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Spotlight on Boston Town Football Club

Reports from the 2008-2009 season at Tattershall Road

THE POACHERS

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Saturday November 22, 2008 (UCL)
Boston Town		v	Newport Pagnell
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Saturday November 15, 2008 (FA Vase second round)
Boston Town		1	Cogenhoe United		2
Kennedy 36			Ainge 21 Ashby 83
Boston Town bowed out of the FA Vase on the back of this narrow defeat to in-form Cogenhoe in a match that never really hit any great heights. Jed Ainge gave the visitors the lead on 21 minutes but Poachers’ leading scorer Matt Kennedy equalised for his team nine minutes before the break. After that exchanges were generally equal, but the tie’s decisive moment came on 83 minutes when veteran visiting defender joined his attack at a set-piece to score the goal that sent his team through to round three.
Saturday November 8, 2008 (UC League Cup first round)
N’thpton Sileby Rangers		2	Boston Town		2
Haycock 60 Woodroffe 76			Bull 65, 89
(After extra time, Boston won 4-1 on penalties)
A goal only moments from the end of normal time by ace striker Gary Bull saved Boston Town the embarrassment of bowing out of the United Counties League Cup to Division One side Northampton Sileby Rangers. Bull’s late leveller — his second goal contribution of the game — ensured the tie went to extra time. But no further goals arrived in the added 30, leading to a penalty shootout that Boston ultimately won 4-1. Laszlo Lovas, Matt Kennedy, Nathan Iley and Miles Mason scored for Boston from the spot with Lee Cotton the only successful converter for Sileby. The game overall had seen Lewis Haycock give Rangers the lead on the half hour. But Bull equalised for Boston 20 minutes into the second half. Nick Woodroffe restored Sileby’s lead after 76 minutes and the Poachers looked all but down and out when Bull popped up with his late rescue heroics on 89 minutes to start tilting fortunes in Boston’s favour. Poachers: Conroy, Lambley, Price, Ogden (Collins), Baker, Iley, Lovas, Goodhand (Pinner), Smith (Mason), Bull, Kennedy.
Saturday November 1, 2008 (UCL)
Boston Town		2	Wellingborough Town		0
Pinner 72 Bull 83
Boston Town got back to winning ways with a hard-fought but ultimately comfortable victory over a much-changed Wellingborough side. The visitors were always up against it in terms of trying to match the Poachers for attacking ability, but managed to frustrate Bob Don-Duncan’s men for long spells—notably throughout the opening half which ended goalless. Boston kept their formation discipline, though, and they managed to break the deadlock on 72 minutes via an Ollie Pinner effort. The victory was cemented seven minutes from time when Gary Bull got his ninth UCL goal of the campaign. Poachers: Conroy, Lambley, Price, Foster (Ogden), Baker, Iley, Lovas, Goodhand, Smith (Pinner), Mason (Bull), Kennedy.
Saturday October 25, 2008 (UCL)
Stewart & Lloyds		3	Boston Town		0
Djeneralovic 4 Caswell 46 Forbes 64
A goal after just four minutes by Paul Djeneralovic goal set Stewart and Lloyds on their way to a ninth win in 10 games — this being at the expense of Boston Town who welcomed back striker Gary Bull after injury. But the Poachers’ prolific front man was unable to inspire his team-mates to any great heights and the home side doubled their lead on 46 minutes through Paul Caswell. The final goal came on 64 minutes when Mark Forbes netted direct from a free-kick to put the issue beyond doubt. Boston: Conroy, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker, Iley, Lovas (Pinner), Goodhand, Smith (Collins), Bull (Mason), Kennedy.
Wednesday October 22, 2008 (Lincolnshire Senior Trophy)
Bottesford		1	Boston Town		7
Jackman 32			Smith 2, 15, 47 Kennedy 7 Pinner 25 Goodhand 67, 85
Boston Town blitzed their way into round two of the Lincolnshire Senior Shield with a comprehensive demolition of host club Bottesford of the Northern Counties East League. The Poachers dominated proceedings throughout and were excellent value for their thumping win courtesy of a hat-trick from Jamie Smith, two goals by Paul Goodhand and one apiece from Ollie Pinner and Matt Kennedy. Right from the outset, Boston took a grip on the match and three goals in the opening quarter of an hour put them on the way. Smith netted after two minutes, Matt Kennedy grabbed a second five minutes later and Smith hit the target again on 15 fifteen minutes. Pinner scored Boston’s fourth goal after 25 minutes before Phil Jackman pulled one back for Bottesford on 32 minutes. Smith completed his treble two minutes into the second half and the rout was rounded off with a Goodhand twin strike after 67 and 85 minutes. Poachers: Conroy, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker, Iley, Lovas (Ogden 70), Goodhand, Smith (Jeffrey 77), Pinner, Kennedy.
