King’s Lynn Town welcome back some of their big-hitters this weekend when they make the long trip to Hereford.
Battling midfielder Cody Johnson is available after serving a one-game suspension, while the more senior heads of defender Greg Taylor and striker Jonny Margetts should be available after injuries which ruled them out of last weekend’s FA Cup win over Cheshunt.
Margetts is a player Lynn visibly miss, not just for his goals but as a player whose presence on the pitch affects things around him.
Goals have been at a premium for Lynn this season – only once have they scored more than two in a game and they’ve had three blanks in eight National League North outings.
Boss Adam Lakeland started Gold Omotayo against Cheshunt and kept him on for the full 90 in the hope he would get a confidence-boosting goal – had two headers not been disallowed the plan might have worked.
Bart Cybulski came on for a few minutes, but is short of match fitness – but Lakeland is optimistic that goals will come.
“I think I'd be more alarmed if we weren't creating opportunities,” he said after the cup win. “Today we've created a lot of opportunities. I think against Curzon (0-2) maybe not too many clear-cut, but we had two or three. It's not something I'm concerned about.”
Margetts’ return is what could turn the chances into goals.
“I know we've not been at our best today, but we've got through and it's showed probably the strength of the group,” he said. “It's tough for lads who've not been playing regularly to come into the team and be at the same levels as maybe the lads who've been playing a little bit more often.
“Now it's about just resting and then working hard again. We've got to keep on improving and developing as a team - and we will do.
“Even if we'd have won by a much bigger margin I'd be saying the same thing. We've got a lot of work to do. We need to keep improving. We've got a lot of new players in that group. We're playing a different system, a different style of football and it will continue to take time. There will be bumps in the road and bits of inconsistency in results and in our play. But I'm confident that we'll keep on getting better.”
While Lynn have slipped from the play-off spots to ninth in the table, Hereford are fifth – but the teams are level on points, Lynn’s goal difference telling against then.
Hereford’s away form is better than their home form, with seven points on their travels and five from four games at Edgar Street – where they were beaten 1-0 by newcomers Needham Market earlier this month.
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