Linnets secure replay win from the spot

King’s Lynn Town held their nerve from the spot as they booked a Fourth Qualifying Round trip to Curzon Ashton after a 4-3 win on penalties at the Walks.With the scores locked at 3-3 from the spot, Josh Coulson scored the all-important kick as the Linnets deservedly came through a tough Third Qualifying Round replay against the Tigers.Tommy Hughes, Theo Williams and Sam Walker also successfully netted from the spot after the replay had finished goalless.It was no more than Lynn deserved after Ross Crane had been sent off in the final minute of normal time.The win sees Linnets manager Adam Lakeland return to his former club in the next round.Speaking after the game, Lakeland said: “I’m just so proud of the club tonight to be fair, because it’s been pouring it down and Ben’s been working round the clock to get the pitch in the best state that he could so the game went ahead.”Then I think the way that the players performed because it didn’t feel like much went our way at all. “When you’ve got to play so long against a really good team with 10 men, you’ve got to show resilience, great concentration and just a willingness to just find a way and I think I think we deserved it because we should have gone through on Saturday. “They scored right the death, but we missed some guilt-edged chances and we should have probably won by three or four on Saturday.”We’ve done it the hard way, but we’re through. We’re developing, we’re developing a spirit and resilience and grittiness to churn out results regularly.”Football’s a beautiful game, but sometimes you’ve got to win ugly and massive credit to the players who have shown unbelievable fitness again. “That’s down to all the hard work that we did in pre-season, that’s why when we played half the game at Scarborough with 10 men the fitness levels of the players and the depth in the squad saw us through.”It was a tremendous performance really, everything considered.” Lynn’s starting XI showed two changes to the side that drew 1-1 in Nottinghamshire.Tom Wilson came in for Kyle Callan McFadden, who was forced off with an injury early on Saturday, while Ross Crane came in for Josh Hmami who picked up a niggle at the weekend. Some good link-up play between Gold Omotayo and Josh McCammon set up an early chance for Cody Johnson, whose effort was wide of the target.McCammon made an industrious start for the hosts while the Tigers looked content trying to hit Lynn on the break.Lynn were guilty of squandering possession on the edge of the box and Vaughan Redford forced Paul Jones into a comfortable save on the 20-minute mark.The home crowd came to life when McCammon picked out Barnes on the edge of the box and the midfielder’s effort was deflected behind for a corner. The same player was guilty of blazing over from close range shortly after as a cross from the right took a deflection to deceive visiting goalkeeper Sebastian Malkowski.Lynn continued to press for the opener and the busy McCammon was the next player to go close as he drilled wide of the goal.Malkowski used his fingertips to turn Sam Walker’s free-kick behind for a corner as Lynn ended well on top.Lynn began the second half in the same manner as they had ended the first and a cross from Dylan Crowe picked out Omotayo who headed straight into the arms of Malkowski. A moment of danger at the other end saw Jones fail to claim a Worksop free-kick and Luke Shiels glanced a header wide.Lynn made a double change in the 65th minute as Theo Williams replaced Omotayo and Tommy Hughes was introduced for Barnes.Daniel Bramall’s last contribution to the game saw him force Jones into an acrobatic save in a rare Tigers attack in the second half.It was the Tigers pressing for a late winner and Lynn’s cause wasn’t helped by the late dismissal of Crane for his second booking as the game went into extra-time. Jones saved at point-blank range to foil Tigers substitute Liam Hughes but the best chance of a winner came at the opposite end as Greg Taylor just failed to convert Josh Coulson’s first contact from a free-kick on the stretch.Lynn remained the better team, even with 10 men, and the crowd responded by showing their appreciation as the tie went into the second period of extra-time.Hughes stung the hands of the visiting goalkeeper and Theo Williams was unable to follow up as the tie remained in the balance.Jones was at brilliant best to thwart Jordan Burrow in the dying embers of the extra 30 minutes and the tie went down to spot-kicks. King’s Lynn Town: Jones, Sass, Wilson, Taylor, Crowe (Ronan 87), Johnson, Walker, McCammon (Coulson 91), Crane, Barnes (Hughes 65), Omotayo (Williams 65). Subs not used: Boyes.Booked: Taylor, Barnes, Crane, Johnson. Sent-off: Crane.Worksop Town: Malkowski, Atherton, Wilde, Wedgbury (Hawkridge 69), Bencherif, Shiels, Starcenko, Redford, Burrow, Bramall (Hughes 69), Hall. Subs not used: Taylor, Tomlinson, O’Malley.Booked: Bencherif, Hughes, Hawkridge.Attendance: 466.