Three goals in a crazy seven-minute spell ended King’s Lynn Town’s hopes of a much-needed win as they lost 3-2 at home to Wealdstone.
Lynn had battled their way back into the game thanks the first of two goals by debutant Kairo Mitchell, and looked to be in the driving street midway through the second half.
But Wealdstone refused to lay down and Danny Parish put them ahead only for Mitchell to level again.
But just as Lynn thought they were ready for a second wind, Parish struck again with his hat-trick goal to steal the points and condemn :Lynn to their fourth defeat in a row.
It was Lynn’s first game for 10 days, since a 2-1 defeat at Weymouth, a game they really shouldn’t have lost. Manager Ian Culverhouse made four changes to that side - out went Rory McAuley, who was red-carded, Cameron King, the injured Aaron Jones and Dayle Southwell, who was on the bench. There were starts for Mitchell and fellow newcomer, centre-half Danny Lupano, while Sonny Carey was rewarded for some impressive appearances off the bench and Ross Barrows came in at right-back for Jones.
Wealdstone came up, like Lynn, as champions of the feeder league, in their case the South division, so the Linnets would have been putting the game into the winnable category. But the best laid plans don’t always work out and after just six minutes the visitors were ahead. Dennion Lewis skipped past an aborted challenge by Lupano, on the halfway line, made ground to the edge of the area, knocked it right to Ross Laffayete who in turn pushed it wide to Parish who cracked it past Archie Mair from 10 yards. Lynn’s new-look defence had been split open.
Mitchell picked up a loose ball and got himself one on one with the keeper, who was quick to smother – the closest Lynn got in the opening half. But within three minutes of resumption, it was all square. Lynn had possession on the right and looked to be crowded out, but Carey worked a opening for a cross with his left foot, and Mitchell was in plenty of space, able to guide a header past Harvey Isted from eight yards.
Brown came within inches of getting on the end of Mitchell’s flick as Lynn looked for a second. There was still danger - Mair had to push a Parish shot out for a corner – but Lynn were now in charge.
But then came those three goals in seven minutes: the first, on 67 minutes, saw Wealdstone go ahead for a second time as a corner from the right was headed through a crowd by Parish.
Three minutes later Mitchell struck again - chasing a lovely through ball by Carey and clipping it over the advancing keeper.
But four minutes later Lupano brought down Ross Lafayette in the area – Parish stepped up and while his effort was brilliantly saved by Mair, the ball fell kindly and he knocked the ball home from close range.
King’s Lynn Town: Mair, Barrows, Lupano, Brown, Jarvis, Clunan, Richards (Kelly 68), Carey (Loza 81), Marriott (Power 81), Mitchell. Subs: Barker, Southwell.
Goal: Mitchell 48, 70
Wealdstone: Isted, Efete, Okimo, Cawley, Mendy, Phillips, Green, Dyer (Benyu 90), Parish (Wishart 84), Lewis, Lafayette (Emmanuel 80). Subs: Smith, Slew.
Goal: Parish 6, 67, 74
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