Following the encouragement of an away victory at AFC Mansfield in midweek, the Lilywhites were left disappointed on Saturday as Kimberley edged to a 1-0 victory at the end of a closely contested encounter.

The result was particularly frustrating given the efforts of the players, but the difficulty of finding the back of the net proved costly. Skegness worked hard to create opportunities throughout the afternoon, but ultimately couldn't find the goal that their endeavour deserved.

Player availability was a significant factor. Luke Rayner-Mistry was unavailable for another game, while the absence of McCauley Parker was also a key blow. Josh Morrall and Oliver Callaby were unavailable too, further limiting the options available.

Conor Marshall returned to the starting line-up, while there were places on the bench for a number of youngsters, including new signings Theo Kitt-Bushell and Jakub Supierz, as well as Isaac Lovelace.

It was noticeable from the outset that Kimberley had opted for a midfield diamond, and that shape appeared to cause Skegness some problems, particularly with the absence of Rayner-Mistry and Parker.

Despite that, when the Lilywhites were able to gain possession in the first half, there were encouraging signs. Skegness looked capable of posing a threat going forward, even if those promising moments did not ultimately produce a goal.

Kimberley, meanwhile, did not cause too many problems on the counter-attack and, overall, the opening 45 minutes was an evenly contested affair. Neither side was able to find the breakthrough, with the teams going into the interval level at 0-0.

Gary King made adjustments to the way the Lilywhites were set up for the second half, with the intention of dealing more effectively with Kimberley's midfield diamond. However, the limited personnel available made it difficult to make the changes needed to completely nullify the opposition's advantage in midfield.

Skegness continued to look for an opening and came close when an excellent cross from Radford was scooped off the line.

There was another excellent opportunity later in the half following a swift counter-attack. Substitute Toby Cotton and Lucas Dakin combined well in attack, with Cotton eventually finding himself one-on-one with the Kimberley goalkeeper.

Cotton rounded the keeper, but rather than shooting from a wide position, he chose to pick out the arriving Dakin and Adams with a cross. The ball found Adams, who appeared to have a great chance to score, but after taking a couple of touches before getting his shot away, the Kimberley goalkeeper recovered brilliantly to get into position and make an excellent save.

It was perhaps the Lilywhites' best opportunity of the afternoon.

Skegness continued to work hard to engineer another opening and find a way to take the lead, but the elusive goal remained out of reach.

At the other end, Kimberley continued to probe, although they offered relatively little to trouble Jake Sykes in the Skegness goal. Apart from an earlier effort that struck the crossbar, the home side struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, with Sykes comfortably dealing with what came his way.

Unfortunately, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 82nd minute.

Kimberley were awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. The initial effort struck the post before falling to a Kimberley player, who returned the ball towards the back post. Robert Da La Silva headed home and put the hosts in front.

It proved to be the decisive moment.

Gary King turned to his substitutes' bench in search of a way back into the game, and the Lilywhites pushed forward in an attempt to find an equaliser. The players continued to give everything, but on this occasion the efforts were fruitless.

A narrow defeat is a disappointing outcome, particularly after the positive result at AFC Mansfield in midweek. Circumstances surrounding the squad cannot be ignored, with some important players unavailable.

Ultimately, though, the story of the afternoon was a familiar one: Skegness worked hard, created moments and came close, but couldn't find the goal they needed to seal a victory on this occasion.

Squad
Jake Sykes, Matt Ward, Kyle Radford, Conor Marshall (C), Bailey Forth, Kieran Wressell, Lucas Dakin, Liam Adams (87' Jakub Supierz), Jordan Nuttell (65' Theo Kitt-Bushell), Matt Clarke, Dec Johnshon (58' Toby Cotton).

Subs Unused: Jamie Robinson, Isaac Lovelace