A second-half goal condemned King’s Lynn Town to defeat at leaders Chesterfield as manager Tommy Widdrington immediately resumed his hunt for reinforcements.

Liam Mandeville’s goal six minutes after the break ended Lynn’s brave resistance in the only National League game of the day.

It leaves Lynn five points behind Southend, who are on the final safe spot, and with Widdrington ready to dip into the transfer market.

If everything goes to plan, the next target will be sorted on Monday, although it’s likely that no one will be leaving The Walks.

“I don’t want to let anybody go yet,” said Widdrington. “None of them have done anything that makes me think I couldn’t use him or I don’t like him, so I haven’t got any issues with the group.

“We do need to add, definitely need to add. I am going to a game on Sunday to have a chat with the director of that football club because I have made my interest known about a player that I am going to go and watch and hopefully I can do something, which would probably be on Monday.

“I have three or four irons in the fire where I have invited people in because I want to have a look at them. They are at higher level and not playing, so I need to see their fitness and conditioning and stuff like that.

“I want to get people who are going to improve the team - I don’t want to improve my bench, I don’t want to improve behind - got loads of that.

“We have some really good kids here who are willing and they are able. They think they can play 90 minutes at this level every week, but they can’t, so I need people who are going to come into the team, so I will only sign players who I think can start games.”

Widdrington’s targets will be to strengthen the spine of his team.

“Nobody can stand up without a spine,” he said. “I think we need blokes, men. A couple of men down the spine of the side. That’s not detrimental to anybody who is in the spine of the side at the moment, it is just that they are young.”

Eastern Daily Press: Aaron Jones recovered from Covid to play at ChesterfieldAaron Jones recovered from Covid to play at Chesterfield (Image: Ian Burt Photography)

Widdrington was able to name Aaron Jones in his team for Chesterfield, after the full-back shook off Covid, but skipper Michael Clunan was absent.

Chesterfield: Loach, Miller, Whittle, Gunning (Grimes 64), King, Oyeleke (Kellerman 66), Weston, Mandeville, Khan, Tshimanga (Asante 90). Subs not used: Kerr, Payne. Goal: Mandeville 51.
King's Lynn Town: Jones, Fernandez (Kurran-Brown 85), Bowry, Coleman, Omotayo, Widdrington (McGavin 73), A Jones, Sundire (Charles 62), Barrett, Barrows, Scott. Subs not used: Linton, Knowles.
Attendance: 6,328