Linnets secure first home win of 2024 to ease relegation fears

King’s Lynn Town 3 South Shields 1King’s Lynn Town ended their goal drought at the Walks to see off South Shields and ease their National League North relegation fears with their first home win of the year.Jonathan Margetts put the hosts in front after 13 minutes with the club’s first goal on home soil since Boxing Day before adding a second with a brilliant volley just before the break.The prolific Paul Blackett reduced the arrears early in the second half, but Lynn added a third through substitute Quevin Castro to clinch the three points in injury time.Linnets boss Lakeland made one change to the side that drew 1-1 at Alfreton on Tuesday night with Jonathan Margetts coming in for injured defender Greg Taylor.Assistant manager Sam Walker kept his place in the starting line-up, lining up alongside Josh Coulson and Kyle Callan-McFadden in the heart of the Lynn defence.It took Lynn 12 minutes to create the first opening as Ben Stephens curled an effort high over the woodwork from distance.A minute later they were in front with their first goal on home soil for 375 minutes.Great pressing from Ben Stephens forced South Shields goalkeeper Myles Boney to lose his footing and Margetts slotted into an empty net after receiving the ball from his fellow frontman.The visitors responded by creating two good chances in a minute, Blackett striking the post with one effort and coming within inches of getting on the end of a cross from Courtney Clarke shortly after.South Shields may have looked shaky at the back but going forward they were a completely different proposition with Blackett – the scourge of Lynn so many times in the past – a real livewire.Lynn needed a second goal and duly arrived four minutes before the break as Stephens delivered a cross from the right and Margetts brilliantly volleyed into the roof of the net.Two minutes after the restart South Shields were back in it with a predatory finish from Blackett at the far post.It took a stunning save from Paul Jones, low down to his right, to keep out a header from Dillon Morse to keep Lynn ahead.The win was secured when Josh Coulson picked out Castro who bent home Lynn’s third.King’s Lynn Town: Jones, Ronan, McFadden, Coulson, Crowe, Hargreaves, Morrison, Walker, Devonport (Hughes 87), Stephens (Cybulski 75), Margetts (Castro 75). Subs not used: Rogers, Dixon-Hodge.Goals: Margetts 13 and 41, Castro 90.South Shields: Boney, Hunter, Morse, Broadbent (Sloan 46), Heaney, Clarke (Savage 70), Smith, Abbey, Woods, Blackett, Stephenson. Subs not used: Fletcher, Seymour.Goal: Blackett 47.Attendance: 834.