Paddy Davitt King's Lynn 1, Hinckley 1: Keith Webb's striking hunch paid off as Danny Bloomfield extended Lynn's record-breaking start to life in Blue Square North.

Paddy Davitt

King's Lynn 1, Hinckley 1

Keith Webb's striking hunch paid off as Danny Bloomfield extended Lynn's record-breaking start to life in Blue Square North.

Webb dropped high-profile summer recruit Julian Joachim in favour of the Linnets' master marksman who slotted a coolly taken second half penalty to salvage another home point.

Hinckley striker Gez Murphy stabbed the visitors ahead prior to the interval after Webb's men had monopolised territory and possession.

Bloomfield wrong-footed Hinckley keeper Chris MacKenzie from the spot on the restart following Mark Camm's tumble under Leigh Platnauer's push.

Lynn's leveller sparked a frantic finale that saw the Knitters' reduced to ten men when midfielder Andy Gooding was dismissed for a second yellow card, having been adjudged to have dived inside the Linnets' box.

Webb accentuated the positives after watching his side's fifth consecutive league draw in their maiden Conference campaign.

“The boys are giving me all they can,” he said. “Effort-wise you can't fault them. I have to look and see if we have enough quality in important areas of the pitch. To be fair we are probably only one of three or four teams still unbeaten. The frustrating part is we are making mistakes and getting punished for it and we aren't punishing teams when we get into those situations.

“Joe (Francis) had a good game Saturday and here again I thought he was a thorn in their side but he got caught in two minds when he had a good opportunity first half. It's that fine line between shooting or squaring the ball - those little decisions which make the difference between winning or drawing.”

Webb admitted Bloomfield is building a strong case for a regular starting spot ahead of former Aston Villa and Coventry marksman Joachim after his second crucial strike of the season.

“Danny is definitely making it hard for me to leave him out,” said Webb. “But I'd rather he gave me that type of problem as a manager than the opposite one. I left Julian out because I felt we needed to get goals and he is the one person in the team who can score. It was a case of freshening things up.”

Midfielder duo Ben Sedgemore and John Turner were also left on the sidelines. Webb revealed Turner had picked up a dead leg in his first few training sessions back with the club since missing Lynn's opening three draws. Charlie Defty retained his place at full back with Simon Weaver on the bench as a precaution after his recent double head injury.

The incisive Francis glided past Tom Bonner to trigger a rapid home counter but Lynn's winger over hit his pass to Jack Defty.

Francis then skipped clear after exchanging a cute one two with Bloomfield on half way but his angled cross shot flew wide of MacKenzie's left hand upright.

Jack Defty's reverse ball picked out Francis on the edge only for the Knitters' defence to slam the door when he checked inside.

Murphy pounced against the run of play to poke home Andy Hall's cut back from point blank range.

Bloomfield dragged Lynn back into the contest on 51 minutes after the overlapping Camm fell under Platnauer's shove from Charlie Defty's superb raking ball.

Lynn's predator was inches from his second when Francis burst clear to whip in an inviting near post cross. Joachim entered the fray just past the hour mark for Jack Defty - Frew pushed further forward with the ex-Darlington man deployed wide right.

Camm's timely block foiled Callum Lloyd from close range with Hinckley growing in confidence. Lloyd wriggled free inside Lynn's penalty box but his strike swerved wide.

Francis glided into the area at the opposite end but dragged his shot at Gooding, with Bloomfield pleading for a slide rule pass.

MacKenzie went full length to claw away Andrew Fisk's grasscutter on 82 minutes but the Hinckley stopper was rooted to the spot when Frew's piledriver whistled a yard over.

Gooding was sent off for a second bookable offence after referee Sannerude adjudged the Hinckley midfielder had dived inside the home box under Camm's challenge.

Howie's sharp one-handed parry denied Hinckley sub Adam Webster from 16 yards before MacKenzie kicked away Frew's strike in the final breathless seconds.

t King's Lynn: Howie, C Defty, Chapman, Peters, Crane, Camm (Melton 87), Frew, Bridgwater (Fisk 67), J Defty (Joachim 61), Bloomfield, Francis. Subs not used: Weaver, Murray.

Booking: C Defty

Goal: Bloomfield (52)

t Hinckley: MacKenzie, Bonner, Franklin, Lavery, Platnauer, Birch, Hall, Gooding, Murphy (Webster 76), Taylor, Lloyd. Subs not used: McPhee, Chilton, Butcher. Bookings: Lloyd, Gooding, Bonner

Sending off: Gooding

Goal: Murphy (36)

t Referee: A Sannerude (Leics)

t Attendance: 1,326