Mark Hearle reflects on a tough week for King’s Lynn Town in his regular column for Your Local Paper. After suffering a third consecutive defeat, a 2-1 loss to South Shields, manager Adam Lakeland is clearly feeling the pressure. The defeat followed two other setbacks, a loss to Chorley the previous weekend and a home defeat to Farsley Celtic on Tuesday. The team has been struggling with a significant injury list, leaving the squad stretched thin. Key players like defender Freddie Sass and midfielders Josh Hmami, Sam Walker, Cody Johnson, and Josh McCammon, as well as Gold Omotayo, were all unavailable for last weekend’s match, which has added to the manager’s difficulties.
Hearle sympathizes with Lakeland’s plight, as any team, regardless of its level, would struggle with such a depleted squad. However, he does have some reservations about the manager’s recent comments following the South Shields defeat, particularly regarding the officiating and the long travel distances that have been wearing on the team. King’s Lynn felt aggrieved by an assistant referee’s decision to award a goal to South Shields after the ball had appeared to hit the crossbar and bounce away, but the official ruled it had crossed the line. While Hearle understands the frustration of feeling wronged by a contentious decision, he emphasizes that such instances tend to balance out over the course of a season. Lakeland himself later admitted that he felt the penalty awarded to Lynn in the same game was “soft,” which in Hearle’s view, made the two decisions in the match somewhat even out.
Another point of contention for Lakeland has been the team’s extensive travel schedule. Hearle acknowledges the challenges of being based in West Norfolk, as the club’s geographical location often results in long journeys, especially for away matches in the North. However, he points out that under Chairman Stephen Cleeve’s leadership, the club has made an effort to ease the burden by providing overnight stays for long trips, something that wasn’t always the case in the past. While Hearle sympathizes with Lakeland’s complaints, he reminds readers that long-distance travel is a common issue for many National League North teams, some of which still cannot afford overnight stays and travel long distances on the day of the match.
Despite these setbacks, Hearle notes that King’s Lynn is still holding on to a playoff spot in the league. The unpredictability of the league means that many teams are inconsistent, and the team still has time to recover. With a two-week break before their next league fixture, Hearle hopes that Lakeland can get his squad back to full strength for the challenges ahead. While supporters are understanding of the impact of injuries, they are less forgiving of officiating errors and travel issues, especially when other teams face similar challenges.
Looking ahead to the FA Trophy, Hearle acknowledges that it’s another difficult cup draw for King’s Lynn, as they face Leamington. However, he points out that the Trophy has never captured the imagination of Linnets fans, with many viewing it as a lower priority compared to league performance. The club’s main aim this season is promotion, and while a cup run would bring in some extra revenue, an early exit from the FA Trophy would not be disastrous, especially given the team’s current injury situation. It seems that, for now, the focus remains firmly on securing league success.