Narrow defeat for Daniels in drab derby

King’s Lynn won what was in truth a fairly dour derby encounter which produced very little goalmouth action.

Former Daniels player Andy Hall had put Lynn ahead on 36 minutes as his shot, from the edge of the box, took a wild deflection and flew into the top corner.

Ryan Robbins - subject to some unsavoury home chanting all match – silenced them with an equaliser a minute before the break.

Sam Mulready, scored the winner ten minutes from time after Stamford had switched off at the second phase of a corner.

Robbins’ strike was Stamford’s only effort on goal all the first half and Lynn only mustered two shots on target in a low tempo game. In the first 20 minutes there was very little action in the final thirds. Lynn probably edged it territorially and John Challinor defended well to nip in front of Peter Bore as he looked to break in the Daniels box.

Hall tested Will Jones from distance midway through the half. Then, with 15 minutes to go of the opening half, Hall collected the ball at the edge of the box and hit it goalwards. Will Jones looked to have it covered but as it travelled through a crowd of players a wicked deflection took it past him and into the net.

As the match entered time added on in the first half Challinor fed a ball into Jordan Smith who used his strength and power to turn and drive into the box before playing the ball across goal for Robbins to get in between the Lynn centre halves and tap home.

The second half started with a bit more intensity than the first had. Will Jones managed to pick the ball from Hall’s feet early in the period and, at the other end, Shawn Richards blazed high over the bar for Stamford from the edge of the box.

With a little over ten minutes to go Mulready broke clear, his shot taking the slightest nick off Will Jones and going away for a corner. That was only half cleared and, as the ball was fizzed back in, Mulready got in front of the Daniels defenders at the near post to guide a header just inside the far upright.

Stamford had a little rally at the end but were unable to exert any real pressure on the Lynn goal. Nabil Shariff had a shot from distance comfortably saved and Emake Nwadike put a Dan Lawlor corner over the bar at the near post.

In the final action, Lawlor delivered a dangerous cross which just eluded Shariff before hitting Smith behind him and Lynn were able to clear.

A disappointing derby day defeat for Stamford who missed the chance of a league double and a fourth straight away victory.