Fleming stars in win

King's Lynn 2, Gloucester City 1

Former Norwich City skipper Craig Fleming scored on his debut as the Linnets overcame a spirited Gloucester side at the Walks.

Lynn eventually kicked off their home league campaign for the season after a solid run of away fixtures in late summer sunshine at The Walks this afternoon.

Keith Webb had made just the two changes to the team that had convincingly beaten Lincoln United the previous weekend in the FA Cup. Stephen Melton missed out with a sore knee and was replaced by Adam Smith who would be playing his last game for the club as his loan spell from Peterborough United came to an end.

Major midweek signing Craig Fleming made his debut at the heart of the Linnets defence replacing skipper Mark Warren whose groin injury will keep away from the team for around a fortnight.

Frew's early cross for the Linnets cleared Sawyer's bar as Lynn made a good start to this game.

Gloucester responded with a Price free kick from 20 yards which was blocked by the Lynn wall.

A minute later Lynn took the lead through Craig FLEMING who headed confidently home from eight yards following a Francis corner.

Four minutes later the lead was doubled as Lynn turned on the style with a goal of great quality.

Fleming's raking ball found Frew on the right whose short pass was collected by West who in turn delivered the ball into the penalty area where it was collected by Nolan who laid the ball to BLOOMFIELD who found himself in acres of space and confidently beat Sawyer from six yards with a precise finish.

Gloucester were still posing a threat with Pitcher who found a way past Howie but was unable to beat the alert Defty who cleared the danger.

On 18 minutes a parried save was forced by Howie from Webb who shot from distance.

The visitors were handed a lifeline on 21 minutes as a penalty award by referee Feerick who awarded the spot kick for an offence that went unnoticed in the ground. SYKES narrowly beat Howie to get his side back into the match.

Francis's free kick was then sent into the area and was cleared for a corner which saw Fleming again try his luck but this time Sawyer was his equal.

The nifty Griffin then tried a speculative shot which saw Howie untroubled before Frew got away a deflected shot which went for a corner which then saw Francis's delivery met by the same player who sent a header over the bar.

On 38 minutes Nolan tried his luck with a dipping shot which went just wide of Sawyer's upright. With a minute of the first half remaining Webb was booked for a dive in the Lynn penalty area following a solid challenge from Fleming.

Half-time: King's Lynn 2, Gloucester City 1.

Gloucester began the second half with a low cross from the right from Smith which was comfortably gathered by Howie.

Lynn attacked with Nolan whose attempted cross deflected away for a goal kick. However, keeper Sawyer became involved in an argument with referee Feerick and was subsequently booked by the Peterborough official.

Smith then blazed over after being teed up by Frew. Shortly before the hour mark the impressive Francis was replaced by Fisk with the Lynn winger clearly struggling with a breathing problem.

On 68 minutes Fleming was again at the centre of the action as his long range precise pass was collected by Bloomfield who took the ball on before crossing for Nolan whose shot was brilliantly saved by Sawyer at full stretch.

With 21 minutes remaining the Tigers' Smith produced a dipping shot which Howie was pleased to see clear his bar.

A minute later good solid Lynn approach play saw Fisk shooting from the edge of the area but unfortunately straight at Sawyer who gathered easily.

On 76 minutes the Linnets were awarded a penalty as Frew's cross from the right was handled by defender Thompson. Sawyer delayed the taking of Nolan's penalty but the visiting keeper's gamesmanship clearly affected the Lynn striker whose tame penalty was comfortably saved by the big keeper who dived to his right.

A picture header cleared Howie's bar following Smith's cross but it was the home side that finished the stronger with late substitute Turner forcing Sawyer into yet another save and then deep into stoppage time the same player's run and shot cleared the visitors' bar as Lynn kept their initiative and gained all three points on a successful home-coming afternoon.

Final Score: King's Lynn 2, Gloucester City 1

t Kings Lynn: Howie, West, Chapman, Fleming, C Defty, Camm, Frew, Smith, Nolan, Bloomfield, Francis.

t Subs: Turner, Fisk, J Defty, Crane, Murray.

t Gloucester City: Sawyer, Reid, Price, Mustoe, Tomkins, Thompson, Smith, Webb, Pitcher, Griffin, Sykes.

t Subs: Allard, Whittington, Hamblin, Taylor, Bevan

t Referee: S Feerick, Peterborough

t Attendance: 1198.