Linnets struggling for consistency

The last week for me, was King’s Lynn Town’s season perfectly in a nutshell.Last Tuesday evening’s 0-0 draw with Brackley Town (who were the league leaders going into the game) was Lynn at their best – mixing it with the league’s best and making the Walks the difficult place it has to be if you want to sustain a tilt at keeping your involvement real at the business end of the National League North table.Fast forward five days, and in front of a very healthy crowd of more than 1300 the Linnets opted to put in a horrible performance which resulted in visitors Spennymoor Town making the long journey home with all three points following a comprehensive 3-0 victory.It’s those inconsistencies that have been around all season that will now more than likely cost Adam Lakeland’s side a play-off place with, on paper, Lynn facing a tricky final run-in.The Linnets chief looked shell-shocked in his post-match media duties and struggled to explain why his side could produce two chalk-and-cheese performances in the space of five days.It’s always worth remembering that once the team crosses that white line a manager can shout and scream all he likes but he can do little to affect what is happening in front of him.Lakeland questioned the decision-making of some of his players on Saturday which is surprising when you take into consideration the likes of Josh Coulson, Paul Jones and Greg Taylor were all involved and are bursting with experience having played several hundred league games between them. The Linnets had kept two clean sheets going into the game but almost conceded within the opening minutes of the game and then were breached twice just before the interval which left them facing an uphill battle which they never really looked like winning which leaves you asking again how can this type of thing happen? The effort and commitment of the players cannot be questioned so is it a mentality thing?Did some feel the hard work had been done in the week when holding Brackley and thought that Spennymoor could be dispatched with ease?You would like to think not and probably it isn’t but from what I saw from the boss’s interview he is at a loss as to how it happens but admitted that now and then, his team does have ‘ that kind of performance in them’. Until these performances are removed from Lynn’s agenda the ‘ two steps forward and one back’ routine will continue.As I’ve said on a few occasions this term this team is much better than the one that Lakeland inherited almost 18 months ago, as it should be now with the squad largely made up of the current manager’s signings. I feel that another season in Conference North would do the football club in general no harm at all.No team that does gain promotion to the full National League is ready to compete with the elite of non-league football with a good handful of signings being needed to make a team competitive at least. The behind-the-scenes rumours and rumblings refuse to go away and again you do have to question if this is affecting what’s happening on the pitch.A promotion does cause a big upheaval and whilst behind-the-scenes uncertainty continues to seemingly remain, maybe the club should stay where it is.Having said that, it’s not just at Lynn where inconsistencies on the pitch remain. And it’s the unpredictable nature this season of National League North which means the Linnets still have a chance of making an impression at the top end of the table.This Saturday, the Linnets make the trip to Buxton for a game which, in all honesty, they really do need to win to keep those hopes realistic. Lynn’s recent results when visiting Buxton have been mixed and with the hosts now used to their plastic pitch the visitors will need their ‘ A ‘ game to return home with a win.Failure to return home with anything will only serve to make their job even more difficult over the coming weeks.The club’s supporters have again been magnificent this season both at home and for those who travel up and down the country supporting their team and I do feel the team does owe them a little something following last weekend’s disappointment.Between now and the end of the season Lynn Football Club has seven cup finals and 21 points to play for. If they do gain enough points to make the play-offs then all well and good – it will be a tremendous achievement.If they don’t then it will not be for the lack of effort over the past eight months or so.There will be more than enough time to mull over the shortcomings of the current season over the summer months which are just around the corner.Until then, the team and its manager deserve full support from all of those with an interest and care for all that goes on at The Walks.