County have the chance to close the gap on the National League top three to at least two points on Tuesday night, as we visit The Walks Stadium looking to do the double over King’s Lynn Town.
Saturday was a good day of results for Simon Rusk’s side, with Torquay dropping points at home to Notts County, Sutton losing at Eastleigh live on BT Sport, Wrexham and Chesterfield sharing the spoils and Hartlepool not in action at all.
Those results, combined with our thumping 3-0 victory at Boreham Wood that extended our unbeaten run to 11 games, saw us move within five points off Torquay at the top of the table and four from third-place Sutton. It also saw us open up a six point gap over FC Halifax immediately below us, after their defeat at home to in-form Bromley.
With Hartlepool again not in action this midweek, victory would see us close the gap on them to just two points with six games to go, as we enter the final stretch of the season. Elsewhere in the National League, Sutton host bottom side Barnet, whilst Torquay are at home to Aldershot.
King’s Lynn were also in action on Saturday as they lost 3-0 at home to Dagenham & Redbridge to continue their recent struggles, extending their current winless run to five games.
Since we last met:
Just two weeks have passed since the two sides met at Edgeley Park in the reverse fixture, as goals from Alex Reid, John Rooney and a Paddy Madden brace sealed a 4-0 win for a rampant County.
Despite the one-sided score line the visitors from Norfolk gave a good account of themselves at times that day, particularly in the first-half, and looked to be doing so again in their next game against Halifax, racing into a shock 2-0 lead at The Shay, before an incredible collapse either side of half-time saw the home side storm back to win 4-2.
They did manage to claim a credible point a few days later, as Michael Gash’s second-half strike earned them a draw away at Aldershot, but they were soundly beaten once again at the weekend by Dagenham to leave them languishing down in 21st.
They continue to miss the presence up front of their top two scorers, Adam Marriot and Kairo Mitchell, following their departures earlier this month to Eastleigh and Chesterfield respectively, but Gash has chipped in with two goals in his last three games for the Linnets. It was Marriot, incidentally, who struck the winner for Eastleigh on Saturday against Sutton United – his first for his new club.
Their star man in midfield remains 20-year-old Sonney Carey, the former Norwich City youngster dazzling at times this season and chipping in with three goals. Holding midfielder Ethan Coleman’s may also be recognised by some County fans – the Brackley Town loanee was on trial at Edgeley Park in the Summer.
The main problem for Ian Culverhouse’s side this season has come at the back – only Barnet and Wealdstone have conceded more than the 72 goals King’s Lynn have let in this season, with 30 of them coming at home. For comparison, County have let in just 28 goals all season.
Match Stats:
- Alex Reid and John Rooney have now scored 29 league goals between them – one more than basement side Barnet have managed all season. Reid is now behind only Michael Cheek and Danilo Orsi in the National League scoring charts.
- Our one and only previous visit to The Walks Stadium came in December 1912, an FA Cup Qualifying tie against King’s Lynn FC, with County running out 7-2 winners.
- County currently hold the joint best defensive record in the division alongside Sutton, whilst only two teams (Torquay and Halifax) have scored more than our 55 league goals this season.
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