Saturday October 18, 2008 (UCL)
Boston Town		4	Long Buckby		0
Kennedy 20, 86 Goodhand 44 Lovas 62
Boston Town hit powerful form to bury high-riding UCL rivals Long Buckby in emphatic fashion. The Poachers, despite being without injured top scorer Gary Bull, swept their opponents aside to claim three valuable Premier Division points. Bob Don-Duncan’s men were set on their way when Matt Kennedy bagged a 20^th minute breakthrough goal. Paul Goodhand put his side 2-0 ahead just before the interval and 15 minutes after the break Laszlo Lovas made it 3-0. The rout was completed four minutes from time when Kennedy weighed in with his second goal of the game — his fourth goal in the last two matches and his 11^th in all competitions this term. Poachers: Conroy, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker, Iley (Collins), Lovas, Goodhand, Smith (Jeffery), Mason (Ogden), Kennedy.
Tuesday October 14, 2008 (UCL)
Sleaford Town		2	Boston Town		2
Bell 78 Stones 89			Kennedy 45, 61
Two Sleaford goals in the final 13 minutes ensured this derby night UCL tussle ended all-square. Up until the closing stages it seemed that Boston Town would prise maximum spoils from their trip to the Eslaforde Park ground of their near neighbours. Exchanges were fairly even until the final minute of the first half when Mark Kennedy gave the Poachers the lead. And the same player was on target again to make it 2-0 in favour of the visitors on 61 minutes. At that point, it looked all over a Boston success. But on 78 minutes, former Poacher Gavin Bell hit the target for Sleaford to halve his team’s deficit. And Craig Stones rescued a home point and made it an agonising finish for Boston when he netted the equaliser barely 60 seconds from time. Poachers: Boston: Jones, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker, Iley, Smith, Goodhand, Nimmo, Pinner, Kennedy.
Saturday October 11, 2008 (UCL)
Boston Town		2	Daventry		1
Bull 3 Pinner 86			Wesley 42
Boston Town grabbed an important victory against fellow high-flyers Daventry, in the process delivering their opponents first away loss of the UCL Premier Division campaign. Prolific veteran marksman Gary Bull gave the Poachers a third minute lead, an advantage his team held until three minutes before the break when Richard Wesley conjured up an equaliser. The match remained a nip-and-tuck affair for the bulk of the second half, but four minutes from time substitute Ollie Pinner popped up to give Boston a valuable maximum-points return from a tightly-contested encounter. The Poachers stay seventh in the rankings, nine points adrift of leaders Deeping Rangers, but with two matches in hand. Poachers: Jones, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker, Iley, Lovas, Goodhand, Smith (Taylor), Bull, Kennedy (Pinner).
Tuesday September 30, 2008 (UCL)
Bourne Town		1	Boston Town		4
Bent 20			Spence 42 (og) Goodhand 70 Mason 85 Bull 86
Three goals in the final 20 minutes enabled Boston Town to pocket maximum UCL points at the expense of struggling county rivals Bourne Town. Victory enabled the Poachers to maintain their presence in the upper reaches of the Premier Division table and still with every chance of making a serious tilt at the championship. Daniel Bent gave Bourne the lead after 20 minutes but three minutes before the interval, home defender Khameel Spence turned the ball into his own net to hand Boston an equaliser. And that’s the way things stayed until 70 minutes when Poachers’ midfielder Paul Goodhand gave the visitors the lead. Boston made sure of maximum spoils with two goals in rapid succession near the end, first when Miles Mason netted against his former club after 85 minutes and then when prolific marksman Gary Bull hit the target 60 seconds later to complete the scoring. Poachers: Jones, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker (Pinner), Iley, Smith (Taylor), Goodhand, Mason (Pascu), Bull, Kennedy.
Saturday September 27, 2008 (UCL)
Boston Town		2	Stotfold		2
Kennedy 25 Bull 85			Donnelly 22 Mitchell 58
Boston Town twice fought back from a goal down to claim a share of the spoils against reigning UCL Premier Division champions Stotfold. The visitors went ahead with a goal on 22 minutes by Brett Donnelly. However, three minutes later Matt Kennedy equalised for the Poachers. Stotfold regained the advantage through Ryan Mitchell just before the hour mark. But prolific home marksman Gary Bull conjured up his team’s second leveller with five minutes left on the watch. Poachers: Jones, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker, Iley, Lovas, Goodhand, Blakey (Ogden), Bull, Kennedy.
