With a fascinating cup tie on my doorstep, at the highest placed non-league team nearest to me, it was a quick hop to Worksop. Worksop Town were playing King’s Lynn in the F.A. Cup, who play in one League above them.
The sun was shining as white clouds scuttled across the sky. A cool breeze kept the temperature down to 13 degrees, so I made my way to the covered seated stand that runs down one side of the ground.
Worksop are having a good season, second in the Northern Premier League just behind the seasons favourites, Macclesfield. King’s Lynn are lying 9th, in The National League North, a much better showing than last season. The last time these two teams met was in 2013 when Worksop won 1.3.
I have written previously about the history of both of these clubs and extensively about Worksop Town’s stadium, which has been developed to a high standard for their level of football over the past few years.
Worksop Town 1 King’s Lynn 1
Saturday 28th September 2024. 15.00 kick off
F.A. Cup. Qualifying Round
Worksop Town; All grey strip with one black half to the front of the shirt. King”s Lynn; line green/yellow shirts with black shorts.
Tigers V Linnets
The cup tie started at a furious pace with both sides looking to take an early advantage. Worksop managed to take control with more and more attacks which unfortunately for them led to nothing. They were helped by King’s Lynn getting used to the artificial pitch and the substitution of one of their back line, Kyle Callan-
Mc Fadden, after only 10 minutes with what looked like a nasty knee injury.
Having weathered the first 20 minute onslaught, the away team started to gain in stature and took the lead with 27 minutes gone.
Having worked the ball across the field from the left, Finlay Barnes put a measured ball into the path of Josh Hamani who whipped it across the goal, along the ground, into the left hand corner of the net. Having taken the lead, King’s Lynn dominated for the next 10 minutes. Worksop regained the initiative before half-time, but their pressure created no chances. Despite Worksop’s good showing, the away team deserved the half-time lead.
Moving out of the covered stand in the second half meant I immediately felt the cold from the increasing wind and darkening skies. Worksop continued their endeavours, though it was King’s Lynn who should have added to their score.
Three times, they were through one on one with the Worksop goal keeper, Tommy Taylor, twice standing his ground to save and once leaping, cat like, to his right, to push the ball away for a corner.
The game should have been out of site for the visitors with 10 minutes left but they let Worksop come on to them in the final minutes. With 7 minutes of added time signalled, it was all one-way and with virtually the last kick of the game Worksop were awarded a freekick on the edge of the goal keepers area. The ball went straight into the wall of players and it was the cool head of Luke Hall who latched onto it with a side volley which glanced off the top left corner of the cross bar into the net to force a replay on the 1st October.
Worksop were pleased that their tenacity paid off but King’s Lynn will have rued their chances.
The crowd of 759 was to me disappointing, yet it was jubilant at the end drawing at such a late stage. King’s Lynn complained after that some of their fans had been abused by home fans and players and questioned why their was no fan segregation. They have restricted travelling Worksop fans to ticket only for the replay. I nipped out quickly at the end so saw none of the problem.
The chips were very hot, some crispy but some were limp. There was little taste but it was not greasy and left no after taste. It was a very good portion for £3. Not as good as my last visit for a score of 60.
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