New boy Alex Kiwomya scored on his debut as King’s Lynn Town claimed a hard-earned point in a 1-1 draw with National League promotion hopefuls FC Halifax Town.
The winger – signed just last Tuesday - struck seven minutes before the break, with Tom Bradbury’s 52nd-minute goal earning the visitors a share of the spoils.
It will go down as a hard-earned point for Lynn on an afternoon when the fog descended over The Walks and made conditions difficult.
But what will please manager Ian Culverhouse – who signed a new two-year deal before kick-off – is the resolve shown by his players. At times this season they have caved in, but this time they stood firm and proved they can match themselves with some of the division’s better sides.
Lynn led at the break, but had to survive one or two early scares – keeper Archie Mair saved from the unmarked Jeff King with his legs in the opening minutes as the visitors dominated possession.
Simon Power made inroads towards the Halifax area but was dispossessed while at the other end Martin Woods fired a left-footer just inches too high.
Lynn’s best move saw Power break from his own half, push the ball up to Kiwomya, who found Michael Gash, but the centre-forward's ball wide to Power was behind him and the move broke down.
Minutes later Power again broke from inside his own half as he and Kiwomya benefited by swapping wings.
Lynn had successfully reduced the visitors’ early possession and were taking over, and on 38 minutes their efforts were rewarded. Jordan Richards has possession 30 yards and slotted the ball to Dayle Southwell in the right channel. The striker looked up and cut the ball back to Kiwomya who swept it into the roof of the net.
Gash skied one over after Halifax gave possession away cheaply in the left back area. Richards picked the loose ball up, slid it left to Gash who from 20 yards clipped it high
And they paid the price seven minutes into the second half when Bradbury headed over the line from a yard.
Power responded with a low shot which forced the keeper down to save while Halifax’s excellent Summerfield flashed one wide of Mair’s left post.
Culverhouse made a double change on 70 minutes, Adam Marriott and Sinny Carey replacing Southwell and Kiwomya – and within minutes they almost had a sudden impact: Carey saw a shot hit the post, and Marriott prodded the ball into an empty net – just before the whistle blew for offside.
Lynn’s attacking intent was clear through the foggy gloom, frustrated too often by the offside flag.
Carey then put the ball into the net only to be denied by the flag again.
Lynn had an escape when the visitors broke, but Chadwick shot wide when he should at least have troubled Mair.
Lynn: Mair, Barrows, Callan-McFadden, Smith, Brown, Richards, Jarvis, Power (Mitchell 8), Southwell (Marriott 70), Gash, Kiwomya (Carey 70). Subs not used: McAuley, Clunan.
Goal: Kiwomya 38
FC Halifax: Johnson, King, Belehouan (Senior 65), Bradbury, Williams, Summerfield, Woods (Green 53), Earing, Maher, Mansell (Allen 75), Chadwick. Subs not used: Davison-Hale, Danns.
Goal: Bradbury 52
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