November 29, 2025
After these diaries report on their FA Trophy exit at the hands of Peterborough Sports, Oxford City had played three away league games. A 520 mile round trip on a Tuesday night trip to leaders South Shields produced a 1-4 defeat, then a 0-0 draw was achieved at Marine thanks to a brilliant display from keeper Jamie Pardington, signed on loan from Lincoln City. Last Tuesday, the Hoops fell to a lame 0-4 loss at AFC Telford, which left them second from bottom in the table.
Today’s visitors, King’s Lynn, were 15th and despite it still being November, it felt like a must win game for The Hoops.
King’s Lynn Town FC
King’s Lynn is a port and market town in Norfolk located 5 miles from The Wash estuary on the Great Ouse River, and 44 miles west of Norwich. The 2021 census recorded a population of 47,610. Amongst the famous people to have been born in King’s Lynn are Queen drummer Roger Taylor, Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle, Welsh rugby player George North and fictional comedy character Alan Partridge, who is more commonly associated with Norwich !
King’s Lynn Town FC were founded in 2010 after their predecessors King’s Lynn FC were wound up in 2009 when members of the step 3 Northern Premier League. The phoenix club started life in the step 5 Premier Division of the United Counties League and gradually worked their way up the pyramid to be promoted to the National League for the 2020/21 season, where they finished fourth from bottom but were reprieved from relegation due to Covid causing the termination of the National League North and South seasons.
The 2021/22 season saw King’s Lynn finish third from bottom resulting in relegation back to National League North, where they subsequently finished second but lost at home to Kidderminster Harriers in the promotion play-offs. After that they finished 18th, and last season they were 6th and lost 0-1 at Chorley in the play-offs.
Home is the 8,200 capacity The Walks and the home colours are blue and yellow stripes with blue shorts and socks. Their nickname is The Linnets.
King’s Lynn Squad
The manager of King’s Lynn is Ian Culverhouse, who played as a centre-back for Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City, Swindon Town and Brighton and Hove Albion. Culverhouse is in his third spell in the hot seat at King’s Lynn, being appointed this time at the end of October following the resignation of James Rowe, who had been head-butted in a training ground bust-up front of his own players. Two days later Rowe was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault in two incidents which had apparently happened at the club earlier in the week.
Veteran keeper Paul Jones numbers Exeter City, Peterborough United, Crawley Town & Portsmouth amongst his previous clubs, right-back Reece Hall-Johnson had represented Grimsby Town, Northampton Town, Wrexham and Barnet, and midfielder Morgan Williams was a Welsh Under 19 international and had played for AFC Wimbledon, Eastbourne Borough and Dorking Wanderers.
Swiss striker Gold Omatoyo had played for a number of clubs in the UK, most of them for not very long apart from King’s Lynn ! Midfielder Rio Oudnie-Morgan was a current Northern Ireland Under 19 international and was on loan from Ipswich, and Welsh midfielder Sam Collins had joined after being released by Nottingham Forest in the summer. Left-back/left-sided midfielder Bailey Clements had played for Ipswich, Stevenage, Chesterfield and Eastleigh.
Central midfielder and captain Michael Clunan was in the Scunthorpe United side that drew 0-0 at Oxford City last season and forward Adam Marriott had played for Cambridge United, Lincoln, Stevenage, Bromley and Barnet amongst others. Attacker La’Sean Seeley had recently joined on loan from Norwich.
King’s Lynn This Season
King’s Lynn came into today’s game in the NLN with a 5-7-6 record and were 2-5-2 away from home. The two away wins came in their first two away games, beating Hereford 1-0 and Spennymoor Town 5-0. The away defeats came at Chorley, 0-4 after having two players sent-off in the opening 51 minutes, and Curzon Ashton 0-3.
Last time out The Linnets beat Buxton 3-2 at home after falling 0-2 behind. Prior to this they were on a run of just one win in 10 games in all competitions.
King’s Lynn reached the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, bowing out of the competition 2-4 at National League Scunthorpe United. They had earlier eliminated step 2 Chesham United 4-1 and step 3 Royston 5-1, both away from home.
Last weekend, King’s Lynn exited the FA Trophy to step 3 Harrow Borough, losing on penalties after a 2-2 home draw
The average attendance so far this season was 1,178, with the highest being 1,402 for the visit of Darlington.
Ex-Peterborough Sports striker Michael Gyasi was the top scorer with 7 goals but had gone on loan to Kidderminster Harriers. Hall-Johnston was next on 5 goals and Williams had 6 assists to his name.
Previous Meetings
Last season was the first time the two sides had met, with the Linnets doing the double, winning 2-1 at home and 3-1 at Court Place Farm.
Matchday Information
According to AA Route Planner, the journey from King’s Lynn to Oxford is 159 miles via the M11, M25 and M40 and should normally take 3 hours.
A supporters’ coach was being run, leaving King’s Lynn at 10am, with a cost of £25. It looked like around 40-50 Linnets fans had made the journey.
