LINNETS HOLD HEADS HIGH DESPITE ROUT

KING’S LYNN TOWN’S history-making adventure in the competition may have ended with a bump, but it served as a timely reminder of how far the Norfolk club has come.

- David Richardson

Portsmouth had not long lifted the famous trophy at Wembley in 2008 before the Linnets were wound up just over a decade ago.

Reformed in 2010 and starting out in the United Counties League, they have won seven promotions in ten seasons with back-to-back successes under manager Ian Culverhouse, lifting them to the National League.

He has guided them to more milestones this season with this, their longest FA Cup run for 14 years, but it was always going to be the toughest of tests against a Portsmouth side fourth in League One and 57 places above them in the pyramid.

The hosts showed their class and it was a struggle from the moment Rasmus Nicolaisen headed in after two minutes.

From there, Portsmouth chalked up five more from five different scorers, but King’s Lynn were able to celebrate a well-taken effort from substitute Dayle Southwell.

Pompey boss Kenny Jackett made five changes to his team that drew with Oxford United in midweek and they delivered a professional job which impressed Culverhouse.