On a day when big centre forwards were the talk of the town, it was appropriate – and unfortunate – that Michael Gash should be the unwitting architect of King's Lynn's first home defeat of the season.

Gash is as honest as the day is long and was arguably one of the team's better performers on a day of huge frustration on and off the field. Lynn spent a good part of 90 minutes slugging it out with Chesham and laid siege to their goal for almost all of the second half.

But when Gash tried to manoeuvre his way out of trouble 35 yards from his own goal, 81 minutes on a heavy pitch took its toll. He was surrounded, hunted down by maroon shirts and dispossessed; he was powerless as David Hutton fed Chesham's nippy striker Joe Iciofano who slotted it expertly over keeper Alex Street.

It was a major body blow for the Linnets, who later announced the departure of recent signing Grant Holt.

The visitors had hit the underside of Street's bar in the first half, and the keeper did well to deny Iciofano when he appeared out of nowhere to smother the ball as the on-loan Northampton man prepared to pull the trigger.

Ryan Fryatt's header was tipped over by Chesham keeper Hafed Al-Droubi and Leon Mettam fired into the side netting off a superb pass from Craig Parker.

The Linnets siege of opposition territory only increased the frustration as the rewards proved impossible to find. For all their possession, Al-Droubi was rarely directly threatened:

Gash headed a corner downwards which took the sting out of it and allowed Chesham to clear off the line, before Fryatt did well to deny Chesham on a rare break, hooking the ball away under pressure from three players.

Then came the body blow, from which there was no coming back.

Lynn: Street, Norman, Blake-Tracy, Gaughran, Fryatt, Jarvis, Clunan, Parker (Siddons 86), Gash, Mettam (McQuaid 78), Lappin (Hawkins 62). Subs not used: Ward, Hilliard.

Chesham: Al-Droubi, Crilley, Dhillon, Bevans, Murphy, Locke, Hutton, Bates (Swales 70), Toomey (McGleish 84), Iciofano, Watkins (Bush 80). Subs not used: El-Sahib, Pepera.

Ref: J Burridge; Attendance: 648