King's Lynn boss anger at awful display

Long Buckby AFC 3, King's Lynn Town 0

King's Lynn Town players received the full wrath of angry manager Gary Setchell following the Linnets' awful display at Long Buckby AFC on Saturday.

Greg Ling, Andy Gordan and Dan Quigley were the Buckby men to inflict the damage to Lynn on the pitch but the verbal blast delivered off it by Setchell would probably have damaged his player's eardrums as well.

“We just simply didn't turn up today' admitted Setchell afterwards. “We never came out of the traps, didn't match there work rate and it simply isn't good enough. I couldn't believe what I was seeing out there today.

“In pre season we have passed the ball to feet - the way I like my teams to play football. Today we reverted to lumping the ball up the pitch more in hope than belief.

“Myself and Kevin {Boon} cannot understand it and we are both bitterly disappointed by it. Away games in this league will be very important come the final reckoning.

“All of our away games will be similar to this with them trying to knock us out of our stride and in our faces. We have to deal with that and impose ourselves on games. We have created a few chances today but, if I am honest, we have never really looked like scoring.”

Setchell had virtually a full-strength squad to select his first starting eleven from with Charlie Defty and Steve Spriggs the only absentees. Brady Stone got the nod over young Kyle Plumb at centre-half and Danny White returned in a midfield position with Kieron Doherty taking a bench place.

Early on Jamie Thurlbourne continued his impressive form with a centre for Jack Defty who could only head tamely into the hands of keeper Tom Stephanou.

Quigley sprung the Linnets' offside trap on the half hour with Alex Street denying the Bucks forward with a diving save.

Scott Cubberley fired over the bar from twelve yards before disaster struck for Lynn. Quigley hassled Stone into a short back pass before unselfishly squaring the ball to Ling who rolled the ball past a stranded Street for the games opener.

Worse was to follow minutes later when a Matt Green cross from the left eluded the visitors' defence allowing Gordan time to steady himself before firing home from close range, silencing the Linnets fans who made up around three-quarters of the total attendance.

Tempers boiled over between White and Brad Harris with perhaps both men being fortunate that referee Ian Wilson brandished only the yellow card to both players. From the resulting free-kick Ross Kelly blazed over.

Setchell introduced Robbie Harris and Billy Smith at half time for Cubberley and Kelly in an attempt to stem the tide but it was Gordan for the Bucks who cut inside three defenders before firing at Street's midriff.

Defty had the ball in the net just past the hour but the effort was ruled out and Stone crashed a header against the bar following a free kick as the Linnets enjoyed their best spell of the match.

However Quigley made sure that all three opening day points would be staying at Station Road when he cleverly headed back across goal into Street's net following a pin-point cross from the impressive full-back Craig Kelly.

Late on Gordan struck wide as the Bucks threatened to add further to their tally.

Lynn now move on to Boston Town on Tuesday evening with Setchell looking for a positive response.

“There has to be a reaction to this. If they cannot then they really shouldn't be playing football. We will be making changes for Tuesday because we cannot allow another performance like this,” he said.

t Long Buckby AFC: Stephanou, Green, Kelly, Smeathers, Walker, Harris, Gordan, Bunting, Ling, Quigley, Kirby {Brown 75} Unused subs: Batterill, Aldrich, Jonson.

t King's Lynn Town: Street, Buhleman, Alsop, Luke Thurlbourne, McNeil, Stone, Kelly{Smith 45}, White{Doherty 63}, Defty, Cubberley{Harris 45}, Jamie Thurlbourne. Unused subs: Plumb, Hails.

Bookings: Luke Thurlbourne, White, Defty.

t Referee: Ian Wilson Alconbury Weston

t Att: 210