Linnets pick up first win of National League North season

King’s Lynn Town 2 Alfreton Town 1

Bartosz Cybulski scored on his home as King’s Lynn Town picked up their first win of the National League North season.

The former Derby County frontman fired the Linnets in front early in the second half before Josh Barrett doubled the advantage from the penalty spot 13 minutes later.

Alfreton pulled a goal back with a penalty of their own – but Lynn deservedly held on to end a five-game winless run at the start of the new campaign.

Hughes shuffled his pack from the 3-1 defeat at Chorley on Saturday with Sion Spence and Ben Stephens returning to the starting line-up at the expense of Jordan Ponticelli and Tommy Hughes.

The trio of Cameron Hargreaves, Tommy Dixon-Hodge and Adam Crowther all remained on the treatment table as Lynn looked to finally register a win in front of their own fans.

But standing in their way were a tough and well-drilled Alfreton outfit who were beaten 1-0 by Kidderminster Harries in the first stage of the play-offs last season.

Alfreton boss Billy Heath also made two changes from Saturday’s surprise home defeat to Darlington as The Reds looked to regain the winning thread.

The Linnets were quick out of the blocks and a fine one-handed save from George Willis denied Ben Stephens a goal in the opening minute following a cross on the left from Tom Clifford.

Willis had to be alert to keep out a Josh Barrett effort a few minutes later as Lynn continued to dictate the early exchanges.

Alftreon responded with a good few minutes of their own and defender Joshua Clackstone’s long-range effort was travelling before being deflected behind for a corner.

Dwayne Wiley was allowed a free header from Adam Lund’s cross – but luckily for the hosts it cleared the woodwork as Lynn’s early superiority began to dwindle.

Jake Day’s late lunge on Emmanuel Oke earned the visiting frontman a yellow card and Reds boss Heath followed him in the book for remonstrating with the linesman as the bank holiday crowd were finally woken up.

Home goalkeeper Paul Jones kept the score goalless with a brilliant reaction save to his left to thwart Liam Waldock and, seconds later, Kennedy Digie had the ball in the back of the net, only for it to be ruled out for a foul on the Lynn custodian.

Jones twice came to Lynn’s rescue in the space of a few minutes; first turning Day’s shot behind for a corner before smothering Wiley’s effort from the resulting set piece.

Lynn began the second half how they started the first and were duly rewarded as they took the lead.

Clifford’s cross from the left took a deflection and ended up in the path of Cybolski who volleyed the ball into the back of the net.

The offside flag kept Alfreton’s Digie on the pitch after he brought down last man Cybulksi at the start of a mad five minutes.

Lynn were awarded a penalty in their next attack after Jack Smith was fouled by Willis and Barrett dispatched the spot-kick with power to double the home side’s advantage.

But two minutes later it was 2-1 after Thewlis converted from the penalty spot following a foul by Lynn’s Josh Coulson.

There was still time for Stephens to strike the base of the post as Lynn served up their best half of football this season.

King’s Lynn Town: Jones, Oke, Coulson, McFadden, Ronan, Clifford, Spence, Smith, Stephens (Hughes 88), Barrett (Ponticelli 70), Cybulski (Fatadjo 80). Subs not used: Isaacson, Bartley.

Booked: Barrett, Smith, Hughes.

Scorers: Cybulski 46, Barrett (pen) 59.

Alfreton Town: Willis, Clackstone (Dwyer 90), Lund (Grewal-Pollard 82), Digie, Wiley, Thewlis, Cantrill, Day, Salmon (Starkie 65), Brisley, Waldock. Subs: Oliver, Askew.

Booked: Day, Cantrill.

Scorer: Thewliss (pen) 61.

Attendance: 948.

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