Linnets pick up a point at Scunthorpe United

Scunthorpe United 0 King’s Lynn Town 0King’s Lynn Town extended their unbeaten run to 11 matches with a point at Glanford Park this afternoon after holding promotion-chasing Scunthorpe United to a goalless draw.A solid defensive display by the Linnets frustrated the hosts as they kept a third successive clean sheet on their travels to leave them seven points clear of the drop zone.Although the match was far from a classic, it earned a disciplined Lynn outfit successive draws against the top teams in the National League North. Jimmy Dean has never beaten Lynn as a manager of an opposing club and that rarely looked like changing this afternoon as Tamworth were crowned champions following their 3-0 home win over Bishop’s Stortford.Lynn boss Adam Lakeland made two changes to the side that held league leaders Tamworth to a 1-1 draw at the Walks last weekend.On-loan defender Ross Barrows was ineligible to play against his parent club and was replaced by Kian Ronan – back from international duty with Gibraltar – while assistant boss Sam Walker came into the side at the expense of Ben Stephens who dropped to the bench. Scunthorpe had three ex-Linnets in their line-up with Andrew Boyce, Tyler Denton and Michael Clunan all starting against their former club.As expected, the home side enjoyed plenty of the ball and forced several corners in the first 45 minutes. But Lynn goalkeeper Paul Jones was only called upon twice, saving a Boyce header from Jacob Butterfield’s free-kick and Danny Elliott’s shot on the swivel.Despite having the wind behind them in the opening half, a well-drilled Lynn outfit offered little going forward with both Josh Coulson and Kyle Callan McFadden going close from set plays. Lynn continued to exasperate the Iron in the opening minutes of the second period and home boss Dean made a double change early in the half as he tried to add some urgency to his side.A late tackle from Callan-McFadden earned the Lynn defender a yellow card 18 minutes from time as the home side began to up the ante in the final quarter of the contest. A looping header from Boyce was cleared off the line by Hargreaves before Lakeland shuffled his pack with a double change, bringing on Bartosz Cybulski and Stephens for Owen Devonport and Jonathan Margetts respectively.The best chance for Scunthorpe United went begging ten minutes from time when leading scorer Danny Whitehall fired wide on the half-volley. Cybulski blazed over for Lynn at the other end of the pitch before Tom Pugh’s looping header came back off the post in the dying minutes of the match. Next up for the Linnets is a home clash against Scarborough Athletic on Easter Monday.Scunthorpe United: Fitzsimmons, Ogle, Kouogun, Boyce, Clunan (Scales 75), Elliott (Whitehall 57), Roberts, Pugh, Butterfield, Clarke (Sembie-Ferris 57), Denton. Subs (not used): McAlinden, Scales, Corbett.King’s Lynn Town: Jones, Ronan, McFadden, Taylor, Coulson, Crowe, Hargreaves, Morrison, Walker, Devonport (Stephens 78), Margetts (Cybulski 78). Subs (not used): Hughes, Rogers, Dixon-Hodge.Attendance: 4,276 (178 from King’s Lynn).