York Street Conference North Saturday February 8th 2014
Boston United missed out on the chance to go top of the Conference North on Saturday as fellow promotion chasers Brackley Town triumphed over the Pilgrims for the 3rd time this season in a tight tussle at a windy York Street.
Carl Piergianni tries unsuccessfully to clear Glenn Walker’s shot
After wins in 4 days over Gainsborough (6-0) and at Histon (2-1), Boston found themselves 3rd in the league knowing a win, provided with North Ferriby losing at Barrow (they did, 2-0) and Hednesford losing at Harrogate (they did, 3-1), would send them top of the league for the first time since they came back into the Conference North in 2010.
Brackley had just beaten Solihull after a couple of indifferent results to get themselves back in the playoffs and had already knocked the hosts out in the FA Cup (2-0) and won an exciting game at St. James Park in the league (3-2)
Dennis Greene made 1 change to the team that ground out a 2-1 win at Histon, with Spencer Weir-Daley replacing Ryan Semple in a 4-3-3 formation. Jon Brady made 2 changes from the side that beat Solihull 1-0. New signing Dom Langdon (from Solihull and Izak Reid replaced Steven Towers and David Bridges in a 4-4-2
On a dry but very blustery afternoon, the wind was blowing across the pitch towards the main stand and Brackley started very brightly, forcing a couple of early corners before from a cross into the box, Boston’s defence failed to clear properly and tidy footwork by the prolific Stefan Moore put him 1-on-1 with Vince and he buried it from inside the 6 yard box.
Stefan Moore has all the time in the world to put Brackley into an early lead
Brackley almost went 2-0 up very shortly afterwards as the impressive Glenn Walker’s corner was headed against the post by Ryan Austin, with the ensuing goalmouth scramble just being kept out by Boston’s defence.
That spurred Boston into life as they managed to get a grip of the game thereafter. Jamie McGhee powered a shot wide but after Ricky Miller was bundled over just outside the penalty area, McGhee stepped up and placed his low effort perfectly, leaving Billy Turley grasping at thin air as the ball crept inside the far post.
Jamie McGhee’s free kick evades Billy Turley’s dive and puts Boston level.
Amidst a great atmosphere, Boston continued to enjoy spells of possession, though it was actually Izak Reid who had the best chance until half time, but he blasted wide from a delightful ball in by Walker. McGhee also forced Turley to tip over a dipping drive just on half time but Boston went in at the break, knowing 1 goal would, for the time being, put them at the summit of the league.
They had good chances to take the lead early on too. Firstly, the wind played havoc with McGhee’s free kick and Carl Piergianni only just failed to get a toe on it with Turley confined to his line. Marc Newsham also had a head go wide from sam Vince’s long punt downfield before the big one- McGhee was played in by Weir Daley and for all the world it looked as if he’d slipped his effort goalwards but it rolled agonizingly the wrong side of the right hand post. to disbelief in the Town End opposite the goal.
From then on, Brackley put sustained pressure on the Boston goal with a series of crosses and set pieces. Firstly, the wind took a free kick and Vince, having been wrong-footed, had to make a low save and then the follow-up was well saved. Stephen Diggin also curled wide of the right hand post but not long after, good persistence by Moore to chased down a through ball eventually lead to the cross coming in from the right and Walker’s volley into the ground went goalwards and as Piergianni tried to clear at an awkward height, is came off his shin and into the top corner.
Brackley still looked the likelier to score again. A mix-up between garner and Vince put Diggin in but Marshall was on hand to clear the goalbound effort before Miller blasted over having got through 2 challenges when a cross would’ve been better. A series of Boston corners in injury time ended with Piergianni heading wide from a decent position and Brackley celebrated their 4th consecutive win over their Lincolnshire opponents.
The result puts Brackley into 3rd and Boston into 4th, though with 4 tough games coming up for Boston, more defeats against sides around them can’t be an option.
I think the game could’ve gone either way and a draw may have been a fair result, but there’s little doubt Brackley had more of the play and put more pressure on the United goal in the 2nd half. They were certainly the best side I’ve seen at York Street this season and by no means did Boston play badly- it was just a case of small things going wrong against a team which you needed to be faultless against.
UNITED: Sam Vince; Conor Marshall, Scott Garner, Carl Piergianni, Rene Steer; Jamie McGhee (Ian Ross 79), Kyle Dixon (Ben Fairclough 79), Liam Agnew; Spencer Weir-Daley (Ryan Semple 63), Marc Newsham, Ricky Miller. Subs (not used): Stefan Galinski, Lewis King.
BRACKLEY: Billy Turley; Remy Clerima, Ryan Austin, Tom Sharpe, Dominic Langdon; Izak Reid, Brett Solkhon, Eddie Odhiambo, Glenn Walker; Stefan Moore (Ben Mills 90), Steve Diggin (Gary Mulligan 90). Subs (not used): Eddie Nisevic, David Bridges, Steve Towers.
Ref: Ricky Wootton
Att: 1,207 (24 visitors)
Match Rating 7/10. The wind made it difficult and there wasn’t too much fluency in the play. Not too many clear chances but Brackley on their 2nd half display just about did enough to earn the win- though a draw wouldn’t have been a bad reflection either.
Next game- It will be a trip to Colwyn bay on Saturday 15th Feb by the looks of things. Hopefully the Pilgrims can keep up their run of avoiding successive league defeats and reward those travelling 200 miles with 3 points.
Photos from Jake Whiteley. More photos can be access via his twitter account- @thejakewhiteley
Under The Floodlights 