King’s Lynn Town go into the hat for Sunday’s first round draw after a battling home win.

It was a classic Michael Gash goal - on the former Linnets striker’s return to The Walks - that put the visitors ahead on 18 minutes, but his successor, Gold Omotayo levelled on the stroke of half-time with his first in Lynn colours.

Lynn lost midfielder Joe Rowley, who was stretchered off with his right leg heavily strapped, on the hour mark, but within a minute the hosts were ahead, Ipswich Town loanee Brett McGavin sliding the ball into the far corner.

Lynn boss Ian Culverhouse was without defender Dan Bowry, who pulled up in training during the week, but kept three at the back, with Ross Barrows moving across and Munashe Sundire taking the left wing-back role.

Lynn had the first clear chance on seven minutes, when Clunan clipped the ball over the left back for Rowley who, with the keeper coming out, tried a lob but saw the ball hit the side netting.

It was all Lynn in the opening stages, but the inevitable happened on 18 minutes when Luke Warner Eley fired in a cross from the left that went over the head of Luis Fernandez – and waiting just behind him was Gash, who gratefully accepted the gift, controlling the ball before firing home.

It could have been all square three minutes later when excellent play by Rowley won space to put a cross in that the diving Clunan headed just wide.

Gold Omotayo headed Jones’s cross into the side netting as Lynn turned the screw and Rowley guided a header straight at keeper Lewis Moat.

Possession was still with Lynn, but the problem was breaking through the orange line protecting Moat.

Brett McGavin saw a 42nd-minute free-kick saved to his left by Moat, but Dion Sembie Ferris kept Paul Jones alert with a header straight at the Lynn keeper.

Ethan Coleman’s downward header from a corner was instinctively tipped over by Moat, but Lynn made no mistake with McGavin’s follow-up flag kick, rising high to level matters in time added on.

Sundire was replaced by Malachi Linton at the start of the second half, with Lynn going four at the back, with Linton up front alongside Omotayo.

Lynn keeper Jones did well to keep put a close-range effort by Sembie Ferris three minutes in, but Rowley went even closer at the near post when he clipped a Linton cross inches wide – hurting himself in the process.

It took Barrett a minute to show off his skills with a beautiful look away pass deep on the right for Linton to cross. Clunan, back to goal, slipped the ball to McGavin on the edge of the area and the Ipswich loanee passed it into the bottom right corner.

Jordan Nicholson thought he had levelled it on 77 minutes but Fernandez did brilliantly to clear it off the line.

It was the visitors’ turn to pile on the pressure, and with 90 seconds of normal time remaining Nicholson shot just inches wide of Jones’s left post. Richard Jones had time to miss a sitter from close range for the visitors.

The visitors battled bravely, but it was not to be.


King’s Lynn Town: P Jones, A Jones, Callan-McFadden, Fernandez, Barrows, Coleman, Sundire (Linton 45), McGavin (Gyasi 83), Rowley (Barrett 60), Clunan, Omotayo.

Peterborough Sports: Moat, Bazeley, Warner Eley (Herd 65), Fryatt, Jones, Lawlor, Sembie Ferris, McCammon (M Jones 90), Gash, Jarvis (Stevenson 53), Nicholson. Subs not used: Elsom, Miles, McGowan, Moreman.

Att: 1,013