Paddy Davitt King's Lynn 0, Alfreton 4: Lynn's hard pressed support voted with their feet towards the end of this abject Blue Square North defeat at The Walks. England semi-pro international striker Paul Clayton's close range fourth was the signal for a steady stream heading to the exits long before the final whistle.

Paddy Davitt

Lynn's hard pressed support voted with their feet towards the end of this abject Blue Square North defeat at The Walks.

England semi-pro international striker Paul Clayton's close range fourth was the signal for a steady stream heading to the exits long before the final whistle.

Tom Curtis' third for the visitors had sparked cries of 'what a load of rubbish'. It was hard to argue. Mark Camm's tame penalty miss seconds earlier only stoked the home fans' ire - Lynn's second consecutive spot kick gaffe in recent weeks.

To label it a decisive turning point would overplay the hosts' contribution. Scott Howie had previously denied Simon Marples from the penalty spot after Mark Peters upended Anton Brown.

The excellent Ian Ross rifled a free-kick past Howie minutes later to double Alfreton's lead following Kyle McFadzean's close range first half strike.

Lynn look a team that has downed tools upon reaching the 45 point mark. No goals, let alone points, in 270 minutes of league football.

Keith Webb's men head to Hinckley today more in hope than expectation of turning around their slump. Defeats for both Hyde and Burscough this afternoon will mathematically banish lingering relegation fears - not a moment too soon on Lynn's latest offering.

“I would describe this as a crisis,” said Webb. “It's the first real bad run I've had since I've been here.

“We're coming up short and I am coming up short. You find out about players when things are really at their worse and that is certainly the case with a few of them.

“They pick the team and the squad through their performances and if they want to play for this club they are going the wrong way about it. Soon it will reach a point where the decision will be taken out of their hands by the board.

“It does look like we've turned it in, but it's not for the want of me telling them. We're not safe yet. Even though things are a bit low at the minute I'm still hopeful we can get it right off the pitch and put ourselves in a position to challenge in the future.”

Webb's own position could become clearer at a scheduled board meeting later this week, with the Linnets' chief out of contract in the summer.

“You can talk about the uncertainty around my position but if the players want me to have the job, then they are going a funny way about it,” he said.

“I'm led to believe there is a meeting Tuesday so, no doubt, it will be discussed then. Everyone knows what has happened here off the pitch and it does make your job difficult, but people forget that.

“Supporters will only look at results and they have every right to moan. People pay money to come and watch us. These lads are still getting decent wages to play football and the reality is they are not producing.”

Webb admits he has limited fresh options at his disposal for today's trip to the Knitters, after making three changes to Saturday's starting 11.

“We'll go with what we've got,” said Webb. “I can't make wholesale changes because we haven't got the squad to do that. This is the group we've got now and we're prepared to work with them as long as they show a different attitude.

“If our penalty goes in, its 2-1 and you have a different game. They go straight up the other end, it's 3-0 and you might've just blown the whistle there and then.

“Unless we have an open goal one yard out we don't seem capable of scoring. We haven't got enough goal threats and that has been the problem all season. At Fleetwood last Saturday they had a little bit of an excuse with all the travelling we had done that week. There were no excuses here.”

t King's Lynn: Howie, Graham (Dwyer 58), Smith, Peters, Thomas, Camm, Kelly (Mitchell 74), Johnson, Defty (Renton 85), Joachim, Crane. Unused subs: Fisk, Murray. Bookings: Camm, Defty, Smith.

t Alfreton: Dickinson, Marples, McFadzean, Butler, Wilson, Ross, Law (Hall 82), Brown, Clayton (Cusworth 87), Curtis, Howell (Hearn 78). Unused subs: Flint, Sutcliffe. Goals: McFadzean (30), Ross (63), Curtis (70), Clayton (80).

t Added on time: 1 min/3 mins

t Referee: D Plowright (Notts)

t Attendance: 1,007