Tuesday September 23, 2008 (UCL)
Boston Town		3	Blackstones		0
Bull 20 Mason 37 Iley 51
After three successive losses, Boston Town got back to winning ways with a decisive 3-0 home success against Blackstones in a UCL Premier Division encounter at Tattershall Road — first half goals from Gary Bull and Miles Mason being topped off by a Nathan Iley strike early in the second half. Bull put the Poachers ahead on 20 minutes and seven minutes before the half-time interval Miles Mason added a second. Six minutes after the break, the scoreline became an unassailable 3-0 when Nathan Iley hit the target to seal a comfortable home win after visitors who have struggled for most of the early part of the campaign. Poachers: Jones, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker (Pinner), Iley, Lovas, Goodhand, Mason (Pascu), Bull, Kennedy (Smith).
Saturday September 20, 2008 (UCL)
Boston Town		1	Deeping Rangers		3
Foster 19			Stevens 12 Cornell 29 Bettinson 89
Boston Town succumbed for the second time inside a fortnight to county rivals Deeping Rangers. The Poachers had been hoping to extract revenge for a recent 5-2 loss away against the same opponents. But today they tumbled 3-1 at Tattershall Road to leave themselves somewhat detached from the UCL Premier Division pacemakers. Visiting striker Ashley Stevens, who netted a four-goal haul in the earlier Outgang Road fixture, was again on the mark when putting Deeping on the way to success after twelve minutes, but Mark Foster equalised for Boston seven minutes later. Dave Cornell restored Deeping’s lead after 29 minutes but they had to wait until the final minute to make the points safe through Sam Bettinson. Poachers: Jones, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker, Iley, Lovas, Goodhand, Mason (Ogden), Bull, Kennedy. Subs (not used): Pinner, Pascu, Smith, McAllister.
Saturday September 13, 2008 (FA Cup first qualifying round)
Bury Town		3	Boston Town		1
Smith 8 Reed 43 Hipperson 86			Mason 6
Boston Town bowed off the FA Cup trail away to British Gas Midland Division side Bury Town on a day when the dismissal of Nathan Collins moments before half-time arguably had a big impact on the Poachers’ hopes and aspirations. The visitors, in fact, seized the early initiative when Miles Mason put them into a sixth minute lead. But the advantage lasted only two minutes before Lee Smith levelled matters. John Reed gave the home side a 43rd minute and Boston’s task was made tougher with Collins’ early exit. Boston battled on bravely throughout the second half, but ultimately succumbed when the home side’s numerical advantage told as Roscoe Hipperson ensured a 3-1 success shortly before the end. Poachers: Jones, Lambley (Ogden), Price, Foster, Baker (Pinner), Collins, Lovas, Iley, Mason (Smith), Bull, Kennedy. Subs (not used): Pascu, McAllister.
Tuesday September 9, 2008 (UCL)
Deeping Rangers		5	Boston Town		2
Stevens 47, 57, 65, 80 Boome 82			Foster 25 Bull 69 (pen)
This result turned the form book on its head. Boston Town went into action guarding an unbeaten league and cup record while hosts Deeping had endured a run of four straight defeats in various competitions. For a while it looked like the two clubs’ records would be extended, notably when the Poachers went ahead on 25 minutes through Mark Foster, an advantage they held at the interval. However, the second half yielded a Deeping recovery. They drew level two minutes after the restart, Ashley Stevens netting from close range. Then, 10 minutes later the same player added a second. Stevens completed his hat-trick after 65 minutes when converting a Ryan Semple pass. Boston regained a foothold when home defender Andy Ellis infringed in his own area to give Gary Bull the chance to haul Boston back into contention with a 69th minute penalty. But Stevens completed a stunning goal feat by netting his fourth 10 from time with a close range header. The home tally was rounded off on 82 minutes with a 20-yard scoring drive by Andy Boome. Poachers: Jones, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker (Ogden), Collins (Pinner), Lovas, Goodhand, Iley, Bull, Kennedy (Mason).
Saturday September 6, 2008 (UCL)
St Neots Town		0	Boston Town		1
			Goodhand 21
Boston Town remain unbeaten after this narrow win over a St Neots side who battled for most of the game with 10 men, having seen goalkeeper Jon Chatfield red carded after five minutes for handling outside the box. Boston made their man advantage count after 21 minutes when Paul Goodhand collected a Nathan Collins pass in midfield and advanced unchallenged before shooting low into the bottom right hand corner of replacement Ben Webster's net. St Neots almost levelled when James Hall’s curling free-kick rebounded to safety off the visiting crossbar and Jon Hoggett's shot blocked on the line. Webster saved at full stretch from Miles Mason after Goodhand and Mark Foster combined to set up the chance. Then at the other end, a Hall effort bounced on the top of the Boston crossbar. In reply, Matt Kennedy and Gary Bull both forced Webster into action as the interval approached. Mason and Goodhand went close in the second half but it needed a goalline clearance by Matt Price to deny Peter Okechukwu a leveller after 74 minutes. Antonio Pascu gave Bull the chance to kill off the Saints challenge but his shot bounced clear off the foot of a post. The Poachers: Jones, Iley, Price, Foster, Baker, Collins (Pinner), Lovas (Smith), Goodhand, Mason (Pascu), Bull, Kennedy.
