Trophy hunters £20k richer

King's Lynn Town manager Gary Setchell is hailing his Linnets for giving everything in Saturday’s failed bid to reach the last eight of the FA Trophy and keep the competition's prize money rolling in.

Setchell's team, along with Tommy Lawson's Skelmersdale United, were both unlucky not to beat Conference Premier outfits Southport and Luton Town to book berths in the FA Trophy's Quarter Finals and carry on flying the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's flag as the competition's lowest ranked sides.

Lawson's heroes were beaten by two late goals at Luton but they and the Linnets, who lost 2-0 at home, have pocketed more than £20,000 during their runs. Had they gone through, Monday’s Quarter Final draw would have booked Lynn another home tie against Wrexham with Skelmersdale missing out on Grimsby at home.

Both would also have banked another £7,000 in prize money alone and missed out on the £8000 on offer in the next round. Wembley's eventual winners pocket £50,000.

Setchell has revealed how close he believes his side came against Southport who ended their hopes of taking a sixth higher league scalp in the competition in front of just under 1,500 at The Walks.

Telling the Eastern Daily Press his men can be proud of their efforts, Setchell said: "Credit to Southport. They didn't come here and take us lightly. They came here and absolutely worked their socks off against a Step 4 side. I think we made them earn the victory. We didn’t roll over and let them have it. They had to work to get to the quarter-finals.

"It's not often a Lynn team lose 2-0 and get clapped off. They got clapped off because they deserved to be clapped off. They gave everything, everything that every supporter would do if they were on the pitch. There is not a player in the dressing who couldn’t have given me anymore."

Setchell is ruing costly key moments after matching Southport for large parts of the Third Round clash. The visitors took the lead 60 seconds after Russell Dunkley headed against the bar and Dan Quigley saw an effort hooked off the line. And with five minutes left, as the home side poured forward to level it, a mix-up between Richard Bunting and keeper Alex Street confirmed the Conference club's progress.

Setchell said: "We had a lot to deal with on the pitch. I know they did. But we could have gone 1-0 up. I was too far away to see if it was on the line or over it but I felt someone could have got something on it to put it in.

"Then a minute later we're 1-0 down to an unbelievable strike. You can't defend that. I thought we had been good value up until then. We kept trying, working hard. But in these type of games it is fine margins. They got the goal and then later on, we're on top, and then we lose Dunkley to a hamstring injury. It was a kick in the teeth.

"And then when we're really on top, and the crowd are behind us at 1-0 down, and I was thinking 'we’re going to get a goal here and we're off to Southport for a replay', we kill ourselves with a mix-up. It absolutely killed the game. Tie over. Out of the cup. All in that passage of play. It's disappointing because I honestly felt, with everyone behind us, we could have nicked something."

Monday's FA Trophy Quarter Final draw saw former Evo-Stik NPL Premier side FC Halifax Town draw Dartford at home while Gainsborough Trinity host either Gateshead or Barrow AFC in the remaining tie.