coasters recorded a 2-0 home victory over Gloucester City.

Hereford v King's Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199487) — Hereford v King’s Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199487)

Hereford v King's Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199485) — Hereford v King’s Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199485)

Hereford v King's Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199483) — Hereford v King’s Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199483)

Hereford v King's Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199481) — Hereford v King’s Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199481)

Hereford v King's Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199479) — Hereford v King’s Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199479)

Hereford v King's Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199477) — Hereford v King’s Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199477)

Hereford v King's Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199475) — Hereford v King’s Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199475)

Hereford v King's Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199473) — Hereford v King’s Lynn Town action. Picture: Tim Smith (63199473)

New Linnets signing Jack Morrell warming up at Hereford. Picture: Tim Smith (63199471)

There was no place in the Lynn squad for defender Jack Morrell – signed from Hitchin Town on a dual registration on Friday night.

The Bulls missed a couple of good chances before Lynn eventually took the lead.

Home midfielder Daniel Jarvis won a loose ball before attempting a pass for Tyrone Barnett but a miss-communication between the two saw the chance go begging.

A few minutes later, Miles Storey crossed for Barnett but the frontman rifled his effort over the crossbar.

Fifteen minutes before the interval, Michael Clunan picked out Oxlade-Chamberlain who curled his effort into the net from outside the box.

Chances were few and far between after the restart.

Twenty minutes from time, Barnett shrugged off the attentions of his marker before playing a through ball to Harry Pinchard who rifled his effort straight at Tommy Dixon-Hodge between the Lynn posts.

Linnets substitute Joshua Barrett fired wide after finding himself in space, while Dixon-Hodge confidently plucked Barnett’s cross out of the air with Jared Hodgkiss lurking in the box.

Hereford’s Storey was denied by a last-ditch challenge in the dying minutes as Lynn held onto a crucial three points.

Hereford: Visser, Hodgkiss, Lilly, McLean, LLoyd (Egan 67), Amadi-Holloway, Storey, Hanson (Haines 73), Lawton (Pinchard 67) , Barnett, Egan. Subs: Haines, Pinchard, Derricott, Holmes.

Booked: Lloyd.

King’s Lynn Town: Dixon-Hodge, A Jones, J. Jones (Barrett 72), Crowther, Coulson, Callan-McFadden, Widdrington (Omotayo 69), Clunan, Hughes, Cosgrave (Ponticelli 61), Oxlade-Chamberlain. Subs: Omotayo, Ponticelli, Stephens, Fleming, Barrett.

Booked: Widdrington, Hughes, Barrett.

Scorer: Oxlade-Chamberlain 30.

Attendance: 1360 (54 from Lynn).