Tickets for today’s game were £13 for adults online and £16 at the turnstile. There were a whole range of reductions depending on ages, from seniors to children. Oxford United supporters could get in for £1 if they showed their ticket for last night’s game against Ipswich Town.
An online programme was available and a cup of tea cost £2.50.
After a wet morning, there were blue skies at the 15.00 kick-off but it was a chilly 7 degrees.
Bet365 made King’s Lynn 10/11 favourites, with Oxford City at 23/10 and the draw 12/5.
King’s Lynn were playing in a kit of dark pink whilst Oxford City were in their traditional blue and white hoops.
King’s Lynn made three changes from the side that started in the win against Buxton in mid-week with Clunan, Marriott and Sealey replacing Omatayo, Oudnie-Morgan and Collins, all of whom were amongst the substitutes.
Oxford City made four changes to the side that crashed heavily at AFC Telford with the return of Zac McEachran, Alfie Potter, Tom Scott and Darnell Johnson.
Matchday Report
The home side started strongly and should have opened the scoring inside the opening two minutes. Ewan Clark cut inside from the right-hand touchline and his curling left-footed shot was heading for the top corner until pushed away by the diving Jones. Jacob Roddy, following up, looked certain to bury the rebound but Jones made a fantastic double save.
A minute later McEachran was scythed down by Wilson for an Oxford City free-kick 25 yards out. Josh Ashby took the kick and sent it over the defensive wall but straight at Jones who had a regulation save to make this time.
The game entered a quiet phase, with King’s Lynn having the majority of the possession but doing very little with it. Oxford City then had a period of possession but the default option appeared to pass the ball backwards at every possible opportunity. Almost inevitably, a short pass from keeper Pardington to Ashby on the edge of the home 18 yard line resulted in the Hoops captain losing the ball under pressure from Marriott, but Pardington held on to the low left-footed shot.
The visitors put the ball into the net in the 14th minute as Williams released Hall-Johnson, whose low ball across the goalmouth was met by the sliding Marriott. However, a raised flag from the linesman chalked off the goal.
When King’s Lynn launched a long-throw into the Oxford City area, the home side had everyone back defending, so when Clark made the clearance, it went straight back to King’s Lynn to keep the pressure on.
With 19 minutes on the clock, Hall-Johnson appeared to hurt himself when whipping in a cross from the right, and the visitors were forced into making an early substitution.
Roddy was forced to concede a corner, which The Hoops defence failed to deal with, but the shot from a tight angle was held by Pardington.
The referee then awarded The Linnets a soft free-kick for a foul on Ross Crane just outside the 18-yard line. Williams bent his kick around the wall but a couple of feet wide.
Scott and Roddy did well to win a corner for the home side, but for the second time in the match the delivery from Clark was poor and easily headed away. King’s Lynn broke quickly and Williams slipped a through pass for Marriott to run clear, but again The Hoops were saved but the linesman’s flag.
Perhaps Oxford City’s first half was summed up when the ball was at the feet of Pardington for at least 15 seconds, but with no-one making runs to receive the ball or wanting responsibility, he eventually had no option but to launch it long in the direction of Josh Parker, who as usual appeared to be fouled when trying to control the ball, but with play allowed to continue King’s Lynn regained possession.
Two minutes later Oxford City won possession on the half-way line and initially looked to press forward against a stretched defence, but 10 passes later the ball was on the edge of their own penalty area.
With 36 minutes played, Clark did well to keep the ball in play, and with the visitors appealing for a throw-in, he attempted a backward pass to Johnson, who missed the ball, and Pardington was forced into a diving save to prevent a goal. After a little deliberation, the referee determined this was a back pass and awarded an indirect free-kick just outside the 6-yard line. Well, it was certainly a backwards pass………
Williams touched the ball to Marriott to take the shot, which was blocked on the line by Johnson. The Linnets gathered the loose ball and sent the ball across the goalmouth which Pardington missed, but Roddy managed to put the ball off for a corner at the far post with an attacker sliding in behind him. The corner was overhit and went off for a goal-kick.
One of these days I would like to see the attacking side with an indirect free-kick take a long run up and simply blast it at all the players on the line and hope it hits one and goes in for an own goal. The sidewards tap allows defenders to charge at the ball to either make a block of reduce the angle !
The home side then had a brief spell of attacking. McEachran’s cross was blocked by an outstretched leg and fell to Ashby, but the shot was weak, and partially blocked, and the ball rolled gently through to Jones.
Roddy ran onto a long-ball down the left-hand touchline from Francis but the cross on the run went high and Jones made an easy catch under no pressure.
Clark then won a corner, from which Jones flapped as two players fell to the floor, and the referee opted for the safe decision to awarded a free-kick to the keeper.
With first-half added time being played, Sealey ran onto a pass from Clements behind Johnson, but his shot from a narrow angle glanced off the bar and off for a throw-in.
It was goal-less at the interval which seemed to be a fair scoreline. Oxford City could have taken an early lead but had shown little thereafter, whereas the visitors were denied by the crossbar and twice by the linesman’s flag.
