MONEY can buy class. Rovers learnt this the hard way on Saturday, because for all their fighting spirit and encouraging passages of play, they were unlocked by one moment of brilliance from King's Lynn's collection of Norwich City old-boys.
The Greens matched the high-flying Linnets throughout, and were wise to potential threats from their expensively assembled opponents.
No fewer than five of the home side's line up, including debutant former Northern Ireland international Phil Mulryne, have previously treaded the boards at Carrow Road.
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On paper Rod Brown's approach to the arduous task that faced his players may have seemed a pragmatic one.
He deployed an unfamiliar 4-5-1 system with veteran John Snape providing insurance to younger midfield colleagues Sam Alsop and Dave Bridgwater, while Gary Hay battled from the front as the Greens' lone ranger.
However, negativity wasn't the order of the day where Rovers were concerned. Alsop and Bridgwater showed no fear in trying to control and pass the ball through midfield, and Matt Birley enjoyed success in his right wing berth, surging beyond left back Ben Chapman on several occasions in the first half. And despite setting out with a solitary striker, Rovers were able to match the Linnets in chances created.
On-loan Guy Sanders went the closest, forcing a sprawling Scott Howie to turn a header round the post after Kevin Banner had picked the defensive lock with a deftly delivered free kick.
But it was just one swing of a boot that allowed Kings Lynn's quality to tell, with another ex-Canary Danny Bloomfield's sublime 29th minute finish being the only act to divide the two sides.
Joe Francis found space to stretch his legs inside the Rovers half before hitting a searching pass to Bloomfield on the edge of the box. With an open stance, the striker cleverly used the pace of the pass to steer a first time half-volley into the top left hand corner of Karl Lewis' net.
Although the goal didn't seem to affect the Greens' mindset, any form of advantage to King's Lynn was always going to leave Brown with a conundrum. Should he continue with one up front and allow the five-prongued midfield to gradually carve out chances, or should he throw Jermaine Clarke into the mix and risk leaving the back four more exposed to the possibility of conceding a killer second goal.
Clarke eventually took to the field just beyond the hour mark and ironically squandered Rovers' best opportunity for an equaliser at the death.
Five minutes of injury time had been played and Rovers had the Linnets stretched. Jamie Petty broke from the left back position and released Birley with a precise cross-field pass, but as the former Birmingham City trainee picked out Clarke, the powerful striker hit his first time shot over the bar.
And so Rovers weren't to get their reward for a brave display. They never allowed themselves to be bullied or overawed by one of the league's best sides.
This third defeat on the bounce may have prolongued an unwanted losing streak, but after the nature of this display the Greens were able to leave Norfolk sensing the start of a winning one.
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