King's Lynn maintained their perfect start to the season with a seventh straight win on Saturday – but they were made to work mightily hard to achieve it.

Joint manager Gary Setchell had warned beforehand that his side would find it tough at St Ives, and his prediction was spot on as the Cambridgeshire outfit limited the Linnets to one Danny White goal, while also missing a penalty.

The visitors were forced to battle every inch of the way for the three UCL points – and the way they came through a stern challenge delighted their other joint boss, Kevin Boon.

With five straight league victories behind them, in addition to two wins in the early rounds of the FA Cup, Lynn are flying at present, and Boon was a proud man as he reflected on another success.

'It was a horrible game, if truth be told – a tough physical battle with not a lot of good football being played,' he said. 'But we left with three points in the bag and that is the only thing that matters. Over the course of a season you are always going to get games like this – and you have just got to go out there, work your socks off and do a professional job.

'In some ways I'd say that was our best result of the season so far because it took a real team effort to get all three points. All the players who started, and the substitutes, played their part and I have got nothing but praise for all of them.'

On a warm, windy afternoon on an indifferent surface, the only goal was scored in the 35th minute by White, after Jordan Yong had played the ball into the feet of Robbie Harris. He flicked the ball into the path of the advancing White, who placed the ball wide of the St Ives keeper and into the bottom corner of the net.

By that time St Ives had missed the target with a hotly-disputed penalty and from that moment onwards the hosts kept them largely at arm's length. Paul Cousins, who had an excellent game in the heart of the defence, was unfortunate not to get his name on the score sheet when he launched a firm header from a corner sent over by Stephen Spriggs, only to see it kicked off the line.

Jack Defty was also unlucky not to score on two occasions due to good work by the keeper, the second save being a brilliant tip over the bar from a shot on the turn.

'It was one of those days where you don't like to single anyone out because they all did their jobs well but it's only right to mention Paul Cousins, who sustained a nasty cut on his head early in the game. He could easily have gone off but stayed out there and played superbly. That sums up the spirit in the camp right now,' said Boon.

The victory leaves King's Lynn in third place in the Premier Division on 15 points from five games, with Long Buckby in pole position after winning six out of six.

With no midweek fixture the Linnets can now concentrate on their work in training before Saturday's FA Cup clash with Haverhill at The Walks.

• King's Lynn: Street, L Thurlbourne (Fryatt), Yong, Cousins, Wall, White, Spriggs (Cole), Bexfield, Defty, Beaumont, Harris (Calver). Sub not used; Johnson.