Boston United 1 Nuneaton Town 1 (28.08.2017)

Honours even following two late goals…

A dramatic final few minutes highlighted an otherwise scrappy match at York Street as Nuneaton picked up their first point away from home with a 1-1 draw. Brad McGowan snatched an injury time equaliser for Boston United after Mitchell Glover must have thought he’d won it for Boro’ in the 89th minute.

The first half suffered from a lack of quality as both sides struggled in the heat of a glorious bank holiday afternoon. Nuneaton took the lion’s share of possession as Boston looked content to play on the counter. The home side did create a couple of good chances from set pieces with Jack Broadhead going close from a free kick in the second minute and heading narrowly wide from a corner on the half hour mark.

Nuneaton’s best chances fell to joint-top scorers Ashley Chambers and Jordan Nicholson. Nicholson, on loan from Peterboro’, shot across the face of goal in the third minute, and worked George Willis in the home goal just a few minutes later. It was a busy opening 15 minutes for Nicholson as he picked up a booking for an innocuous looking challenge near the centre circle.

Captain Ryan Beswick was in imperious form and his pinpoint pass through to Chambers almost created an opening but the pacey forward was marked tightly and forced wide. With the temperature on the pitch reaching a stifling 30 degrees, Referee Ricky Wootton called a halt to proceeding for a drinks break. Shortly after the restart Brad Gascoigne drilled a long range pass up to Chambers, but there was just too much pace on the ball for him to bring down and it went harmlessly through for Willis to collect.

Boston started the second half looking much more the likely to break the deadlock, both Gregg Smith and Ashley Hemmings forced Dean Lyness into good saves. Chambers had a few chances shortly after the hour mark but pulled them either side of the post, shooting wide right first and wide left a few moments later. Brady Hickey forced a save with a strong headed effort from Niall Heaton‘s long throw.

The hosts were starting to take control of the match though, and the introduction of Tyrell Waite led to several close shaves for Boro’ with Lyness being forced in to a couple of impressive saves. Nicholson made Willis work with a stinging drive before being replaced by the youngster Glover. Just two minutes after his introduction, Glover broke the deadlock. Tom Elliott did well to chase down a loose ball and put a teasing cross in to the middle where Glover was ready to pounce and turn the ball in.

After looking like they’d snatched all three points, Boro’ had to make do with just the one, as James Clifton’s corner picked out Smith at the backpost, his header back across goal fell kindly to McGowan, who reacted quickest to poke the ball in. Tommy Wright’s side return to action on Saturday as they host Alfreton Town at the LDJ Solicitors Stadium.