AFC Telford United 1

King's Lynn Town 3

King's Lynn Town turned in arguably their best performance of the season with an outstanding National North victory at Telford's impressive New Bucks Head Stadium.

First half goals from the Linnets strike duo of Michael Gash and Adam Marriott put the visitors into a deserved interval lead which was added to by Alfie Payne, who marked his full Town debut with a great strike 10 minutes after the restart meaning James McQuilkin's response for the home side was purely academic.

"We were superb today, absolutely excellent," said manager Ian Culverhouse following the win that moved the Linnets up to third in the early season league table.

"The club and myself are extremely lucky in the fact that we have a very talented group of individuals representing them. They work hard and today have got what they deserved for their efforts."

Culverhouse also had special words of praise for youngster Payne, who joined up with the Linnets days before the start of the season on a season long loan from Norwich City. "Alfie is a very talented kid who will only get better over the course of time. He has many attributes to his game and he shifts the ball quickly. He will be a great addition to the squad over the season."

Culverhouse opted for three changes to his starting line up in the midweek Brackley draw with Ryan Jarvis, Sam Kelly and Payne replacing Ryan Fryatt, Jordan Richards and Chris Henderson who had to make do with bench places.

Both Kelly and skipper Michael Clunan tested keeper Corey Addai early on who dealt easily with their efforts. Addai though was helpless to prevent Lynn taking the lead through Gash who outmuscled two home defenders before slotting beyond the keeper following a raking cross field ball from Aaron Jones.

The full back then fed Clunan who tested Addai from 16 yards and then Marriott saw a header clawed away wonderfully by the overworked keeper. Despite the visiting pressure Brendon Daniels should have levelled the scores but flapped at a close range chance and just before the break he and his team mates were made to pay in full when Marriott showed true poacher instincts from three yards to nod the ball into an empty net after Jones' initial shot was parried.

The half time whistle was greeted with boos from a restless home crowd but they did see a response from their team as both McQuilkin and Darryl Knights finally gave Alex Street some work in the Linnets goal.

Town responded in the best way possible to the pressure with a third goal following the move of the match. Gash's quick thinking released Nathan Fox who in turn picked out Payne who found himself in acres of space, allowing him to take the ball on and rifle past Addai to seal the points.

The only blot on Lynn's perfect day was McQuilkin's consolation goal which ruined their chances of keeping their first clean sheet of the campaign but it mattered little on a day which had seen the visitors control the game from start to finish.

AFC Telford: Addai, White, Deeney, Walker (Lait), Sutton, Streete, Cowans, McQuilkin (Brown), Williams, Daniels (Dinanga), Knights. Unused subs: Lilly, Royle.

Goal: McQuilkin 62.

King's Lynn Town: Street, Jones, Fox, Jarvis, Smith, McAuley, Clunan, Payne (Richards), Gash, Marriott, Kelly (Fryatt). Unused subs: Henderson, Barrows, Hawkins.

Goals: Gash 18, Marriott 44, Payne 55.

Booking: McAuley

Referee: Joseph Johnson

Attendance: 1,003