King’s Lynn Town 3 Telford 0 - Report

The hosts received the gift of gold as striker Gold Omotayo netted twice to leave the Bucks empty-handed and still bottom of National League North.

With Kevin Wilkin only able to name four substitutes for this game and having to register his assistant manager Mark Noon to warm a spot on the bench, many may have been expecting a St Valentine’s Day massacre.

Telford showed little desire to simply lay back and let the Linnets take what they wanted, and it took three second half-goals – the last two in the dying minutes – to make this game safe.

The hosts had more possession in the first half, but in terms of threats to the goal the Bucks probably had just as many chances, although having to play on the counter-attack.

The opening goal came in the 47th minute. Lynn appeared to have had something a bit more forceful than sweet nothings whispered in their ears at the interval. Josh Barrett forced a corner with some good close control, the Bucks defended but conceded a second corner and a near-post flick-on was headed powerfully home in the six-yard box by Omotayo.

At that point, you sensed that the Bucks might be in trouble, but they didn’t buckle, and although their second-half attacks were sporadic, they remained in the contest.

The home side were a little edgy, manager Tommy Widdrington audibly less than thrilled with his team, and substitute Aaron Cosgrave might have expected to have nightmares about his miss when Theo Widdrington, the manager’s son, played him through to round Young, but fire wide of the far post with Josh O’Brien covering on the line.

In the 87th minute, they secured the victory. Bucks keeper Joe Young saved an initial effort but Omotayo was quickest to react and scored past the prone keeper, despite his despairing efforts.

Lynn fans serenaded Omotayo with a terrace rendition of the Spandau Ballet hit, and just two minutes later Cosgrave ensured he’d sleep more easily when his overhead kick from a few yards out flew past Young as the Bucks were slow to react to a dropping ball in the box.

Three goals flattered the hosts a little, as it did their fellow promotion chasers AFC Fylde when they beat the Bucks by the same scoreline on Saturday, but Wilkin will likely feel he got as much out of his team as was likely, given their depleted status.

Teams

Telford: Young, Burke, Bood, O’Brien, Piggott, Rowe, Ekpolo, Williams, Moore, Salmon (Daniels 72), Gibson. Subs not used: Blissett, Waite, Noon.

Cautioned: Burke.

King’s Lynn Town: P Jones, A.Jones, Denton, Crowther, Coulson, Jones (Oxlade-Chamberlain 72), Widdrington, Clunan, Barrett (Cosgrave 64), Omotayo, Walker (Ponticelli 75). Subs not used: Callan-McFadden, Hughes.