Lynn closed within four points of title rivals St Neots with a tenth consecutive home UCL Premier Division win today at The Walks.

Jamie Thurlbourne's first half brace cancelled out Avelino Viera's leveller before captain Jack Defty scored his 30th of the season in the second half.

'I said to the lads at half-time we can't expect teams to come and lay down,' said joint boss Gary Setchell. 'They had worked extremely hard in the first half and tried to draw us into a battle. For 20, 25 minutes I was thinking this was going to be a tough nut to crack but we scored a tremendous team goal and then Jamie's free kick was a little bit of magic we know he can do. Second half, I felt we bossed the game and they didn't really create too much and we stepped one foot forward.'

Town named the same starting line up that secured the club's last 16 FA Vase spot at Norton & Stockton Ancients last weekend.

Danny Buhlemann, Steve Spriggs and Robbie Harris were all restored after initially starting on the bench against Holbeach in midweek.

Josh Moreman tried his luck with a speculative effort insidfe the opening seconds that swung well wide of Alex Street's goal.

Defty earned a lecture from the official for a sliding tackle on Richard Jones. Jamie Thurlbourne side footed Lynn ahedad on eight minutes from 12 yards after White had latched onto Pat Bexfield's pinpoint crossfield pass.

PNS cleared their lines a minute later when Spriggs picked out Ross Watson's back post run from a floated free kick after Harris was sent tumbling 25 yards out.

Viera harried Jamie Alsop into a mistake before calmly drawing Street and slotting past the keeper to bring the visitors level on 12 minutes.

Bexfield's attacking adventure fashioned another cross for Defty but Town's prolific striker had three PNS defenders quickly converge on him.

The energetic Bexfield clipped a pass into Defty whose flick was anticipated by striker partner Harris but the Town frontman dragged a first time right footer well wide.

Nicky Conroy had to beat away Spriggs' angled strike from close range after the Linnets wideman cleverly tricked Jack Bloodworth inside the PNS area. Spriggs led the break out down the right but experienced midfielder Jimmy Dean was back to head clear his dangerous cross at the near post.

Steet underlined his impressive reputation with an excellent reaction stop to beat away Viera's hit after the mobile frontman cut inside Watson.

Carl Bird then kicked Spriggs' goalbound shot off his own line after PNS stopper Conory failed to grasp. Jones saw yellow just past the half hour after scything down Luke Thurlbourne in midfield. Spriggs and then Luke Thurlbourne were blocked through some committed last ditch defending from the PNS rearguard with Lynn looking to press home their territorial advantage.

Buhlemann miskicked five yards out with Town attempting to finish the half on the front foot but Jamie Thurlbourne's fantastic 25-yard free kick arrowed past Conroy into the top corner on 43 minutes.

Conroy acrobatically tipped Defty's point blank header over on the restart with Lynn back on the front foot.

Jamie Thurlbourne tried again with a long range shot that Conroy got his body behind. Bexfield's close range hit struck Jones with home fans appealing for a penalty before Harris and Jamie Thurlbourne both spurned good chances with Town now firmly on top.

Defty volleyed Town further in front on 67 minutes with a superb left footed strike from 16 yards low into Conroy's bottom right-hand corner.

Second half arrival Chris Bacon almost profited from Conroy's spill but his back post shot clipped a PNS defender. Wayne Morris hacked clear with Jamie Thurlbourne lurking at the far post as Lynn continued to play out the final minutes with few alarms.

Town's two goal hero departed to warm alpplause on 83 minutes for young wide man Gino Livotti. Jon Stead clipped the top of Street's bar with a clever free kick in a late flourish from the game visitors. Bacon stabbed tamely at Conroy from Defty's knockdown.

King's Lynn: Street, Bexfield, Alsop, Buhlemann, Watson, L Thurlbourne (Doherty 78), Spriggs, White, Defty, Harris (Bacon 66), J Thurlbourne (Livotti 83). Subs: McNeil, Hails.

Goals: J Thurlbourne (8, 43), Defty (67)

PNS: Conroy, Morris, Bloodworth, Dean (Glover 88), Jones, Bird, Nyang, Baines, Viera (Clements 66), Stead, Moreman. Subs: Woods, Dobson.

Bookings: Jones, Morris, Dean

Goal: Viera (12)

Referee: P Gooadacre (Lincs)

Attendance: 741