Unibond League Challenge Cup, Boston Utd vs Retford United.
Irritatingly the Unibond League thought it'd be a brilliant idea to put the League Cup final in the last week of the season. This was obviously never going to be a good plan considering the title deciding game only a few days later. Boston reflected this by making seven changes to the starting line-up, bringing several youth and reserve players through to the first team. Retford, who's play-off hopes relied on Kendal losing at home to Whitby, put out a strong team to contest the final and try to claim some silverware.
The chosen venue for the final was Ashby Avenue, home of Lincoln United, which is all well and good as long as you don't have to rely on public transport. As it turned out I managed to get a lift to the ground and arrived twenty minutes before kick-off. There was already a queue stretching the thirty-odd yards between the solitary turnstile and the clubhouse. Seeing this made the clubhouse all the more appealing, at least until the queue had died down a little. One word of warning, if you decide you need to use the clubhouse 'facilities' take a map, G.P.S. or a ball of string, anything to make finding your way out easier.
The queue remained pretty constant until about three or four minutes before the teams came out as the 503 crowd made their way into the ground. Eventually getting in for the meagre sum of ten whole English pounds, TEN POUNDS! The prices set by the Unibond may be similar to those at York St but that sort of fee certainly won't encourage fans who are used to lower prices to attend. A large proportion of the supporters in attendance were from Boston and a number took up station behind one of the goals. It was difficult to get an atmosphere going, or to get excited at all in the first half as minds were, inevitably, on the weekends game instead.
The players warm up on the pitch at Ashby Avenue
The game didn't help matters. Boston started in a 3-4-3 formation and while this provided plenty of options going forward it also let Retford in at the back. Only a great performance from Aaron Butcher in goal, coupled with the Retford strikers not being able to hit water if they fell out of a boat, kept the scores level. It looked like it would be level at half time until Marc 'Tap-in, Jesus' Newsham popped up with a tap-in, fifteen yard half-volley (surprise!) from a Yates cross.
The second half was fairly similar to the first. Boston had a couple more chances but the Badgers could've won with ease if they had more composure in front of goal. Boston made the most of their chances and had one Parker effort ruled out before Semple went on a mazy run and slotted home to kill the game. The trophy was presented on the pitch in front of the Boston fans, some of whom were celebrating as though we'd already won the league.
I left Lincoln with a feeling that the League Cup would probably mean much more in a couple of days and a hope that the excessive celebrations wouldn't come back to bite us.
D-Day at Marine.
After a couple of days of nervous excitement Saturday rolled around. I warn you now this section of the blog will contain very little about football...
I left my flat in Bedford at ten past seven, having seen six o'clock for the first time in a long time. Everything went well until Nuneaton, I managed to distract myself with a paper and I wasn't feeling too nervous. Just as I left Nuneaton my weekend took a turn for the disastrous. The guard announced over the P.A. system that there had been a power failure at Birmingham New Street. No problem, thought I, as I'd left plenty of time to get there. The train did arrive into New Street, despite the guards claims otherwise, only five minutes late.
I waited to meet my travelling companion at New Street and as the power was off it took a while to find the correct platform but we got there in the end. The train left half an hour late. Still, no problem, plenty of time left. Things went massively wrong when the train was caught the wrong side of a line-side fire about twenty miles from Liverpool. We were stuck there for two and a half hours, TWO AND A HALF COCKING HOURS!!! No air-con. or refreshments. There were four other nervous Boston fans on the train along with a girl from Ireland who'd missed her flights due to the delay, a couple of hen parties (from one of which I received the invitation to partake in a little yoga, I declined and chatted to them instead) and a terminally ill woman without her medication. Serious thought was put to breaking out of the train and grabbing a taxi to the ground.
Eventually the train began to move, we had five minutes to make the last connection to Blundellsands and Crosby. We didn't. Waiting for a taxi and listening to commentary on a phone is not an experience I'd like to repeat at any game, let alone a last day of the season title decider. We got stuck at pretty much every red light in Liverpool on our way to the ground and arrived just as the half-time whistle went. It was 0-0 apparently.
Boston had been given two thirds of the ground with six buses having travelled. Over all there were 743 Pilgrims there to watch the last game of the season (we hoped). During the second half news filtered through that first Guiseley, then Bradford Park Avenue were winning. Boston weren't playing as well as we have done the rest of the season and Marine were causing us problems. Especially their number ten who was a superb out-ball for them until he was substituted. Chances arrived and passed us by, including a injury time stonewall penalty claim for a handball. In fairness though Boston didn't deserve it as time slipped away from the Pilgrims.
The game finished as a draw and the Boston finished third in the league. The players looked devastated at the end of the game with several fans going on the pitch to pick them back up. With all the expectation of being in a position to win the league it will be very tough to lift the players for the play-off semi-final against North Ferriby. Out of context a draw at Marine is a great result. Marine only the week before had beaten league Champions Guiseley 2-0 with ten men.
Well done to Guiseley (except their number seven), good luck and I hope we are playing you next year.
Special thanks go to the fans, stewards, officials and general population of Marine/Blundellsands and Crosby. What a nice area and a very well organised and friendly club. Disappointed as I'd be not to go up I wouldn't mind a trip to Marine any day (hopefully with better transport luck). Sadly no pictures from Marine as I didn't get there in time and then when I did get there I was more concerned with other things.
The FA Sunday Cup, Hetton Lyons CC vs. Magnet Tavern.
My weekend didn't end there though, ohhh no. I had a hotel booked on Anfield road, WHAT A DUMP! Boarded up houses everywhere and a real risk of being mugged (at least that's how it felt). My night out fell through as well and so I was surprisingly not hungover the next morning. I mooched around Liverpool for a bit, seeing Goodison Park and plenty of tidy Scouse girls in the process, before going back to Anfield for the FA Sunday Cup Final between Hetton Lyons Cricket Club and Boston's own Magnet Tavern.
The view from the Kop.
Free tickets made the journey to the Kop much more enjoyable. The football wasn't bad and an end to end game saw Hetton run out 4-2 winners for a record third time in front of 856 onlookers. Not too bad for free really.
Looking Ahead...
Last night Bradford Park Avenue beat Kendal 2-1 in their play-off semi-final (including two missed penalties). This means a trip to the Horsfall Stadium on Saturday is the reward for the winner of the second play-off semi tonight. Am I nervous much? Hopefully my awful luck this week will change for York St tonight. Hopefully...
