I've had a few days to figure out what to write about this game and I've still got nothing. I couldn't be bothered to go in the morning, afternoon or even when I was on the bus, probably shouldn't have bothered looking back. Last year's fellow play-off contenders Nuneaton had been in worse form than Boston at the start of the season, win-less and with several players missing. United were also down a couple of players meaning we started with Micky Stones up front. That's right, ex-Lincolnshire League Micky Stones as a starting striker in the Conference North. What's wrong with that? It's not like the Lincolnshire League is a (unofficial) level below the United Counties League or anything.
Boston had a fair few chances but sadly they mostly fell to Stones who, when he did contrive to move in time, either fluffed his lines or got caught off-side by much, much quicker defenders. Newsham and Milnes both missed the odd chance as well. The Nuneaton players were a couple of yards quicker than the United players all over the pitch and it was astutely pointed out that Millson looked like he'd spent the entire game chasing the ball around like a school kid.
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| Boston "defend" a free-kick. |
It wasn't a surprise then when the goal came from one of the numerous hospital balls played by the Pilgrims on the night. Holsgrove (who should never, ever be allowed in the United half ever again; in fact he should be forced to start the game on the sidelines and then run directly into the opposition half) played the ball to the Nuneaton winger who squared for Smith to knock it past Bastock. The 150 or so United fans who'd travelled and suffered the indignity of sharing 20 of the tinpot club's programmes between them sang defiantly throughout the half-time break to no avail; the players returned from their half-time hair-dryer treatment to serve up the expectant fans some more comedy defending well worthy of the "Keystone cops" label.
Free-headers were ten-a-penny in the United box and it took Nuneaton six minutes to power one home, Burns the man who managed to beat the wholly absent United defenders. The inability to challenge for anything in the air was at least consistent throughout the team then. Semple came on to replace Holsgrove who had been very effectively marked out of the game and, combined with the useful Fairclough, started to pressure the Nuneaton back line for the first time all night.
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| Chaos in the United box. |
Jason Lee threw himself into the action to try and actually win something up front; not in place of Stones though, no, Lee replaced Milnes leaving the light midfield a little bit lighter. The contrast with Stones was stark, Lee actually moved, jumped and won headers! Stones did contribute by managing to expertly miss his third and fourth good chances of the game; one he used sublime Lincolnshire League skill to tamely pass into the 'keepers arms when it would've been easier to score, the other he planted the other firmly over the bar. With five minutes to go "the silent captain" Jelleyman finally encouraged the team for the first time but Nuneaton were superior by far and could have scored two or three easy second half chances to put the game well and truly beyond United.
It wouldn't be fair to blame it all on Stones and Millson. Other than Fairclough, Lee and Semple the players looked either tired or disinterested. If they're tired then I've no idea what the point of the fitness coach is and if they aren't then it means this is the most disinterested and passionless team I have seen in a United shirt since Bloomer was captain and the Pilgrims came 90 minutes from being a Unibond division one south club. How many go down from this league?
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