The Biggest Week Of The Season (so far)

Last week was Boston United's week of destiny, or so we're told, with a League Cup final and the title deciding league game to play over the course of four days.

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...

Only Two Weeks? Are You Sure?!

For various reasons it's been almost two weeks since my last blog update, but what a two weeks!  The Pilgrims have played four, won four and are in the most successful run of form since the sixties.  These four victories have seen United slot home ten goals with only one conceded, defeat promotion rivals, reach the final of one competition and win another. Hectic is not the word!  After a bit of time to reflect I think now is a good time to sum up these events...

Retford Away

The topic of the last post was the away trip to Durham City AFC.  The Durham game on the Saturday was followed by a trip to fellow promotion chasers Retford United FC on a Tuesday night.  There are several ties between the clubs with ex-Boston players Peter Duffield (now Retford's manager), Lee Thompson and Paul Ellender all being involved in the Retford set-up.  The sides previous meeting at York St in September was, by all accounts, a fractious affair which resulted in a 1-0 defeat for the Boston and a touchline brawl.  With this in mind the trip to Cannon Park was looking a bit tasty to say the least.

The BUSA bus left Boston with around twenty five hardy supporters, as most had made other travel arrangements.  We made it almost all the way to Sleaford before technical issues with the lights slowed progress.  A replacement coach was sorted and with the remainder of the journey largely uneventful we arrived at Retford's ground.  Apparently bewildered by the large following from Lincolnshire and with a lengthy queue already forming at the turnstile, the stewards struggled to find room to park the bus in an already brimmed car park.  Upon entering the ground it became apparent just how many Boston had travelled.  In fact there was such a following that Retford's league attendance record was broken as 664 people poured into the ground through the one block of turnstiles.  The programmes sold out shortly after our arrival and the grease-packed offerings of the snack bar were depleted by half-time.  It was beginning to feel like one of those nights.

The teams shake hands.

As the match got under-way a 'physical' Retford side started well penning Boston back.  Boston started to come into the game and after several headed opportunities for Pearson the break-through came.  A nice move culminated with Weir-Daley putting in a cross for Sleath to nod home.  This lead was quickly cancelled out courtesy of a cracking Bettney free kick leaving the teams level at half time.

Cannon Park under floodlight with some of the travelling fans behind the goal.

A few minutes into the second half Boston's lead was restored. A deserved header from Pearson given, despite the claims for a foul on the keeper.  A nervous 30 mins followed but the Pilgrims managed to hold on.  At the final whistle all hell broke loose with people on the pitch, benches clashing and punches being thrown as the stewards and officials struggled to regain control.  All in all an ugly end to a fantastic night which went a long way to proving Boston's promotion credentials against one of the better teams in the league.

Curzon Ashton Away

Kick off time approaches at the Tameside Stadium.

This trip in the Unibond League Challenge Cup provided a first visit to the Tameside Stadium for Boston supporters.  The Tameside made a pleasant contrast with Cannon park.  The ground was tidy, with a good set of stands on either side and a very nice sports bar.  The atmosphere during the game was that of a pre-season friendly with the Pilgrim supporters more interested in events down the road at Gigg Lane where Durham City were picking up their first points of the season by beating FC United of Manchester.  Talking to some Curzon fans at the Ashton game earlier in the season I was assured that they would 'play us off the park'.  They didn't.  In fairness the football on display from both teams wasn't the best and two second half finishes from Sleath and Weir-Daley gave Boston the victory and a place in the final.  The ground tick was probably the highlight of the day.

Grantham Town Away

Lee Canoville looks a little embarrassed lifting the Lincs. Senior Shield (photo courtesy of Scott Dalton, who's excellent coverage of Boston United can be followed on Twitter).

Grantham Town hosted Boston in this year's Lincolnshire Senior Shield final.  The quality of this competition can be summed up by highlighting the fact that the shield is made of wood.  Again the quality of football on show was poor.  This time there wasn't even a nice ground, or enough programmes, to rescue the situation for the 378 fans in attendance.  The running track around the pitch contrived to kill off any atmosphere and put the crowd so far from the action as to dampen any excitement that might have arisen had it been a better game.  A professional performance from the Pilgrims was capped by a second half winner from the head of Shaun Pearson.  A huge downside to the night was an injury suffered by Adam Millson who fractured his leg, again.  It wasn't the best to watch but at the end of the day silver wood-ware is wood-ware.  One positive, the chips and curry sauce in the club house was well worth the £1.50 (ish) and come highly recommended.

Nantwich Town at York St

Saturday rolls round and it's finally time for a home match as Nantwich and their eleven fans are the visitors to York St.  It seems like it's been a long time coming with so many away games this month.  The Boston boys have some unfinished business with Nantwich.  5-0 drubbings home and away, along with a broken leg for Adam Millson last season, have left a sour taste in the mouth.  Boston went some way to putting this right late last year, hammering Nantwich 4-0 at the Weaver Stadium in October.

Boston started slow and were lucky not to be behind, a brilliant goal line clearance by Shaun Pearson rescuing the situation.  Boston kicked on from there and it took 17 minutes for Marc 'tap-in' Newsham (a.k.a. Jesus) to put the Pilgrims ahead from what looked to be a massively offside position.  This wasn't the only bit of help Boston got from the Referee who seemed to be biased in our favour for once (not that I'm complaining).  Boston came out for the second half 1-0 up but were nearly punished for being half-asleep when a free header was missed by Michael Lennon.  Again the Pilgrims were spurred on by this near miss and it wasn't long before Davidson put us ahead.  Boston never looked back from here and further goals followed from Weir-Daley, Sleath and Suarez.  Whilst not the best team to visit York St this season, Nantwich certainly weren't the worst.  This is a big win for Boston on a day when table toppers Bradford Park Avenue had a game called off and promotion hopefuls Retford and Guiseley could only draw.

In my opinion the difference between this performance and the preceding abject cup performances can be summed up in two words... Anthony Church.  This guy can run the midfield with his eyes shut and seems to be able to get the best from Danny Sleath as well.  Class player, I just hope we can keep him fit and playing.


As I said at the start, all that in two weeks, are you sure?  Looking ahead the Boston have what could be a really tough away game at Whitby Town this Wednesday.  Whitby's form has been pretty good recently with wins coming against Retford and North Ferriby, a defeat to Durham last week was the only real hiccup in their recent run.  The month is rounded off with a trip to play-off hopefuls North Ferriby making it one home game and six away games in March.  The Unibond sure know how to pack the games in.