Linnets boss blasts officials after third straight loss

King’s Lynn Town manager Adam Lakeland blasted the officials as his side suffered their third National League North loss in the space of a week.Lakeland felt that Kyle Crossley’s second goal shouldn’t have stood for the hosts after Paul Blackett had already fired South Shields in frontSubstitute Kian Ronan made it 2-1 two minutes from time before Jonny Margetts missed the chance to level matters from the spot deep into injury time.”I was frustrated with the officials at the end of the game if I’m being honest,” said a deflated Lakeland.”We seem to be seeing more and more of these liners getting involved and for me, they’ve got to be crystal-clear that to get involved they are 100 per cent right.”I thought we were really unfortunate last week at Chorley with one and I can only go on what the lads have told me, and they’re an honest group of lads, the ball has not gone over the line for the second goal.”Initially from where we stood the way the ball travelled away from the goal suggests that it hasn’t crossed the line and if it hasn’t then it has cost us today as we would have got a draw and if we’d have capitalised on a soft penalty given to us, one of the first bits of fortune we’ve had from officiating in about 20 games now, then we could have won. “So that’s a really big moment that. If the lino has got it right and we’re all wrong then we’ll be the first to hold our hands up but if he’s got it wrong then we will be coming for him in our post-match report that we’ve got to do. “The penalty miss is a massive moment. Jonny Margetts has been out for eight weeks and he’s played 90 minutes. With the number of goals he’s scored for us since January and the points he’s won for us there is nobody else I’d rather have over the ball than him.”The wait for him to take it didn’t help. They played it incredibly well, delaying the restart of the game.”I asked the fourth official how much extra they were going to add on following the miss of that penalty and he said three minutes and then I looked up at the clock and we’ve played 97.29 so they just talk nonsense and make it up as they go along and it’s just not good enough for this level of football. “There were 2,600 in here today, fantastic football club, really good team, great atmosphere, two really good teams but the third team I didn’t think they were great, particularly the ones on the outside of the pitch.”I thought the referee was okay but the ones on the outside weren’t good enough and I said earlier if the second goal is a goal then I’ll take everything back. “The players have given everything and we’re absolutely decimated. Freddie Sass, Cody Johnson, Josh Hamami, Sam Walker, and Gold Omotayo were missing.”They are big players for us so to come here against one of the best footballing teams in the league and push them all of the way, I’m proud of the players again but we’ve gone home with nothing.” “Today’s loss, following 2-1 and 2-0 defeats against Chorley and Farsley Celtic, respectively, sees Lynn drop to seventh in the league standings.Next week they turn their attention to the FA Trophy action with a second-round trip to Leamington.South Shields: Boney, Richards, Taylor (Crossley 75), Broadbent, Morse, Briggs, Mee (Bramwell 75), Jenkins, Heaney, De Bolle (Hodgson 85), Blackett (Duoik 85). Sub not used: Seymour.Booked: Blackett, Heaney; Sent-off: Broadbent. Scorers: Blackett 30, Crossley 78.King’s Lynn Town: Jones, Crowe, McFadden, Wilson, Taylor, McCammon, Hughes (Coulson 90+5), Crane, Barnes (Forde-Brown 80), Margetts, Williams (Ronan 63). Subs not used: Falcao, Boyes.Booked: Jones.Scorer: Ronan 88.Attendance 2,622.