Recap: King’s Lynn 1-4 Harriers

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HARRIERS stormed to their biggest win of the season with a storming 4-1 victory at King’s Lynn to advance to the National League North Promotion Final.

While giving full respect to a high-quality opposition in Lynn who finished second and on more than 90 points this season, there was a clear and decisive winner at The Walks on this semi-final day.

Harriers made it a sensational eight wins in a row in Norfolk and, in truth, the efforts of the home goalkeeper are to thank for the score line not being comfortably higher.

Alex Penny side-footed wide as early as the first minute and headed over ten later, before Harriers were awarded a penalty after Dixon-Hodge wiped out Hemmings in the area. Hemmings stepped up, but the custodian did excellently to beat away the effort from twelve yards.

Hemmings and Harriers were undeterred. On 20 minutes an incisive forward charge played in Hemmings again but Dixon-Hodge denied him superbly with an excellent save.

Come 23 minutes, Harriers had the breakthrough. Leesley’s forward ball was latched on to by Hemmings who, it seemed, had been taken away from the target from a defender, only for an opportunistic shot to still find a way home after deflecting off the keeper.

King’s Lynn responded well and were back on level terms pretty much from the restart, Ben Stephens heading home past Christian Dibble from close range.

The final moments of the half were packed with chances, first when Hemmings struck the post after skipping the ball past his man. After Callum-McFadden then nodded wide of the far post from just five yards at one end, Amari Morgan-Smith’s close-range header at the other end was superbly tipped over by Dixon Hodge.

Hemmings was in once again in first half added time, his near-post effort parried away by the goalkeeper.

Stephens was always a threat for the hosts and he volleyed over with four minutes gone after the restart, but Harriers took charge from there and were in front again on 54 minutes; Brown and Richards expertly combining to set up Morgan-Smith who swept the ball home from ten yards.

A minute past the hour, a Joe Leesley corner was met in the area by a wonderful header by skipper Shane Byrne to make it 3-1, his looping effort finding the top corner past the helpless dive of Dixon-Hodge.

Then, ten minutes later it was 4-1 and very much game over. After Lynn misjudged the bounce of the ball in the Harriers half,   the visitors set off on the charge once more – Hemmings setting off before sliding in Zak Brown who kept his composure excellently, firing the ball under Dixon-Hodge before revelling in the celebrations.

Lynn barely laid a glove on Harriers in the 20 that followed as the visitors saw out their win. The Reds deservedly soaked in the applause of their away following, knowing there’s still one more, big task to face.

Harriers in the Promotion Final at Brackley Town

Get the full team line-ups and key match facts at The Match Centre.

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