Pilgrims 6-1 Gloucester City
Dr Martens League
The Pilgrims almost clinched the Dr. Martens League title today, they also came within a whisker of registering their biggest win in the Southern League. With both the Bath City v Margate and the Burton Albion v Tamworth games ending in draws, the Pilgrims now only need two points from their remaining four games to be certain of the championship. As the scoreline suggests, Boston totally dominated this game. As soon as they scored their first goal the result was beyond doubt. But the first goal was a long time in coming. After four minutes Andrew Stanhope came close when his shot from the edge of the area went just the wrong side of the upright. Gary Childs then tried his luck but his shot was pushed round the post by Gloucester keeper Ryan Gannaway. Mark Rawle then got in on the act, first poking the ball over the bar from close range then heading wide. Just as it was beginning to look as if it wasn't going to be Boston's day, Costello put them in front on twenty minutes. Stanhope had the ball on the right wing and cleverly laid the ball back to Joby Gowshall who sent a deep cross into the Gloucester area. It was flicked on by Mick Nuttell to COSTELLO who fired his shot home. The second Boston goal wasn't long in coming. Rawle saw a shot well saved and Gary Childs hit another long range effort wide before Rawle increased the Boston lead. Gary Childs broke through the Gloucester defence then knocked the ball over to RAWLE who slotted home. A clash of heads on thirty five minutes flattened both Paul Raynor and Gloucester's No. 8.
From the resulting drop ball Stanhope threaded the ball through to COSTELLO who scored with a well placed shot. Gloucester's Nathan Wigg was lucky to remain on the pitch, when five minutes from the end of the half he retaliated after a bad challenge from Raynor. Both players were booked. Gloucester's Danny Hunt also found his name in the referee's book after bringing down Childs just before half time. In the second half Boston could have been forgiven if they had taken their foot off the pedal and sat on their lead. But the match continued where the first half had left off. COSTELLO completed his hat-trick five minutes after the restart and RAWLE added his second, lobbing the keeper, a few minutes later. Steve Evans now decided to give his substitutes some match experience, first replacing Rennie with Allardyce, then bringing on Power and Watts for Nuttell and Rawle. ALLARDYCE took advantage of his opportunity by heading home a free kick after Curtis had been fouled near the corner flag. With eleven minutes left and Boston having equalled their best ever score in the Southern League it seemed that it would only be a matter of time before the record was broken. But it wasn't to be as the only remaining goal was scored by Gloucester's Mike WYATT who curled a shot round Bastock in the Boston goal a few minutes before the end.
United team: 1. Paul Bastock, 2. Joby Gowshall, 3. Len Curtis, 4. Colin Hoyle, 5. Peter Costello, 6. David Rennie, 7. Andrew Stanhope, 8. Gary Childs, 9. Mickey Nuttell, 10. Mark Rawle, 11. Paul Raynor, 12. Paul Watts, 14. Craig Allardyce, 15. Lee Power.
