King's Lynn 0, Burscough 0: Lynn boss Keith Webb branded his side's latest Blue Square North stalemate 'unacceptable'. Skipper Ben Sedgemore's tame early strike was the only shot on target Lynn mustered in an instantly forgettable clash.

By PADDY DAVITT

King's Lynn 0, Burscough 0

Lynn boss Keith Webb branded his side's latest Blue Square North stalemate 'unacceptable'.

Skipper Ben Sedgemore's tame early strike was the only shot on target Lynn mustered in an instantly forgettable clash.

Little festive cheer was in evidence around The Walks as Webb's men were booed off at the interval and again on the full time whistle.

“The fans made their feelings known and I understand that - absolutely,” said Webb. “I was watching the same game. I'm the manager and I'll take the stick when it comes. It's my responsibility to get results but it's the players' responsibility for their performances.

“You work on players, you think you've fired them up and they are making all the right noises but as soon as they cross that white line something is happening. I know it's down to me to sort it out and it will be sorted. I would hope my players are hurting after that but knowing footballers as I do it might hurt for ten or 15 minutes after the game and then they'll move on.”

Webb locked his players inside the home dressing room for a post-mortem before emerging to rank Lynn's latest no show among the worst of his tenure.

“You prepare a team to do a job and then they put in a performance like that,” he said. “I just said to the boys that there had probably been three performances since I've been at the club where I can say it was unacceptable. One of them was Corby last year at home, then Farsley Celtic this year and another one in this game.

“I've been here, what, over 120, 125 games and had three very poor performances. I've never seen us create so little. I don't think the keeper had a save to make. I'm not one to criticise players in public - that is for me to do inside the dressing room - but people can draw their own conclusions after watching that and I can't defend it.”

A first clean sheet in nine along with the league point that actually moved Lynn above crisis club Stafford failed to lighten Webb's mood.

“I've told the players, 'don't try and kid me the clean sheet is a positive',” he said. “Because the other side of it is we didn't create anything. I find it difficult at the moment to express my feelings. It was just a poor performance that wasn't good enough to win the game. You always felt if something dropped for Burscough that would be it.

“I was happy at Workington last week in terms of the effort and commitment. I can accept losing. That is not me being a good loser but if the boys have given it a go and it wasn't our day you can put your hand on your heart. But we were lucky only to be playing Burscough here. I don't mean any disrespect by that but another team would have annihilated us.”

Webb made two enforced changes to his starting line up with key midfield duo Mark Camm and Adam Smith absent through the flu bug that had struck Lynn's squad during the build up.

John Turner and Andrew Fisk deputised. Simon Weaver started on the bench with Ben Chapman and Bradley Thomas restored to a Linnets' defensive unit that shipped four goals at Workington.

Webb kept twin attacking threats Julian Joachim and Joe Francis under wraps on the subs' bench.

Sedgemore's fizzing strike at Steve Dickinson on nine minutes was as good as it got for the frustrated home support.

Burscough wrestled control of the key midfield battleground to dictate the opening period. Scott Howie parried Jordan Stepien's 25-yarder before Matty Parry grazed Howie's right hand upright with a cheeky close range flick.

Webb resisted the urge to tinker at the break. Sean Clancy's deflected drive looped over to growing disapproval from the increasingly restless crowd.

Joachim and Francis' introduction raised spirits. Dickinson flapped at Michael Frew's corner. A football match threatened to break out. Echoes of Stafford's recent league visit to The Walks.

Jack Defty teed up the overlapping Luke Graham to crack a first time strike past Dickinson's left hand post.

The Stafford storm never materialised. Burscough finished the stronger. Captain Brian Moogan's fierce free kick had Howie scrambling across his near post before Wade's shot flew a yard wide.

King's Lynn: Howie, Graham, Chapman, Thomas, Crane, Sedgemore (Francis 57), Turner (Joachim 56), Mitchell, J Defty, Frew (C Defty 73), Fisk. Subs (not used): Weaver, Murray.

Booking: J Defty

Burscough: Dickinson, Goulding, Clancy, Moogan, Brannan (Grogan 64), Evans, Parry, Stanford (Wilson 76), Stepien (Davies 82), Wade, Heler. Subs (not used): Roberts, Grundy.

Bookings: Goulding, Parry, Heler

Added on time: 1 min / 3 mins

Referee: M Chester (Lincs)

Attendance: 860