Paddy Davitt King's Lynn Town celebrated their homecoming in winning style against a Norwich City XI at The Walks last night. Lynn-bred skipper Jack Defty had the honour of opening the scoring in front of a bumper 1,012 crowd in the first competitive senior game at the stadium since the previous club folded over unpaid debts.

Paddy Davitt

King's Lynn Town celebrated their homecoming in winning style against a Norwich City XI at The Walks last night.

Lynn-bred skipper Jack Defty had the honour of opening the scoring in front of a bumper 1,012 crowd in the first competitive senior game at the stadium since the previous club folded over unpaid debts.

Brady Stone doubled Town's lead after the interval with a fortuitous touch from Jamie Thurlbourne's inviting corner to seal victory in an enjoyable encounter. Town were more than a match for Ricky Martin's shadow City squad which featured fringe Canaries' first team players Jens Berthel Askou, Matty Gill and Owain Tudur Jones.

Lynn named an unchanged side from the weekend 5-0 friendly romp at Long Sutton. Martin's and his new assistant academy chief Gary Holt included Askou and skipper-for-the-night Gill in their starting line up with Tudur Jones on the bench alongside George Francomb and Alex Stephens.

A crescendo of fireworks greeted both sets of players after the kick off had been delayed 15 minutes to accommodate the large crowd in attendance for the historic occasion.

Steve Spriggs dived inside Remy Gordon inside the opening seconds but former Wroxham team mate Danny White's sliding touch squirmed over Remy Matthews' bar.

Spriggs then tested Matthews with an angled strike the young keeper did well to palm away before Jason Dobbs completed the clearance. Scott Cubberley fed the effervescent Spriggs who burst clear again before cutting inside his man but Matthews was again equal to the task.

Town's pacy frontline continued to cause the Canaries problems during the opening exchanges with Cubberley's speculative lob flying just over Matthews' bar.

Gill's trip on Spriggs earned the hosts a free kick 20 yards out but Jamie Thurlbourne's dipping effort failed to trouble Matthews.

Referee Turner waved away White's half hearted penalty appeals after Lynn's central midfielder tumble under Taylor Mackenzie's challenge inside the City box.

Excellent positioning from Askou foiled Jack Defty from Jamie Thurlbourne's inviting centre but Lynn's skipper was inches from opening the scoring seconds later when his near post header flashed wide.

Cubberley's first time flick rolled behind with Matthews racing from line midway through the half after Town's striker latched onto a speculative punt from his ex-Wisbech ally Alex Street.

Matthew Ball spurned Norwich's first sighter of the half when he neatly checked onto his left but lifted well over Street's goal.

The muscular Patrick Drmola turned Martin McNeil but his angled strike rolled across Street's goalmouth with the Canaries threatening to establish a measure of control after weathering Lynn's early pressure.

Askou slammed the ball against the wall behind the Tennyson Road end goal in a mini fit of pique after conceding a needless corner to Cubberley.

City's West Norfolk-bred prospect Michael Clunan then bailed out the Dane when he tried to play his way out of defence but White and Spriggs double teamed him to set up Cubberley whose strike was deflected.

Jack Defty picked himself up after MacKenzie had clumsily bundled the Town skipper over to send Matthews the wrong way from the penalty spot on 37 minutes for his fifth goal of the pre-season campaign.

Street was finally pressed into meaningful action in first half stoppage time to preserve Town's lead when he palmed Dobbs' goal bound strike around his right hand upright.

Martin made eight changes at the break with Askou and Gill amongst those making way. Tudur Jones was introduced along with George Francomb and Josh Dawkin with Remy Martin taking over the captain's armband.

Stone bundled Town further in front on 54 minutes when Jamie Thurlbourne's dipping corner struck the centre back on the City goal line and rolled in. Tudur Jones' precise pass bisected the static Linnets backline but Dean Florence's sidefooter sailed off target with City's youngsters probing for a way back into the contest.

Jamie Thurlbourne's slaloming run and sweet cross deserved the finish to match but Jack Defty was inches from connecting with Matthews stranded. Matthews denied Jack Defty with a wonderful one handed reaction stop on 81 minutes to claw away the skipper's point blank header. Town's skipper was withdrawn moments later to a standing ovation before Bryan Gunn's son, Angus, made his bow for the excellent Matthews.

t King's Lynn Town: Street (Hails 75), C Defty (Buhlemann 58), Alsop (Newton 66), L Thurlbourne, McNeil (Plumb 75), Stone, Spriggs (Doherty 53), White (Kelly 53), J Defty (Moreira 82), Cubberley (Smith 58), J Thurlbourne. Goals: J Defty (37), Stone (54)

t Norwich City XI: Matthews (Gunn 83), Jones (Florence 45), Gordon (Sturman 77), Gill (Tudur Jones 45), Askou (Francomb 45), MacKenzie (Stephens 45), Dobbs (Brindley 45), Clunnan (Loza 45), Drmola (Oakley 61), Ball (Dobbs 75), Oakley (Dawkin 45).

t Referee: J Turner (King's Lynn)

t Attendance: 1,012