King’s Lynn came out for the second half as if they had received a dressing down in the changing rooms at half-time and two headed flick-ons looked to have put Dickens clear but again the flag was raised for offside. It must have been close as it looked fine to me !
Ashby was then caught dithering inside the Oxford City area. Declining the opportunity to hoof clear, he turned backwards looking for a team-mate and was tackled. His blushes were spared as first Pardington made a fantastic close range save from Marriott, and then recovered to make another top save to deny Williams. The Hoops were fortunate to still be level as King’s Lynn should have converted at least one of these chances.
Marriott then outmuscled Francis and put Crane clear on goal, but again Partington was up to the task and made his third great save in less than two minutes.
The response from the home side was for McEachran and Parker to combine to send Roddy on a gallop down the left, but again the cross was comfortable for Jones for claim.
A poor pass from Johnson was intercepted on half-way and The Linnets were swiftly on the attack. Francis was able to head the cross away, then Potter then showed good skill to flick the loose ball over a King’s Lynn attacker, who then cynically fouled Potter to prevent him breaking away.
The first yellow card of the game was produced in the 60th minute, after Clunan had elbowed Potter in the face close to the half-way line. Another referee might have produced a red card……
The game was calling out for Oxford City to bring on striker Isaac Westendorf if they were indeed serious about winning this game.
As City pressed, Ashby’s pass aimed for Parker was poor and King’s Lynn cleared but only as far Clark. However. The Hoops midfielder’s first touch was far too heavy and the visitors counter-attacked, and Crane’s cross was blocked by Charlie Wiggett for a corner.
Pardington caught the corner and whilst he was contemplating his clearance there was an off-the-ball incident, which resulted in a yellow card for The Linnets Tom Wilson. City sent the free-kick long and Parker committed a blatant foul on Wilson, presumably retribution for the off-the-ball incident, but Parker escaped a card !
Oxford City created their best chance since the second minute when McEachran put Ashby in space in the left-hand channel, and a low ball across the area reached Potter, but his low drive was saved by the legs of Jones.
There didn’t seem to be much danger when Fleming brought the ball out of the King’s Lynn defence, but he was allowed to continue his run into the Oxford City half, and then threaded the ball for Marriott to run onto. This time Pardington was unable to perform a miracle, and although almost making the save, the ball bounced into the back of the net. 0-1 with 66 minutes played.
After falling behind, Oxford City belatedly introduced Westendorf, and immediately looked a more dangerous side. Clark did splendidly to slide and intercept a pass down the left-hand touchline and got up to run down to the edge of the King’s Lynn area. His low cross was blocked but Ashby was tripped as he went to latch onto the loose ball. However, Ashby could only send a tame free-kick several feet over the bar.
Roddy needless headed off to concede a corner when Pardington could easily have come and claimed, but the keeper made amends by catching the corner.
Oxford City attempted a grandstand finish in the final 10 minutes. Westendorf did well to turn and fire the ball across the goalmouth, but no-one was on hand to finish. Substitute DJ Campton-Sturridge did well to control and cut inside to have a cross put-out for a corner. Ashby’s delivery bounced across the 6-yard line but again no-one was able to make contact.
Westendorf was making himself a handful, and Campton-Sturridge won a free-kick in a good position, which was put out for a corner. Again, Oxford City sent a ball across the King’s Lynn goalmouth and again no-one was able to take advantage, and the ball went off for a goal-kick.
Campton-Sturridge continued to look lively, and who knows what impact he might have made had he been brought on earlier. Parker and Scott both headed forwards but Westendorf was unable to take advantage as Wilson shielded the ball through to his keeper.
City’s attitude was perhaps again illustrated in the 5th minute of 6 added minutes. Rather than launch forward a thrown-in on the half-way line, it went backwards and then under pressure played back to the keeper.
There was still time for Westendorf to win a corner, which produced a goalmouth scramble until Johnson, off balance, could only send the ball high into the air and Jones gathered. The referee blew for full-time.
King’s Lynn deserved the three points as for most of the game they appeared to be the only side attempting to win the game, and would have won by a greater margin but for the brilliance of Pardington in the Oxford City goal.
Oxford City only tried to attack in the opening couple of minutes and the final 10. It was a performance lacking in confidence and ambition, and their poor passing at the back only served to put them in more trouble. Rather than a must win game, they played as if it was a must not lose game, and seemed reluctant to take any risks. On this evidence they are going down, which will at least avoid a few six hour plus midweek return trips up North……..
Oxford City : Pardington – Johnson, Wiggett, Francis ( Wilson ), Roddy - Clark, Potter ( Westendorf ), Scott, Ashby, McEachran ( Campton-Sturridge ) – Parker
King’s Lynn Town : Jones - Fleming, Wilson, Dickens, Clements - Hall-Johnson ( Troso ), Clunan, Crane, Williams – Sealey ( Omatayo ), Marriott ( Oudnie-Morgan )
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