Leyton Orient 2-0 Pilgrims

Coca Cola League

If Steve Evans was a Grand National runner he would have been put down and dispatched to the knacker's yard long ago after tripping over even simple hurdles. Today's fall at promotion hopefuls Leyton Orient was to be expected. Even fueled on play-off hope fantasies the old nag was never going to scale the Becher's Brook sized obstacle in its path. There were no changes in the Boston starting line-up over that which had defeated Barnet last week. For the first ten minutes, Boston actually looked the better side, and if the East London team hadn't been saved by the crossbar when Lee Canoville fired in a shot from the edge of the area following a free kick taken by Bradley Maylett, then it might have been a different story. As it was, Orient soon worked out that Boston were severely short of attacking ideas and that they had an answer to both of them. Orient then began to dominate. Gary Alexander headed a Matt Lockwood corner over the bar, then saw another header hit the post. A third chance by Alexander was only kept out by the quick reactions of Austin McCann who blocked the close range effort.

Four minutes after the start of the second half, former Orient defender Alan White was adjudged to have brought down Paul Connor and a penalty kick was awarded. Matt LOCKWOOD stepped up and fired the ball just beyond the dive of Michel Kuipers into the bottom right corner. Boston pushed players forward in search of an equaliser and White should have scored when picked out at the back post by a corner kick from Maylett. Julian Joachim also had a good chance following a break down the right wing by Maylett, but he somehow managed to miss from close in. Substitute Joe Keith headed a cross from Alexander just wide before Orient made the game safe in the 89th minute when CONNOR got on the end of a cross by Lockwood to drive home from six yards out. After the match Steve Evans said: "It was disappointing that the Leyton Orient management team are in the tunnel with the referee at half time. They are all over him. I said to him at the start of the second half "Don't let it influence you". Well on 49 minutes he gives a penalty."

United team: Michel Kuipers, Lee Canoville, Austin McCann, Alan White, Paul Ellender, Mark Greaves, Chris Holland (Danny Thomas 75), Simon Rusk, Bradley Maylett (Peter Till 75), Julian Joachim, Lawrie Dudfield. Subs not used: Jamie Clarke, Asa Hall, Gary Silk.