Jamar Loza clearly likes doing things in pairs after he struck twice to earn King’s Lynn Town three valuable points in a 2-0 win at Barnet.
It doubled Loza’s goals tally for the season - his late brace against Woking gave Lynn their only other league victory of the season.
Loza was excellent on a night when the memories of their weekend thrashing at Sutton United finally began to fade – the icing on the cake a first National League clean sheet.
Manager Ian Culverhouse was critical of his players after that defeat, but the response was first class – especially a back line brilliantly marshalled by Rory McAuley.
Loza stuck on six minutes and just after the hour mark – while Barnet missed a penalty in the 37th minute.
Culverhouse made three changes to his starting line-up from the defeat at Sutton, opting for three central defenders, with Chris Smith drafted in, while Sam Kelly started in midfield and Kairo Mitchell up front. Sonny Carey, Adam Marriott and Dayle Southwell started on the bench, where there was no Simon Power, who has had a knee injury. Jordan Richards was still missing with injury.
It was clear from the early stages that Lynn were happy to present a white wall for their opponents, who probably thought they had made an early breakthrough when Michael Petrasso found himself with a clear run on keeper Archie Mair. The young Scot came out, went to ground, Petrasso fell but while all expected a spot kick, referee Robert Whitton booked him for simulation.
Minutes later, Lynn went in front. It was all about Loza, who won possession midway through the Barnet half, advanced and just kept going into the right side of the area, shaking off Ben Nugent before planting the ball across keeper Scott Loach and into the bottom left corner
Good work by Kelly almost set up Ross Barrows, whose shot was blocked, as Lynn went for a second goal.
Mitchell was putting in a solo shift, but almost teed up Lozar who, off balance, flicked the ball past the keeper and the far post. Mitchell almost benefited from a good pass from Michael Clunan but Loach came out quickly and got enough on the shot to push it out for a corner.
The tide gradually began to turn in Barnet’s favour and they set up camp around the Linnets area.
What they met was a white wall, led by McAuley, although their failure to equalise was also partly down to their problems getting the final ball right.
Mair did need to get down to his left to claw away an Anthony Wordsworth volley from 20 yards, but then came the second controversial incident in his area. This time it was central defender Danny Lupano who was seemingly to blame, although his tackle on Wordsworth which prompted the referee to blow for a penalty was arguably one of the best of the half. Justice was served when JJ Hooper blasted it over Mair’s crossbar.
Mair then saved well from Harry Taylor, but Lynn’s backline were giving a repeat performance of their FA Cup heroics at Port Vale.
Sonny Carey started the second half, in place of Lupano, prompting a change at the back, Jarvis playing at the base of a diamond.
Loza saw a half volley bounce across Loach’s goal in the early stages and another effort blocked, but Lynn were protecting their lead well.
On 61 minutes, Loza struck again. A throw in from the right was headed on by Mitchell, it fell to Loza who teed it up on his left foot and from 20 yards put it into the bottom left corner.
Mair came to the rescue when he did well to stop a close-range shot by Ephron Mason-Clark.
Barnet, not surprisingly, mounted an assault in the final stages, but that defensive line refused to be broken and with some educated game management, the Linnets returned to Norfolk with three valuable points.
Barnet: Loach, Preston, McQueen, Petrasso (Vasiliou 74), Hooper, Taylor, Fonguck (Faal 74), Binnom-Williams, Mason-Clark, Nugent, Wordsworth. Subs not used: Azaze, Pascal, McBurnie.
King’s Lynn Town: Mair, Barrows, Lupano (Carey 46), McAuley, Smith, Brown, Jarvis, Clunan, Kelly, Loza (King 77), Mitchell (Southwell 88). Subs not used: Marriott, Fleming.
Goals: Loza 6, 61
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here