And So It Begins...

Boston United vs Stafford Rangers

Sun, beer and football.  York Street after the closed season, it's like coming home after a long holiday.  It's the first day of the Blue Square Bet Conference North season.  First day in a new league and I can't wait!  First game is Stafford Rangers, the teams haven't met since 1993 in the Conference.  Boston were favourites in this game and were hoping to carry last seasons form into this league campaign following a successful pre-season.  The ground filled up, the team came out and it was time to get on with it.

Boston, resplendent in their new home kit, started well and were looking very dangerous.  Newsham and Weir-Daley started together up front and were soon causing the Stafford defence no end of problems.  Both teams had early goals ruled out for offside.  The linesman in the half that the Pilgrims were attacking wasn't particularly good and got three or four offside decisions wrong; he probably got that one right.

The keeper keeps Newsham and Yates out.

The Pilgrims were dominating the game and playing football sexier than a Charlize Theron sex tape and that's saying something!  Stafford weren't seeing much of the ball at all, this dominance was rewarded with a Church goal about thirty minutes in.  Rangers did have a bit of threat on the counter-attack but it was Boston that looked more likely to extend their lead going into the break.  James McKeown made his début between the United sticks and dealt with the odd chance that Stafford created well.  The keeper, on loan from Peterborough, looked ok but he needs to settle in, stop running out of his goal and stop flapping at crosses.  That said he should provide good competition for Aaron 'Adam' Butcher on all of those things.

Second-half saw Boston spurn more chances to increase the lead as the Pilgrims were denied by some good goalkeeping and some wayward finishing.  Stafford were much more dangerous in this half and pushed United back for extended spells.  This didn't translate into chances, though, and Boston still looked the most likely to score.  Boston did score, depending who you believe; those looking along the goal-line will tell you the ball was a foot over the line, those behind the goal say it wasn't.  Unfortunately the referee and his assistant agreed with those behind the goal and it wasn't given.  Surely this is proof the B.S.B. Conf. North needs goal-line technology!  Are you reading Sepp Blatter?  Sort it out.

Boston create yet another chance.

Davidson came on during the second period.  I used to think this guy was big, overweight and useless, now he is just big and useless.  I assume Danny has had to lose weight to fit into the ridiculously small sized Boston shirts this season.  That said I won't be complaining if he miraculously bags another sixteen or seventeen goals as he tends to do!  More impressive was the substitute appearance of Hunter late on.  He pinged the post with his first touch of the ball and looked lively throughout, surely an indication that he should get more of a chance to impress.

The moaners apparently complained about the fact Boston didn't dominate the entire game and that United wasted the last minute or so by taking the ball into the corner, you'll never please some people I guess.  The moaners and the missed chances were ultimately irrelevant as the Pilgrims ran out deserved 1-0 winners in front of a healthy 1604 attendance.  Three points and an excellent start to the season.  On the way out a Stafford fan wished us luck and told us we'd need it playing like that.  Not sure what game he was watching but then the hundred or so Stafford fans did end up singing "we're not going down" at one point.  Funny bunch they are, at least they made some noise.

Hinckley away next on Monday night.  The season is well and truly here!