King's Lynn Town 0 Chester 0

Adam Lakeland’s surprise inclusion of his assistant – and now fire fighter – Sam Walker proved to be a master-stroke, which just about sums up how topsy-turvy the world of football can be.

Doubtless many eyebrows were raised when the teams were announced – Walker had played just 14 minutes of football since he and Lakeland took over the reins at Lynn in early October. And at 36 years old, it was a big ask against a Chester side who began the day fourth in the National League North table.

Walker has also been nursing a calf injury and it took a bit of friendly persuasion on the eve of the match to get him out there.

“He's just a top player,” said Lakeland, who had to shore up his team after the disappointing 4-0 home defeat by Curzon Ashton in midweek. 

“It’s been doing my head in that he's not been available, but over a mixed grill at Mem's Kitchen last night I said I need you and I'm just going to have to get you through it.

“He's had an issue with his calf - it's a bit of a strange one because he trains and he feels fine and then sometimes he'll just tighten up, and it just tightened up a little bit there but to be fair, the game was tough and the pitch was getting heavy and he's got through a massive chunk of it.

“I thought that Cameron (Hargreaves) and George (Morrison) playing in there, they looked a lot better probably for having an older head in there with them. But he just sets standards and he’s a leader, a leader of men, and we’ll just have to get him right again this week and see. I think there will be certain games where we have to use him. I think there'll be other games that might not be as suited to him, but I thought he was great today.”

Lynn’s problems, of course, aren’t solved over the course of a goalless draw in front of their own fans: they were rarely a goal threat, although defender Greg Taylor had a golden chance in the second half.

The job was to avoid defeat and experienced keeper Paul Jones played a huge part in that as the game entered its final 10 minutes when he got down brilliantly to his left to deny George Glendon from 10 yards and two minutes later he frustrated Glendon again and then Elliott Whitehouse.

“I think in the context of things and off the back of the week we've had, it's an excellent point for us against a very good team,” said Lakeland. “They've got lots of good players, they're flying at the minute, had a great win during the week, away at Chorley, which is probably one of the hardest places to go.

“We spoke Thursday, Friday about being solid, being organised, making it horrible and just showing everybody that we're up for a scrap. And I thought the lads did that tremendously well today.

“It was a game of very few chances - lack of quality. I felt we had the best chance in the game. I know Jonah’s made a great save down to his left, a bit of a deflected shot, but I felt Greg Taylor's chance was the best chance in the game and their keeper made a save. I think we were well worthy of a point and that gives us something to build on now.”

King’s Lynn Town: Jones, Ronan, McFadden, Taylor, Coulson (c), Hargreaves, Walker (Castro 78), Morrison, Crowe, Devonport (Hughes 89), Cybulski (Margetts 78). Subs not used: Rogers, Dixon-Hodge.

Chester: Stanway, Woodthorpe, Weeks, Burke, Williams, Peers, Glendon, Caton, Whitehouse, Daly (Heywood 69), Okeke (Taylor 69). Subs not used: Windsor, Norton, Hall.

Att: 847