“That’s psychologically massive for us, and I think it damages maybe what others were hoping might happen,” says Linnets boss Lakeland

King’s Lynn Town manager Adam Lakeland stressed the importance of Monday’s game at Needham after seeing his side topple morning leaders Scunthorpe United.Gold Omotayo’s 13th-minute goal – his fifth in the last nine games – gave Lynn’s play-off hopes a huge boost in front of a bumper crowd of 2,326 at The Walks.The Linnets now head to Suffolk knowing that another win on Easter Monday will further extend their season.Lakeland said: “It’s a miles bigger game for us than this game is today because, you know, with all due respect to that game on Monday, there’s not going to be two and a half thousand there.”We’re not playing at home and we’re not playing top of the league, so the lads have got to make sure that they apply themselves and they will do, the same as we did today.”I don’t really like to talk about others too much, but coming into this game, every other manager at Buxton, Chorley, Curzon Ashton, Chester, Spennymoor, and Hereford, they’ll have all probably earmarked this as a game we’d lose and we’ve won.”That’s psychologically massive for us and I think it damages maybe what others were hoping might happen. “But the message to the players after the game was loud and clear. It’s a massive win for us but Monday is an even bigger game because if we go there and win on Monday, I think we’re in the play-offs.” Lynn delivered a performance full of spirit and determination and are now unbeaten against the top three teams in table at The Walks.The only goal of the game came after 13 minutes when Johnson won possession on the Lynn right.Josh Hmami delivered a delicious cross and Omotayo rose highest to power home a header from six yards. Lynn could, and should, have added a second a few minutes after the restart, but Matty Warburton somehow lofted his effort over the woodwork after finding himself one-on-one with Fitzsimons.The home side needed a little bit of luck on their side and it was Iron substitute Carlton Ubaezuonu who provided it. Ubaezuonu had only been on the pitch a minute before blocking a goalbound shot from Mo Fadera on the Lynn line.Scunthorpe forced a succession of corners in the final minutes and Beestin blazed a last-gasp effort over the woodwork – but Lynn deservedly held on. The Lynn players left the field to a standing ovation – and rightly so – after giving everything to the cause.”I’m so proud of the players,” added Lakeland afterwards.”Let’s have it right, they’re a top, top team. They absolutely battered us at their place on New Year’s Eve and we knew that they’d be coming here today to win, to try and win the title.”So we knew that there’d come a stage in the game where they were going to probably throw the kitchen sink at us to try and win the game.”So it needed to be a really disciplined, organised performance by us. We needed to be more physical, which is why we changed system.”We wanted to try and win the game to nil, play for moments in the game.”