Report: King’s Lynn Town 1-3 Matlock Town

Holland registered his 100th and 101st goals in Gladiators colours in a second-half purple patch when Matlock netted three goals in nine minutes against ten-man Lynn.

The dismissal of striker Michael Frew for a rash challenge on Liam Needham three minutes before half-time certainly did not help a Lynn side on a barren run, Matlock leapfrogging them in the standings.

Home central defender Henry Eze experienced a strange start.

Inside the opening minute he was fortunate not to concede an own goal as he stuck out a leg to Niall McManus’s left wing cross, the ball bouncing within a whisker of the far post. From the corner, Muhammed Sabo glanced wide when well placed.

But on three minutes Eze was all smiles as he gave the Linnets the lead, meeting a free-kick on the left from Jordan Yong to power a header over Jon Kennedy and into the net.

Looking for a swift reply Matlock might have made more of some promising situations.

Jamie McDonagh rushed his shot from the edge of the box before Needham scuffed an effort from a similar distance.

Referee George Sprague then instantly flashed the red card at Frew who showed his studs in challenging Needham, at the same time infuriating the home crowd.

Matlock boss Mark Hume brought on Otis Khan at the break who had swapped places in the match day squad with Holland.

It proved to be a good move. Josh Meade was sacrificed and Khan was a threat straightaway with weaving runs from both flanks which increased the worry in the Lynn defence by the minute.

But the final piece of the jigsaw was missing and Hume boldly sent on Danny Frost to replace Oscar Radford.

Matlock needed to be patient. The direct approach had not worked successfully, a little invention was required.

The equaliser finally came when McDonagh curled a low 20-yarder goalwards on 74 minutes which Alex Street, possibly unsighted, got a hand to but could only fingertip into the corner of the net.

It was the break Matlock wanted and five minutes later they had turned the tables completely.

McDonagh was this time the provider, bursting into the box to slip an intelligent pass to Holland who took the ball in his stride to score with a low diagonal shot into the opposite corner to reach the treasured century of goals.

Lynn now looked a spent force and when Ross Watson brought down Danny Frost, goal number 101 for Holland quickly followed, the penalty being stroked home in style.

Kennedy tipped a late header from Watson over the bar from a corner on the left, but the points were now secure and on their way back up the A17 and the disappointment of the narrow defeat at Rushall three days earlier was now firmly behind the Gladiators.