Keith Webb warned his men they had no time to lick their wounds after late Halesowen heartbreak in this Southern League, Premier Division promotion clash.

Keith Webb warned his men they had no time to lick their wounds after late Halesowen heartbreak in this Southern League, Premier Division promotion clash.

Lynn were minutes from replacing leaders Team Bath at the summit ahead of tomorrow's re-arranged Twerton Park showdown between the title rivals.

Tamworth loan debutant Rikki Bains' nudged the hosts ahead to delight the majority of the 1,442 packed inside The Walks - the division's biggest crowd this season.

Halesowen's Jay Denny diverted ex-Tottenham midfielder Darren Caskey's 86th minute strike past Scott Howie to salvage a draw for the big spending Midlanders.

Team Bath goal machine Sean Canham fired a stoppage time winner to beat lowly Corby 2-1 and keep the leaders two points clear of Halesowen - third-placed Lynn a further two points adrift.

Webb admitted his side head west tomorrow with no margin for error against the Students.

“We have to get something at Team Bath now,” he said. “The players will be okay. They knew they were going to be in a tight game. We just have to get this result out of system and then go again.

“To me, it feels like a defeat and I think we've been hard done by. The frustrating thing is we've conceded another late goal. It's a cruel deflection because Scotty had it covered. When you don't get that second goal to kill teams off you're always vulnerable and that's what happened.”

Webb's new look central defensive axis gelled superbly to thwart the league's highest scorers with Bains and Cambridge United loan signing Gavin Hoyte thrust straight into the home starting line up.

“They did all I could ask of them,” he said. “Greg Crane is available again for midweek after suspension, but I'm going to have a selection headache. Rikki obviously made his mark with the goal but he and Gavin stood up to the threat. They got their foot in and competed well.

“I felt we needed that because with two top sides it was never going to be an open game. We'd accepted that. Second half, we came out, took the game to them and got the goal. We deserved to win the match. You saw the reaction of the supporters at the end how much they appreciated what the lads had done.”

Dean West captained the side in the absence of Warren and deputy Crane.

Howie's agile double stop foiled Yeltz skipper Caskey and Dean Brennan in the opening sparring.

Lynn's excellent keeper clawed out Caskey's smack from the edge of the box before reacting sharply with Brennan poised to slot the rebound.

Danny Bloomfield tested Mark Osborn from Jack Defty's cute layoff before new boy Hoyte lashed wide inside the Yeltz six yard box from Joe Francis' corner.

Mark Camm hacked Stuart Pierpoint's goal bound volley off his own line.

Camm's weighted pass then sprung the overlapping Francis but Bloomfield was inches from despatching his centre.

Pierpoint bravely blocked Hoyte's close range free kick after David Perpetuini was penalised for a deliberate back pass - Caskey cautioned for his protests.

Osborn palmed Bloomfield's first time strike behind after Camm had again unlocked the Yeltz backline.

Michael Frew lashed over in the last act of the half from Defty's towering knockdown.

Decio Gomes flicked out a leg to deny Defty on the restart before Hoyte's attempted follow up struck Pierpoint.

Perpetuini was smartly round on the cover to shepherd away Francis' cross with Frew on the prowl.

Bains headed home from point blank range on 55 minutes after Defty pulled onto the far post to head Francis' pinpoint free kick back across goal.

Lynn's set piece specialist blazed wide but the assistant's offside flag spared Francis' blushes after Defty's initial strike cannoned off Osborn's left hand upright.

Ben Chapman hacked Eldon Maquemba's drilled cross over the bar with Halesowen pouring men forward for a swift reply.

Osborn dropped on Frew's cut back following an intelligent link up with the influential Defty.

Brennan's scuffed shot rolled wide after Maquemba had caused a rare moment of panic in Lynn's makeshift central defensive unit.

Brennan fired off target again after a sharp turn to evade Bains. Howie's heroics foiled Anya from Perpetuini's dipping corner but the Scottish stopper could only palm Caskey's rasping strike into the roof of his net via Denny's fortunate deflection.

Hoyte's ambitious stoppage time pile driver sailed into the Hospital End car park.

King's Lynn: Howie, West, Chapman, Bains, Hoyte, Frew (Turner 80), Camm, Sedgemore, J Defty, Bloomfield (Nolan 72), Francis. Subs (not used): Murray, C Defty, Fisk.

Booking: Chapman

Goal: Bains (55)

Halesowen: Osborn, Gomes, Perpetuini, Pearce, Pierpoint, Denny, Paul (Hamilton 56), Caskey, Brennan, Maquemba (Peter 76), Anya. Subs (not used): Unjaque, Lycett, Abbassi.

Bookings: Caskey, Perpetuini, Maquemba, Hamilton

Goal: Denny (86)

Referee: C Miller (Northants)

Attendance: 1,442