Matlock 3, King's Lynn 2: Carl Heggs' men slipped to a late Unibond Premier Division defeat at the Causeway. The Linnets’ search for an opening league point goes on after Liam King scrambled home from close range on 85 minutes to settle this end-to-end contest.

Matlock 3, King's Lynn 2

Carl Heggs' men slipped to a late Unibond Premier Division defeat at the Causeway.

The Linnets' search for an opening league point goes on after Liam King scrambled home from close range on 85 minutes to settle this end-to-end contest.

Heggs' decision to include Jordan Smith alongside Gareth Sheldon in a front two looked to have paid dividends when the muscular striker hammered the visitors in front on 36 minutes.

Lynn's porous defence was breached two minutes later when Ross Hannah raced through before composing himself to fire underneath the diving Jason White from just inside the box.

Mark Haran clambered above Callum Lloyd to direct Danny Wood's corner past White via the keeper's right hand post after the break but Owen Story's thunderbolt a minute later set up a grandstand finish.

Lynn showed plenty of the battling spirit so badly missing in the opening day defeat to Stocksbridge - but without shoring up their leaky defence Heggs' side can forget their premature pre-season title favourites tag.

Heggs made two changes to his starting line-up with assistant boss Andy Johnson making way for Smith and Zak Martin replacing Liam Murray at left-back.

Story showed his commitment to the cause with a sprint fully half the pitch to dispossess Wood in the early exchanges before a teasing cross that Sheldon headed at Adam Sollitt.

Skipper Craig McAughtrie thundered forward for a corner but planted an unmarked header inches wide from eight yards. Sheldon then stepped up to crash a free kick against Sollitt's left hand post after Smith was hacked down just outside the Town box - the ball ricocheting back into play before Haran smashed clear.

Hannah showed Town would be a threat on the counter as Lynn dominated possession when he latched onto a hopeful punt but dragged a half volley well wide.

Smith fired Heggs' side in front with an instinctive half volley but Town were level when McAughtrie failed to deal with a bouncing ball and Hannah slotted underneath White.

Andy Boyce earned a yellow for an ugly spat with Gareth Davies after leaving Wood on the deck with a crunching challenge - Davies lucky not to see red after himself clearly striking the big centre back.

Story dragged Lynn back into it with a sublime dropping volley from 18 yards that had even the home fans applauding. McAughtrie needed all his experience to repel the lanky Dene Cropper at the other end but Lynn were undone on 85 minutes after Haran's header cannoned back off White's bar before dropping for King to apply the finishing touch.

Sheldon led the breakout in stoppage time but his cut back across the six yard box evaded Story before Lynn's targetman wastefully tried to lob Sollitt from the follow up.

t Matlock: Sollitt, Brough, Featherstone, King, Haran, Laight, Wood (Jackson 79), Warne, Cropper, Hannah, Davies. Subs not used: Riley, Cartwright, Foyle, Buxton.

t King's Lynn: White, Magunda, Martin, Birley, McAughtrie (Murray 87), Boyce, Story, Lloyd, Sheldon, Smith, Beswick (Green 58). Subs not used: Johnson, Webb, Whatsize. Bookings: Boyce, Magunda, Lloyd.

t Referee: A Tankard (Yorks)

t Attendance: 378