Clifford sees red as ten-man Linnets lose at Chorley

King’s Lynn Town were still left searching for their first win of the season as defender Tom Clifford saw red in the 3-1 defeat at Chorley.

Clifford was sent-off in the second half of Lynn’s encounter in Lancashire after Josh Coulson had cancelled out the home side’s opener from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time.

Two late goals rubbed salt in the wounds for Lynn, who were indebted to goalkeeper Paul Jones for a string of fine saves between the posts.

Manager Mark Hughes won five out of his six games as caretaker manager at the end of last season, but is now winless in five since being given the job on a permanent basis in the summer.

“I was disappointed with the defeat but I’m not disappointed with the boys’ workrate and desire to stick in there when things were going against them,” said Hughes after the game.

“I thought we started the game sloppy but credit to Chorley as I thought they started the game really well. To a man defensively I thought we were excellent in the first half.

“We got into the game, got a foothold of it, and created some good chances but then right at the death gave a real sloppy penalty away.

“There were harsh words said at half-time and I thought we were great. We got the goal and created loads of chances and thought we could probably nick this next goal.”

Hughes was left aggrieved by the sending-off of Clifford in the second half.

“I’ll have to watch it back but for me, it wasn’t a red card,” said Hughes.

“It was right in front of their dugout and the referee was very quick to get the red out.

“That set the tone for the rest of the game. We had to dig in and I was thinking let’s keep on going, we will get one more chance here.

“We’d made our three substitutions but the boys were dead on their feet when Chorley got their third and it was game over then.”

There was no place in the Lynn side for Bermudan international Harry Twite, who signed for the club on Thursday.

A product of Warwick Academy (Bermuda) and Repton School (Derbyshire), Twite made two appearances for the national team this year in the CONCACAF Nations League against Haiti and Guyana having previously played for the U21s.

The youngster was named Player of the Tournament in the 2022 Digicel Bermuda Triangle Cup.