Midfielder set to extend stay with Linnets

Midfielder Cody Johnson is all set to sign a youth loan extension with King’s Lynn Town ahead of Saturday’s trip to Warrington Town.The Linnets were resigned to losing the services of the youngster, but manager Adam Lakeland appears to have pulled a rabbit out of the hat to keep the youngster at The Walks.Johnson, 20, spent the first half of the season on a youth loan from Stockport County and he was expected to return to his parent club once the deal expired on New Year’s Eve.But Lakeland revealed after the disappointing 3-0 defeat to the Iron that Johnson, who was one of the shining lights during the loss, is now set to stay.“We’ve had the paperwork through today to extend it to the end of the season,” Lakeland told BBC Radio Norfolk and the club’s media team after the 3-0 reverse at Scunthorpe United.“It’s all been verbally agreed and we just need to check all the paperwork and that everything’s right and then get that done.“That’s a big one for us to just get him here and staying with us. I think it’s good for Cody that now he knows what his immediate future is and he can knuckle down. “I thought he was one of our better performers today, certainly in the second half and hopefully he can now kick on and have a good second half of the season with us.” The Linnets boss was bitterly disappointed with the way his side ended 2024 in north Lincolnshire.Lakeland said: “Really poor – first half so disappointed with how we performed. Deservedly lost, damage done in the first half. The goals are really poor.“The first one you’ve got to give them a bit of credit, it’s well worked, a set play corner. They got a block on Josh McCammon and (Callum) Roberts got free.“The penalty is just ridiculously poor defending by us. A couple of times (Danny) Whitehall did the same thing, got time and rolled both our centre-halves and the second one with Tommy (Wilson) he’s given a penalty and at a place like this, you can’t be 2-0 down within 20 minutes. “And the third one is just laughable, how they’ve played the ball right through the middle of the pitch and gone through and scored. “You think if you get in at 2-0, make a couple of changes, then maybe the game could be different in the second half.“I felt we should have had a penalty at 2-0 as well, but it’s one of those afternoons for us, we just didn’t perform well enough.”The Linnets will be itching to bounce back at 19th-placed Warrington, who have won just once in their last 12 National League North outings.