Saturday August 30, 2008 (FA Cup preliminary round)
Fakenham Town		0	Boston Town		4
			Foster Mason (2) Lovas
Boston Town coasted into the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on the strength of a decisive 4-0 success away to Eastern Counties Division One strugglers Fakenham — in the process netting £1,500 from the competition’s round-by-round prize fund structure. The Poachers eased through thanks to a solid all-round team performance. Striker Miles Mason netted two of Town’s goals while midfielders Mark Foster and Laslo Lovas weighed in with one apiece to book their team a trip to face Southern League outfit Bury on September 13. The Suffolk side won 2-1 at UCL club Deeping Rangers.
Saturday August 23, 2008 (UCL)
St Ives Town		2	Boston Town		2
Fordham 35 Kennett 57			Bull 44, 90
A last-gasp equaliser by prolific veteran marksman Gary Bull enabled Boston Town to keep up their unbeaten start to the season. Bull struck his second goal of the match four minutes into added time to ensure the match ended in a 2-2 draw, having earlier netted a first half leveller just one minute before the break. Home club St Ives had twice seized the initiative by taking a 35^th minute lead through Will Fordham and then regaining the advantage just before the hour via Liam Bennett. But in the end it was Bull who took centre stage as Boston’s saviour. Poachers: Town: Jones, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker (Pinner), Collins (Mason), Iley (Ogden), Goodhand, Kennedy, Bull, Lovas.
Saturday August 16, 2008 (FA Cup extra preliminary round)
Long Melford		2	Boston Town		5
Potter 50 Chisholm 86			Goodhand 3 Kennedy 38 Iley 63 Mason 69, 89
Boston Town made first hurdle progress in the FA Cup when over-powering host club Long Melford in this extra preliminary round tie. The Poachers got off to a flying start when midfielder Paul Goodhand gave them a third minute lead. Boston doubled their lead on 38 minutes when in-form goal-grabber Matt Kennedy hit the target for the fourth time in three outings. Even though Adam Potter halved the deficit for the home side on 50 minutes, Boston remained in control and restored their two-goal advantage on 63 minutes when Nathan Iley made it 3-1. Six minutes later Miles Mason made it four for the visitors. Dan Chisholm scored an 86th minute Long Melford consolation but Mason had the final say a minute from time to make it a 5-2 win for Boston. The Poachers will now look forward to their next challenge in the competition—a trip to face Eastern Counties League side Fakenham in the preliminary round on August 30. Fakenham won through via a 5-3 win away to Gorleston. Poachers: Jones, Lambley, Price, Iley, Baker, Collins, Ogden, Goodhand, Pascu, Bull, Kennedy. Subs: Mason, Pinner, Jeffrey, McAllister.
Tuesday August 12, 2008 (UCL)
Boston Town		4	Sleaford Town		2
Foster 40 Kennedy 64 Bull 83 Ogden 86			K Jones 77, 85
Boston Town made it six points from their first two UCL outings of the new season. In the process, they also got the better of local rivals Sleaford in a six-goal derby night thriller at Tattershall Road. After a well-contested opening first 40 minutes, in which Gareth Jones made his debut in goal for Boston, the Poachers went ahead through midfielder Mark Foster. And that’s the way things stayed until the 64^th minute when Matt Kennedy grabbed his third goal of the embryonic campaign. After that, the goals arrived at a much greater pace. First, ex-Boston defender Kris Jones pulled one back against his former club to make it 2-1 in the 77^th minute. Veteran Boston goal-grabber Gary Bull restored the Poachers’ two-goal margin with seven minutes to play, but on 85 minutes, Jones’ second goal of the night gave Sleaford renewed hope. But the visitors were finally seen off four minutes from time when Liam Ogden netted Boston’s fourth. Poachers: Jones, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker, Collins (Iley), Lovas (Ogden), Goodhand, Mason (Pascu), Bull, Kennedy.
Saturday August 9, 2008 (UCL)
Boston Town		3	Potton United		1
Kennedy 8, 77 Mason 85			Beech 52
Boston Town got their UCL Premier Division campaign off to a winning start when they conquered Potton. But it wasn’t until the latter stages of the game that they made certain of maximum spoils — their last two goals coming inside the final 13 minutes. Matt Kennedy gave the Poachers an ideal start with a strike in the eighth minute. However, Tom Beech equalised for the visitors on 52 minutes. But in the 77^th minute, Kennedy struck again to restore Boston’s lead. New strike signing Miles Mason emerged from the bench and made things safe with an 85^th minute goal on his competitive debut for the club, having arrived from Bourne during the summer. Poachers: Choppen, Lambley, Price, Foster, Baker, Collins, Lovas (Iley), Goodhand, Nimmo (Mason), Bull, Kennedy (Pascu).