BOSTON UNITED 1 NUNEATON 3: Pilgrims pummelled by the Boro

LLLLLLDLDLL. Boston United have now gone more than 10 months since their last home win on a Saturday.
Alex Simmons.Alex Simmons.
Alex Simmons.

That last victory - on April 23, 2016 - was a 2-1 victory against Nuneaton Town.

But any hopes of a repeat were dashed by a Boro side who rode an early storm of Pilgrims attacks before emphatically putting their hosts to the sword.

Nuneaton, who included United old boys Greg Mills, Christian Dibble and Greg Tempest amongst their substitutes, deservedly took the points, ending their run of four games without a National League North win, but prolonging Boston’s excruciating record even further.

United’s cause wasn’t helped by losing leading scorer Jay Rollins to an ankle injury after just 13 minutes, but that is no excuse for a performance which went from hopeful to hopeless as soon as they were put under some Boro pressure, particularly as Nuneaton played the final third of the game with 10 men following Exodus Geohagon’s sending off.

Karl Hawley forced an early save from Tyrell Belford before the Pilgrims failed to turn waves of pressure into goals.

The Boro keeper reacted well to force away Adam Chapman’s near-post free kick while, from the resulting corner, Jimmy Mutton hacked Jan Yeomans’ effort off the goalline.

Colby Bishop - the only change from the team which lost 2-1 to Darlington 1883 the previous week after replacing Lewis Hilliard - couldn’t believe it as his close-range effort trickled back across the goal following Yeomans’ low cross.

It took the Boro more than 25 minutes for their first attempt on target, Ross Durrant getting down well to deny Ben O’Hanlon on the skiddy surface, the keeper then blocking Jordan Nicholson’s drive moments later.

But for the rest of the half the impetus was with Nuneaton, Joe Ironside miscueing a header when well placed and Chambers handing the away side a 43rd-minute lead, bending his effort beyond Durrant and into the far corner.

Ten minutes aftere the re-start it was 2-0 as the unmarked Jordan Nicholson collected Chambers’ cross, took a touch and slotted beyond the dive of Durrant.

Boro were down to 10 men when Geohagaon was shown a straight red card for a headbutt on Josh Robinson as the players lined up for a Nuneaton free kick.

But that didn’t cause the away side any problems as Ironside made it 3-0 in the 66th minute.

After rounding Durrant, Robinson blocked his initial effort, but the Boro man reacted first, tucking his strike into the top corner.

The scoreline could have been greater but Ironside’s effort rattled the woodwork.

United grabbed a consolation in stoppage time as Alex Simmons curled the ball into the top corner, and with six minutes of time added on the more positive of home fans may have been wondering ‘what if?’.

But Nuneaton held their own to clear some pressure from a series of United corners to claim the deserved victory.

BUFC: Durrant, Gatter (Hilliard 71), Robinson, Batchelor, Yeomans, Rollins (Thomas 13), Clarke (Fitzpatrick 55), Chapman, Simmons, Hawley, Bishop; Subs (not used): Gordon, Chippendale.

NUNEATON: Belford, Mutton, O’Hanlon, Morgan, Langmead, Geohaghon, Kelly-Evans, Elliott, Ironside, Chambers (Mills 77), Nicholson (Anderson 63); Subs (not used): Tempest, Scott, Dibble.

Ref: Garreth Rhodes.

Att: 956.