Gloucester City four points adrift from safety after narrow defeat to King’s Lynn
Gloucester City slipped to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of King’s Lynn Town to leave the Tigers four points from safety in the National League North, writes Peter Hill.
After a goalless first half, second half goals from Owen Devonport and Jonathon Margetts saw the visitors take a 2-0 lead, before Theo Robinson reduced arrears late on.
The day started badly for Gloucester City, Joe Hanks went down with a head injury for 13 minutes and eventually had to be stretchered off.
In the second half King’s Lynn were able to make their presence felt with two important goals in the relegation battle, as Devonport tapped home and Margetts finished off a ball over the top.
Theo Robinson’s late consolation wasn’t enough for the hosts.
Gloucester City manager Mike Cook was disappointed with how his side performed at the TigerTurf Stadium.
“For 20 minutes in that second half it just didn’t look like us… to go two-nil down and then start playing a little bit better is not great,” Cook said.
“I don’t think we played anywhere near the football that we played last week and the week before,” added Cook.
It was a slow start to the game with neither team being able to create anything of note in the first 22 minutes.
There was a lengthy stoppage midway through the first half when Joe Hanks went down with a head injury. He was down for 13 minutes before being stretchered off and replaced by Brandon Smalley.
The first shot on target went to the home side when Danny Wright had an effort that went straight into the hands of Paul Jones.
At the start of the extended injury time period, Max Ram went close when his header hit the bar. He again went close at the end of the period when his shot went just passed the post.
It was however the visitors that nearly went in front when Margetts rounded the goalkeeper but couldn’t convert from a tight angle.
Gloucester had the first opportunity of the second half when Wright set up Theo Robinson, but he could only blaze over.
King’s Lynn then took the lead when Ben Stephens played the ball down the line to Margetts who squared it across to Devonport who tapped home to give the visitors the lead.
They then had a glorious opportunity to wrap the game up when Margetts was played through one-on-one, but his effort crashed against the post.
The next time the chance came around they were able to make it count, as Margetts got onto the ball over the top and lobbed it over Liam Armstrong.
Robinson pulled one back at the end as he was able to head home at the back post but it wasn’t enough.
Next up for Gloucester City is a trip to Chorley in midweek.
Gloucester City: Armstrong, McGrory, Hamilton, Ram, Leeson, Hanks (Smalley 36), Durrell (Beresford 73), Rowe, Pinchard, Wright, Robinson.
Subs not used: Dennis, Tolley, O’Boyle.
King’s Lynn Town: Jones, Ronan, McFadden, Taylor, Coulson, Crowe, Hargreaves, Morrison, Devonport (Cybulski 75), Margetts (Castro 80), Stephens (Hughes 90).
Subs not used: Dixon-Hodge, Rogers.
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Theo Robinson (Gloucester City)
READ MORE: Check out Saturday’s results in and around Gloucestershire right here
